# US 10,481,243 B2 · Automated vehicle radar system with self-calibration

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- Number: US 10,481,243 B2
- Document ID: US10481243B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/339,135
- Filed: 2016-10-31
- Published: 2018-05-03
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-31
- Assignees: Aptiv Technologies AG
- Applicants: Aptiv Technologies Limited
- Inventors: Carlos Alcalde; Duc H. Vu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481243B2

## CPC

- G01S 7/4004: {of parts of a radar system}
- G01S 7/4026: {Antenna boresight}
- G01S 7/415: {Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target}
- G01S 13/42: Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S13/46)
- G01S 13/58: Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
- G01S 13/589: {measuring the velocity vector}
- G01S 13/64: Velocity measuring systems using range gates
- G01S 13/931: of land vehicles
- G01S 7/403: {in azimuth, i.e. in the horizontal plane}
- G01S 7/4091: {during normal radar operation}
- G01S 2013/932: {using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction}
- G01S 2013/93271: {in the front of the vehicles}
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

An automated vehicle radar system capable of self-calibration includes an antenna, a transceiver, and a controller. The antenna broadcasts a radar-signal and detects a reflected-signal reflected by an object. The transceiver determines a distance, an angle, and a range-rate of the object relative to the antenna based on the radar-signal and the reflected-signal. The controller determines a speed of a host-vehicle; determines when the object is stationary based on the speed, the angle, and the range-rate; stores in a memory a plurality of detections that correspond to multiple instances of the distance, the angle, and the range-rate as the host-vehicle travels by the object; selects an ideal-response of angle versus range-rate based on the speed; determines a calibration-matrix of the system based on a difference between the plurality of detections and the ideal-response; and adjusts an indicated-angle to a subsequent-object in accordance with the calibration-matrix.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A radar system comprising:
an antenna mounted on a host-vehicle, wherein the antenna is used to broadcast a radar-signal and detect a reflected-signal arising from a reflection of the radar-signal by an object;
a transceiver in communication with the antenna, wherein the transceiver determines a distance, an angle, and a range-rate of the object relative to the antenna based on the radar-signal and the reflected-signal; and
a controller in communication with the transceiver, wherein the controller is configured to
determine a speed of the host-vehicle;
determine that the object is stationary based on the speed, the angle, and the range-rate;
store in a memory a plurality of detections that correspond to multiple instances of the distance, the angle, and the range-rate as the host-vehicle travels by the object;
select an ideal-response of angle versus range-rate based on the speed;
determine, in response to a determination that the object is stationary, a calibration-matrix of the system for a plurality of angles of arrival to the antenna, said calibration-matrix based on a difference between the plurality of detections and the ideal-response; and
adjust an indicated-angle to a subsequent-object in accordance with the calibration-matrix.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an indicated-distance and an indicated-range-rate to the subsequent-object in accordance with the calibration-matrix.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the difference is based on an angle difference between an indicated-angle at an indicated-range-rate and an ideal-angle at an ideal-range-rate equal to the indicated-range-rate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein an instance of the plurality of detections associated with the object is used to determine the calibration-matrix when a face-linearity of the object is less than a linearity-threshold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein an instance of the plurality of detections associated with the object is used to determine the calibration-matrix when the distance is less than a distance-threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of detections includes instances of the distance, the angle, and the range-rate from a plurality of objects.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of receive-elements, and each instance of the plurality of detections includes complex-voltages from each of the plurality of receive-elements.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the calibration-matrix is configured to transform the complex-voltages.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the calibration-matrix comprises distinct correction factors for each of the plurality of angles of arrival.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of angles of arrival in the calibration-matrix are defined by angle intervals between each of the plurality of angles of arrival.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
broadcasting a radar-signal;
detecting a reflection of the radar-signal by an object;
determining a distance, an angle, and a range-rate of the object relative to an antenna used to detect the reflected-signal;
determining a speed of a host-vehicle on which the antenna is mounted;
determining that the object is stationary based on the speed, the angle, and the range-rate;
storing in a memory a plurality of detections that correspond to multiple instances of the distance, the angle, and the range-rate as the host-vehicle travels by the object;
selecting an ideal-response of angle versus range-rate based on the speed;
determining, in response to determining that the object is stationary, a calibration-matrix for a plurality of angles of arrival to the antenna, said calibration-matrix based on a difference between the plurality of detections and the ideal-response; and
adjusting an indicated-angle to a subsequent-object in accordance with the calibration-matrix.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the method comprises
adjusting an indicated-distance and an indicated-range-rate to the subsequent-object in accordance with the calibration-matrix.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the difference is based on an angle difference between an indicated-angle at an indicated-range-rate and an ideal-angle at an ideal-range-rate equal to the indicated-range-rate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein an instance of the plurality of detections associated with the object is used to determine the calibration-matrix when a face-linearity of the object is less than a linearity-threshold.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein an instance of the plurality of detections associated with the object is used to determine the calibration-matrix when the distance is less than a distance-threshold.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the plurality of detections includes instances of the distance, the angle, and the range-rate from a plurality of objects.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the antenna includes a plurality of receive-elements, and each instance of the plurality of detections includes complex-voltages from each of the plurality of receive-elements.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the calibration-matrix is configured to transform the complex-voltages.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the calibration-matrix comprises distinct correction factors for each of the plurality of angles of arrival.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the plurality of angles of arrival in the calibration-matrix are defined by angle intervals between each of the plurality of angles of arrival.