METHOD FOR OPERATING A RADAR SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for operating a radar system, which includes at least two radar sensors. A signal is transmitted in the radar sensors for transmitting at least one radar signal. A signal processing is performed in the radar sensors for ascertaining a piece of detection information by the radar sensors in each case, which is specific to the radar signal transmitted. A disturbance evaluation is performed for detecting at least one disturbance in the radar sensors based on the particular piece of detection information. At least one adjustment option is provided for avoiding the at least one detected disturbance by an adjustment of the signal transmission. An evaluation is performed of the at least one adjustment option for the radar sensors and a coordination of the adjustment options is performed. An adjustment of the signal transmission is performed according to the at least one adjustment option.

Claims

1. A method for operating a radar system, which includes at least two radar sensors, the method comprising: carrying out a signal transmission in the radar sensors to transmit at least one radar signal; carrying out a signal processing in the radar sensors to ascertain a piece of detection information by the radar sensors that is specific to the radar signal transmitted in each case; carrying out a disturbance evaluation to detect at least one disturbance in the radar sensors based on the particular piece of detection information; providing at least one adjustment option to avoid the at least one detected disturbance by an adjustment of the signal transmission; carrying out an evaluation of the at least one adjustment option for each of the radar sensors; carrying out a coordination of the adjustment options between the different radar sensors based on the evaluation; and carrying out the adjustment of the signal transmission according to the at least one adjustment option depending on the coordination.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radar sensors are operated in a synchronized manner for the purpose of transmitting at least one radar signal in a synchronized manner during the signal transmission, so that the radar signals of the different radar sensors are transmitted temporally offset and/or frequency-offset with respect to each other.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the radar signals of the different radar sensors are transmitted at least partially in parallel in time and offset in a frequency-time space such that component signals of the radar signals or frequency-modulated ramps are transmitted without overlapping with regard to the frequency.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the signal transmission carries out at least one of the following adjustments: according to one of the at least one adjustment options, an adjustment of a frequency range, in which the radar signals are transmitted, in particular by a change of a center frequency of the radar signals; or according to a second of the at least one adjustment options, an adjustment of a time delay, by which the radar signals are transmitted, in particular, by an adjustment of a starting time of the radar signals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the signal transmission is carried out identically for all radar sensors.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, by adapting the signal transmission, an adjustment of a time delay is carried out, at which the radar signals are transmitted to the same extent for all radar sensors to avoid a disturbance.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, by adjusting the signal transmission, an adjustment of a frequency range, in which the radar signals are transmitted, is changed to the same extent for all radar sensors.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a result of the disturbance evaluation is used as a prediction of a disturbance of the pieces of detection information.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one disturbance is detected in the radar sensors in each case, based on the particular piece of detection information such that the disturbance evaluation comprises an application of a neural network in each case for the purpose of predicting the disturbance such that an indication of a disturbance frequency range takes place, due to the neural network, in which the disturbance will be present in the future.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disturbance evaluation takes place based on the pieces of detection information of a current detection cycle of the radar systems for the purpose of obtaining an indication of a disturbance frequency range as a result of the disturbance evaluation, in which the disturbance is predicted in a detection cycle temporally subsequent to the current detection cycle, the adjustment of the signal transmission comprising an automatic, at least partial adjustment of the frequency range of the radar signals so that the radar signals are transmitted in a frequency range which is at least partially outside the predicted disturbance frequency range.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disturbance evaluation is carried out separately and, in particular autonomously, in each case for the pieces of detection information from different radar sensors and a result of the evaluation of each of the radar sensors is used in the coordination.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrying out of the evaluation of the at least one adjustment option for each of the radar sensors comprises: evaluating an effect of each adjustment option in the form of a disturbance effect on the radar sensor based on at least one current and/or predicted disturbance detected by the disturbance evaluation, a result of the evaluation being transferred to the other radar sensors.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radar system is part of a vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radar sensors each include a processing device for carrying out at least the evaluation, and wherein the radar system is designed to detect at least one target object in surroundings of the radar system, in particular of a vehicle, and wherein the radar system includes the at least two radar sensors for different surroundings regions of the surroundings.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radar system includes at least four radar sensors or at least six radar sensors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle, including a radar system, in a side view;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle, including a radar system, in a top view;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a signal transmission;

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a disturbance during a signal transmission;

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of an adjustment of the signal transmission according to one adjustment option;

[0038] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of an adjustment of the signal transmission according to a further adjustment option;

[0039] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of an adjustment of the signal transmission according to a further adjustment option; and

[0040] FIG. 8 shows a schematic visualization of method steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] A radar system 2 of a vehicle 1 is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, in which multiple radar sensors 21, 22, 23 are each provided with a processing device 3. Further radar sensors 24, 25, 26 of radar system 2 are schematically illustrated in FIG. 2. Processing devices 3 may each be used to carry out steps of a method according to the invention for operating radar system 2, which includes the at least two radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. For example, processing devices 3 are designed for this purpose as electronic data processing devices, which include at least one processor for carrying out the method steps. In addition, processing devices 3 may be data-linked to each other, in particular to exchange a result of an evaluation 104 with each other.

[0042] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the following steps may be carried out: Carrying out a signal transmission 101 in radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, for the purpose of transmitting at least one radar signal 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 in each case (visualized in FIG. 2) into surroundings 6; Carrying out a signal processing 102 in radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 for the purpose of ascertaining a piece of detection information 231, 232, 233, 234 by radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 in each case, which is specific to radar signal 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 transmitted in each case; Carrying out a disturbance evaluation 103 for the purpose of detecting at least one disturbance 251 in radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 in each case, based on the particular (for example four but advantageously also more) pieces of detection information 231, 232, 233, 234; Providing at least one adjustment option 110 for avoiding the at least one detected disturbance 251 by an adjustment 106 of signal transmission 101; Carrying out an evaluation 104 of the at least one adjustment option 110 for each of radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26; Carrying out a coordination 105 of adjustment options 110 between the different radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, based on evaluation 104; and Carrying out adjustment 106 of signal transmission 101 according to the at least one adjustment option 110 depending on coordination 105.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3, radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 may be operated in a synchronized manner, for the purpose of transmitting the at least one radar signal 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 in a synchronized manner in each case during signal transmission 101, so that radar signals 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 of the different radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are transmitted temporally offset and/or frequency-offset with respect to each other. A first radar signal 211, a second radar signal 212, a third radar signal 213 and a fourth radar signal 214, which are transmitted by different radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 during signal transmission 101, are illustrated as examples in frequency-time space 250 (i.e., frequency f of a radar signal 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 over time t). To influence a mutual disturbance, radar signals 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 of the different radar sensors 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 are transmitted at least partially in parallel in time and offset in frequency-time space 250 in such a way that component signals 241 of radar signals 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, in particular frequency-modulated ramps, are transmitted without overlapping with regard to frequency f. Component signals 241 are also shown with their frequency f, the solid line representing component signal 241 of first and third radar signals 211, 213, and the dashed line representing component signal 241 of second and fourth radar signals 212, 214. Moreover, the alternating transmission of component signals 241 of the different radar signals 211, 213 and 212, 214 is illustrated. The different radar signals 211, 213 and 212, 214 are thus transmitted temporally offset with respect to each other. Radar signal pairs 211, 212 and 213, 214 are furthermore transmitted frequency-offset with respect to each other. This ensures that none of component signals 241 overlap with respect to the frequency during signal transmission 101.

[0044] A disturbance 251 is illustrated in FIG. 4, which takes on a certain range in frequency-time space 250. The overlap with radar signals 211, 212 is clear. This makes it necessary to adjust radar signals 211, 212 in frequency-time space 250. For the sake of simplification, the discussion below only takes into account first two radar signals 211, 212.

[0045] According to FIG. 5, adjustment 106 of signal transmission 101 may comprise, according to a first of the at least one adjustment options 110, an adjustment of a frequency range, in which radar signals 211, 212 are transmitted, in particular by a change of a center frequency of radar signals 211, 212. According to FIG. 6, adjustment 106 of signal transmission 101 may comprise, according to a second of the at least one adjustment options 110, an adjustment of a time delay, by which radar signals 211, 212 are transmitted, in particular by an adjustment of a starting time of radar signals 211, 212. A further second adjustment option 110 is shown in FIG. 7. This would be evaluated as being positive by first radar sensor 21 for first radar signal 211, while a disturbance would continue to result for second radar sensor 22 for second radar signal 212. Coordination 105 correspondingly results in that adjustment option 110 illustrated in FIG. 6, i.e., the corresponding delay, is preferred.

[0046] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.