Vehicular sensing system using RF sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11156711-B2
Application number	US-202016798763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2020
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A vehicular sensing system includes a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at a vehicle so as to have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle. Each RF sensor unit includes 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. A data processor of each RF sensor unit processes data provided from the respective receiving antennae and generates an output of the respective RF sensor unit. The outputs of the RF sensor units are communicated to an ECU and, responsive to the outputs of the RF sensor units, the ECU detects objects present 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 vehicular sensing system, said vehicular sensing system comprising:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular sensing system, wherein individual RF sensor units of said plurality of RF sensor units, when disposed at the equipped vehicle, have respective fields of sensing exterior of the equipped vehicle;
wherein each RF sensor unit of said plurality of said RF sensor units has multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation;
wherein each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units comprises 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 each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units comprises an analog to digital converter and a data processor;
wherein said data processor of each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units processes data provided from the receiving antennae of the respective RF sensor unit and generates an output of the respective RF sensor unit;
an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the equipped vehicle;
wherein outputs of respective RF sensor units of said plurality of RF sensor units are communicated by the respective RF sensor units to said ECU, and wherein said ECU, responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units, detects objects present exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units;
wherein said plurality of RF sensor units has at least a 20 m range for detection of pedestrians present exterior of the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units;
wherein, responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units, said vehicular sensing system provides pedestrian detection for an automatic emergency braking system of the vehicle; and
wherein, during operation of said vehicular sensing system, a number of transmitting and receiving antenna utilized by each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units is adjustable based on a complexity of a surrounding environment of the vehicle.

2. The vehicular sensing system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units, said vehicular sensing system provides object detection for a parking assist system of the vehicle.

3. The vehicular sensing system of claim 2 , wherein said ECU, responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units, is operable to detect one or more objects present exterior the vehicle and closer than 7.5 cm from the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units.

4. The vehicular sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of RF sensor units has at least a 40 m range for detection of other vehicles present exterior of the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units.

5. The vehicular sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units are communicated by the respective RF sensor units to said ECU using a communication protocol of the equipped vehicle.

6. The vehicular sensing system of claim 5 , wherein the outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units are communicated by the respective RF sensor units to said ECU using an Ethernet protocol.

7. The vehicular sensing system of claim 5 , wherein the outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units are communicated by the respective RF sensor units to said ECU via a CAN bus network of the equipped vehicle.

8. The vehicular sensing system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to said ECU not detecting presence of an object exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of an individual RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units, only one transmitting antenna and one receiving antenna is used by that individual RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units.

9. The vehicular sensing system of claim 8 , wherein, while only one transmitting antenna and one receiving antenna are used by the individual RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units, and responsive to said ECU detecting presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of the individual RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units, the number of transmitting antenna and receiving antenna utilized by the individual RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units is increased.

10. The vehicular sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said ECU adjusts the number of transmitting and receiving antenna utilized by each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units responsive to a quantity of objects detected by said ECU responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units.

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

12. The vehicular sensing system of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle component comprises one of a front bumper of the vehicle, a front grille 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.

13. The vehicular sensing system of claim 1 , wherein each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units comprises a radar system-on-chip device.

14. A vehicular sensing system, said vehicular sensing system comprising:
a plurality of radio frequency (RF) sensor units disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular sensing system, wherein individual RF sensor units of said plurality of RF sensor units, when disposed at the equipped vehicle, have respective fields of sensing exterior of the equipped vehicle;
wherein each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units comprises a unitary module that is configured to be disposed behind a vehicle component;
wherein each RF sensor unit of said plurality of said RF sensor units has multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation;
wherein each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units comprises 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 each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units comprises an analog to digital converter and a data processor;
wherein said data processor of each RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units processes data provided from the receiving antennae of the respective RF sensor unit and generates an output of the respective RF sensor unit;
an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the equipped vehicle;
wherein outputs of respective RF sensor units of said plurality of RF sensor units are communicated by the respective RF sensor units to said ECU, and wherein said ECU, responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units, detects objects present exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units;
wherein said plurality of RF sensor units has at least a 40 m range for detection of other vehicles present exterior of the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one RF sensor unit of said plurality of RF sensor units;
wherein, responsive to received outputs of said plurality of RF sensor units, said vehicular sensing system provides vehicle detection for an a

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Wodrich Helmut A

Classifications

• G01S2013/93274

  on the side of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/93275

  in the bumper area · CPC title

• G01S2013/93271

  in the front of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/867

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title

• G01S7/0234

  Avoidance by code multiplex · CPC title