IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,808,884
Granted Patent B2
US 11,808,884 · App. 17/075,761 · Granted Nov 7, 2023

Adaptive high point neighborhood range

Inventors: Benjamin Sick (Bodolz, DE); Stefan Zechner (Weißensberg, DE); Florian Engels (Wangen im Allgäu, DE)
Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
G01S7/412G01S7/352G01S7/415G01S13/584G01S13/931
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,808,884
App. No.
17/075,761
Granted
Nov 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a device ( 20 ) for determining a radar target list, comprising: an input interface ( 22 ) for receiving preprocessed sensor data from a radar sensor ( 18 ) with information on detected strengths at high points (H 1 , H 2 ) in a distance and/or velocity dimension and in predefined neighborhood ranges of the high points in the distance and/or velocity dimension; an analysis unit ( 24 ) for determining mutually adjacent high points with overlapping neighborhood ranges based on the preprocessed sensor data; an adjustment unit ( 26 ) for adjusting the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points; and an evaluation unit ( 28 ) for determining a radar target list with information on targets ( 17 ) in a field of view of the radar sensor based on the high points and the neighborhood ranges thereof. The present invention also relates to a method for determining a radar target list and a sensor system ( 10 ) for detecting targets ( 17 ) in an environment ( 12 ) of a vehicle ( 14 ).

Claims (15)

1. A device ( 20 ) for determining a radar target list, comprising:

a frequency-modulated multi-pulse radar sensor ( 18 ) for generating and preprocessing sensor data;

an input interface ( 22 ) for receiving the preprocessed sensor data from the frequency-modulated multi-pulse radar sensor ( 18 ) with information on detected strengths in high points (H 1 , H 2 ) in a distance and/or velocity dimension and in predefined neighborhood ranges of the high points in the distance and/or velocity dimension;

an analysis unit ( 24 ) for determining mutually adjacent high points with overlapping neighborhood ranges based on the preprocessed sensor data;

an adjustment unit ( 26 ) for adjusting the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points, the adjustment unit ( 26 ) being designed to shorten the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points (H 1 , H 2 ) in the direction of the other high point in each case; and the shortening is limited by a predefined minimum length; and

an evaluation unit ( 28 ) for determining a radar target list with information on targets ( 17 ) in a field of view of the frequency-modulated multi-pulse radar sensor based on the high points and the neighborhood ranges thereof.

2. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment unit ( 26 ) is designed to adjust the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points (H 1 , H 2 ) based on the detected strength in the other high point and/or the neighborhood range thereof in each case; and a higher detected strength in the other high point results in greater shortening of the neighborhood range.

3. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment unit ( 26 ) is designed to adjust the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points (H 1 , H 2 ) based on a distance between the adjacent high points; and a smaller distance results in greater shortening of the neighborhood ranges.

4. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment unit ( 26 ) is designed to expand the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points (H 1 , H 2 ) in a direction facing away from the other high point in each case; and a size of the neighborhood range is kept constant.

5. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment unit ( 26 ) is designed to determine weighting factors for the neighborhood ranges of the mutually adjacent high points (H 1 , H 2 ); and the evaluation unit ( 28 ) is designed to determine the radar target list based on the determined weighting factors.

6. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the input interface ( 22 ) is designed to receive preprocessed sensor data with a high point list; and for each high point (H 1 , H 2 ), the high point list comprises a high point position, a high point strength and several surrounding strengths in the predefined neighborhood range of the high point.

7. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the preprocessed sensor data comprise detected strengths in the distance and velocity dimensions.

8. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the preprocessed sensor data additionally comprise detected strengths in an azimuth and/or elevation dimension.

9. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit ( 28 ) is designed to determine the radar target list based on a comparison of the high points (H 1 , H 2 ) and the neighborhood ranges thereof with a predefined model.

10. The device ( 20 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the evaluation unit ( 28 ) is designed to determine the radar target list based on a MUSIC, root-MUSIC, ESPRIT or maximum likelihood approach.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2021
From: SICK, BENJAMIN; ZECHNER, STEFAN; ENGELS, FLORIAN
To: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
Reel/Frame 054914/0611 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210116539A1 · Apr 22, 2021