Enhanced radar recognition for automated vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12169238-B2
Application number	US-202117481467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Sep 22, 2021
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to access sensor data of a sensor of a vehicle while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is active, detect, based on the sensor data, an object located along a path of travel of the vehicle, determine that the object is a moveable object based on a radar return of a radar reflector of the object, and responsive to the determination that the object is the moveable object, adjust, by the adaptive cruise control feature, the speed of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
access sensor data of a radar sensor of a vehicle while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is active;
detect, based on the sensor data, an object located along a path of travel of the vehicle;
determine that the object is a moveable object based on a radar return of a radar reflector of the object; and
responsive to the determination that the object is the moveable object, adjust, by the adaptive cruise control feature, the speed of the vehicle;
wherein the radar reflector is configured to rotate when the object is stopped or moving below a threshold speed, and wherein determining that the object is a moveable object includes detecting rotation of the radar reflector based on the radar return and determining a rate of rotation of the radar reflector, where different rates of rotation indicate different states of the moveable object.

2. The system of claim 1 , the radar reflector comprising a corner reflector.

3. The system of claim 1 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to determine that the object is the moveable object based on a rate of the rotation of the radar reflector.

4. The system of claim 1 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
determine the reflectivity of the radar reflector based on the radar return of the radar reflector; and
determine that the object is the moveable object based on the reflectivity of the radar reflector.

5. The system of claim 1 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect, based on the sensor data, a second object located along a path of travel of the vehicle; and
determine that the second object is a non-moveable object based on a radar return of a second radar reflector of the second object.

6. The system of claim 5 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to determine that the second object is the non-moveable object based on a reflectivity of the second radar reflector.

7. The system of claim 5 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect rotation of the second radar reflector based on the radar return of the second radar reflector; and
determine that the second object is the non-moveable object based on a rate of the rotation of the second radar reflector.

8. The system of claim 1 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
detect rotation of the radar reflector based on the radar return of the radar reflector;
determine a rate of rotation of the radar reflector; and
determine that the moveable object is a disabled vehicle based on the rate of rotation of the radar reflector.

9. The system of claim 8 , the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the vehicle to execute a lane change responsive to the determining that the moveable object is the disabled vehicle.

10. Accessing sensor data of a radar sensor of a vehicle while an adaptive cruise control feature of the vehicle is active;
detecting, based on the sensor data, an object located along a path of travel of the vehicle;
determining that the object is a moveable object based on a radar return of a radar reflector of the object; and
responsive to the determination that the object is the moveable object, adjusting, by the adaptive cruise control feature, the speed of the vehicle;
wherein the radar reflector is configured to rotate when the object is stopped or moving below a threshold speed, and wherein determining that the object is a moveable object includes detecting rotation of the radar reflector based on the radar return and determining a rate of rotation of the radar reflector, where different rates of rotation indicate different states of the moveable object.

11. The method of claim 10 , the radar reflector comprising a corner reflector.

12. The method of claim 10 , comprising determining that the object is the moveable object based on a rate of the rotation of the radar reflector.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
determining the reflectivity of the radar reflector based on the radar return of the radar reflector; and
determining that the object is the moveable object based on the reflectivity of the radar reflector.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
detecting, based on the sensor data, a second object located along a path of travel of the vehicle; and
determining that the second object is a non-moveable object based on a radar return of a second radar reflector of the second object.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising determining that the second object is the non-moveable object based on a reflectivity of the second radar reflector.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
detecting rotation of the second radar reflector based on the radar return of the second radar reflector; and
determining that the second object is the non-moveable object based on a rate of the rotation of the second radar reflector.

17. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
detecting rotation of the radar reflector based on the radar return of the radar reflector;
determining a rate of rotation of the radar reflector; and
determining that the moveable object is a disabled vehicle based on the rate of rotation of the radar reflector.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising causing the vehicle to execute a lane change responsive to the determining that the moveable object is the disabled vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chen Xingping
• Lerner Jeremy
• Rosenblatt Danielle
• Toy Andrew Edward
• Abdallah Ali

Classifications

• B60W2420/408

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

• B60W30/18163

  Lane change; Overtaking manoeuvres · CPC title

• G01S2013/932

  using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction · CPC title

• G01S2013/9329

  cooperating with reflectors or transponders · CPC title

• G01S2013/9321

  Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control · CPC title