Detection of an object by use of a 3d camera and a radar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017038466-A1
Application number	US-201414916329-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2014
Priority date	Sep 10, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method ( 400 ) and a 3D camera (110) for a vehicle for detecting an object ( 130 ) in an area ( 140 ) for collecting ( 401 ) measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) by a sensor ( 310 ) in the 3D camera ( 110 ) using a first sensor setting, in addition, reception ( 402 ) of measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) from a radar ( 120 ), and detection ( 405 ) of the object ( 130 ) based on interpretation of collected ( 401 ) measurement data by the camera together with measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ).

First claim

1 . A method ( 400 ) in a 3D camera ( 110 ) for a vehicle for detecting an object ( 130 ) in an area ( 140 ), characterized by:
collection ( 401 ) of measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) by a sensor ( 310 ) in the 3D camera ( 110 ), using a first sensor setting; reception ( 402 ) of measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) from a radar ( 120 ); and detection ( 405 ) of the object ( 130 ) based on the interpretation of collected ( 401 ) measurement data together with measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ).

2 . The method ( 400 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising:
adjustment ( 403 ) of the sensor setting of the 3D camera ( 110 ) based on measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ) in order to enable collection of measurement data in the area ( 140 ) using a second sensor setting; and collection ( 404 ) of measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) using the adjusted ( 403 ) second sensor setting; and wherein: the detection ( 405 ) of the object ( 130 ) is based on the interpretation of measured ( 401 , 404 ) measurement data together with measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ).

3 . The method ( 400 ) according to any of claim 1 or 2 , further comprising:
classification ( 406 ) of the detected ( 405 ) object ( 130 ) as a soft object or a hard object based on measurement data collected ( 401 , 404 ) from the 3D camera ( 110 ) and measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ).

4 . The method ( 400 ) according to any of claims 1 - 3 , further comprising:
presentation ( 407 ) of the detected ( 405 ) object ( 130 ).

5 . The method ( 400 ) according to any of claims 1 - 4 , wherein measured ( 401 , 404 ) measurement data contains measurement points detected in the area ( 140 ) by the sensor ( 310 ) of the sensor of the 3D camera, and wherein the interpretation of collected ( 401 , 404 ) measurement data together with measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ) comprises a matching of said measurement points with measurement data received ( 402 ) from the radar ( 120 ).

6 . The method ( 400 ) according to any of claims 1 - 5 , wherein the 3D camera ( 110 ) and the radar ( 120 ) are contained in a vehicle ( 100 ), and wherein the method ( 400 ) also comprises:
generation ( 408 ) of a command to carry out an accident-limiting measure for the vehicle ( 100 ) based on the classification ( 406 ) made ( 406 ).

7 . The method ( 400 ) according to any of claims 1 - 6 , wherein the sensor setting in the 3D camera ( 110 ) comprises at least one of the following: changing the exposure time of the 3D camera, modulating the frequency of the emitted lightwave, phase-shifting the emitted light wave and/or the strength of the emitted light.

8 . A 3D camera ( 110 ) for a vehicle, arranged for detecting an object ( 130 ) in an area ( 140 ), characterized by:
a sensor ( 310 ) arranged so as to gather measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) using a first sensor setting; a signal receiver ( 510 ) arranged so as to receive, from a radar ( 120 ), a signal containing measurement data related to the area ( 140 ); a processor circuit ( 520 ) arranged so as to detect an object ( 130 ) based on interpretation of measured measurement data together with measurement data received from the radar ( 120 ).

9 . The 3D camera ( 110 ) according to claim 8 , wherein:
the processor circuit ( 520 ) is further arranged so as to adjust the sensor setting of the 3D camera ( 110 ) based on measurement data received from the radar ( 120 ) in order to enable collection of measurement data in the area ( 140 ) using a second sensor setting; and the sensor ( 310 ) is arranged so as to collect measurement data related to the area ( 140 ) using the adjusted second sensor setting.

10 . The 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claim 8 or 9 , wherein the processor circuit ( 520 ) is also arranged so as to classify the detected object ( 130 ) as a soft object or a hard object based on measurement data collected from the 3D camera ( 110 ) and measurement data received from the radar ( 120 ).

11 . The 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claims 8 - 10 , wherein the processor circuit ( 520 ) is also arranged so as to send information in order to present the detected object ( 130 ) on a display screen ( 210 ).

12 . The 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claims 8 - 11 , wherein measured measurement data contains measurement points detected in the area ( 140 ) by the sensor ( 310 ) of the 3D camera; and wherein the processor circuit ( 520 ) is further arranged so as to interpret collected measurement data together with measurement data received from the radar ( 120 ) by matching said measurement points with measurement data received from the radar ( 120 ).

13 . The 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claims 8 - 12 , wherein the 3D camera ( 110 ) and the radar ( 120 ) are contained in a vehicle ( 100 ), and wherein the processor circuit ( 520 ) is arranged so as to generate a command in order to carry out an accident-limiting measure for the vehicle ( 100 ) based on the classification made.

14 . The 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claims 8 - 13 , wherein the sensor setting in the 3D camera ( 110 ) comprises at least one of the following: changing the exposure time of the 3D camera, modulating the frequency of the emitted lightwave, phase-shifting the emitted lightwave and/or the strength of the emitted light.

15 . The calculating unit ( 200 ) according to any of claims 8 - 14 , wherein the 3D camera ( 110 ) consists of: a Time of Flight camera, a stereo camera or a light-field camera.

16 . A computer program for detecting an object ( 130 ) in an area ( 140 ) by means of a method ( 400 ) according to any of claims 1 - 7 when the computer program is executed in a processor circuit ( 520 ) in the 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claims 8 - 15 .

17 . A system ( 500 ) for detecting an object ( 130 ) in an area ( 140 ), wherein the system ( 500 ) comprises:
a 3D camera ( 110 ) according to any of claims 8 - 14 ; and a radar ( 120 ) arranged so as to emit a radio wave and receive a reflection of said radio wave from a measurement point.

18 . A vehicle ( 100 ) containing a system ( 500 ) according to claim 17 , arranged so as to perform a method ( 400 ) according to any of claims 1 - 7 for detecting an object ( 130 ) in an area ( 140 ).

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Salmén Mikael
• Claezon Fredrich
• Ullberg Carl Fredrik
• Lindberg Mikael

Classifications

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S2013/93271

  in the front of the vehicles · CPC title

• G08G1/166

  for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes · CPC title

• G01S13/865

  Combination of radar systems with lidar systems · CPC title

• G01S7/497

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title