Vehicle occupant detection system and method using radar motion sensor
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorSongnian Li
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motion sensing system and method for detecting an occupant in a vehicle with enhanced sensitivity to detect small movement, such as movement caused by heartbeat and breathing of an occupant. The system includes a radar motion sensor located in a compartment of the vehicle. The radar sensor transmits and receives signals within the compartment and generates sensed signals. The system has a controller for converting the sensed signals to a frequency domain. The controller further processes the frequency domain of sensed signals and determines the presence of movement of an occupant due to one of heartbeat and breathing of the occupant.
Claims24
1 A motion detection system for detecting the presence of an occupant in a vehicle, said detection system comprising:
- a radar motion sensor located in a compartment of a vehicle, said radar sensor transmitting and receiving radar signals within the compartment and generating sensed signals;
- and
- a controller converting the sensed signals to a frequency domain, said controller further processing the frequency domain of sensed signals within a frequency range and determining the presence of movement of an occupant due to one of heartbeat and breathing.
The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller determines an average value of the sensed signals within the frequency range, said controller further comparing the average value to a threshold value to determine the presence of movement of an occupant due to one of heartbeat and breathing.
The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller compares the frequency domain of sensed signals within the frequency range to a predetermined frequency characteristic, and further identifies a frequency of the sensed signals indicative of movement of an occupant due to one of heartbeat and breathing.
The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein said radar motion sensor comprises a Differential Pulse Doppler radar motion sensor.
The detection system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a signal classifier for classifying the sensed signals into pulse type signals and continuous type signals, wherein the continuous type signals are processed by the controller to determine the presence of movement of an occupant due to one of heartbeat and breathing.
The detection system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller generates one of an output signal of a high confidence level and a low confidence level.
A method of detecting the presence of an occupant in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
- transmitting radar signals within a compartment in a vehicle;
- receiving the transmit radar signals;
- generating radar sensor output signals;
- transforming the radar sensor output signals to a frequency domain;
- processing the frequency domain of radar sensor output signals within a frequency range;
- and
- determining movement due to one of breathing and heartbeat of an occupant based on the processing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.