Method and apparatus for object detection with integrated environmental information

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to a sensor fusion system for use in an autonomous vehicle. The sensor fusion system has a radar detection unit with a metastructure antenna to direct a beamform in a field-of-view (“FoV”) of the vehicle, an analysis module to receive information about a detected object and determine control actions for the radar detection unit and the metastructure antenna based on the received information and on environmental information, and an autonomous control unit to control actions of the vehicle based on the received information and the environmental information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A radar system, comprising:
 a radar detection unit comprising an antenna configured to direct a beamform in a field-of-view (“FoV”) of the vehicle;   a geographical interpretation means adapted to receive GPS data in the FOV; and   an analysis means configured to receive radar information from a detected object and determine interpret the radar information to identify environmental information, wherein the analysis module is a convolutional neural network that predicts a condition using the radar information and identified environmental information.   
     
     
         2 . The radar system of  claim 1 , wherein the geographical interpretation means interprets elevation information of the FOV. 
     
     
         3 . The radar system of  claim 2 ,
 sensor fusion means adapted to determine at least one control action based on the analysis means interpretation.   
     
     
         4 . The radar system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one control action directs the radar detection unit to change a width of the beamform and direct it toward the detected object. 
     
     
         5 . The radar system of  claim 1 , wherein the geographical interpretation means is adapted to map environmental features in the FOV. 
     
     
         6 . The radar system of  claim 5 , further comprising a library that stores environmental information, object detection information and object detection rules. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor fusion system of  claim 6 , wherein the library stores information identifying danger areas and road hazards. 
     
     
         8 . The radar system of  claim 7 , wherein the information stored in the library builds a profile of an area. 
     
     
         9 . The radar system of  claim 5 , wherein the environmental information comprises topographical information. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor fusion system of  claim 5 , wherein the analysis means compares radar information to the profile. 
     
     
         11 . A control method, comprising:
 determining a location of an equipment;   receiving sensor information of the location from a scan by a sensor module;   retrieving profile information of the location;   comparing sensor information to the profile information; and   detecting an elevation above an elevation threshold at the location; and   adjusting the sensor module vertically according to the elevation.   
     
     
         12 . The control method of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor module is a radar module and adjusting the sensor module further comprises steering an electromagnetic beam. 
     
     
         13 . The control method of  claim 12 , where the control method is performed iteratively. 
     
     
         14 . The control method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving GPS information identifying the location; and   comparing the GPS information to sensor information.   
     
     
         15 . The control method of  claim 14 , wherein detecting the elevation further comprises:
 receiving the elevation from the sensor module; and   comparing the elevation to values in a lookup table, wherein each entry in the lookup table corresponds to a different elevation.   
     
     
         16 . The control method of  claim 15 , wherein the equipment is a vehicle and the control method is to provide driver assist information. 
     
     
         17 . The control method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 gathering environmental information in a path and surrounding environment of the vehicle;   comparing the environmental information at time t 1  to environmental data at time t 0 ;   measuring the time from t 0  to t 1 ;   changing a vertical scan of the sensor module of the vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . The control method of  claim 17 , wherein the environmental information comprises topographical information. 
     
     
         19 . The control method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 comparing the sensor information to the topographical information.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the control method is for steering a radar beam.