Neural network-based radar system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067227-B2
Application number	US-201514870283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Oct 6, 2014
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A radar system includes an array antenna including antenna elements that each output a reception signal in response to one or plural arriving waves, and a signal processing circuit in which a learned neural network has been established. The signal processing circuit receives the reception signals, inputs the reception signals or a secondary signal generated from the reception signals to the neural network, performs computation by using the reception signals or secondary signal and learned data of the neural network, and outputs a signal indicating the number of arriving waves from the neural network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radar system comprising:
an array antenna including a plurality of antenna elements each of which outputs a reception signal in response to at least one arriving wave; and
a signal processing circuit in which a learned neural network has been established; wherein
the signal processing circuit:
receives the reception signals;
inputs the reception signals or a secondary signal generated from the reception signals, to the neural network;
performs computation by using the reception signals or the secondary signal, and data of the learned neural network; and
output a signal indicating a number of the at least one arriving wave from the neural network.

2. The radar system of claim 1 , wherein
the radar system is mounted in a driver's vehicle; and
the signal processing circuit outputs the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave as a signal indicating a number of preceding vehicles ahead of the driver's vehicle, where the preceding vehicles are one preceding vehicle or a plurality of the preceding vehicles that are abreast of each other.

3. The radar system of claim 2 , wherein as a signal indicating a spatial distribution pattern of the one preceding vehicle or the plurality of preceding vehicles that are abreast of each other, the signal processing circuit outputs a signal indicating whether or not at least one of the preceding vehicles exists in a driver's lane in which the driver's vehicle is travelling and in a lane adjacent to the driver's lane.

4. The radar system of claim 3 , wherein the signal processing circuit outputs a signal indicating a spatial distribution pattern of the one preceding vehicle or the plurality of preceding vehicles that are abreast of each other in terms of numerical values.

5. The radar system of claim 2 , wherein the signal processing circuit:
generates a signal including non-diagonal components of a spatial covariance matrix from the reception signals;
inputs the signal containing non-diagonal components of the spatial covariance matrix to the learned neural network as the secondary signal; and
estimates a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave based on the reception signals.

6. The radar system of claim 3 , wherein the signal processing circuit:
generates a signal including non-diagonal components of a spatial covariance matrix from the reception signals;
inputs the signal containing non-diagonal components of the spatial covariance matrix to the learned neural network as the secondary signal; and
estimates a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave based on the reception signals.

7. The radar system of claim 4 , wherein the signal processing circuit:
generates a signal including non-diagonal components of a spatial covariance matrix from the reception signals;
inputs the signal containing non-diagonal components of the spatial covariance matrix to the learned neural network as the secondary signal; and
estimates a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave based on the reception signals.

8. The radar system of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing circuit selectively operates in one of:
a first mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave by using the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave output from the learned neural network; and
a second mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave without using the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave;
wherein the second mode estimates a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave by performing an algorithm for direction-of-arrival estimation.

9. The radar system of claim 6 , wherein the signal processing circuit selectively operates in one of:
a first mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave by using the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave output from the learned neural network; and
a second mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave without using the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave;
wherein the second mode estimates a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave by performing an algorithm for direction-of-arrival estimation.

10. The radar system of claim 7 , wherein the signal processing circuit selectively operates in one of:
a first mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave by using the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave output from the learned neural network; and
a second mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave without using the signal indicating the number of the at least one arriving wave;
wherein the second mode estimates a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave by performing an algorithm for direction-of-arrival estimation.

11. The radar system of claim 8 , wherein the signal processing circuit selects the first mode when an adaptive cruise control is activated, and selects the second mode when the adaptive cruise control is not activated.

12. The radar system of claim 11 , wherein when the adaptive cruise control is not activated is when an autonomous emergency braking mode is activated.

13. The radar system of claim 11 , wherein the signal processing circuit switches between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with a vehicular gap and a velocity of the driver's vehicle.

14. The radar system of claim 12 , wherein the signal processing circuit switches between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with a vehicular gap and a velocity of the driver's vehicle.

15. The radar system of claim 3 , wherein the signal processing circuit operates in an output mode of outputting a signal indicating a spatial distribution pattern of the one preceding vehicle or the plurality of preceding vehicles that are abreast of each other without estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave.

16. The radar system of claim 4 , wherein the signal processing circuit operates in an output mode of outputting a signal indicating a spatial distribution pattern of the one preceding vehicle or the plurality of preceding vehicles that are abreast of each other without estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave.

17. The radar system of claim 15 , wherein
the signal processing circuit further operates in an estimation mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave without using the signal indicating the number of the least one arriving wave; and
the signal processing circuit acquires a spatial distribution pattern of the one preceding vehicle or the plurality of preceding vehicles in the output mode, and thereafter performs processing in the estimation mode by utilizing the spatial distribution pattern of the one preceding vehicle or the plurality of preceding vehicles.

18. The radar system of claim 16 , wherein
the signal processing circuit further operates in an estimation mode of estimating a direction or directions of arrival of the at least one arriving wave without using the signal indicating the number of the least one arriving wave; and
the signal processing circuit acquires a spatial distribution pattern of

Assignees

• Nidec Corp
• Univ Shizuoka Nat Univ Corp
• Univ Shizuoka Nat Univ Corp

Inventors

• Kamo Hiroyuki
• Kuwahara Yoshihiko

Classifications

• G01S2013/93271

  in the front of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/93272

  in the back of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/9323

  Alternative operation using light waves · CPC title

• G01S2013/9319

  Controlling the accelerator · CPC title

• G01S2013/93185

  Controlling the brakes · CPC title