Combined With Determining Distance Patents (Class 342/109)
  • Patent number: 8970397
    Abstract: A roadside detection system installed in a vehicle to detect a roadside of a road on which the vehicle travels includes detection results acquiring means, first edge line detecting means and second edge line detecting means. The detection results acquiring means emits light waves or electromagnetic waves to a target detection region in which an object to be measured is detected and acquires an objective distance and a reflection intensity, for each of separate regions obtained by separating the target detection region into a plurality of divisions. The first edge line detecting means detects a first edge line that is a candidate of a roadside based on each objective distance. The second edge line detecting means detects a second edge line that is a candidate of a roadside based on each reflection intensity. A driver assistance system and a roadside detecting method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Nitanda, Takayuki Miyahara
  • Patent number: 8963766
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a target tracking apparatus calculates N-dimensional predicted values from a respective stored (N+1)-dimensional tracks for each of the targets, determines whether or not the N-dimensional predicted value for each of the targets is correlated with the received N-dimensional angle observed value for the target, if the N-dimensional predicted value is not correlated, generates a new (N+1)-dimensional track for the target based on the N-dimensional track corresponding to the N-dimensional angle observed value and if the N-dimensional predicted value is correlated, updates and stores the (N+1)-dimensional track using the N-dimensional angle observed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8963767
    Abstract: A method for detecting the motion of object by ultra-wideband radar imaging and system thereof to be used to present the motion of object in a reference gray-level image by using the delay time to analyze the distance between the detected position of object and the detecting position to compare the time-varying distance variation between the reference distance and the detecting distance. The system includes a transmitter module, a receiver module and a signal processing module. The transmitter module is used to transmit a first ultra-wideband signal from a detecting position to the object. The receiver module is used to receive a second ultra-wideband signal reflected from the object in the detecting position. The signal processing module is used to analyze the signal delay time of the second ultra-wideband signal received in the detecting position to analyze the detecting distance between the second ultra-wideband signal and the detecting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: National Taiwan University
    Inventors: Pai-Chi Li, Tsung-Chuan Chen
  • Publication number: 20150048968
    Abstract: In an in-vehicle radar apparatus, a signal processing unit calculates a change curve shape of power values of the reception power of the radio waves received by a receiving unit in relation to the distance from the own vehicle when the speed of the own vehicle acquired by a speedometer is a predetermined value or lower and the distance from the own vehicle to the target measured by a measuring unit is a predetermined value or less, and determines a portion of the change curve shape as a target to be detected. The portion indicates a local maximum value or an inflection value of the power values of which a difference in power with a maximum value is within a certain range, among local maximum values or inflection values of the power values at distances closer to the own vehicle than the maximum value of the power values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryusuke Uyama, Keiji Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 8912945
    Abstract: In a method of determining a deviation of a path of a projectile from a predetermined path, the method uses an image of a target area in which the desired path or direction is pointed out. Subsequently, the real direction or real path is determined and the deviation is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Trackman A/S
    Inventor: Fredrik Tuxen
  • Patent number: 8890684
    Abstract: An RFD reader includes a transceiver configured to receive a first radio frequency signal reflected off at least one surface to provide baseline signal information and a second radio frequency signal reflected off the at least one surface and an object to provide further signal information. A comparator is configured to compare the baseline signal information and the further signal information to provide a signal comparison. A processor is configured to detect the presence of the object in accordance with the signal comparison. A determination is made whether the object is in motion in accordance with the signal comparison. The determination whether the object is in motion is made in accordance with a continuous fluctuation of the second radio frequency signal. A determination whether the object is no longer in motion is made in accordance with an ending of the continuous fluctuation of the second radio frequency signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Checkpoint Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Artem Tkachenko, Petya Vachranukuniet
  • Publication number: 20140320335
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing personal radar, object presence detection, and object localization are provided. Multiple devices that perform high-resolution ranging can be operated to perform radar in an area, detect objects and motion of objects in the area, and generate a virtual steerable antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Greina Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Joseph Lee, Thomas Schmid
  • Patent number: 8866668
    Abstract: In a radar apparatus, a peak extractor performs frequency analysis on a beat signal to obtain a frequency spectrum for each of first and second detection modes based on the beat signal for a corresponding one of the first and second detection modes. The peak extractor extracts a plurality of first peak-signal components from the frequency spectrum obtained for the first detection mode, and a plurality of second peak-signal components from the frequency spectrum obtained for the second detection mode. A determiner compares each of the plurality of first peak-signal components with a corresponding one of the plurality of second peak-signal components to deter mine whether a noise is included in the beat signal according to a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 8860604
    Abstract: A radar system comprising a transmitter to transmit radar signals into a region, a receiver to receive return signals of said radar signals reflected from within the region wherein the transmitter and receiver are adapted for location on a structure at a wind farm, and a processor to process the return signals to extract wind farm associated data for said region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Cambridge Consultants Limited
    Inventor: Gordon Kenneth Andrew Oswald
  • Patent number: 8854251
    Abstract: Provided is an object identification device and a method for the same that are capable of identifying a three-dimensional object and a road surface static object, irrespective of situations. The object identification device identifies an object, based on a transmission signal and a reflection signal caused by the object reflecting the transmission signal. The object identification device includes: a measurement section configured to measure at least one of the relative distance and the relative velocity with respect to the object; an intensity detection section configured to detect the intensity of the reflection signal; and an object identification section configured to identify the object which can be an obstacle object, based on at least one of the relative velocity and the variation in the relative distance, and on the variation in the intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Setsuo Tokoro
  • Publication number: 20140292557
    Abstract: The system of the present invention is a vehicle collision warning and prevention system. It is capable of detecting and calculating the speed, distance, location, and arrival time of the oncoming vehicles and determining whether the oncoming vehicles may collide with the vehicle having the system on board. The system thus warns the driver in the vehicle about the speed, distance, location, and the arrival time of the oncoming vehicle (time of accident). The system is capable of deploying barriers (i.e. air cushions or air bags) in a fraction of a second before the collision between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle. The system is capable of reducing the impact of the auto collision more than any or most auto collision protection in the market today. The system will protect or prevent most body damages to the front and rear of the car in an auto collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventor: Joseph E. Ajala
  • Patent number: 8823578
    Abstract: A driving assist apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The driving assist apparatus includes a transmitter for transmitting a transmission wave, a receiver for receiving a reflected wave, an obstacle presence determination section for detecting a presence of an obstacle in the surrounding of the vehicle based on the reflected wave, a measurement section for measuring a frequency of phase delay and advance of the reflected wave with respect to a reference signal, and a detection section for detecting the obstacle having a specific relation with the vehicle based on the presence of the obstacle determined by the obstacle presence determination section and the frequency of delay and the frequency of advance measured by the measurement section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Hattori, Mitsuyasu Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8825266
    Abstract: Controlling a vehicle to automatically prevent the vehicle from colliding with obstacles includes identifying and locating obstacles in front of the vehicle, wherein relative position of an obstacle is determined; measuring relative speed of the obstacles; assessing whether there is a risk of a collision between the vehicle and the obstacle as a function of the relative position and relative speed. If there is a risk of a collision, the method further includes: calculating an unsafe region around the obstacle as a function of known measurement errors; calculating an evasion point within or on an edge of the unsafe region; defining a protection zone around the evasion point; defining an evasion route which is in the form of a circular path and has a predefined radius of curvature; controlling the vehicle at a critical distance, so that the vehicle follows the evasion route which is tangential to the protection zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: EADS Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Naderhirn, Peter Langtaler
  • Patent number: 8823580
    Abstract: In a method for frequency matching in an FMCW radar sensor, a plurality of frequencies, which are derived on various modulation ramps, and which respectively are shown by the radar sensor in a d-v space as geometrical locations, represent possible combinations of a distance d and a speed v of the respective object. In order to identify the objects located on the various modulation ramps, coincidences between the geometrical locations which belong to frequencies derived on various modulation ramps are searched for. The search for coincidences is initially restricted in a first step to a subspace of the d-v space, and in a subsequent step, the search is extended to other regions of the d-v space, while suppressing the frequencies that are associated with the objects found in the first step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Gross, Wolf Steffens, Stephan Leinbaum, Goetz Kuehnle, Andre Treptow
  • Patent number: 8816896
    Abstract: System and method for calculating three dimensional residual motion errors of a moving platform with respect to a point of interest by receiving a radar signal from the point of interest (302); forming a radar image including a plurality of scatterers (304); using an MLE method to obtain range, radial velocity and acceleration of the moving platform for a first peak scatterer in the radar image (306); correcting a location of the first peak scatterer with respect to a scene center of the point of interest (312); updating the obtained radial acceleration responsive to the corrected location (314); and updating the obtained radial velocity of the moving platform responsive to the updated radial acceleration (316).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Theagenis J. Abatzoglou, Johan E. Gonzalez, Joel K. McWilliams, Raymond Samaniego
  • Patent number: 8816902
    Abstract: There is provided a radar apparatus for detecting a target. A detection signal generating unit generates detection signals of the target based on transmission and reception waves of antennas. A detection signal processing unit performs frequency analysis on the detection signals to extract signal components of the target, and performs a predetermined process on the signal components to calculate at least one of a distance to the target, a relative speed to the target, and an orientation of the target. The detection signal generating unit includes a filter unit for giving changes to the detection signals in a frequency bandwidth higher than Nyquist frequency which is a half a sampling frequency. The detection signal processing unit acquires the signal components from the detection signals to which the filter unit gives the changes to determine whether the signal components are generated by replication due to the Nyquist frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited
    Inventor: Hiroshi Itoh
  • Patent number: 8810446
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a radar device includes a radio module, a pulse compressor, a Doppler filter processor, a signal processor, an integration processor, an estimation module and a target detector. The radio module receives a plurality of received pulses corresponding to transmission pulses transmitted from a transmitter. The integration processor generates third data by integrating first data generated at the signal processor with second data generated based on first data obtained by a previous scan. The estimation module estimates a position at a time of a next scan based on the third data to generate second data. The target detector detects a target based on the third data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Shoji, Mitsuyoshi Shinonaga, Junichiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8803729
    Abstract: In a multibeam radar sensor apparatus having at least two transmission/reception channels, whose signal paths each include an antenna and a mixer, at least one first mixer is configured bidirectionally as a transfer mixer, and at least one second mixer is switchable from a first into a second operating state; in the first operating state, the mixer is bidirectionally configured as a transfer mixer, and in the second operating state, the mixer being configured in an at least approximately isolating manner as a receiving mixer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Klar, Thomas Binzer, Klaus-Dieter Miosga, Oliver Brueggemann, Volker Gross, Dirk Steinbuch, Goetz Kuehnle, Juergen Seiz, Elisabeth Hauk, Rahel Hauk, Manuel Hauk
  • Patent number: 8760341
    Abstract: Provided is a radar device capable of preventing mispairing from occurring, and obtaining a distance to a target and a relative velocity to the target even if at least one of the peak frequencies of beat signals cannot be extracted and pairs of the peak frequencies cannot be generated. A target estimation part (20) estimates a distance (RN) to a target (21, 22) and a relative velocity (VN) to the target (21, 22) based on a distance (RO) to the target (21, 22) and a relative velocity (VO) to the target (21, 22), which have been decided by a target decision part (13) in a previous cycle, when at least one of the peak frequencies of the beat signal cannot be extracted and the pair of the peak frequencies cannot be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kado Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 8717229
    Abstract: An active antenna array is arranged to activate subsets of switchable elements causing the antenna to form a first beam having a first beam pattern, and later to form a second beam having a second beam pattern of substantially identical far field radiation pattern to the first beam pattern but with different origins. A receiver receives radiation reflected from a target back to the antenna when the antenna is configured with the first beam pattern and then when configured with the second beam pattern, and compares the phase of the radiation received at the receiver when the antenna is configured with the first beam pattern with the phase of the radiation received at the receiver when the antenna is configured with the second beam pattern to provide a phase difference signal. A target locating means determines the angular location of the target from the phase difference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: TRW Automotive US LLC
    Inventor: Richard Blachford
  • Patent number: 8704704
    Abstract: Presented is a method for determining speeds (vr14, vr16) and distances (r14, r16) of objects (14, 16) relative to a radar system (12) of a motor vehicle (10), wherein a coverage area (EB) of the radar system (12) is divided into at least two part-areas (TB1, TB2, TB3), the coverage area (EB) is examined for reflecting objects (14, 16) in successive measuring cycles (MZ1, MZ2; MZi, MZi+1), wherein radar signals received in a measuring cycle (MZ1, MZ2; MZi, MZi+1) are processed separated in accordance with part-areas (TB1, TB2, TB3) and processed signals are assembled to form a total result differentiated in accordance with spatial directions. The method is characterized in that from signals received in a first measuring cycle (MZ1; MZi), hypotheses for the distance (r14, r16) and speed (vr14, vr16) of reflecting objects (14, 16) are formed and the hypotheses are validated in dependence on signals received in at least one further measuring cycle (MZ2; MZi+2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: VALEO Schalter und Sensoren GmbH
    Inventors: Urs Luebbert, Udo Haberland
  • Publication number: 20140049420
    Abstract: A method for classifying vehicles in which an angle-resolving radar device yields measurement signals which have frequencies corresponding to a Doppler shift and which originate from measured vehicles and from which radial distances, object angles and radial velocities can be derived. The frequencies of the acquired measurement signals are stored as functions over the measurement time period, and a spectrogram is formed for every vehicle therefrom. Subsequently, the spectrograms are checked for assessment regions with maximum bandwidth of the frequency. These assessment regions are compared with assessment regions of stored spectrograms for different vehicle classes and associated with the most similar such that the measured vehicles are classified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Inventors: Michael LEHNING, Dima PROEFROCK
  • Patent number: 8648746
    Abstract: A network analyzer includes an n-port network with two ports for measuring wave parameters of a measurement object. Each port has a feed for a radio-frequency signal from a signal source. Signal components of the radio-frequency signal fed into the respective port are reflected at the measurement object and the signal components of one or more radio-frequency signals fed into at least one other port are transmitted through the measurement object to the respective port are measured as wave parameters. The two ports are supplied with different radio-frequency signals, wherein frequencies or frequency bands are offset with respect to one another by a frequency offset. Reflected and transmitted signal components of the radio-frequency signals are measured at the same time at the two ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Florian Poprawa, Andreas Schicht, Claus Seisenberger, Andreas Ziroff
  • Publication number: 20140035776
    Abstract: A method of detecting a physical target in a region-of-interest is disclosed. The method comprises: transmitting a pulse of radiation into the region-of-interest; receiving an echo signal from the region-of-interest; accessing a computer readable medium storing a dictionary defined over a plurality of dictionary atoms each describing a dictionary function corresponding to at least a time delay and a Doppler shift; calculating a coefficient for each dictionary function using the echo signal, thereby providing a plurality of coefficients, wherein a linear combination of all dictionary functions respectively weighted by the coefficients does not reconstruct the echo signal; and determining at least one of a range and a speed of the target based on the coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Nir Asher Sochen, Yossef Ferdman
  • Patent number: 8638253
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a radar sensor device for detecting movement and velocity of external objects within or around a particular radar sensor field. The radar sensor field can use an array or cluster or radar sensors, including compact (portable by hand) radar sensors that function as network nodes within a wireless, low-energy ad hoc network. Radar sensor devices can use vibration as a means of communicating power status, functionality, and progress of installation of a particular radar unit. Such a vibration can be executed at a particular predefined cadence, rhythm, or other pattern, to indicate a powered-on state, active network connectivity, and other device states. Such a radar sensor device provides silent and non-visible status indication for quick and efficient deployment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: BBN Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Paul Dryer
  • Publication number: 20140022111
    Abstract: In a method for detecting radar objects with the aid of a radar sensor of a motor vehicle, a transmitted signal has a sequence of frequency modulations, to each of which a partial signal of a measuring signal is assigned; first information about the relative velocity and the distance of a radar object is ascertained based on a frequency spectrum of at least one of the partial signals; second information about the relative velocity and the distance of the radar object is ascertained based on a frequency spectrum of a time curve of values of frequency spectra of the partial signals at a frequency position of the radar object in these frequency spectra; and the relative velocity and the distance of the radar object are ascertained based on matching of the first information with the second information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Goetz KUEHNLE, Michael SCHOOR
  • Patent number: 8629800
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a vehicle. An apparatus comprises a proximity detection system, a vehicle management system, and a notification system. The proximity detection system is associated with an aircraft and operably connected to a transducer. The proximity detection system is configured to determine a distance of a vehicle from a surface of the aircraft and a velocity of the vehicle relative to the aircraft. The vehicle management system operably connected to the proximity detection system. The vehicle management system is configured to determine a time the vehicle will be a threshold distance from the surface of the aircraft and an threshold amount of time to bring the vehicle to a predetermined velocity. The notification system is associated with the proximity detection system and configured to generate a notification signal in response to a determination that the time is less than the threshold amount of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David M. Anderson, David L. Banks, Robert L. Avery, Aydin Akdeniz
  • Publication number: 20140009322
    Abstract: A calculator for obtaining motion parameters of the target, wherein the calculator is configured to obtain the one or more motion parameters on the basis of at least two time differences. The first time difference describes a timing of passings of a first pair of transmitter-receiver-lines by the target, and the second time difference describes a timing of passings of a second pair of transmitter-receiver-lines by the target, wherein the second pair of the transmitter-receiver-lines is different from the first pair of transmitter-receiver-lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Ion SUBERVIOLA, Amaia ANORGA
  • Patent number: 8599062
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for the generation and processing of waveforms utilized to modulate the carrier frequency of a microwave sensor employed, to determine the range and velocity of an object of interest. The system and method result in improved performance in environments with high levels of interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Wieslaw Jerzy Szajnowski
  • Patent number: 8558732
    Abstract: A device is proposed for determining a relative speed between a vehicle and a crash object, the device being situated in the vehicle itself. The device has one active surround field sensor system and one contact sensor system. The device ascertains the relative speed with the aid of a first signal, the surround field sensor system and with the aid of a second signal of the contact sensor system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alfred Kuttenberger, Marc Theisen, Michael Bunse
  • Patent number: 8547273
    Abstract: The invention provides a pulse radar apparatus, and a control method thereof, that permits to readily downsize and to lower its cost and allows information on an object to be detected in high precision by removing an influence of noise when a gain of a variable gain amplifier is discontinuously changed corresponding to detected distance, with a simple configuration. A variable gain amplifier 135 configured to adjust a gain corresponding to a distance gate is used to be able to detect weak reflected wave from a distant object and to amplify a reflected wave from a short distance with a low gain. An offset noise from the variable gain amplifier 135 is prepared together with interference noise and self-mixing noise in advance as a replica signal of unwanted wave and the replica signal is removed from a baseband signal in detecting the object T.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Aoyagi, Kazutaka Kamimura, Yoshihito Ishida
  • Patent number: 8542145
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for locating non-cooperating objects by means of a random or pseudo-random noisy type waveform generator, an amplifier, of said waveforms and an antenna which radiates them towards the object, which object generates an electromagnetic echo which is detected by a passive subsystem of antennas and receivers. The time delay and Doppler shift values are determined in the latter subsystem and in turn forwarded from encoding and modulating blocks to a central processor which estimates the position and the speed of the object. The passive subsystem receives, through a transmission channel or storage element, the reference signal which represents the transmitted noisy type waveform and uses it for calculating the bi-dimensional cross correlation (ambiguity function), which permits to estimate the time delay and the Doppler shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Universita' Degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata
    Inventor: Gaspare Galati
  • Publication number: 20130234880
    Abstract: An example radar apparatus has a transmission frequency modulated by a chirp waveform having three chirp segments, including increasing, decreasing, and a constant frequency segments. The chirp waveform may extend over the full revisit time of the radar beam. The frequency difference between the transmitted and echo signals are determined at least once per chirp segment. Example apparatus include a Doppler radar for vehicle use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicants: Michigan Technological University, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Seung Lee, Paul Donald Schmalenberg, James Paul Ebling, Nikola Stevan Subotic
  • Publication number: 20130222177
    Abstract: A detection information memory stores, for each object, detection information that includes a distance to and a traveling speed of an object for each predetermined timing detected by a radar apparatus which detects detection information on the object, and the radar apparatus detects the detection information by receiving a reflected wave of an irradiated radar wave from the object. A predictor predicts, for each object, the detection information to be newly detected by the radar apparatus from a history of the detection information. A tracker tracks the object by identifying the object which is the target of the detection information newly detected using a result of the predictor; a determiner determines whether the object is a fixed object or a moving object. An output unit outputs the detection information on the object determined to be the moving object by the determiner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: FUJITSU LIMITED
  • Publication number: 20130214962
    Abstract: Two radar devices are installed for adjacent lanes. A memory sequentially stores a received power value at a time when the two radar devices receive the reflected wave from a vehicle at specified time intervals. A calculator calculates, when a vehicle moves in a direction approaching the two radar devices, as a representative value of the received power at a specified time, a weighted average value when weights, which become heavier as an acquisition time of the received power value becomes farther from the specified time, are assigned to a specified number of received power values, whose acquisition time is prior to a specified time, where a priority is given to the received power values whose acquisition time is close to the specified time. A discriminator determines a lane in which the vehicle is traveling according to a result of comparing the sizes of the calculated representative value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: FUJITSU LIMITED
  • Patent number: 8482455
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar device with high angular accuracy. The solution provided by the invention simultaneously combines an interferometer that is accurate but, for example, ambiguous when receiving; and a space coloring mode when transmitting. The coloring of the space consists notably in transmitting on N transmitting antennas N orthogonal signals. These signals are then separated by filtering on reception using the orthogonality properties of the transmission signals. It is, for example, possible, with two contiguous antennas in transmission associated with two orthogonal codes to produce a single-pulse type system when transmitting. The invention applies notably to the obstacle sensing and avoidance function, also called “Sense & Avoid”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Stéphane Kemkemian, Pascal Cornic, Patrick Le Bihan
  • Publication number: 20130127652
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for determining at least one of a distance and a relative velocity by means of continuous wave radar measurements. The method includes generating a measurement signal in the form of a continuous wave radar signal; transmitting the measurement signal by means of an antenna (112); reflecting the measurement signal by means of a reflector (118), thereby providing a desired reflected measurement signal; receiving the desired reflected measurement 112 signal; and determining at least one of a distance and a relative velocity between the antenna and the reflector by means of the desired reflected measurement signal. The reflection of the measurement signal involves asymmetrically modulating the measurement signal at the reflector. The determination of at least one of a distance and a relative velocity includes detecting the desired reflected measurement signal among several received reflections of the measurement signal, by means of information added by the asymmetric modulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: SIVERS IMA AB
    Inventor: Staffan Bruce
  • Patent number: 8436764
    Abstract: In operating a radar sensor, a modulation sequence having a number n of successive linear frequency ramps having different slopes an is cyclically repeated. A received radar signal reflected from an object is mixed with the emitted radar signal to form an intermediate frequency signal, which is analyzed for each frequency ramp with respect to its frequency spectrum. Peaks occurring in the frequency spectra of the intermediate frequency signal correspond to ambiguity lines in a distance/velocity space. Possible objects are assumed at intersection points of the ambiguity lines. The expected position which the possible objects would have at the point in time of the repetition of the modulation sequence is precalculated. The slope an of at least one of the frequency ramps is established for a subsequent modulation sequence in such a way that none of the expected positions of a possible object in the distance/velocity space is at an intersection point of precalculated ambiguity lines of the other possible objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Marcus Steffen Reiher, Dirk Bechler
  • Publication number: 20130093614
    Abstract: Provided is an object identification device and a method for the same that are capable of identifying a three-dimensional object and a road surface static object, irrespective of situations. The object identification device identifies an object, based on a transmission signal and a reflection signal caused by the object reflecting the transmission signal. The object identification device includes: a measurement section configured to measure at least one of the relative distance and the relative velocity with respect to the object; an intensity detection section configured to detect the intensity of the reflection signal; and an object identification section configured to identify the object which can be an obstacle object, based on at least one of the relative velocity and the variation in the relative distance, and on the variation in the intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Setsuo Tokoro
  • Publication number: 20130088380
    Abstract: In a radar device, a wide band filter unit suppresses unnecessary components contained in a reception signal subjected to frequency conversion by a frequency conversion unit. The wide band filter unit has frequency characteristics for performing filtering so that isolation between transmitting and receiving becomes a desired level or lower. Although the wide band filter unit has an increased noise power compared to a matched filter, the wide band filter performs the filtering so as not to round a pulse waveform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kentaro Isoda
  • Patent number: 8416123
    Abstract: A non-scanning radar for detecting and tracking multiple moving objects. The transmit antenna continuously illuminates the entire surveillance volume, which can even be omni-directional (hemispherical). Multiple receive antennas are employed, each covering part of the surveillance volume. Receivers are used in combination to measure angles of incidence via interferometry on objects that are resolved in range and Doppler. Very long processing times are used to compensate for the reduced antenna gain compared to any radar that scans. By continuously illuminating the surveillance volume, there is no hard limit to the number of objects that can be simultaneously tracked. The primary application for this technology is detection and tracking of such objects as bullets, artillery projectiles, mortar shells, and rockets, and determining the location of the weapon that fired them. Numerous other applications are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: MARK Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard L. Mitchell, August W. Rihaczek
  • Patent number: 8390521
    Abstract: An antenna array for radar transceivers, in particular for ascertaining distance and/or speed in the surroundings of vehicles, a first antenna part being situated on a carrier and a second antenna part being situated on another carrier situated at a distance from the first. The first antenna part has two generally rectangular primary exciter patches which adjoin each other on one edge, where they are short-circuited toward ground, two primary exciter patches have two separate supply lines, and the second antenna part comprises two mutually separated rectangular secondary exciter patches, which partially cover the primary exciter patches and which have, in the region of the ground short-circuit of the primary exciter patches, in the beam direction, a distance from each other that at least exposes the ground short-circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen Hasch, Ewald Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8378882
    Abstract: A method for operating a radar, having the following steps: determining first and second differential signals from a first and second transmitted frequency-modulated signal and received components of the first and second transmitted frequency-modulated signal reflected by a plurality of objects; determining in each case one first and one second chirp signal for each first and the second differential signal, the first chirp signal corresponding to the double differentiation of the phase of the first and the second differential signal with respect to time; assigning one of the first differential signals to one of the second differential signals, based on a correspondence of the first chirp signal, that is assigned to the one first differential signal, to the second chirp signal that is assigned to the one second differential signal; and determining the separation distance and/or the relative speed of one of the objects, based on the one first differential signal and the one second differential signal assigned t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Wolf Steffens
  • Patent number: 8354955
    Abstract: An observation signal processing apparatus transmits a pulse signal as a search signal, generates an observation value based on a reflected signal against a target and a delay modulation pulse signal, and performs coherent integration on the observation value to output an integration value. The apparatus includes a section for determining a coherent integration count, a section for transmitting pulse signals equivalent to the coherent integration count, a section for calculating a phase correction amount based on an estimated relative speed, and a section for performing phase-weighted coherent integration on observation values for the number of times equivalent to the coherent integration count based on the phase correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Miyake, Asahi Kondou, Gaku Takano
  • Patent number: 8334800
    Abstract: A radar device includes: a frequency modulating unit for modulating a frequency of a transmission signal by a triangular wave; a transmitting unit for pulsing the frequency modulated transmission signal to transmit the pulsed transmission signal as a transmission pulse; a receiving unit for generating a beat signal based on a frequency difference between a frequency modulated transmission signal and a reflected received pulse; a range gate setting unit for setting a range gate that determines a sampling timing of the received pulse based on a transmitting timing of the transmission pulse; a sampling unit for sampling the beat signal in each of range gates; a distance and relative velocity calculating unit for calculating a distance to a target and a relative velocity based on the sampled beat signal; and a control unit for controlling a transmission pulse width and a range gate width depending on a subject vehicle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Hayase
  • Patent number: 8315233
    Abstract: Systems and methods of gathering WLAN packet samples to improve position estimates of WLAN positioning device. A device estimates the position of itself in response to gathering wireless signal information from WLAN access points (APs). The device includes a WLAN radio module for receiving WLAN signals transmitted by WLAN APs in range of said device, extraction logic for extracting information from said received WLAN signals to identify the WLAN APs, and logic to cooperate with a WLAN-based positioning system to estimate the position of the device based at least in part on the extracted information identifying the WLAN APs in the range of said device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Skyhook Wireless, Inc.
    Inventor: Farshid Alizadeh-Shabdiz
  • Patent number: 8305256
    Abstract: A radar system achieves unambiguous target range at a given PRI, in conjunction with unambiguous Doppler, by transmitting CW-LFM pulses and then separating the return signal into subpulses, without requiring any modifications to the transmit waveform. The CW-LFM pulses may be contiguous. The return signals are bandpass-filtered to generate the subpulses, and downconverted to a common frequency such as baseband. Each downconverted subpulse is matched-filtered to the FM slope, and the resulting matched-filtered subpulses are time-aligned. The time-aligned subpulses are Doppler-filtered to determine target velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Arul Manickam, Gregory P. Fonder
  • Publication number: 20120262330
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention relates to a radar apparatus, wherein a distance to a target and a velocity of the target are measured by transmitting a digitally modulated transmitting signal using a digital code and receiving and demodulating an echo signal returned due to reflection of the transmitting signal from the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Pil Jae PARK, Cheon Soo Kim, Hyun Kyu Yu, Min Park, Ik Soo EO
  • Publication number: 20120242530
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for unambiguous determination of a range to and/or of a relative velocity of an object with respect to a motor vehicle (1) by means of a frequency-modulation continuous-wave radar (3, 4) in the motor vehicle (1), with a predetermined sequence of frequency-modulated signal pulses (23) being transmitted by the frequency-modulation continuous-wave radar (3, 4) in a measurement cycle, by means of which sequence an unambiguity area (RUn) is determined for the range, and/or an unambiguity area (VUn) is determined for the relative velocity, wherein mutually different unambiguity areas (RUn) for the range and/or mutually different unambiguity areas (VUn) for the relative velocity are defined for at least two successive measurement cycles, and the range and/or the relative velocity are/is determined on the basis of in each case at least one measured value for the range and/or for the relative velocity from each measurement cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: VALEO SCHALTER UND SENSOREN GMBH
    Inventors: Urs Luebbert, Udo Haberland
  • Patent number: RE44634
    Abstract: A waveform-adaptive ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter and noise-tracking UWB receiver for use in communications, object detection and radar applications. In one embodiment, the output of an oscillator is gated by a low-level impulse generator either directly or through an optional filter. In a special case of that embodiment wherein the oscillator is zero frequency and outputs a DC bias, a low-level impulse generator impulse-excites a bandpass filter to produce an UWB signal having an adjustable center frequency and desired bandwidth based on a characteristic of the filter. In another embodiment, the low-level impulse signal is approximated by a time-gated continuous-wave oscillator to produce an extremely wide bandwidth pulse with deterministic center frequency and bandwidth characteristics. The low-level impulse signal can be generated digitally. The UWB signal may be modulated to carry data, or may be used in object detection or ranging applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Multispectral Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Fontana, J. Frederick Larrick, Jr.