Vehicle short range sensing system using RF sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10571562-B2
Application number	US-201715467247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A sensing system for a vehicle includes a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at the vehicle so as to have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle. Each RF sensor unit includes a system on chip unit comprising a plurality of transmitting antennae and a plurality of receiving antennae, with each transmitting antenna transmitting RF signals and each receiving antenna receiving RF signals transmitted by each transmitting antenna to provide a respective field of sensing of each of the RF sensor units. Outputs of the RF sensor units are communicated to a control and, responsive to the outputs of the RF sensor units, the control determines the presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one of the RF sensor units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensing system for a vehicle, said sensing system comprising:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at the vehicle so as to have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle;
wherein the fields of view of said plurality of RF sensor units combine to provide 360 degree coverage around the vehicle;
wherein each of said RF sensor units has multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation;
wherein each of said RF sensor units comprises a radar system on chip device comprising a plurality of transmitting antennae and a plurality of receiving antennae, with each transmitting antenna transmitting RF signals and each receiving antenna receiving RF signals;
wherein said system on chip device of each of said RF sensor units comprises an analog to digital converter, a data processor and a communication device;
wherein said data processor of each of said RF sensor units processes data provided from the receiving antennae of the respective RF sensor unit and generates an output for the respective RF sensor unit;
a control, wherein outputs of said RF sensor units are communicated to said control by the communication device of the respective RF sensor unit, and wherein said control, responsive to received outputs of said RF sensor units, determines the presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one of said RF sensor units; and
wherein said plurality of RF sensor units (i) has at least a 20 m range for detection of pedestrians present exterior of the vehicle and (ii) has at least a 40 m range for detection of other vehicles present exterior of the vehicle.

2. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said sensing system provides object detection for a parking assist system of the vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive to processing by said data processor of received outputs of said RF sensor units, is operable to determine presence of one or more objects closer than 7.5 cm from the vehicle.

3. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the outputs of said RF sensor units are communicated to said control via Ethernet.

4. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein, during operation, the number of transmitting and receiving antenna utilized by said RF sensor unit is adjustable based on the complexity of the environment surrounding the vehicle.

5. The sensing system of claim 4 , wherein, when the vehicle is at a relatively simple situation with a totally clear field of view, only one transmitting antenna and one receiving antenna is used by an individual one of said RF sensor units.

6. The sensing system of claim 5 , wherein, as the complexity of the environment increases from the relatively simple situation, the number of transmitting antenna and receiving antenna utilized by the individual one of said RF sensor units is increased.

7. The sensing system of claim 4 , wherein said control adjusts the number of transmitting and receiving antenna utilized by said RF sensor unit responsive to a determination of the complexity of the environment surrounding the vehicle.

8. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said RF sensor unit comprises a unitary module that is configured to be disposed behind a vehicle component.

9. The sensing system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle component comprises one of a front bumper of the vehicle, a front grill of the vehicle, a rear bumper of the vehicle, a side panel of the vehicle, and a housing of an exterior mirror of the vehicle.

10. A sensing system for a vehicle, said sensing system comprising:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at the vehicle so as to have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle;
wherein the fields of view of said plurality of RF sensor units combine to provide 360 degree coverage around the vehicle;
wherein each of said RF sensor units has multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation;
wherein each of said RF sensor units comprises a radar system on chip device comprising a plurality of transmitting antennae and a plurality of receiving antennae, with each transmitting antenna transmitting RF signals and each receiving antenna receiving RF signals;
wherein said system on chip device of each of said RF sensor units comprises an analog to digital converter, a data processor and a communication device;
wherein said data processor of each of said RF sensor units processes data provided from the receiving antennae of the respective RF sensor unit and generates an output for the respective RF sensor unit;
a control, wherein outputs of said RF sensor units are communicated to said control by the communication device of the respective RF sensor unit, and wherein said control, responsive to received outputs of said RF sensor units, determines the presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one of said RF sensor units;
wherein said plurality of RF sensor units (i) has at least a 20 m range for detection of pedestrians present exterior of the vehicle and (ii) has at least a 40 m range for detection of other vehicles present exterior of the vehicle;
wherein, during operation, the number of transmitting and receiving antenna utilized by said RF sensor unit is adjustable based on the complexity of the environment surrounding the vehicle;
wherein, when the vehicle is at a relatively simple situation with a totally clear field of view, only one transmitting antenna and one receiving antenna is used by an individual one of said RF sensor units; and
wherein said control adjusts the number of transmitting and receiving antenna utilized by said RF sensor unit responsive to a determination of the complexity of the environment surrounding the vehicle.

11. The sensing system of claim 10 , wherein said sensing system provides object detection for a parking assist system of the vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive to processing by said data processor of received outputs of said RF sensor units, is operable to determine presence of one or more objects closer than 7.5 cm from the vehicle.

12. The sensing system of claim 10 , wherein the outputs of said RF sensor units are communicated to said control via Ethernet.

13. The sensing system of claim 10 , wherein, as the complexity of the environment increases from the relatively simple situation, the number of transmitting antenna and receiving antenna utilized by the individual one of said RF sensor units is increased.

14. The sensing system of claim 10 , wherein said RF sensor unit comprises a unitary module that is configured to be disposed behind a vehicle component.

15. The sensing system of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle component comprises one of a front bumper of the vehicle, a front grill of the vehicle, a rear bumper of the vehicle, a side panel of the vehicle, and a housing of an exterior mirror of the vehicle.

16. A sensing system for a vehicle, said sensing system comprising:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at the vehicle so as to have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle;
wherein the fields of view of said plurality of RF sensor units combine to provide 360 degree coverage around the vehicle;
wherein each of said RF sensor units has multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation;
wherein each of said RF sensor units comprises a unitary module that is configured to be disposed behind a vehicle component, and wherein the vehicle component comprises one of a front bumper of the vehicle, a front grill of the vehicle, a rear bumper of the vehicle, a side panel of the ve

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Wodrich Helmut A

Classifications

• G01S13/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/93274

  on the side of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/93275

  in the bumper area · CPC title

• G01S13/878

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S13/874 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S2013/93271

  in the front of the vehicles · CPC title