Vehicle sensor with integrated radar and image sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852418-B2
Application number	US-201715685123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 24, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A sensing system of a vehicle includes a sensor module disposed at the vehicle. The sensor module includes first and second radar sensors and a camera. A field of sensing of the first radar sensor is encompassed by a portion of a field of view of the camera and a field of sensing of the second radar sensor is encompassed by another portion of the field of view of the camera. Outputs of the radar sensors and the camera are communicated to a control. The control, responsive to processing of the outputs of the radar sensors, detects the presence of an object exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one of the radar sensors. The control, responsive to detection of an object via processing of the outputs of the radar sensors, processes the output of the camera to classify the detected object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensing system of a vehicle, said sensing system comprising:
a sensor module disposed at a vehicle equipped with said sensing system;
wherein said sensor module comprises a sensor package that houses in a common housing (i) a first radar sensor disposed in the common housing and having a plurality of transmitting antennas and a plurality of receiving antennas disposed at a first substrate, (ii) a second radar sensor disposed in the common housing and having a plurality of transmitting antennas and a plurality of receiving antennas disposed at a second substrate, and (iii) a camera disposed in the common housing between said first radar sensor and said second radar sensor;
wherein the transmitting and receiving antennas of said first radar sensor are oriented in a first orientation at the first substrate;
wherein the transmitting and receiving antennas of said second radar sensor are oriented in a second orientation at the second substrate;
wherein the first orientation is different than the second orientation by rotation of said first radar sensor relative to said second radar sensor about a first axis perpendicular to the first substrate;
wherein said first radar sensor is rotated clockwise relative to said camera about the first axis, and wherein said second radar sensor is rotated counter-clockwise relative to said camera about a second axis perpendicular to the second substrate;
wherein said first radar sensor has a first field of sensing exterior the equipped vehicle, and wherein said second radar sensor has a second field of sensing exterior the equipped vehicle, and wherein said camera has a field of view exterior the equipped vehicle;
wherein the first field of sensing of said first radar sensor is encompassed by a portion of the field of view of said camera, and wherein the second field of sensing of said second radar sensor is encompassed by another portion of the field of view of said camera;
a control, wherein outputs of said first and second radar sensors and said camera are communicated to said control;
wherein said control comprises a processor that processes the outputs;
wherein said control, responsive to processing of the outputs of said first and second radar sensors, detects the presence of an object exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one of said first radar sensor and said second radar sensor; and
wherein said control, responsive to detection of the presence of an object via processing of the outputs of said first and second radar sensors, processes the output of said camera to classify the detected object.

2. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein physical orientation of said second radar sensor relative to said camera is different from physical orientation of said first radar sensor relative to said camera.

3. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second radar sensors are positioned such that their horizontal and vertical azimuths are intersecting.

4. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said sensor module comprises a circuit board and wherein said first and second radar sensors and said camera are disposed at said circuit board, and wherein said camera is disposed at said circuit board at a location between said first and second radar sensors.

5. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said sensor module is disposed at a rear of the vehicle such that said camera views rearward of the vehicle.

6. The sensing system of claim 5 , wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, a display device of the vehicle displays video images derived from the output of said camera.

7. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein a display device of the vehicle is operable to display video images derived from the output of said camera.

8. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second radar sensors comprises an array of virtual antennas.

9. The sensing system of claim 8 , wherein said array of virtual antennas comprises at least four virtual antennas.

10. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said sensor module is part of a sensing system capable of providing driver assist system functions.

11. The sensing system of claim 10 , wherein said sensing system provides detection for at least one of automated parking, blind spot detection, cross traffic alert, lane change and merge aid, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, turn assist, terrain mapping and intersection collision mitigation.

12. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein radar signals transmitted by said plurality of transmitting antennas of said first radar sensor are received by said plurality of receiving antennas of said second radar sensor, and wherein radar signals transmitted by said plurality of transmitting antennas of said second radar sensor are received by said plurality of receiving antennas of said first radar sensor.

13. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said first radar sensor, said second radar sensor and said camera are disposed on a circuit board, and wherein said circuit board is disposed along the first and second substrates.

14. The sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said first radar sensor is rotated 90 degrees about the first axis relative said second radar sensor.

15. A sensing system of a vehicle, said sensing system comprising:
a sensor module disposed at a vehicle equipped with said sensing system;
wherein said sensor module comprises a sensor package that houses in a common housing (i) a first radar sensor disposed in the common housing and having a plurality of transmitting antennas and a plurality of receiving antennas disposed at a first substrate, (ii) a second radar sensor disposed in the common housing and having a plurality of transmitting antennas and a plurality of receiving antennas disposed at a second substrate, and (iii) a camera disposed in the common housing between said first radar sensor and said second radar sensor;
wherein the transmitting and receiving antennas of said first radar sensor are oriented in a first orientation at the first substrate;
wherein the transmitting and receiving antennas of said second radar sensor are oriented in a second orientation at the second substrate;
wherein the first orientation is different than the second orientation by rotation of said first radar sensor relative to said second radar sensor about a first axis perpendicular to the first substrate;
wherein said first radar sensor is rotated by a selected angle relative to said camera about the first axis in a clockwise direction when viewing the first substrate, and wherein said second radar sensor is rotated by the selected angle relative to said camera about a second axis perpendicular to the second substrate in a counter-clockwise direction when viewing the second substrate;
wherein said first radar sensor has a first field of sensing exterior the equipped vehicle, and wherein said second radar sensor has a second field of sensing exterior the equipped vehicle, and wherein said camera has a field of view exterior the equipped vehicle;
wherein the first field of sensing of said first radar sensor is encompassed by a portion of the field of view of said camera, and wherein the second field of sensing of said second radar sensor is encompassed by another portion of the field of view of said camera;
a control, wherein outputs of said first and second radar sensors and said camera are communicated to said control;
wherein said control comprises a processor that processes the outputs;
wherein said control, responsive to processing of the outputs of said first and second radar sensors, d

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Wodrich Helmut A
• Woodington Walter G

Classifications

• G01S2013/93272

  in the back of the vehicles · CPC title

• B60T8/171

  Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation · CPC title

• B60T2201/022

  Collision avoidance systems · CPC title

• G01S2013/9315

  Monitoring blind spots · CPC title

• B60T2201/10

  Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems · CPC title