Radar system for internal and external environmental detection

A sensor in a radar system, comprising:

• a first antenna for detecting an object in an external environment of a vehicle;
• a second antenna for detecting an internal condition of the vehicle;
• and
• a controller adapted for:
• obtaining environmental sensor information from the first antenna of the radar system that is facing the external environment of the vehicle;
• detecting the object in the external environment of the vehicle with the first antenna of the radar system positioned on the vehicle;
• receiving an internal condition sensor signal from one or more first antenna elements from the second antenna of the radar system that is facing an interior environment of the vehicle;
• determining a type of information from the internal condition sensor signal;
• determining whether an action is required based at least on the determined type of information in the internal condition sensor signal and the obtained environmental sensor information;
• determining a distraction metric from measurements of user activity obtained within the vehicle with the radar system;
• sending sensor adjustment information to a central controller when the action is determined to be required;
• and
• adjusting one or more detection parameters of the radar system based at least on the detected object and the distraction metric.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a communication relay program including instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes an information processing apparatus connected to an image processing apparatus through a communication interface, to:

• receive an internal condition sensor signal from one or more first antenna elements from a first antenna of a radar system that is facing an interior environment of a vehicle;
• determine a type of information from the internal condition sensor signal;
• obtain environmental sensor information from a second antenna of the radar system that is facing an external environment of the vehicle;
• detect an object in the external environment of the vehicle with the second antenna of the radar system positioned on the vehicle;
• determine whether an action is required based at least on the determined type of information in the internal condition sensor signal and the obtained environmental sensor information;
• determine a distraction metric from measurements of user activity obtained within the vehicle with the radar system;
• send sensor adjustment information to a central controller when the action is determined to be required;
• and
• adjust one or more detection parameters of the radar system based at least on the detected object and the distraction metric.