VEHICLE LOCATION USING RADAR REFLECTORS

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method according to the preamble of claim 9.

[0002] To cultivate agricultural land, various agricultural vehicles often need to drive side-by-side or one behind the other at regular intervals. For example, a tractor with a suitable trailer must drive alongside a combine harvester to collect its harvested crop.

[0003] The printed documents DE 10 2016 216 251 A1, DE 10 2017 209 591 A1 and

[0004] DE 10 2005 019 269 B4 discloses road vehicles equipped with radar reflectors. The radar reflectors serve to determine the dimensions and type of vehicle.

[0005] Document US 6,120,154 A1 also relates to road vehicles equipped with radar reflectors. It discloses a method for determining the distance between a vehicle traveling ahead and a vehicle traveling behind it based on reflections from the radar reflectors of that vehicle.

[0006] Radar-based adaptive cruise control systems are also known from the prior art. These systems use radar to determine the distance to a vehicle ahead in order to control the speed of the following vehicle. For lane guidance, the following vehicle orients itself using lane markings or other visually recognizable lane boundaries.

[0007] US 4,249,176 A relates to a distance measurement communication system in which a measuring vehicle is enabled to measure its distance to another vehicle, a distance necessary for the latter's safe operation, and which facilitates information exchange between the vehicles. US 6,081,223 A discloses a vehicle with a millimeter-wave radar that can detect not only the distance and relative speed to an object, but also various types of traffic information or a multitude of information that the object possesses or that has previously been provided to the object. DE 10,2016,216,251 A1 relates to a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car and / or a truck, for the transport of persons and / or goods in road traffic. The invention also relates to a method for determining the extent of another vehicle in an ego-motor vehicle having at least one radar sensor.DE 10 2017 220 004 A1 describes a method and driver assistance system for controlling the driving dynamics of a following vehicle following a lead vehicle, including determining a distance between the following vehicle and the lead vehicle, determining a heading angle from the following vehicle to the lead vehicle, and controlling the lateral dynamics of the following vehicle based on the distance and heading angle. US 2019 / 243 378 A1 discloses a computer-aided system on board a vehicle for automatic radar-based vehicle guidance, which includes a forward-facing radar sensor module. The radar waves are reflected by a series of radar reflectors positioned on the road surface at a distance in front of the vehicle, along the side of the roadway.

[0008] Solutions known from the state of the art cannot be used in agriculture, as there are no driving lanes on agricultural land.

[0009] The invention is based on the objective of improving the autonomous control of vehicle convoys off-road. This objective is achieved by an arrangement according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 9. Preferred embodiments are included in the dependent claims and will become apparent from the following description and the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures.

[0010] The arrangement according to the invention comprises a data processing device, a first vehicle, and a second vehicle. The data processing device is preferably part of the second vehicle. Alternatively, the data processing device can be arranged outside the second vehicle and connected to the second vehicle for data transmission via a preferably wireless connection.

[0011] The second vehicle is equipped with a radar sensor. This is a sensor designed to receive radar radiation and convert it into a signal.

[0012] Preferably, the second vehicle also has a radar transmitter.

[0013] This is a means for emitting radar radiation. The radar sensor is preferably configured to receive radar radiation emitted by the radar transmitter and reflected by an object.

[0014] The first vehicle is equipped with pairs of radar reflectors. These are devices for reflecting radar radiation. The radar reflectors are designed to reflect the radar radiation emitted by the radar transmitter.

[0015] Suitable radar reflectors are known from the prior art. Preferably, one or more angled reflectors are used, attached to the first vehicle.

[0016] The data processing device is configured to detect the radar reflectors mounted on the first vehicle, or their reflections, in the signal from the at least one radar sensor. Specifically, this means that the data processing device is configured to distinguish parts of the signal originating from reflections of the radar reflectors from other parts of the signal. Suitable methods for this are known from the prior art.

[0017] According to the invention, the data processing device is designed to locate the paired radar reflectors using the signal. This means that the data processing device uses the signal from the radar reflectors to determine their location. A stationary reference system, either fixed to the location of the radar reflectors or fixed to the location of the second vehicle, serves as the reference system.

[0018] The location can be determined in the reference system by defining three spatial coordinates. If the surface on which the vehicles travel is flat, one of the three coordinates is already determined by the surface. In this case, the invention is limited to determining the remaining two spatial coordinates.

[0019] The invention is suitable for location tracking off paved roads. Accordingly, the first and second vehicles can be agricultural or construction machinery.

[0020] According to the invention, at least two radar reflectors are mounted on the first vehicle. The data processing device is further developed to locate the at least two radar reflectors using the signal. The at least two radar reflectors are advantageous because their distance can be evaluated. This simplifies the location process.

[0021] In a further preferred configuration, the data processing device is configured to locate the first vehicle. Locating the first vehicle, that is, determining its position or coordinates, results directly from the location of the radar reflectors.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, in addition to the location, the position of the radar reflectors is also determined, at least partially, by the data processing device using the signal from the at least one radar sensor. The position of the radar reflectors refers to their angular position or orientation in space. The position is preferably determined in the same reference frame in which the radar reflectors are also located.

[0023] The position of the radar reflectors is determined by three angles. Two of these angles are determined by the surface on which the first and second vehicles are traveling. If the surface is flat, the two angles are constant, so determining a single position angle for each radar reflector is sufficient.

[0024] Preferably, the data processing device is further developed to at least partially determine the position of the first vehicle. The position of the first vehicle results directly from the position of the radar reflectors.

[0025] If the second vehicle is to follow the first, a single location and, if necessary, determination of the position of the radar reflectors is insufficient. In this case, the radar reflectors are repeatedly located using the signal from the radar sensor, as required by further training. If necessary, the position of the radar reflectors is also repeatedly determined using the signal.

[0026] A repeated location or determination means a location or determination at a first time point and a renewed location or determination at a second time point. At both the first and second time points, the radar radiation reflected by the radar reflectors is received by the radar sensor and converted into a signal. This signal is then evaluated by the data processing device for location and, if applicable, position determination.

[0027] Preferably, the location tracking and, if necessary, position determination is also carried out continuously, that is, in a continuous sequence.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, repeated location tracking and, if necessary, position determination enable the data processing device to determine the trajectory of the radar reflectors. A trajectory is a spatial curve along which an object moves.

[0029] The trajectory of the radar reflectors directly yields a trajectory of the first vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, this trajectory is determined by the data processing device.

[0030] The second vehicle can be controlled by means of the trajectory of the radar reflectors or the first vehicle so that it follows the first vehicle at a constant distance. The data processing device is further developed to control the second vehicle along the trajectory of the radar reflectors or the first vehicle. This means that the second vehicle is controlled by the data processing device so that its trajectory runs parallel to the trajectory of the radar reflectors or the first vehicle. In a non-inventive embodiment, the second vehicle can be controlled so that the trajectory of the at least one radar reflector or the first vehicle and the trajectory of the second vehicle are identical. The second vehicle then follows the first vehicle exactly.

[0031] The method described above, which is carried out by the data processing device of the arrangement according to the invention, is a method according to the invention. A data processing device according to the invention is adapted to carry out this method. This is the case, for example, when a computer program is contained on a data carrier of the data processing device. The computer program, in turn, is configured to cause the data processing device to carry out the method according to the invention.

[0032] Exemplary embodiments are shown in the figures. Matching reference numerals indicate identical or functionally equivalent features. Specifically, the figures show: Fig. 1 two vehicles driving one behind the other in a non-inventive embodiment; and Fig. 2 two vehicles driving side by side in an embodiment according to the invention.

[0033] In Fig. 1The figures show a first vehicle 101 and a second vehicle 103. The first vehicle 101 is equipped with angle reflectors 105. The angle reflectors 105 are arranged in pairs on the sides and rear of the first vehicle 101.

[0034] The second vehicle 103 is equipped with a radar unit 107. This unit includes a transmitter and a receiver. Radar beams emitted by the transmitter are reflected by the angle reflectors 105 and detected by the receiver. This enables the second vehicle 103 to precisely locate the first vehicle 105 and follow it at a constant distance. The first vehicle 105 and the second vehicle 103 move along a concurrent trajectory 109.

[0035] According to Fig. 1 The radar unit 107 is mounted on the front of the second vehicle 103. Fig. 2Figure 1 shows a mounting of the radar unit 107 on the side of the second vehicle 103 according to the invention. This enables the second vehicle 103 to travel along a trajectory 201 that runs parallel to the trajectory 109 of the first vehicle. The second vehicle 103 travels alongside the first vehicle 101 at a constant distance. Reference sign

[0036] 101 first vehicle 103 second vehicle 105 angle reflector 107 radar unit 109 trajectory 201 trajectory

Claims

1. Arrangement comprising a data processing device, a first vehicle (101), and a second vehicle (103) having a radar sensor (107); wherein the data processing device is designed to identify radar reflectors (105), which are arranged in pairs and are mounted on the first vehicle (101), in a signal from the radar sensor (107); wherein the data processing device is designed to locate the radar reflectors (105), which are arranged in pairs, by means of the signal; characterized in that the radar sensor (107) is mounted on the side of the second vehicle (103) and the radar reflectors (105) are arranged in pairs on the sides and at the rear of the first vehicle (101).

2. Arrangement according to Claim 1; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to locate the first vehicle (101).

3. Arrangement according to either one of the preceding claims; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to at least partially determine a position of the radar reflectors (105) by means of the signal.

4. Arrangement according to the preceding claim; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to at least partially determine a position of the first vehicle (101).

5. Arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to repeatedly locate the radar reflectors (105) and / or to repeatedly determine their position.

6. Arrangement according to the preceding claim; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to determine a trajectory of the radar reflectors (105).

7. Arrangement according to the preceding claim; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to determine a trajectory (109) of the first vehicle (101).

8. Arrangement according to either one of the two preceding claims; characterized in that the data processing device is designed to control the second vehicle (103) along a trajectory (201), wherein the trajectory (201) runs parallel to the trajectory (109) of the first vehicle (101).

9. Method using an arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims and a signal from a radar sensor (107) mounted on the side of a second vehicle (103); wherein radar reflectors (105) arranged in pairs at the sides and at the rear of a first vehicle (101) are identified in the signal; wherein the radar reflectors (105) are located by means of the signal, characterized in that a trajectory (109) of the first vehicle (101) is determined by means of the radar reflectors (105) and the second vehicle (103) is controlled along a trajectory (201), wherein this trajectory (201) runs parallel to the trajectory (109) of the first vehicle (101).