A system and method are provided and include a subject vehicle having a sensor that senses information about an environment of the subject vehicle. An actuator rotates the sensor according to a commanded angle. A controller determines a position and a trajectory path of the subject vehicle, determines an adaptive point along the determined trajectory path based on the position, and generates the commanded angle for the actuator to rotate the sensor towards the adaptive point.

An inexpensive and compact antenna device having a direction measurement function is provided. A radar antenna device includes a radome, an antenna, and a magnetic direction measurement part. The antenna transmits and receives a radio wave while rotating inside the radome. The magnetic direction measurement part is accommodated in the radome, and measures a direction of the radar antenna device based on the detected magnetism.

The present application describes a method including transmitting at least two radar signals by a radar unit of a vehicle, where a first signal is transmitted from a first location and a second signal is transmitted from a second location. The method also includes receiving a respective reflection signal associated with each of the transmitted signals. Additionally, the method includes determining, by a processor, at least one stationary object that caused a reflection. Further, the method includes based on the determined stationary object, determining, by the processor, an offset for the radar unit. The method yet further includes operating the radar unit based on the determined offset. Furthermore, the method includes controlling an autonomous vehicle based on the radar unit being operated with the determined offset.

A method for calibrating a radar sensor of a vehicle includes fixing the vehicle in place on a transport; moving the vehicle along a route past a reflector for radar waves using the transport; irradiating the reflector with radar waves and receiving reflected radar waves using the radar sensor while the vehicle is moved along the route; determining a position and/or an alignment of the radar sensor relative to the reflector multiple times based on the reflected radar waves; and spatially calibrating the radar sensor based on the ascertained positions and alignments relative to the reflector by ascertaining a position and/or an alignment of the radar sensor relative to the vehicle.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a radar system of a vehicle. Sensor information pertaining to an environment for the vehicle is received from a first sensor as the vehicle is operated. A beam of the radar system is adjusted by a processor based on the sensor information.

The secondary radar includes an antenna having a radiation pattern forming a sum channel, designated SUM, a radiation pattern forming a difference channel, designated DIFF, and a pattern forming a control channel, designated CONT, the targets are located by implementing the following steps: detecting ADS-B squitters received via the CONT channel, via the SUM channel and via the DIFF channel; measuring at least the power of the squitters and their azimuth with respect to the radar; the location of a target transmitting ADS-B squitters being computed by exploiting at least the detection of one ADS-B squitter, in light of the latitudinal and longitudinal position of the radar and of the azimuthal measurement with respect to the radar, the position cell, designated the CPR cell, coded in the squitter being selected via the azimuthal measurement.

An automated vehicle radar system capable of self-calibration includes an antenna, a transceiver, and a controller. The antenna broadcasts a radar-signal and detects a reflected-signal reflected by an object. The transceiver determines a distance, an angle, and a range-rate of the object relative to the antenna based on the radar-signal and the reflected-signal. The controller determines a speed of a host-vehicle; determines when the object is stationary based on the speed, the angle, and the range-rate; stores in a memory a plurality of detections that correspond to multiple instances of the distance, the angle, and the range-rate as the host-vehicle travels by the object; selects an ideal-response of angle versus range-rate based on the speed; determines a calibration-matrix of the system based on a difference between the plurality of detections and the ideal-response; and adjusts an indicated-angle to a subsequent-object in accordance with the calibration-matrix.

A system and method for determining if a field calibration of a subject sensor associated with a vehicle is warranted, and calibrating the subject sensor using a sensor associated with another vehicle when calibration is warranted. Reference vehicles may perform predetermined maneuvers in order to provide additional measurements for use during calibration.

A mechanism is provided for estimating mounting orientation yaw and pitch of a radar sensor without need of prior knowledge or information from any other sensor on an automobile. Embodiments estimate the sensor heading (e.g., azimuth) due to movement of the automobile from radial relative velocities and azimuths of radar target detections. This can be performed at every system cycle, when a new radar detection occurs. Embodiments then can estimate the sensor mounting orientation (e.g., yaw) from multiple sensor heading estimations. For further accuracy, embodiments can also take into account target elevation measurements to either more accurately determine sensor azimuth and yaw or to also determine mounting pitch orientation.

Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to receiving, using a computer system in a vehicle, ground truth data that relates to a current state of the vehicle in an environment. A plurality of sensors may be coupled to the vehicle and controlled by a plurality of parameters. The vehicle may be configured to operate in an autonomous mode in which the computer system controls the vehicle in the autonomous mode based on data obtained by the plurality of sensors. The example embodiments also relate to obtaining perceived environment data that relates to the current state of the vehicle in the environment as perceived by at least one of the plurality of sensors, comparing the perceived environment data to the ground truth data, and adjusting one or more of the plurality of parameters based on the comparison.