# US 2013/0154870 A1 · Internal multi-axis g sensing used to align an automotive forward radar to the vehicle's thrust axis

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- Number: US 2013/0154870 A1
- Document ID: US20130154870A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/325,090
- Filed: 2011-12-14
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-14
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Aaron L. Mills; Scott Howard Gaboury
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154870A1

## CPC

- G01S 7/4026: {Antenna boresight}
- G01S 13/86: Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
- G01S 13/931: of land vehicles
- G01S 7/4034: {in elevation, i.e. in the vertical plane}
- G01S 2013/932: {using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction}
- G01S 2013/9321: {Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control}
- 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

A motor vehicle includes a vehicle floor, a tilt sensor attached to the vehicle floor and having an output, and a forward looking radar module attached to the vehicle. The radar module includes a radar, an accelerometer; and an output from the accelerometer, and a controller that averages the tilt sensor output and the accelerometer output and determines a difference between the output averages, the controller reporting when the differences changes more than a predetermined amount. A method of calibrating the forward looking radar module, when attached to a vehicle, comprises placing the vehicle on a flat surface to determine the accelerometer pitch.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A forward looking radar module adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, the radar module including:
a radar;
an accelerometer; and
an accelerometer output.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The forward looking radar module according to claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a low-g accelerometer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The forward looking radar module according to claim 1, wherein the module further includes a controller connected to the accelerometer output determining the position of the radar relative to a gravity vector.

### Claim 4

A method of calibrating a forward looking radar module attached to a vehicle, the radar module including a radar, an accelerometer, and an output from the accelerometer, the method comprising:
placing the vehicle on a flat surface to determine an accelerometer pitch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4 further including tilting the vehicle to determine an accelerometer yaw.

### Claim 6

A motor vehicle including:
a vehicle floor, a tilt sensor attached to the vehicle's floor, the tilt sensor having an output;
a forward looking radar module attached to the vehicle, the radar module including a radar, an accelerometer; and an accelerometer output; and
a controller that averages the tilt sensor output and the accelerometer output and determines a difference between the output averages, the controller reporting when the differences change more than a predetermined amount.