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US 2022/0187421 A1Published application
Calibration of vehicle object detection radar with inertial measurement unit (imu)
OwnerJonathan Paul Cole, Jonathan Edward Fixinventors
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Abstract
The disclosed technology is a vehicle object detection radar system incorporating an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU may obtain input signals of, or relating to, for example, relative motion, acceleration, object detection angle, sway and vibration of the vehicle and/or any towed trailer, and process them for relay to the vehicle operator as operating information and possibly alarms. Also, the obtained IMU signals may be relayed directly to the vehicle's object detection radar systems and central control for automatic adjustment and control thereof.
Claims11
A dynamic misalignment error correction system for a vehicle-mounted side-directed object-detection radar system comprising:
- an integral, self-contained radar object-detection sensor package adapted for after-market installation on a side of a vehicle or on a side of a trailer adapted to be towed by a vehicle, the radar object-detection sensor package comprising a radar sensor;
- the radar sensor comprising a beam face with x, y and z Cartesian coordinate axes orientation, with said beam face being attached to the radar object-detection sensor package so that the x-axis of the beam face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the straight, go-ahead or go-back movement direction of the vehicle or trailer, the beam face y-axis is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the horizon, and the beam face z-axis is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the direction of the earth's gravitational field;
- said radar sensor also being adapted, when installed on a side of a vehicle or trailer, to maintain a wide antenna pattern with a main lobe directed perpendicularly to the side of the vehicle or trailer so as to maintain radar coverage principally in next-adjacent, generally-parallel road lanes and next-far-adjacent, generally-parallel road lanes thereof;
- said radar sensor also comprising an incorporated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) containing accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer components integrated together with said radar sensor in the self-contained radar object-detection sensor package;
- the IMU being adapted to observe, by a first of the components of the IMU, an observed first x-axis of the radar sensor face, during a straight, go-ahead or go-back movement direction of the vehicle or trailer along a vehicle movement observed second x-axis, in order to determine an offset angle α that is the difference between the radar sensor face observed first x-axis and the observed second x-axis;
- the straight, go-ahead or go-back movement of the vehicle being confirmed by a second of the components of the IMU adapted to detect any movement of the vehicle or trailer along the y-axis;
- and
- said self-contained radar object-detection sensor package being adapted to enter and save to send for future consideration the offset angle α for correction of any relevant radar sensor measurement.
5 more elements
A dynamic misalignment error correction system for a vehicle-mounted side-directed object-detection radar system comprising:
- an integral, self-contained radar object-detection sensor package adapted for after-market installation on a side of a vehicle or on a side of a trailer adapted to be towed by a vehicle, said radar object-detection sensor package comprising a radar sensor;
- said radar sensor comprising a beam face with x, y and z Cartesian coordinate axes orientation, with said beam face being attached to said radar object-detection sensor package so that the x-axis of the beam face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the straight, go-ahead or go-back movement direction of the vehicle or trailer, the y-axis of the beam face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the horizon, and the z-axis of the beam face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the direction of the earth's gravitational field;
- said radar sensor being adapted, when said radar object-detection sensor package is installed on a side of a vehicle or trailer, to maintain a wide antenna pattern with a main lobe directed perpendicularly to the side of the vehicle or trailer so as to maintain radar coverage principally in next-adjacent, generally-parallel road lanes and the next-far-adjacent, generally-parallel road lanes thereof;
- said radar sensor also having an incorporated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) containing accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer components integrated together with said radar sensor in said self-contained radar sensor package;
- the IMU being adapted to observe by a first component of the IMU an observed first z-axis of the radar sensor face, in order to determine an offset angle β that is the difference between the radar sensor face observed first z-axis and a gravitational field direction that is an observed second z-axis;
- and
- said self-contained radar object-detection sensor package being adapted to enter and save to send for future consideration the offset angle β for correction of any relevant radar sensor measurement.
4 more elements
A dynamic misalignment error correction system for a vehicle-mounted side-directed object-detection radar system comprising:
- an integral, self-contained radar sensor package adapted for after-market installation on a side of a vehicle or on a side of a trailer adapted to be towed by a vehicle, said radar sensor package having a radar sensor;
- said radar sensor comprising a beam face with x, y and z Cartesian coordinate axes orientation, with said beam face being attached to said radar object-detection package so that the x-axis of the beam face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the straight, go-ahead or go-back movement direction of the vehicle or trailer, the y-axis of the beam-face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the horizon, and the z-axis of the beam face is generally parallel to a straight line approximating the direction of the earths' gravitational field;
- said radar sensor being adapted, when said radar object-detection sensor package is installed on a side of a vehicle or trailer, to maintain a wide antenna pattern with a main lobe directed perpendicularly to the side of the vehicle or trailer, so as to maintain radar coverage principally in next-adjacent, generally-parallel road lanes and next-far-adjacent, generally-parallel road lanes thereof;
- said radar sensor also comprising an incorporated IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) containing accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer components integrated together with said radar sensor in said self-contained radar sensor package;
- the IMU being adapted to observe, by a first of the components of the IMU, an observed first x-axis of the radar sensor face, during a straight, go-ahead or go-back movement direction of the vehicle or trailer along an observed second x-axis, in order to determine an offset angle α that is the difference between the radar sensor face observed first x-axis and the vehicle movement direction observed second x-axis;
- the straight, go-ahead or go-back movement of the vehicle or trailer being confirmed by a second component of said IMU adapted to detect any movement of the vehicle or trailer along the y-axis;
- said radar sensor further comprising a third component of said IMU adapted to observe an observed first z-axis of the radar sensor face, in order to determine an offset angle β that is the difference between the radar sensor face observed first z-axis and a gravitational field direction that is an observed second z-axis generally corresponding to the downward and upward direction of the trailer in the earth's gravitational field;
- and
- said self-contained radar object-detection sensor package being adapted to enter and save to send for future consideration the first offset angle α and the second offset angle β for correction of any relevant sensor measurement.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.