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US 6,888,494 B2Granted
FMCW radar system
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsYukimasa Tamatsu, Hiroaki Kumon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inventive frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system realizes both a quick detection of a higher relative speed provisional target and a sure detection of a smaller relative speed provisional target. The number of detection cycles used for a paring validity check, used to see if a detected target or a pair of frequencies is an actual target or a pair for an actual target, is set in response to the relative velocity enabling the target information for a target of higher relative velocity to be output more quickly.
Claims18
A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system for detecting a distance and a relative velocity of a target, the radar system comprising:
- a transmitter having:
- means for generating, every detection cycle, a transmission signal, a frequency of which increases during an increasing section and decreases during a decreasing section;
- a receiver having:
- means for extracting a beat component signal from said transmission signal and a received return signal reflected by said target;
- and
- processing means having:
- (a) means for extracting peak frequencies of said increasing and decreasing sections at which said beat component signal becomes amplitude peaks from said beat component signal;
- (b) means for finding target information of each of definitely detected targets from a peak pair which denotes a pair of peak frequencies of said increasing and decreasing sections selected for said definitely detected target from said extracted peak frequencies said target information including a distance and a relative velocity;
- (c) means for making provisional peak pairs from extracted peak frequencies other than those used for peak pairs associated with said definitely detected targets, and assuming that said provisional peak pairs correspond to respective provisional targets;
- d) means, activated every detection cycle, for making a test to see if each of continuation provisional targets which have been detected at least one detection cycle ago has continuity with any of said provisional peak pairs;
- (e) means for registering said continuation provisional target that has passed said test made in a preset number of detection cycles as a new definitely detected target;
- (f) means for registering said provisional target that has failed in continuity with any of said continuation provisional targets as a new continuation provisional target;
- and
- (g) means for setting said preset number of detection cycles associated with said new continuation provisional target to a value, said value being such that the higher the relative velocity of said new continuation provisional target, the smaller said value and vice versa.
11 more elements
A computer program to be executed in a FMCW radar system for detecting a distance and a relative velocity of a target, wherein the radar system includes a transmitter for transmitting a transmission signal the frequency of which increases during an increasing section and decreases during an decreasing section every detection cycle;
- a receiver including means for extracting a beat component signal from said transmission signal and a received return signal reflected by said target;
- and a processing portion including means for extracting peak frequencies of said increasing and decreasing sections at which said beat component signal becomes amplitude peaks from said beat component signal, the computer program causing said processing portion to carry out:
- (a) finding target information of each of definitely detected targets from a peak pair which denotes a pair of peak frequencies of said increasing and decreasing sections selected for said definitely detected target from said extracted peak frequencies;
- (b) making provisional peak pairs from extracted peak frequencies other than those used for peak pairs associated with said definitely detected targets, and assuming that said provisional peak pairs correspond to respective provisional targets;
- (c) every detection cycle, making a test to see if each of continuation provisional targets which have been detected at least one detection cycle ago has continuity with any of said provisional peak pairs;
- (d) registering said continuation provisional target that has passed said test made in a preset number of detection cycles as a new definitely detected target;
- (e) registering said provisional target that has failed in continuity with any of said continuation provisional targets as new continuation provisional target;
- and
- (f) setting said preset number of detection cycles associated with said new continuation provisional target to a value, said value being such that the higher the relative velocity of said new continuation provisional target, the smaller said value and vice versa.
6 more elements
A frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system for detecting a distance to a target and a relative velocity of the target, the radar system comprising:
- a transmitter transmitting a transmission signal every detection cycle, the transmission signal having an increasing frequency during an increasing section and a decreasing frequency during a decreasing section;
- a receiver extracting a beat component signal from the transmission signal and a return signal reflected by the target;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- extract peak frequencies from the increasing and decreasing sections at which the beat component signal has amplitude peaks;
- find target information associated with each of one or more definitely detected targets from a peak pair of the peak frequencies extracted from the increasing and decreasing sections, the peak pair selected for one of the one or more definitely detected targets, the target information including a distance and a relative velocity;
- make one or more provisional peak pairs from the extracted peak frequencies other than those used for the peak pair associated with the one of the one or more definitely detected targets, the provisional peak pairs corresponding to respective provisional targets;
- test for continuity at least once every detection cycle between each of one or more continuation provisional targets detected during at least one previous detection cycle and any of the provisional peak pairs corresponding to respective provisional targets;
- register one of the one or more continuation provisional targets passing the test made in a preset number of detection cycles as a new definitely detected target;
- register one of the respective provisional targets failing in continuity with any of the one or more continuation provisional targets as a new continuation provisional target;
- and
- set the preset number associated with the new continuation provisional target to a value, the value being such that the higher the relative velocity of the new continuation provisional target, the smaller the value and vice versa.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.