Method and radar system for providing motion information of at least one second vehicle by first vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing movement information (14) about at least one second vehicle (5) by means of a first vehicle (1), comprising: detecting radar information (11), which describes at least one part of an environment (6) of the first vehicle (1), by means of a radar system (2) of the first vehicle (1) having a plurality of radar devices (3), at least one second vehicle (5) is located in the portion of the environment; determining micro-Doppler information (12), which describes at least one micro-Doppler feature in the detected radar information (11); determining movement information (14) describing a movement of the at least one second vehicle (5); and providing the determined motion information (14). The radar system (2) detects radar information (11) in that data and / or information are / is transmitted within the radar system between an individual radar device (3) of the radar system (2) and the central control device (4) using an at least partial optical transmission technique.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for providing motion information about at least one second vehicle by a first vehicle. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a radar system for a vehicle and a vehicle for operating the method. Background Art

[0002] A vehicle may include at least one radar device configured to detect at least one object in the vehicle environment. Generally, a vehicle includes a plurality of radar devices. The plurality of radar devices may be distributed around the vehicle. With the radar devices, objects can be detected even in poor visibility conditions, such as rain, fog, snow, dust conditions, and / or darkness. However, compared to other environmental sensor systems, the resolution of a radar system including a plurality of radar devices may be relatively low. In addition, transmitting data and / or processing radar information through a plurality of individual radar devices may take a significant amount of time.

[0003] Document DE 10 2016 001 772 A1 discloses a method for predicting the motion and behavior of objects in a vehicle environment based on radar information. The method may include micro-Doppler analysis of the radar information.

[0004] Document US 2021 / 0173055 A1 discloses a method for calibrating an image and subsystem ranging based on Doppler data.

[0005] Document 2021 / 0116914 A1 discloses a system and method for localizing an autonomous vehicle based on a three-dimensional point cloud. The point cloud is provided by a lidar scanning subsystem of the vehicle.

[0006] Document DE 10 2017 221 257 A1 discloses a radar system including a radar transmitting unit, a radar receiving unit, a central unit, and a fiber glass for connecting the units. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem of the present invention is to quickly provide motion information about a vehicle in the environment of another vehicle.

[0008] The independent claims solve this technical problem.

[0009] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for providing movement information about at least one second vehicle by a first vehicle. The movement information describes the movement of the second vehicle. For example, the movement information may describe the rotation and / or speed of the second vehicle, or other details about its movement. The first vehicle and the second vehicle are two different vehicles. Alternatively, the first vehicle may also be referred to as the ego vehicle, and at least one second vehicle may be referred to as other vehicles different from the ego vehicle. The first vehicle runs the method. In particular, the radar system of the first vehicle executes the method.

[0010] The method includes detecting radar information that describes at least a part of the environment of the first vehicle, in which at least one second vehicle is located. For example, the radar information may describe the entire environment of the first vehicle or may only describe a part of the environment. The part of the environment is a section or sub-region of the environment. The part of the environment may include the environment in the front region, rear region, and / or at least one lateral region of the vehicle. The radar information may include radar data, or may also be referred to as radar data.

[0011] The radar system of the first vehicle detects the radar information. The radar system of the first vehicle includes a plurality of radar devices. For example, each of the plurality of radar devices includes at least one transmitting and / or receiving antenna and / or a control unit. The control unit can at least control at least one transmitting and / or receiving antenna. In addition, the radar system further includes a central control device that is at least designed to control the respective radar devices of the radar system.

[0012] A plurality of second vehicles located in the environment of the first vehicle may be described by the radar information. In the case of a plurality of second vehicles, the radar information may describe each or at least some of the plurality of second vehicles.

[0013] The method includes determining micro-Doppler information. The micro-Doppler information describes at least one micro-Doppler feature in the captured radar information. The micro-Doppler information is determined by applying a micro-Doppler determination algorithm to the captured radar information. The micro-Doppler determination algorithm includes at least one rule that is applied to the captured radar information to detect the micro-Doppler feature in the captured radar information. The micro-Doppler feature is caused by the micro-Doppler effect generated when at least a part of a moving object rotates. Due to the micro-Doppler effect, the rotating part of the moving object causes a frequency shift in the echo captured by at least one receiving antenna of the radar device. This is because the rotating part generates an additional Doppler shift, i.e., a micro-Doppler shift or feature, in addition to the Doppler shift generated by the object's movement. These additional shifts help to identify the characteristics of the moving object and further analyze the movement of the moving object. Here, the moving object is at least one second vehicle. The rotating part of the moving object may be, for example, the wheels of the second vehicle.

[0014] The method includes determining motion information describing the motion of at least one second vehicle by applying a motion determination algorithm to the determined micro-Doppler information. The motion determination algorithm includes at least one rule that is applied to the determined micro-Doppler information to determine the motion information. For example, the motion of at least one second vehicle can be described using the current speed of the second vehicle. Thus, the determined motion information can describe the speed of the second vehicle. For example, in order to determine the speed of the second vehicle as the motion information, it is necessary to analyze the micro-Doppler characteristics of the moving wheels of the second vehicle described in the radar information.

[0015] The method includes providing the determined motion information. For example, it can include the function of providing the determined motion information to the first vehicle. This function can be a driver assistance system, especially for at least semi-automatic or even fully automatic driving of the vehicle. Thus, the determined motion information is actually used for the first vehicle, such as the control of the first vehicle.

[0016] The radar system detects radar information in such a way that at least data and / or information transmission within the radar system is performed using at least partially optical transmission technology between, on the one hand, a single radar device and, on the other hand, the central control device of the radar system. For example, the central control device can provide control instructions to the radar devices so that each radar device emits specific electromagnetic waves into the environment through its at least one transmitting antenna or transmitting and receiving antenna. If at least part of the transmission uses optical transmission technology, the control instructions are sent to the radar devices at a particularly high speed. In addition, each radar device can transmit the echoes received by its receiving antenna or transmitting and receiving antenna to the central control device through optical transmission technology for further processing. Thus, the transmission speed of the echoes is also particularly high. For example, compared with traditional radar systems, this improves the resolution of the radar system because multiple radar devices can be combined together at a higher processing speed. Each radar device in a traditional radar system is controlled by a separate control unit and transmits the data it detects and / or analyzes in the vehicle without using optical transmission technology. Thus, the method is particularly fast and reliable, and can provide real-time movement information in the vehicle, for example. Thus, the method can quickly provide the motion information of the second vehicle in the environment of the first vehicle.

[0017] The determination steps of this method and the following embodiments are preferably performed by the central control device of the radar system. This means that the central control device determines at least the micro-Doppler information and the motion information. It can also determine other information described below.

[0018] One implementation includes: A function of a first vehicle receives the provided motion information. The function determines at least one control instruction for the first vehicle. The control instruction is in particular a control instruction for the drive system, braking system, and / or steering system of the first vehicle. Then, the at least one control instruction may include an instruction for longitudinal and / or lateral guidance of the vehicle. The at least one control instruction is determined by applying an instruction determination algorithm to the received motion information. The instruction determination algorithm includes at least one rule that is applied at least to the motion information, in particular further sensor information available on the vehicle, to determine the control requirements of the first vehicle. Then, the function executes the determined control instruction. In other words, the driving, braking, and / or steering of the vehicle can be performed and controlled based on the motion information. For example, if the motion information describes the motion of a second vehicle traveling in front of the first vehicle in an adjacent lane on the road, the function can predict the motion of the second vehicle considering the received motion information and decide whether to increase or decrease the speed of the first vehicle and / or change the driving direction of the first vehicle. The function can be a driver assistance system, such as an adaptive cruise instruction, lane change assistance, lane change help, emergency braking assistance, and / or parking assistance system.

[0019] Another implementation includes: A function of the first vehicle receives the provided motion information and verifies whether a determined control instruction for the first vehicle is executable by applying a verification algorithm to the received motion information. The determined control instruction can be a control instruction for the drive system, braking system, and / or steering system of the first vehicle. The determined control instruction can be determined by the function and / or the control device of the first vehicle, in particular before receiving the motion information. The determined control instruction is preferably determined independently of the motion information. The function applying the verification algorithm can be the same as or different from the function applying the instruction determination algorithm.

[0020] The verification algorithm includes at least one rule to decide whether the determined control instruction should be executed according to the received motion information, or whether the control instruction should not be executed, thus discarding or overriding it. If it is found that the determined control instruction is executable, the function executes the determined control instruction. Therefore, it can be checked whether the first vehicle should execute the determined control instruction according to the motion information. Only when the verification result is an executable determined control instruction will the function actually operate the first vehicle according to the determined control instruction. This can improve the reliability of the function.

[0021] A preferred implementation includes: The motion information at least describes the speed of at least one second vehicle. The speed can also be referred to as the speed of the at least one second vehicle. The determined speed is in particular the current speed determined according to the micro-Doppler characteristics of radar information. The speed helps to estimate how the second vehicle moves relative to the first vehicle, for example considering the speed of the first vehicle itself.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the motion information at least describes the yaw angle of at least one second vehicle. The yaw angle describes the motion of the second vehicle about the height axis (z-axis) of the second vehicle. Yaw describes a yaw rotation or turn, and thus also describes a motion of turning left or right about the height axis related to the motion direction of the second vehicle. The motion direction is the driving direction of the second vehicle. In other words, the motion information can describe the motion of the second vehicle deviating from the straight forward or backward driving direction. By considering the yaw angle in advance, information about a possible lane change of the second vehicle can be detected. For example, this is particularly useful for determining whether the second vehicle may leave its lane and may collide with the first vehicle.

[0023] Another embodiment includes: The motion information at least describes the position and orientation of at least one second vehicle relative to the first vehicle. In other words, the motion information can describe the pose of at least one second vehicle. The position can be described by coordinates, especially in the coordinate system of the first vehicle. The orientation can be described by at least one angle, especially relative to the angle coordinate system of the first vehicle. The orientation can be determined at least based on the micro-Doppler information because the orientation of the wheels of the second vehicle affects the micro-Doppler characteristics. Therefore, by comparing the individual micro-Doppler characteristics of different wheels of the second vehicle, especially the changes over time, the orientation of the second vehicle can be determined. The position can be determined based on the distance information and / or micro-Doppler information in the radar information. This helps in a detailed analysis of the second vehicle and how the second vehicle is positioned relative to the first vehicle.

[0024] Another embodiment includes: The radar system detects radar information over a predetermined time slot greater than 0. The motion information at least describes the motion velocity vector of at least one second vehicle within the predetermined time slot. Thus, at least one second vehicle can be observed during this period (e.g., several seconds), while continuously detecting the radar information describing the second vehicle. Then, the velocity vector, i.e., the spatially differentiated velocity information describing the velocity of the second vehicle in different spatial directions, can be determined. In particular, the velocity vector describes the velocity changes in the x, y, and z directions relative to the coordinate system of the first vehicle. This provides motion direction information of at least one second vehicle and is another useful information for observing and / or predicting the future motion of the second vehicle.

[0025] Another embodiment includes: The radar system detects radar information over a predetermined time slot greater than 0 so that the motion information at least describes the acceleration of the second vehicle within the predetermined time slot. In particular, the description of the acceleration is related to the direction, i.e., describes the accelerations in the x, y, and z directions. Acceleration can be understood as the change of velocity over time, especially the change of the velocity vector over time. This also helps in better understanding the motion of at least one second vehicle. The time slot can be the same as or different from the above-mentioned time slot.

[0026] According to one embodiment, at least one micro-Doppler feature in the detected radar information describes the movement of at least one wheel of the second vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the radar information describes the micro-Doppler features of all wheels within the coverage area of the radar system. For example, if both the front and rear wheels of the second vehicle are within the coverage of the radar system, the micro-Doppler information of the two wheels is determined independently. These micro-Doppler information can be combined to determine the overall movement information of the second vehicle. This is particularly useful for detecting changes in the direction of the second vehicle.

[0027] Another preferred embodiment includes: the radar system pre-scans the environment of the first vehicle to determine which part of the environment at least one vehicle of interest is located in. For example, if the first vehicle activates the adaptive cruise control function during driving, it may be useful to observe the area in front of the vehicle in the driving direction of the first vehicle. In addition, the vehicle of interest may be located in front of the driving direction of the adjacent lane. Therefore, in this example, the vehicles in front of the driving direction, in front of the first vehicle, and / or to the side of the first vehicle may all be the vehicles of interest.

[0028] The embodiment includes: adjusting the field of view of the radar system so that it covers at least the determined part of the environment where at least one vehicle of interest is located. Therefore, the detected radar information describes the determined part of the environment, thus describing at least one vehicle of interest, that is, at least one second vehicle. In particular, only the radar information from the determined part is detected and considered for determining the micro-Doppler information. In other words, the method includes pre-scanning to determine the required field of view of the radar system by identifying the part of the environment where the vehicle of interest is present. Then the radar system is adjusted to the required field of view. In this way, the environment described by the radar information can be adjusted according to the situation of the first vehicle.

[0029] For example, if the radar system consists of radar devices distributed around the vehicle, some of these radar devices can be selected to detect the radar information, while other radar devices may not be able to describe the vehicle of interest and thus may not be able to describe at least one second vehicle, so they may not be helpful for detecting the radar information. These other radar devices may be suspended, or their radar information can be kept unconsidered. From the driving direction, the part of the environment containing the vehicle of interest is preferably located in the front of the vehicle. Then, for example, the radar information detected by the radar devices on the side and / or rear of the first vehicle can be kept unconsidered. Therefore, pre-scanning can reduce the amount of radar information that must be collected and considered for determining the micro-Doppler information and thus the movement information. This further reduces the time required to execute the method.

[0030] In addition, the radar system can adjust the coverage of the radar system according to the pre-scan and the vehicle of interest. This adjustment can select the maximum range, azimuth angle, and / or elevation angle of the radar system, so that the radar system covers the entire determined part of the environment.

[0031] Another embodiment includes: at least one fiber optic cable connects the central control device of the radar system and the individual radar devices at least segmentally. At least one fiber optic cable enables the transmission of optically encoded data and / or information inside the radar system. Optically encoded data, such as control instructions for the radar devices and / or detected radar information, can be coupled into at least one fiber optic cable and transmitted through at least one fiber optic cable. In particular, all internal communications between each radar device and the central control device pass through the fiber optic cable, especially through multiple fiber optic cables. This clarifies how to achieve the optical transmission of data in a reliable manner.

[0032] Another embodiment includes: the central control device includes an optical transmission unit. The optical transmission unit provides optically encoded control instructions for the corresponding radar devices. It can include at least one control instruction for each of the multiple radar devices. These control instructions can be different from each other or the same. The optical transmission unit couples the optically encoded control instructions into at least one fiber optic cable that connects the central control device and the radar device for which the control instructions have been determined. The corresponding radar device includes an optical reception unit that receives the optically encoded control instructions and converts them into electrically encoded control instructions. The corresponding radar device emits electromagnetic waves according to the electrically encoded control instructions encoded by the optical reception unit. For example, the control instructions that are first transmitted optically and then converted into electrically encoded control instructions include frequency, beam size, beam direction, and / or other settings of the electromagnetic waves that the transmitting antenna or the transmitting and receiving antenna of the radar device should transmit. In this way, each of the multiple radar devices can quickly receive and execute the control instructions.

[0033] Preferably, each radar device only includes one transmitting antenna, so that control instructions can be issued to only this one transmitting antenna in the above manner. The transmitting antenna can be a transmitting and receiving antenna. However, the radar device can also be composed of multiple transmitting antennas and / or transmitting and receiving antennas. In this case, the control instructions will be provided to each antenna individually and / or as combined control instructions.

[0034] Another embodiment includes: The corresponding radar device includes an optical modulation unit. The optical modulation unit converts one or more received echoes into optically encoded echo information and couples it into at least one optical fiber. When the transmitted electromagnetic wave is reflected by an object in the environment, corresponding echoes are generated, where the object refers to at least one second vehicle, in particular at least one wheel of the second vehicle. Thus, the echoes describe the second vehicle. The received echoes are converted into optically encoded echo information and transmitted via the optical fiber to the central control device. The central control device includes an optical receiving unit and an evaluation unit. The optical receiving unit receives the optically encoded echo information from the optical fiber, and the evaluation unit evaluates the optically encoded echoes and outputs the resulting radar information. This means that the radar information used in this method is first transmitted in the form of optically encoded information and then converted back into data suitable for further processing by the central control device. This explains how optical transmission of data is carried out within the radar system to reduce the transmission time of the radar system.

[0035] Another implementation includes: Modulating the control instruction at a predetermined optical carrier frequency to generate an optically encoded control instruction. In particular, the control instruction is modulated with a predetermined fraction of the transmitted electromagnetic wave frequency. Additionally, the optically encoded echo information is generated by modulating the received echo at a predetermined optical carrier frequency. Specifically, it is modulated with a predetermined fraction of the received echo frequency. In a preferred example, this fraction is 1 / 8. The above describes how the conversion between optically encoded data and electronically encoded data is achieved in the sense of the present invention.

[0036] For use cases or usage situations that may occur during this method and are not explicitly described here, error messages and / or user feedback requests can be provided and / or output. Additionally, default settings and / or predetermined initial states can also be set according to this method.

[0037] The algorithm in the sense of the present invention can also be referred to as a model or process.

[0038] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a radar system for a vehicle. The radar system includes a plurality of radar devices and a central control device. The radar system is configured to execute the above method. It executes the above method.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the radar system of the present invention can be the radar system described in document DE 10 2017 221 257 A1. The features already described can be regarded as embodiments of the method and / or radar system of the present invention.

[0040] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle with the above radar system. The vehicle is preferably a motor vehicle, such as a passenger car, a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, and / or a moped.

[0041] A preferred embodiment of the vehicle according to the present invention includes: a radar system including a plurality of radar devices, which are spatially distributed around the entire vehicle. In particular, when viewed from the height direction, length direction, and / or width direction of the vehicle, the plurality of radar devices are located at different positions. Therefore, the radar information can detect the 360-degree point cloud of the entire environment of the vehicle.

[0042] The central control device may be a processor unit. It may include at least one microprocessor, microcontroller, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and / or DSP (Digital Signal Processor). In addition, it may also include program code. The program code may be stored in the data memory of the central control device.

[0043] The embodiments related to the method, whether alone or in combination with each other, are correspondingly applicable to the radar device and the vehicle of the present invention when applicable. The present invention includes the combination of the said embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below. Shown therein are:

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a vehicle with a radar system,

[0046] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the scheme of the method of the present invention,

[0047] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the movement direction of the wheels of the vehicle,

[0048] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the steps of a method for providing movement information about at least one second vehicle by a first vehicle, and

[0049] Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing a radar system for a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0050] The embodiments described below are the preferred embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments of the present invention, the components described respectively represent the various features of the present invention. These features should be considered independently, and they also independently further constitute the present invention. Therefore, they should also be regarded as a part of the present invention, either alone or in a combination other than the illustration. In addition, other features of the present invention may also supplement the said embodiments.

[0051] In the figures, the same components are labeled with the same reference symbols.

[0052] Figure 1The first vehicle 1 is shown as viewed from different angles, thereby showing the front, rear, and sides of the first vehicle. The first vehicle 1 includes a radar system 2. The radar system includes a plurality of radar devices 3. The radar devices 3 are preferably spatially distributed around the first vehicle 1. For example, when viewed from the height direction (z-direction), longitudinal direction (x-direction), and / or width direction (y-direction) of the first vehicle 1, the radar devices 3 are located at different positions. For example, each radar device 3 can be located on the A-pillar, B-pillar, C-pillar, or D-pillar of the first vehicle 1. In particular, at least some of the radar devices 3 can be located on the bumper of the first vehicle 1 and / or the bottom region of the windshield and / or rear window of the first vehicle 1. In addition, at least some of the radar devices 3 can be located on the roof of the first vehicle 1. The schematic positions of the individual radar devices 3 are merely exemplary. The number of radar devices 3 can be more, less, and / or arranged in other ways.

[0053] The radar system 2 includes a central control device 4. For example, the central control device 4 can provide control instructions for each radar device 3 of the first vehicle 1 or execute processing tasks.

[0054] Figure 2 The main concept of the present invention is shown. The first vehicle 1 includes a radar system 2, and at least its front part includes radar devices 3. The radar system 2 is configured to capture radar information 11 (see Figure 4 the reference numeral 11 in the figures), which information at least describes a part of the environment 6 of the first vehicle 1. At least one second vehicle 5 is located in the environment 6. Here, there is a passenger car as the second vehicle 5, and there is also a truck as the second vehicle 5. The forward coverage area 7 of the radar system 2 is also outlined.

[0055] The captured radar information includes the motion information of the second vehicle 5 and the rotational information of the wheels 8 of the second vehicle 5. When viewed from the height direction, the motion of the top of the wheel 8 is shown by a first arrow 9. When viewed from the driving direction of the first vehicle 1, this motion is a forward motion. When viewed from the height direction, the motion of the bottom of the wheel 8 is outlined by a second arrow 10. When viewed from the driving direction of the first vehicle 1, this motion is a backward motion. The first arrow 9 is marked with a solid line, and the second arrow 10 is marked with a dashed line. Considering the micro-Doppler effect, the rotation of the wheel 8 and the sketched motion can be determined because they affect the micro-Doppler characteristics in the captured radar information 11.

[0056] Figure 3It is shown that considering the direction of movement of the second vehicle 5 and the arrows 9, 10 at least helps to determine the driving direction of the second vehicle 5. On the left side, the second vehicle 5 drives straight forward, and thus the arrows 9, 10 show the maximum length. On the right side, at least the front wheels 8 of the second vehicle 5 are steered to the left relative to the driving direction. Therefore, compared with the first arrow 9 that moves straight forward for each wheel 8, the length of this first arrow 9 is at least reduced. When calculating the movement speed or other details of the second vehicle 5 based on the radar information 11, the driving direction of the second vehicle 5 can also be determined.

[0057] Figure 4 Shows the various steps of a method for providing movement information 14 about at least one second vehicle 5 by a first vehicle 1. This method is executed by the first vehicle 1, and more specifically, by the radar system 2 of the first vehicle 1. The method includes: In step S1, radar information 11 is detected, which describes at least a part of the environment 6 of the first vehicle 1, wherein at least one second vehicle 5 is located in this part of the environment 6. The radar system 2 includes a plurality of radar devices 3. For example, Figure 4 Three radar devices 3 are schematically shown. More radar devices 3 are also feasible. The more radar devices 3 there are, the higher the resolution of the radar information 11 can be.

[0058] The method may include, in step S2, determining micro-Doppler information 12, which describes at least one micro-Doppler feature in the detected radar information 11. A micro-Doppler determination algorithm 13 is applied to the detected radar information 11 to determine the micro-Doppler information 12.

[0059] Step S3 may include: determining movement information 14, which describes the movement of at least one second vehicle 5. This is determined by applying a movement determination algorithm 15 to the determined micro-Doppler information 12. In step S4, the determined movement information 14 can be provided to a function 23 of the first vehicle 1, for example.

[0060] The movement information 14 can describe a plurality of individual information. For example, it can describe the speed 16 of at least one second vehicle 5, and / or the yaw angle 17 of at least one second vehicle 5, and / or the position 18 and / or orientation 19 of at least one second vehicle 5 relative to the first vehicle 1. The position 18 and / or orientation 19 can be referred to as the pose 20 of the second vehicle 5. Alternatively or additionally, the movement information 14 can at least describe the movement speed vector 21 of at least one second vehicle 5 within a predetermined time slot greater than 0. In this case, the radar system 2 detects the radar information 11 at least over the predetermined time slot. Alternatively or additionally, the movement information 14 can at least describe the acceleration 22 of the second vehicle 5 within this predetermined time slot. In particular, the acceleration 22 is described according to direction and thus differs in the x, y, and z directions.

[0061] At least one micro-Doppler feature in the captured radar information 11 can describe the movement of at least one wheel 8 of the second vehicle 5. By considering the image data captured by the camera of the first vehicle 1 and analyzing the image data in combination with the radar information, it can be determined that a specific micro-Doppler feature shows the movement of a specific wheel 8. Alternatively or additionally, the micro-Doppler feature may be a typical feature of the wheels of vehicles 1 and 5 and can be identified by the typical feature. Alternatively or additionally, the wheel 8 can also be tracked through multiple detected radar information 11 and identified by comparing the multiple detected radar information 11.

[0062] Step S5 may include the function 23 receiving the provided motion information 14. The function 23 can determine at least one control instruction 24 for the first vehicle 1 by applying an instruction determination algorithm 25 to the received motion information 14. The control instruction 24 is designed in particular for the drive system, braking system, and / or steering system of the first vehicle 1. In step S6, the function 23 can execute the determined control instruction 24.

[0063] As an alternative or supplement, the function 23 can receive the provided motion information 14 and can use this motion information to verify whether the determined control instruction 26 for the first vehicle 1 is executable. This can be achieved by applying a verification algorithm 27 to the received motion information 14 in step S7. Here, the determined control instruction 26 is particularly applicable to the drive system, braking system, and / or steering system of the first vehicle 1. In step S8, if the determined control instruction 26 is executable, the function 23 executes the determined control instruction 26. The verification algorithm 27 is applied here to the received motion information 14 and the determined control instruction 26. If it is found in step S7 that the determined control instruction 26 is not executable, the method 28 can be terminated.

[0064] The radar system 2 can pre-scan the environment 6 of the first vehicle 1 to determine in which part of the environment 6 at least one vehicle of interest is located. Then, the field of view of the radar system 2 can be adjusted so that it at least covers the determined part of the environment 6, so that the detected radar information 11 describes at least one vehicle of interest as at least one second vehicle 5. The pre-scan can be performed before step S1. The field of view here is Figure 2 and Figure 3 the coverage area 7 schematically shown in.

[0065] Figure 5 The radar system 2 is shown in more detail. Each of the multiple radar devices 3 includes at least one transmitting and / or receiving antenna 30 and a control unit 31. The control unit 31 is preferably a chip for controlling at least one antenna 30, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the control unit 31 is an electro-photonic co-integrated chip (EPIC).

[0066] The radar system 2 uses optical transmission technology to obtain radar information 14 for data and / or information transmission between each radar device 3 within the radar system and the central control device 4 of the radar system 2. Here, all data transmissions based on optical transmission technology, as well as optical encoded data connections and / or transmissions, are outlined by dashed lines 32. All electronically encoded data transmissions via electronic channels are outlined by solid lines 33. The components outlined by dashed lines are optical components, while the components outlined by solid lines are electronic components.

[0067] At least one fiber optic 34 can be connected to the central control device 4 and each radar device 3 at least in sections, and data and / or information transmission within the radar system can be achieved through optical transmission technology.

[0068] The central control device 4 can include an optical transmission unit 35, which can provide an optically encoded control instruction for the corresponding radar device 3 and couple it into at least one fiber optic 34 as an optically encoded control instruction. The corresponding radar device 3 can include an optical reception unit 36, which can receive the optically encoded control instruction and convert it into an electronically encoded control instruction. According to this electronically encoded control instruction, the corresponding radar device 3 can emit electromagnetic waves in the environment 6 of the first vehicle 1 in accordance with the electronically encoded control instruction.

[0069] The corresponding radar device 3 can include an optical modulation unit 37, which can convert the echo received when the electromagnetic wave is reflected by an object (such as at least one second vehicle 5) in the environment 6 into optically encoded echo information. The optically encoded echo information can be coupled into at least one fiber optic 34. The central control device 4 can include an optical reception unit 51 and an evaluation unit 50. The optical reception unit 51 can receive the optically encoded echo information, and the evaluation unit 50 can evaluate it and output the resulting radar information 11. Subsequently, this is the detected radar information 11.

[0070] Figure 5 The individual components that perform the conversion and evaluation steps are shown in detail. The electronic components include a control interface 38, an optional arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) 39 for laser modulation, a digital interface 40, especially for an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and / or a low-level signal processing unit 41 for performing a fast Fourier transform. In addition, the evaluation unit 50 can at least include a computing unit, especially a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and / or a personal computer (PC) interface.

[0071] The optical components may be an optional feedback loop / control unit 42, a laser and / or interference radiation source module 43, a gigahertz frequency synthesis module 44, an optical control module 45, an optical switch 46, and / or an optical detection / homodyne / heterodyne detection unit 47, including phase and / or length measurement. Additionally, Figure 5 An electronic output channel 48 and an electronic feedback channel 49 connecting to the control unit 31 are shown.

[0072] Optically encoded control commands can be created by modulating the control commands at a predetermined optical carrier frequency, especially using a predetermined fraction of the frequency of the emitted electromagnetic wave, which can also be referred to as a part. As an alternative or supplement, optically encoded echo information can be obtained by modulating the received echo at a predetermined optical carrier frequency, especially with a predetermined fraction of the received echo frequency.

[0073] The central control device 4 can generate an optical carrier signal. This signal is sent to the gigahertz frequency synthesis module 44, and the synthesized gigahertz signal is transmitted through the fiber optic 34 within the spectral range to the control unit 31 (EPIC chip), for example, transmitted as a 77 gigahertz signal. Signal detection is carried out in the reverse process. All data is processed in the central control device 4.

[0074] In summary, the present invention demonstrates a micro-Doppler based yaw angle detection and attitude detection for the first vehicle 1. For example, reliable detection and monitoring of lane guidance for dynamic objects within the vehicle's field of view can be achieved.

[0075] The fundamental problems are:

[0076] i. Reliable monitoring of the driving behavior of vehicles 1 and 5

[0077] ii. Automatic adjustment of the guidance of the self-vehicle according to the monitored driving behavior of the surrounding vehicle 5.

[0078] The adopted method is as follows:

[0079] i. Using miniaturized, photonically co-integrated radar chips in a coherently distributed sparse array, which is integrally incorporated into the first vehicle 1 over a large area (radar system 2);

[0080] ii. Online adjustment of the unobstructed field of view of the array and continuous expansion of the field of view during driving to detect the environment required for maneuvering;

[0081] iii. Registration of the continuous radar point cloud to obtain the yaw angle, roll angle, pitch angle, and their current attitude

[0082] iv. Prediction of possible driving actions of the detected vehicle 5 to protect the safety of the first vehicle 1.

[0083] The advantages of the present invention are: cost savings; improved comfort; accident prevention; and improved reliability, being unaffected by weather conditions.

[0084] Perceiving the surrounding environment (Environment 6) as safely as possible is crucial for autonomous driving. The surrounding environment can be detected by sensors such as radar, lidar, and cameras. It is particularly important to conduct a full 360-degree three-dimensional detection of Environment 6 in order to detect all static and dynamic objects. In past research projects, lidar has played a key role particularly in redundant and robust environment detection, because such sensors can accurately measure distances in environment detection and can also be used for classification. However, such sensors are costly and complex to install. Especially for 360-degree three-dimensional environment detection, because many smaller individual sensors (usually many individual light sources and detector elements are used) or large sensors need to be installed to ensure this goal is achieved. In addition, such lidar systems are also vulnerable to weather such as rain, fog, or direct sunlight.

[0085] Radar sensors have been used in the automotive field for many years and can provide reliable and fail-safe data under any weather conditions. Even under low visibility conditions such as rain, fog, snow, dust, and darkness, it hardly affects its perception reliability. However, their resolution is still limited so far. The standard radar resolution currently in use is approximately 2 degrees. In order to meet the requirements of Levels 4 and 5 of autonomous driving with safe driving functions, radar sensors must provide a high-resolution three-dimensional image within a range of 0.1 degrees and below and be highly insensitive to interference from the surrounding environment. Traditional radar technology cannot achieve this goal because the resolution of such systems is too low.

[0086] Currently, the photon radar system 2 developed to improve resolution integrates electronic and photon components in a single semiconductor. The generation of frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) signals as well as the entire signal processing and evaluation are completed by the central station (central control device 4). Each transmitter and receiver module (radar device 3) contains an electro-photon co-integrated chip (the so-called "EPIC chip") as the control unit 31. The co-integration uses silicon photonics technology. In this way, photon components, high-frequency electronic components, and digital electronic components can be monolithically integrated on a single chip ("electro-photon co-integration"). The technological innovation of this system lies in the transmission of gigahertz signals through an optical carrier signal in the terahertz frequency range. The central station (central control device 4) generates the optical carrier frequency (terahertz). The signal with a radar frequency that is 1 / 8 of the frequency to be transmitted is modulated onto this frequency and sent to the antenna chip through an optical fiber (glass fiber 34). Frequency multiplication is performed on these chips so that the antenna chip can emit radar radiation. Signal detection is carried out in reverse. All data are processed by the central control device 4.

[0087] By adopting the principle of co-integration of electronics and photonics in a chip, using the silicon-on-insulator region for photonic components and the bulk silicon region for electronic circuits, high signal quality with low parasitic interference can be achieved, especially in the case of high data rates. The connection between the radio frequency (RF) circuit (including frequency multiplier) of the radar antenna 30 and the optical transceiver does not require additional wires or flip-chip bonding. In addition, the chip can be optically and electrically tested at the wafer level, enabling high yields in further module manufacturing. Using this technology, extremely compact form factors can be achieved, making it very suitable for applying silicon photonics-based optical technologies in the automotive industry.

[0088] The obstacle to the productive application of the glass fiber 34 lies in the lack of scalability in the existing technology. The highly integrated production technology of electronic-photonic integrated circuits makes this large-scale scalability possible. As a result, the cost of the assembly technology is greatly reduced, and the cost structure is more efficient. Based on the development of data center solutions, an integrated library of electronic and photonic components for high-bandwidth data transmission can be obtained.

[0089] The method of the present invention includes:

[0090] 1. The fully coherent radar device 3 is distributed three-dimensionally and 360 degrees around the first vehicle 1.

[0091] 2. Detect the environment 7 through the radar system 2.

[0092] 3. Determine the field of view and determine the field of view required for the maneuver.

[0093] 4. Micro-Doppler detection.

[0094] 5. Micro-Doppler tracking.

[0095] 6. If necessary, perform differential measurement on the generated velocity vector 21.

[0096] 7. If necessary, perform gradient measurement on the generated velocity vector 21 according to the micro-Doppler frequency measurement.

[0097] 8. Determine the yaw angle 17 and attitude 20 of the second vehicle 5.

[0098] 9. Detect the environment.

[0099] 10. Determine the feasible driving maneuvers.

[0100] 11. Transmit data to the advanced driver assistance function 23.

[0101] List of reference numerals

[0102] 1 First vehicle 2 Radar system 3 Radar device 4 Central control device 5 Second vehicle 6 Environment 7 Coverage area 8 Wheel 9 First arrow 10 Second arrow 11 Radar information 12 Micro-Doppler information 13 Micro-Doppler determination algorithm 14 Motion information 15 Motion determination algorithm 16 Speed 17 Yaw angle 18 Position 19 Orientation 20 Attitude 21 Velocity vector 22 Acceleration 23 Function 24 Control instruction 25 Instruction determination algorithm 26 Determined control instruction 27 Verification algorithm 28 End 30 Antenna 31 Control unit 32 Dashed line 33 Solid line 34 Fiberglass 35 Optical transmitting unit 36 Optical receiving unit 37 Optical modulation unit 38 Control interface 39 Optional arbitrary waveform generator 40 Digital interface 41 Low-level signal processing unit 42 Feedback loop / control unit 43 Laser and / or interference radiation source module 44 Gigahertz frequency synthesis module 45 Optical control module 46 Optical switch 47 Optical detection / homodyne / heterodyne detection unit 48 Electronic output channel 49 Electronic feedback channel 50 Evaluation unit 51 Optical receiving unit S1 - S8 Step

Claims

1. A method for providing movement information (14) about at least one second vehicle (5) by a first vehicle (1), comprising: - Detecting radar information (11) by a radar system (2) of the first vehicle (1) having a plurality of radar devices (3), the radar information describing at least a part of the environment (6) of the first vehicle (1), and at least one second vehicle (5) being located in this part of the environment; - Determining micro - Doppler information (12) by applying a micro - Doppler determination algorithm (13) to the detected radar information (11), the micro - Doppler information describing at least one micro - Doppler feature in the detected radar information (11); - Determining movement information (14) describing the movement of at least one second vehicle (5) by applying a movement determination algorithm (15) to the determined micro - Doppler information (12); and - Providing the determined movement information (14); wherein the radar system (2) detects the radar information (11) in such a way that data and / or information transmission within the radar system is carried out using at least partially optical transmission technology between a single radar device (3) of the radar system (2) and a central control device (4).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein A function (23) of the first vehicle (1) receives the provided movement information (14), determines at least one control instruction (24) for the first vehicle (1), in particular a control instruction for the driving system, braking system, and / or steering system of the first vehicle (1), by applying an instruction determination algorithm (25) to the received movement information (14), and executes the determined control instruction (24).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein A function (23) of the first vehicle (1) receives the provided movement information (14), verifies whether a previously determined control instruction (26) for the first vehicle (1), in particular a control instruction for the driving system, braking system, and / or steering system of the first vehicle (1), is executable by applying a verification algorithm (27) to the received movement information (14) and the previously determined control instruction (26), and only executes the determined control instruction (26) if it is executable.

4. The method according to any one of the above claims, wherein The movement information (14) describes at least the speed (16) of at least one second vehicle (5).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The movement information (14) describes at least the yaw angle (17) of at least one second vehicle (5).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The movement information (14) describes at least the position (18) and / or orientation (19) of at least one second vehicle (5) relative to the first vehicle (1).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The radar system (2) detects the radar information (11) over a predetermined time slot greater than 0 so that the movement information (14) describes at least a velocity vector (21) of the movement of at least one second vehicle (5) within the predetermined time slot.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The radar system (2) detects the radar information (11) over a predetermined time slot greater than 0 so that the movement information (14) describes at least the acceleration (22) of the second vehicle (5) within the predetermined time slot, especially an acceleration related to direction.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least one micro - Doppler feature in the detected radar information (11) describes the movement of at least one wheel (8) of the second vehicle (5).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The radar system (2) performs a pre-scan of the environment (6) of the first vehicle (1) to determine in which part of the environment (6) at least one vehicle of interest is located, and adjusts the field of view of the radar system (2) such that the field of view covers at least the determined part of the environment (6), so that the detected radar information (11) describes at least one vehicle of interest as at least one second vehicle (5).

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, At least one fiberglass (34) connects the central control device (4) and the individual radar devices (3) at least segmentally and enables data and / or information transmission within the radar system.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The central control device (4) includes an optical transmission unit (35) that provides optical coded control instructions for the respective radar devices (3) and couples the optical coded control instructions to at least one fiberglass (34), wherein the respective radar devices (3) include an optical reception unit (36) for receiving the optical coded control instructions and converting them into electrical coded control instructions, so that the respective radar devices (3) transmit electromagnetic waves according to the electrical coded control instructions.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The respective radar devices (3) include an optical modulation unit (37) that converts the received echo into optical coded echo information and couples it to at least one fiberglass (34), wherein the central control device (4) includes an optical reception unit (51) and an evaluation unit (50), wherein the optical reception unit (51) receives the optical coded echo information, and the evaluation unit (5) evaluates it and outputs the resulting radar information (11).

14. A radar system (2) for a vehicle (1, 5), comprising a plurality of radar devices (3) and a central control device (4), wherein, The radar system (2) is designed to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13 above.

15. A vehicle (1, 5) having a radar system (2) according to claim 14, wherein, In particular, a plurality of radar devices (3) are spatially distributed around the entire vehicle (1, 5).

Images