Vehicle radar with beam adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733348-B2
Application number	US-201414323433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a radar system of a vehicle. Sensor information pertaining to an environment for the vehicle is received from a first sensor as the vehicle is operated. A beam of the radar system is adjusted by a processor based on the sensor information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a radar system of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, from a sensor, sensor information pertaining to a lateral curvature of an upcoming segment of a road on which the vehicle is travelling as the vehicle is operated; and
automatically adjusting a beam of the radar system that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system, by forming the beam in a direction that is parallel with a direction of the upcoming segment of the road for transmission from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a tilt of the vehicle using the sensor information,
wherein the adjusting the beam further comprises adjusting the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system based also on the tilt of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an object proximate the vehicle using the sensor information;
wherein the adjusting the beam further comprises adjusting the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system based also on the identification of the object and a relative location, a relative direction of movement, or both of the object with respect to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an incline of the road; and
adjusting the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system also based on the incline of the road.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam is formed based on radar signals transmitted by the radar system, and the step of adjusting the beam further comprises:
adjusting a phase, an amplitude, or both, of the transmitted radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the beam is formed also based on radar signals received by the radar system, and the method further comprises:
adjusting a phase, an amplitude, or both, of the received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam is formed based on radar signals transmitted and received by the radar system, and the method further comprises:
adjusting a phase, an amplitude, or both, of the transmitted and received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam is formed based on radar signals transmitted by the radar system, and the step of adjusting the beam further comprises:
adjusting a phase and an amplitude of the transmitted radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam is also formed based on radar signals received by the radar system, and the method further comprises:
adjusting a phase and an amplitude of the received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

10. A control system for a radar system of a vehicle, the control system comprising:
a sensor array configured to provide sensor information pertaining to an identified object proximate the vehicle as the vehicle is operated and pertaining to a lateral curvature of an upcoming segment of a road on which the vehicle is travelling as the vehicle is operated; and
a processor coupled to the sensor and configured to adjust a beam of the radar system that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system, by forming the beam in a direction that is parallel with a direction of the upcoming segment of the road for transmission from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system based on the identified object in combination with a relative location and a relative direction of movement with respect to the vehicle and the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor information also represents a tilt of the vehicle, and the processor is configured to adjust the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system also based on the tilt of the vehicle.

12. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the sensor information also represents an incline of a road on which the vehicle is travelling, and the processor is configured to adjust the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system also based on the incline of the road.

13. A radar system for a vehicle, the radar system comprising:
an interface configured to obtain sensor information pertaining to a lateral curvature of an upcoming segment of a road on which the vehicle is travelling as the vehicle is operated;
one or more transmitters and receivers configured to transmit and receive radar signals of the radar system; and
a processor coupled to the interface and the transmitter and configured to adjust a beam of the radar system that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system, by forming the beam in a direction that is parallel with a direction of the upcoming segment of the road for transmission from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system, and by adjusting a phase, an amplitude, or both of the transmitted or received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

14. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor information also represents a tilt of the vehicle, and the processor is configured to adjust the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system also based on the tilt of the vehicle.

15. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor information also represents an identified object proximate the vehicle, and the processor is configured to adjust the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system also based on the identified object and a relative location and a relative direction of movement of the object with respect to the vehicle.

16. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor information also represents an incline of the road on which the vehicle is travelling, and the processor is configured to adjust the beam that is transmitted from the vehicle toward the road via the radar system also based on the incline of the road.

17. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a phase and an amplitude, or both of the transmitted radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

18. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a phase, an amplitude, or both of the received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

19. The radar system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust a beam of the radar system by adjusting a phase, an amplitude, or both of the transmitted and received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

20. The radar system of claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the beam of the radar system by adjusting the phase and the amplitude of both the transmitted and received radar signals based on the lateral curvature of the upcoming segment of the road.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Gazit Ran Y
• Bilik Igal

Classifications

• G01S2007/4034

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S7/40

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• G01S13/02 Primary

  Systems using reflection of radio waves, e.g. primary radar systems; Analogous systems · CPC title

• G01S7/403

  in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane · CPC title