There is provided a method and control system for limiting a driver acceleration request of a vehicle. The vehicle comprises a controller arrangement that receives a driver acceleration request and determines whether the driver acceleration request is below an acceleration threshold. If so, it initiates a limiting protocol and dependent on the distance between a preceding vehicle and the host vehicle limits the acceleration of the vehicle in comparison to the driver acceleration request. The invention further relates to a vehicle comprising such as control system.

A RADAR system and associated methods are used to detect obstacles obscured from view when backing a trailer. An autonomous tractor is equipped with a rear facing RADAR device that has a field-of-view under the trailer and is configured to output RADAR returns from reflections. A controller of the tractor classifies RADAR returns from the RADAR device according to a number of reflections by a dock wall and a trailer face (e.g., a back end of the trailer) of a corresponding RADAR beam. The RADAR returns are correlated based on distance, and distance of a RADAR return from an obstacle is corrected based on the number of reflections. Advantageously, by processing RADAR returns from both direct and reflected RADAR beams, the controller is able to detect obstacles hidden behind the trailer and flag the obstacles as a hazard.

An automated valet parking system provides an automated valet parking service in a parking lot. Recognition result information is generated based on a result of recognition by a recognition sensor when a vehicle exists in the parking lot. The automated valet parking system identifies the vehicle position in the parking lot by using an infrastructure sensor installed in the parking lot. The automated valet parking system acquires expected recognition result information expected to be obtained at the vehicle position. Then, the automated valet parking system compares the recognition result information with the expected recognition result information to calculate reliability of the recognition result information based on a difference between them. When the reliability is lower than a threshold, the automated valet parking system transmits notification information for notifying an abnormality of the recognition sensor to a terminal device operated by a user of the vehicle.

A method for aiding finding of available parking areas of a street section includes receiving data corresponding to parking areas situated in a street section, the data including information ascertained by an ascertaining vehicle driving through the street section and information received from a server, determining an instantaneous occupancy estimate of the street section based on the received data, calculating a forecasted occupancy estimate based on the instantaneous occupancy estimate using a timer series forecasting model, and generating a display representation of the calculated forecasted occupancy estimate. The method includes receiving the data and determining the occupancy estimate, for example, each time an ascertaining vehicle drives through the street.

A sensing system of a vehicle includes a control and a mounting carrier that supports a plurality of sensor units. The mounting carrier is configured to be disposed at the vehicle so that the plurality of sensor units have respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle. The mounting carrier includes structure to support the sensor units at an exterior structure of the vehicle so as to provide a desired field of sensing. The mounting carrier includes an electrical connector that is configured to electrically connect to an electrical connector of the vehicle. The sensor units are electrically connected to a circuit element that is electrically connected to the electrical connector of the mounting carrier. The control, responsive to outputs of the circuit element, determines the presence of one or more objects exterior the vehicle and within the field of sensing of at least one of the sensor units.

The invention relates to a method for detecting at least one object (9a, 9b, 9c) in a surrounding area (7) of a motor vehicle (1) by means of a driver assistance system (2), in which a transmission signal is transmitted in each of chronologically consecutive measurement cycles via a distance sensor (4), and a first and a second echo of the transmission signal reflected by the at least one object (9a, 9b, 9c) are received; and, by means of a control device (3), a first distance value (a1) is determined based on the first echo, a second distance value (a2) is determined based on the second echo, and a height of the at least one object (9a, 9b, 9c) is determined based on the first and the second distance value (a1, a2); wherein the measurement cycles are carried out during a relative movement of the motor vehicle (1) with respect to the at least one object (9a, 9b, 9c); in at least two of the measurement cycles, a difference value is determined in each case, which describes a difference between the second distance value (a2) and the first distance value (a1); and the height of the at least one object (9a, 9b, 9c) is determined based on a change in the respective difference value determined in the at least two measurement cycles.

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting available parking spaces in a parking environment. Radar systems are utilized to gather data about a parking lot environment. The radar data is provided to a neural network model as an input. Algorithms employing neural networks can be trained to recognize parked vehicles and conflicting data regarding debris, shopping carts, street lamps, traffic signs, pedestrians, etc. The neural network model processes the radar data to estimate parking space boundaries and to approximate the parking space boundaries as splines. The neural network model outputs spline estimations to a vehicle computer system. The vehicle computer system utilizes the spline estimates to detect available parking spaces. The spline estimates are updated as the vehicle navigates the parking environment.

A radar sensor for a vehicle includes a control unit and an antenna array. The radar sensor is configured to perform a three-dimensional scan to determine a vertical and a horizontal position of an object in order to assist with distinguishing the geometrical nature of the object.

A FMCW radar receiver includes a LO providing a chirped LO signal, an in-phase (I) channel for outputting I-data and a quadrature (Q) channel for outputting Q-data. A dynamic correction parameter generator generates IQ phase correction values (P[n]s) and IQ gain correction values (G[n]s) based on a frequency slope rate of the chirped LO signal for generating during intervals of chirps including a first sequence of P[n]s and G[n]s during a first chirp and a second sequence of P[n]s and G[n]s during a second chirp. An IQ mismatch (IQMM) correction circuit has a first IQMM input coupled to receive the I-data and a second IQMM input receiving the Q-data, and the P[n]s and G[n]s. During the first chirp the IQMM correction circuit provides first Q′-data and first I′-data and during the second chirp the IQMM correction circuit provides at least second Q′-data and second I′-data.

Example vehicle alignment systems for use at loading docks are disclosed herein. An example vehicle alignment system includes a sensor system to detect a surface of a vehicle, where the sensor system obtains a feedback signal representative of a spatial orientation of the detected surface relative to a reference as the vehicle approaches a doorway of the loading dock. A controller detects a threshold deviation in the spatial orientation of the detected surface of the vehicle relative to the reference based on the feedback signal. A display varies an output signal in response to the detected deviation in the spatial orientation of the detected surface relative to the reference.