Variable range and frame-rate radar operation for automated vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11099264-B2
Application number	US-201715709647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A radar system for an automated vehicle includes a digital-map, a radar, and a controller. The digital-map indicates a characteristic of a roadway traveled by a host-vehicle. The radar detects objects proximate to the host-vehicle. The radar is equipped with a range-setting that is selectively variable. The controller is in communication with the digital-map and the radar. The controller is configured to select the range-setting of the radar based on the characteristic of the roadway. The characteristic may be based on speed-limit, road-shape (e.g. curve-radius), a horizon-distance, and/or an obstruction (e.g. hill, sign, or building). The radar may be equipped with a frame-rate-setting (i.e. pulse repetition frequency or PRF) that is selectively variable, and the controller may be further configured to select the frame-rate-setting based on the characteristic of the roadway.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system within a host-vehicle, the system comprising:
a radar having a plurality of selectively variable settings of at least one of a frame-rate or a pulse repetition frequency; and
a controller comprising:
a digital map that indicates a characteristic of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle; and
a radar-control module in communication with the digital map and the radar, the controller configured to select a setting of at least one of the frame-rate or the pulse repetition frequency from the plurality of settings based on the characteristic of the roadway,

wherein the at least one of the frame-rate or the pulse repetition frequency of the radar is adjusted to the selected setting.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the system includes a location-detector that indicates a location of the host-vehicle on the digital map.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the roadway is indicated by or based on a shape of the roadway.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the roadway is indicated by or based on a distance between a horizon-line and the host-vehicle, and the radar-control module is configured to select a setting of at least one of the frame-rate or the pulse repetition frequency from the plurality of settings based on the distance.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radar al-se has a plurality of selectively variable settings for a range of the radar, and the radar-control module is further configured to select a setting for the range of the radar from the plurality of settings for the range of the radar based on the characteristic of the roadway.

6. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the characteristic of the roadway is indicated by or based on a speed-limit for the roadway and a landscape about the roadway, and the radar-control module is configured to select the setting for the range of the radar based on the speed-limit and the landscape.

7. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the setting for the range, the frame rate, or the pulse repetition frequency is selected by the radar-control module according to a location of the host vehicle on the digital map.

8. The system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein selection of the setting for the range, the frame rate, or the pulse repetition frequency is based on an amount of transmit-power of a transmitted signal emitted by the radar to illuminate an object, a detection threshold used by a receiver portion of the radar to detect reflections of the transmitted signal, and a beam-width of a detection antenna selected for use by the radar.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the radar is configured to steer a radar beam emitted by the radar to focus a transmitted-signal in a particular direction.

10. A method comprising:
determining, by controller of a host-vehicle, a characteristic of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle, wherein the characteristic of the roadway comprises a shape of the roadway, a distance between a horizon-line and the host vehicle, a speed-limit for the roadway, and a landscape about the roadway; and
determining, by the controller, a frame-rate-setting or a pulse repetition frequency of a radar of the host-vehicle based on the determined characteristic of the roadway.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the roadway further comprises a position of a horizon-line relative to the host-vehicle.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the radar has a range-setting that is selected by the controller based on the characteristic of the roadway.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a location of the host-vehicle on a digital map; and
selecting the range setting or frame-rate-setting or pulse repetition frequency according to the location of the host vehicle on the digital map.

14. The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein selecting the range-setting or the frame-rate-setting or the pulse repetition frequency is influenced by at least one of an amount of transmit-power of a transmitted signal emitted by the radar to illuminate an object, a detection threshold used by a receiver portion of the radar to detect reflections of the transmitted signal or a beam-width of a detection antenna selected for use by the radar.

15. The method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising:
steering a radar beam emitted by the radar to focus a transmitted-signal in a particular direction.

16. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a controller of a host vehicle, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
determining, by the controller of the host-vehicle, a characteristic of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle, wherein the characteristic of the roadway comprises one or more of a shape of the roadway, a distance between a horizon-line and the host vehicle, a speed-limit for the roadway, or a landscape about the roadway; and
determining, by the controller, a frame-rate-setting or a pulse repetition frequency of a radar of the host-vehicle based on the determined characteristic of the roadway.

17. A system within a host-vehicle, the system comprising:
a radar of the host-vehicle having a plurality of selectively variable settings of at least one of a frame-rate or a pulse repetition frequency; and
a controller of the host-vehicle comprising:
a digital map that indicates a characteristic of a roadway traveled by the host-vehicle, wherein the characteristic of the roadway comprises a shape of the roadway, a distance between a horizon-line and the host vehicle, a speed-limit for the roadway, and a landscape about the roadway; and
a radar-control module in communication with the digital map and the radar, the controller configured to select a setting of at least one of the frame-rate or the pulse repetition frequency from the plurality of settings based on the shape of the roadway, the distance between the horizon-line and the host vehicle, the speed-limit for the roadway, and the landscape about the roadway.

Assignees

• Motional Ad Llc

Inventors

• Bhatia Gaurav
• Wei Junqing
• Xu Wenda

Classifications

• B60W2420/408

  Radar; Laser, e.g. lidar · CPC title

• G05D2111/30

  Radio signals · CPC title

• G01S13/12 Primary

  wherein the pulse-recurrence frequency is varied to provide a desired time relationship between the transmission of a pulse and the receipt of the echo of a preceding pulse · CPC title

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/06 Primary

  Systems determining position data of a target · CPC title