Detection of an object by use of a 3D camera and a radar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10114117-B2
Application number	US-201414916329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2014
Priority date	Sep 10, 2013
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A method (400) and a 3D camera (110) for a vehicle for detecting an object (130) in an area (140) for collecting (401) measurement data related to the area (140) by a sensor (310) in the 3D camera (110) using a first sensor setting, in addition, reception (402) of measurement data related to the area (140) from a radar (120), and detection (405) of the object (130) based on interpretation of collected (401) measurement data by the camera together with measurement data received (402) from the radar (120).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method using a 3D camera and radar for a vehicle for detecting an object in an area, the method comprising:
collecting first measurement data related to the area by a sensor in the 3D camera, using a first sensor setting;
receiving second measurement data related to the area from a radar; and
adjusting the sensor setting of the 3D camera from the first sensor setting to an adjusted second sensor setting based on the second measurement data received from the radar to enable collection of third measurement data related to the area using the adjusted second sensor setting;
collecting the third measurement data related to the area by the sensor in the 3D camera using the adjusted second sensor setting; and
detecting the object based on interpreting of the third measurement data together with the second measurement data received from the radar.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
classifying the detected object as a soft object or a hard object based on the third measurement data collected by the 3D camera and the second measurement data received from the radar.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the 3D camera and the radar are located at a vehicle, and the method further comprises:
generating a command to carry out an accident-limiting measure for the vehicle based on the classification made of the detected object.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting the detected object.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third measurement data contains measurement points detected in the area by the sensor of the 3D camera, and wherein the interpreting of the third measurement data together with the second measurement data received from the radar comprises a matching of the measurement points with the second measurement data received from the radar.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein adjusting the sensor setting of the 3D camera comprises at least one adjustment selected from the following group: changing an exposure time of the 3D camera, modulating a frequency of a light wave emitted from the 3D camera, and phase-shifting the emitted light wave and/or the strength of the emitted light wave.

7. A computer program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and configured for detecting an object in an area by means of the method according to claim 1 when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit in the 3D camera.

8. A 3D camera for a vehicle, arranged for detecting an object in an area, comprising:
a sensor arranged and configured to collect first measurement data related to the area using a first sensor setting and to collect second measurement data related to the area using an adjusted second sensor setting;
a signal receiver arranged and configured to receive, from a radar, a signal containing third measurement data related to the area; and
a processor circuit arranged and configured to detect an object, based on interpretation of the second measurement data together with the third measurement data received from the radar, and to adjust the sensor setting of the 3D camera from the first sensor setting to the adjusted second sensor setting, based on the third measurement data received from the radar, to enable collection of the second measurement data related to the area using the adjusted second sensor setting.

9. The 3D camera according to claim 8 , wherein the processor circuit is further arranged and configured to classify the detected object as a soft object or a hard object based on the second measurement data, collected by the sensor, and the third measurement data received from the radar.

10. The 3D camera according to claim 9 , wherein the 3D camera and the radar are contained in a vehicle, and wherein the processor circuit is further arranged and configured to generate a command to carry out an accident-limiting measure for the vehicle based on the classification made of the detected object.

11. The 3D camera according to claim 8 , further comprising a display screen and wherein the processor circuit is further arranged and configured to send information to present the detected object on the display screen.

12. The 3D camera according to claim 8 , wherein the second measurement data contains measurement points detected in the area by the sensor of the 3D camera; and
the processor circuit is further arranged and configured to interpret the second measurement data together with the third measurement data received from the radar by matching the measurement points with the third measurement data received from the radar.

13. The 3D camera according to claim 8 , wherein adjusting the sensor setting of the 3D camera comprises at least one adjustment selected from the following group: changing an exposure time of the 3D camera, modulating a frequency of a light wave emitted from the 3D camera, and phase-shifting the emitted light wave and/or the strength of the emitted light wave.

14. The 3D camera according to claim 8 , wherein the 3D camera comprises: a time of flight camera, a stereo camera or a light-field camera.

15. A system for detecting an object in an area, wherein the system comprises:
the 3D camera according to claim 8 ; and
a radar arranged to emit a radio wave and receive a reflection of the radio wave from a measurement point.

16. A vehicle containing the system according to claim 15 , configured to perform a method for detecting an object in an area.

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Salmén Mikael
• Claezon Fredrich
• Ullberg Carl Fredrik
• Lindberg Mikael

Classifications

• G01S7/497

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G08G1/16 Primary

  Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08) · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G01S13/867 Primary

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title

• G01S17/36

  with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal · CPC title