Battery-powered vehicle sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11614513-B2
Application number	US-202117199805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2021
Priority date	Mar 12, 2021
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive radar data from a radar sensor of a vehicle; demarcate a zone of coverage of the radar sensor, the zone of coverage having an area based on a number of objects indicated by the radar data; and after demarcating the zone of coverage, in response to detecting a newly present object in the zone of coverage, adjust a scanning rate of the radar sensor based on a distance of the newly present object from the radar sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
receive radar data from a first radar sensor and a second radar sensor of a vehicle;
demarcate a zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor having an area based on a number of objects indicated by the radar data;
demarcate a zone of coverage of the second radar sensor, the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor having an area based on a number of objects indicated by the radar data from the second radar sensor, the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor being different than the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor;
after demarcating the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, in response to detecting a newly present object in the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, instruct the first radar sensor to adjust a scanning rate of the first radar sensor based on a distance of the newly present object from the first radar sensor; and
after demarcating the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor, in response to detecting a newly present object in the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor, instruct the second radar sensor to adjust a scanning rate of the second radar sensor based on a distance of the newly present object from the second radar sensor;
wherein the scanning rate of the second radar sensor is adjusted independently of the scanning rate of the first radar sensor.

2. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the area of the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor has an inverse relationship with the number of objects indicated by the radar data.

3. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the scanning rate has an inverse relationship with the distance.

4. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor is a first zone of coverage, the first radar sensor has a second zone of coverage, and the instructions further include instructions to, in response to receiving data from the first radar sensor indicating that the newly present object is in the second zone of coverage, turn on a camera.

5. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the camera has a higher power draw than the first radar sensor.

6. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, after turning on the camera, record image data from the camera.

7. The computer of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining that a previously present object is being removed from within the second zone of coverage based on the image data from the camera, store the image data.

8. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon failing to determine that the previously present object is being removed from within the second zone of coverage, overwrite the image data with newer image data from the camera.

9. The computer of claim 7 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, upon determining that the previously present object is being removed from within the second zone of coverage based on the image data from the camera, transmit a message including the stored image data to a remote computing device.

10. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the instructions include instructions to, in response to receiving the data from the first radar sensor indicating that the newly present object is in the second zone of coverage, transmit a message instructing at least one vehicle system to wake up.

11. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, in response to receiving data from the first radar sensor indicating that the newly present object is moving at a speed greater than a threshold speed, refrain from turning on the camera.

12. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, in response to receiving data from the first radar sensor indicating that the newly present object is in the first zone of coverage and outside the second zone of coverage, refrain from turning on the camera.

13. The computer of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, in response to the number of objects indicated by the radar data being greater than a threshold number, demarcate the first zone of coverage coextensive with the second zone of coverage.

14. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, after demarcating the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, upon determining that the newly present object is a recognized person, instruct the first radar sensor to maintain the scanning rate of the first radar sensor at a default scanning rate.

15. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, in response to receiving data from the first radar sensor indicating a lack of previously present objects in a region, prevent the first radar sensor from running.

16. The computer of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to, before instructing the first radar sensor to adjust the scanning rate of the first radar sensor, put a wired vehicle network to which the first radar sensor is connected in a low-power state.

17. A method comprising:
receiving radar data from a first radar sensor and a second radar sensor of a vehicle;
demarcating a zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor having an area based on a number of objects indicated by the radar data;
demarcating a zone of coverage of the second radar sensor, the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor having an area based on a number of objects indicated by the radar data from the second radar sensor, the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor being different than the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor;
after demarcating the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, in response to detecting a newly present object in the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor, instructing the first radar sensor to adjust a scanning rate of the first radar sensor based on a distance of the newly present object from the first radar sensor; and
after demarcating the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor, in response to detecting a newly present object in the zone of coverage of the second radar sensor, instructing the second radar sensor to adjust a scanning rate of the second radar sensor based on a distance of the newly present object from the second radar sensor;
wherein the scanning rate of the second radar sensor is adjusted independently of the scanning rate of the first radar sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the zone of coverage of the first radar sensor is a first zone of coverage, the first radar sensor has a second zone of coverage, the method further comprising, in response to receiving data from the first radar sensor indicating that the newly present object is in the second zone of coverage, turning on a camera.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Van Wiemeersch John Robert
• Bilger Donald Paul
• Safir Tarik
• Harris Sam

Classifications

• G01S13/867 Primary

  Combination of radar systems with cameras · CPC title

• G01S13/874

  Combination of several systems for attitude determination (in general G01C, control of attitude G05D1/49) · CPC title

• G01S7/003

  Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations · CPC title

• G01S13/87

  Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar · CPC title

• G01S13/04

  Systems determining presence of a target (based on relative movement of target G01S13/56) · CPC title