Vehicle radar control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733350-B2
Application number	US-201414323387-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. One or more transmitters are configured to transmit radar signals. A plurality of receivers are configured to receive return radar signals after the transmitted radar signals are deflected from an object proximate the vehicle. A processor is coupled to the plurality of receivers, and is configured to generate a plurality of feature vectors based on the returned radar signals and generate a three dimensional representation of the object using the plurality of feature vectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a radar system of a vehicle, the radar system having a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting, via the plurality of transmitters, a first plurality of radar signals from the vehicle;
receiving, via the plurality of receivers, a second plurality of radar signals pertaining to an object that is in proximity to a roadway on which the vehicle is travelling, the second plurality of radar signals directed from the object after the first plurality of radar signals contact the object;
determining, via a processor, a location of the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
determining, via the processor, an azimuth angle for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
determining, via the processor, an elevation angle for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
determining, via the processor, a range for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
generating, via the processor, a plurality of feature vectors based on the second plurality of radar signals, the location, the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range;
generating, via the processor, a three dimensional representation of the object using the plurality of feature vectors via association of the second plurality of radar signals to a three dimensional array, the three dimensional representation comprising a union of the plurality of feature vectors over the three dimensional array, wherein the three dimensional array is constructed such that the three dimensional array has a first dimension based on the azimuth angle, a second dimension based on the elevation angle, a third dimension based on the range, and a center that is based on the location of the object;
extracting features from the second plurality of radar signals using the three dimensional representation of the object; and
classifying, via the processor, the object based on the feature extraction.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
classifying the object based upon the three dimensional representation and a learned dictionary model.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
classifying the object based upon the three dimensional representation and a circular regression model.

4. A radar control system for a vehicle, the radar control system comprising:
one or more transmitters configured to transmit transmitted radar signals from the vehicle;
a plurality of receivers configured to receive return radar signals after the transmitted radar signals are deflected from an object proximate the vehicle; and
a processor coupled to the plurality of receiver and configured to:
determine a location of the object with respect to the vehicle based on the return radar signals;
determine an azimuth angle for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the return radar signals;
determine an elevation angle for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the return radar signals;
determine a range for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the return radar signals;
generate a plurality of feature vectors based on the return radar signals, the location, the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range;
generate a three dimensional representation of the object using the plurality of feature vectors via association of the return radar signals to a three dimensional array, the three dimensional representation comprising a union of the plurality of feature vectors over the three dimensional array, wherein the three dimensional array is constructed such that the three dimensional array has a first dimension based on the azimuth angle, a second dimension based on the elevation angle, a third dimension based on the range, and a center that is based on the location of the object;
extract features from the return radar signals using the three dimensional representation of the object; and
classify the object based on the compressive sensing feature extraction.

5. The radar control system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to classify the object based upon the three dimensional representation and a learned dictionary model.

6. The radar control system of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to classify the object based upon the three dimensional representation and a circular regression model.

7. A computer system for a radar system of a vehicle, the radar system having a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers, the computer system comprising:
a non-transitory, computer readable storage medium storing a program, the program configured to:
transmit, via the plurality of transmitters, a first plurality of radar signals from the vehicle;
receive, via the plurality of receivers, a second plurality of radar signals pertaining to an object that is in proximity to a roadway on which the vehicle is travelling, the second plurality of radar signals directed from the object after the first plurality of radar signals contact the object;
determine a location of the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
determine an azimuth angle for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
determine an elevation angle for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
determine a range for the object with respect to the vehicle based on the second plurality of radar signals;
generate a plurality of feature vectors based on the second plurality of radar signals, the location, the azimuth angle, the elevation angle, and the range;
generate a three dimensional representation of the object using the plurality of feature vectors via association of the second plurality of radar signals to a three dimensional array, the three dimensional representation comprising a union of the plurality of feature vectors over the three dimensional array, wherein the three dimensional array is constructed such that the three dimensional array has a first dimension based on the azimuth angle, a second dimension based on the elevation angle, a third dimension based on the range, and a center that is based on the location of the object;
extract features from the second plurality of radar signals using the three dimensional representation of the object; and
classify the object based on the compressive sensing feature extraction.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the program is further configured to classify the object based upon the three dimensional representation and a learned dictionary model.

9. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the program is further configured to classify the object based upon the three dimensional representation and a circular regression model.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of extracting the features comprises extracting the features from the second plurality of radar signals using the three dimensional representation of the object by performing, via the processor, compressive sensing feature extraction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of extracting the features comprises extracting the features utilizing a radar signal decomposition dictionary in which radar signals are expressed in a compacted manner, utilizing smart feature extraction.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of extracting the features comprises extracting the features utilizing a signal processing technique for acquiring and reconstructing radar signals

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Stainvas Olshansky Inna
• Bilik Igal

Classifications

• G01S13/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/41 Primary

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• G01S13/06 Primary

  Systems determining position data of a target · CPC title

• G01S13/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/02

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