Detection of ground surface height variation in the vicinity of a vehicle

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for detection of ground surface height variation in a vicinity of a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes acquiring measured backscatter from a radar transceiver mounted on the vehicle and directed at the ground surface, comparing the measured backscatter to expected ground surface backscatter according to a current vehicle motion, and detecting a ground surface height variation responsive to a difference between the expected ground surface backscatter and the measured backscatter satisfying a detection criterion. The difference may indicate one or more of: a distance from the radar transceiver to the ground surface height variation, and an angular orientation relative the radar transceiver of the ground surface height variation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.