EP3752853A1

EP3752853A1 - Radar sensor system and method for operating a radar sensor system

Info

Publication number: EP3752853A1
Application number: EP18830185.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marcel Mayer; Benedikt Loesch; Michael Schoor
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2018-02-15
Filing date: 2018-12-14
Publication date: 2020-12-23
Also published as: JP2021514059A; US11650284B2; JP7174059B2; WO2019158249A1; KR20200120680A; DE102018202296A1; US20200408877A1; CN111771134A; KR102632188B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a radar sensor system and to a method for operating a radar sensor system. The radar sensor system (100) comprises at least one first sub sensor system (10) and a second sub sensor system (20), each for generating sensor data, wherein each sub sensor system (10, 20) has an antenna array (13, 23) having at least one receiving antenna (RX) and at least one transmitting antenna (TX), a control device (50), by means of which each sub sensor system (10,20) can be independently moved from a normal operation into a silent operation, and a data fusion device (30), which is configured to fuse, in normal operation, the sensor data solely of the sub sensor systems (10, 20) with one another for generating output data.

Description

description

title

Radar sensor system and method for operating a radar sensor system

The present invention relates to a radar sensor system, in particular for a motor vehicle or in a motor vehicle, and a method for operating a radar sensor system, in particular for a motor vehicle or in a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle is preferably a car or a truck.

State of the art

Radar sensors are finding increasing use in a variety of applications

Applications. In particular, in vehicles such as automobiles, more sensors should take on more and more tasks, especially in the context of automated or assisted driving. In addition to the performance of a radar sensor in normal operation, there are additional requirements for the availability of the sensor.

If a radar sensor failed in previous driver assistance applications, a consolidated state, or "emergency operation", was often achieved in that the entire radar sensor terminated communication to the outside, such as communication with a bus, e.g. a vehicle bus. If errors are mentioned here and in the following, this should be understood as meaning, in particular, so-called E / E errors according to the ISO 26262 standard.

For example, a system for autonomous vehicle guidance and a corresponding motor vehicle are described in DE 10 2014 213 171 A1. At radar sensors there are considerable requirements regarding the low probability of failure. The ISO 26262 standard determines the probability of component failure in a unit called FIT (failure in time), where 1 FIT means one error in 10 ⁹ hours, or 10 ⁹ errors per hour.

At safety levels ASIL-B or ASIL-C (English: "Automotive Safety Integrity Level", also defined in ISO 26262), a component with a maximum of 100 FIT is permitted, ignoring components which are in a silent operation which the

Component no longer carries out communication and thus is in a safe state. In this Schweigebetrieb thus can

Component does not lead to or contribute to unfavorable or unwanted decisions.

For example, a throttle of a switching regulator with 38 FIT is specified. At least two such chokes are typically used to run a microcontroller, and a 76% FIT 100% budget would have been largely exhausted, even if all other components had a FIT value of zero.

It is thus desirable to provide a radar sensor system and method for operating a radar sensor system that will enable reliable output of radar data even in the presence of errors, unexpected events, and unknown conditions.

Disclosure of the invention

The present invention discloses a radar sensor systems the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of

Patent claim 10.

Accordingly, there is provided a radar sensor system, comprising: at least a first sub-sensor system and a second sub-sensor system, each for generating sensor data, each sub-sensor system including Antenna arrangement comprising at least one receiving antenna and at least one transmitting antenna;

a control device by which each sub-sensor system is independently displaceable from a normal operation to a silent operation;

and a data fusion device configured to fuse the sensor data excluding the partial sensor systems in normal operation to produce output data.

In other words, it can be provided that for generating the

Output data each contribute only those sensor data whose sub-sensor systems are in normal operation, that is, not in the

Schweigsbetrieb are offset. In other words, the silence operation may be e.g. be defined by the sensor data of sub-sensor systems in the silent operation not contributing to the generation of the output data.

Accordingly, the normal operation of each sub-sensor system can be defined by the sensor data of the sub-sensor system in the

Normal operation can be used to generate the output data,

in particular with the sensor data of the other partial sensor systems in

Normal operation to be merged.

It can be provided that one or more partial sensor systems can be put back into normal operation from the silent operation in the presence of certain conditions, in particular that one or more partial sensor systems can be switched back and forth between normal operation and silent operation. If a partial sensor system has been put back into normal operation from the silent operation, accordingly the sensor data of this partial sensor system will also be used again to generate the output data, e.g. be fused with the sensor data of other partial sensor systems in normal operation.

The emergency operation mode of a radar sensor system thus provides a

Consolidated state in which the sensor data of this sub-sensor system can not have a negative impact on the output data, ie on the overall result of the radar sensor system. Thus, for example, a FIT value well below 100 can be achieved for the radar sensor system Although the sub-sensor systems have higher FIT values, but ignored in the overall consideration, since each sub-sensor system in silent mode no longer affects the

Has output data.

In particular, the control device may be configured to detect faults in the individual sub-sensor systems, or to receive an error signal indicative of individual sub-sensor systems, and to put each sub-sensor system in silence mode in which it detects a fault or, or where an error was indexed. Likewise, the controller may be configured to determine that an error is no longer occurring in a sub-sensor system, or to receive a corresponding signal indicative thereof, and to return the corresponding sub-sensor system to normal operation based thereon.

According to the invention, an availability of output data of the sensor system can be significantly increased. Even if only two partial sensor systems are available, a failure rate of the entire radar sensor system can be significantly reduced. Namely, such a total failure of the radar sensor system can exist at most when an error occurs which affects all the sub-sensor systems or when all the sub-sensor systems are independently affected by errors, which is unlikely.

Overall, the reduced failure rate leads to a high availability of all those output data that can already be detected with a single partial sensor system. In good case, the radar sensor system for generating the output data, the sensor data of all sub-sensor systems use, in particular merge with each other. However, even in the event of a fault, in a radar sensor system with N sub-sensor systems and a fault in one of these N sub-sensor systems, the radar sensor system will still use the sensor data from N-1 sub-sensor systems to generate the output data.

An operation of the radar sensor system in which not all N sub-sensor systems are currently used to generate the output data, may be referred to as an emergency operation of the radar sensor system. In emergency mode, the radar sensor system may not achieve full performance, but still accounts for a significant proportion, eg 50% of full performance. Such an emergency operation can be used, for example, to bring the vehicle or the device which is equipped with the radar sensor system in a safe state.

For example, a vehicle with such a radar sensor system can be steered to a stop at the roadside or in a workshop. However, it is also conceivable that a vehicle is controlled by the radar sensor system to perform a quick stop on the current lane. The respective secured state, in which the device or the vehicle is placed with the radar sensor system, may vary depending on the number of failed, d. H. in the Schweigebetrieb, suspended part-sensor systems. In other words, the hedged state can have a more short-term effect

Measure include or be sought the faster, the more the sub-sensor systems have been put into the Schweigebetrieb.

The invention thus also provides a device, in particular a vehicle, which comprises the radar sensor system according to the invention and which can be put into a safe state depending on the output data of the radar sensor system, e.g. can be controlled in a safe position.

There is further provided a method comprising the steps of: receiving sensor data of a first sub-sensor system of a radar sensor system; Receiving sensor data of a second partial sensor system of

Radar sensor system; Moving at least one of the sub-sensor systems independently of the other sub-sensor systems from a normal mode to a silent mode; Fusing the sensor data excluding those sub-sensor systems that are in normal operation to produce output data; and outputting the generated output data.

Further embodiments and developments emerge from the

Subclaims and from the description with reference to the figures. According to a preferred development, the radar sensor system comprises a clock generator, which provides the sub-sensor systems with a common clock signal. The fusion of the sensor data for generating the output data is advantageously carried out using the clock signal. In this way, a synchronization of the sensor data can be achieved or improved.

Accordingly, the inventive method may also include a step of providing a common clock signal to the sub-sensor systems, and providing that the fusion of the sensor data

Use of the common clock signal takes place.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, wherein the

Data fusion device configured to fuse the sensor data generated by the sub-sensor systems at a raw data level.

In the scientific paper of Hall, D.L. and Llinas, J.: "An introduction to multisensor data fusion", in "Proceedings of IEEE Vol. 85, 1997",

Pp. 6-23, a system for classifying data layers is proposed. Thus, in the so-called "data fusion", the raw sensor data is merged with each other before further signal processing steps, e.g. in the noise suppression with the help of beamforming. In the so-called "feature fusion" an extraction of unique features takes place before the merger. The newly combined feature vectors are subsequently processed, e.g. in audiovisual speech recognition, where acoustic and visual feature vectors are combined to produce loud sounds through the combination of speech sounds and lip movements

Environments or disturbed channels to achieve acceptable recognition rates.

In the so-called "decision fusion", the merge takes place only after all signal processing and pattern recognition steps have been carried out.

According to a further advantageous development, the data fusion device is designed to fuse the sensor data generated by the partial sensor systems on a raw data plane or on a spectral plane. According to a further advantageous development, the control device is designed as a plurality of control devices. Advantageously, each sub-sensor system is assigned at least one of the control devices for offsetting the respective sub-sensor system into the silent mode.

According to a further advantageous development, the control devices are designed as microcontrollers.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the

Data fusion device, a data interface between at least two of the plurality of control devices.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the control device comprises a central control device for at least two of the sub-sensor systems comprises or consists of a central control device for all sub-sensor systems.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, the

Antenna arrangements of at least two sub-sensor systems to each other point symmetrical, axisymmetric and / or rotationally symmetrical.

According to a further advantageous development, each partial sensor system has its own independent voltage supply device, which can be fed with electrical energy via a common plug connector of the radar sensor system.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the schematic figures of the drawings. Show it: 1 is a schematic block diagram of a radar sensor system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows schematically a detail of a radar sensor system according to a

possible embodiment;

3 shows a schematic block diagram of a possible concretization of an electronic architecture of a radar sensor system according to FIG. 1 and / or FIG. 2; and

4 is a schematic flowchart for explaining a method of operating a radar sensor system according to another

Embodiment of the present invention.

In all figures, the same or functionally identical elements and devices - unless otherwise stated - provided with the same reference numerals. The numbering of method steps is for the sake of clarity and, in particular, should not, unless otherwise indicated, imply a particular chronological order. In particular, several can

Procedural steps are carried out simultaneously.

Description of the embodiments

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a radar sensor system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the radar sensor system 100 has at least one first partial sensor system 10 and one second partial sensor system 20 for generating sensor data. Each sub-sensor system 10, 20 has an antenna arrangement 13, 23, each having at least one receiving antenna and at least one transmitting antenna. FIG. 1 shows that the first partial sensor system 10 comprises an antenna arrangement 13 and that the second partial sensor system 20 comprises an antenna arrangement 23. It should be understood that the radar sensor system 100 also includes more than two subsystems. Sensor systems 10, 20 may have, for example, three, four, eight or even more partial sensor systems 10, 20th

As will be explained below, are particularly symmetrical

Arrangements of the antenna assemblies 13, 23 of the individual partial sensor systems 10, 20 to each other preferred. Thus, it is preferred to use straight, particularly preferably four, divisible numbers of partial sensor systems 10, 20 so that the antenna arrangements 13, 23 of the partial sensor systems 10, 20 can be arranged according to one or even two mirror symmetries relative to one another.

The radar sensor system 100 further comprises a control device 50, by means of which each sub-sensor system 10, 20 can be set from a normal operation to a silent operation independently of any other sub-sensor system 10, 20.

The control device 50 is shown in Figure 1, also schematically, as a single block. In some particularly advantageous embodiments, the control device 50 consists of a plurality of individual, separate control devices, of which each sub-sensor system 10, 20 is associated with at least one. Such embodiments will be explained in more detail below, for example, with reference to FIG.

The radar sensor system 100 further comprises a clock generator 60, which provides the partial sensor systems 10, 20 with a common clock signal 71.

A data fusion device 30 of the radar sensor system 100 is coupled to the partial sensor systems 10, 20 such that the sensor data generated by the partial sensor systems for generating the output data of the radar sensor system 100 can be fused together. The

Data fusion device 30 is designed and configured to fuse the sensor data excluding those partial sensor systems 10, 20 which are in normal operation, ie, which are not currently placed in the silent mode. If the radar sensor system 100 is thus in good condition, ie in a state in which all the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 function without errors, the sensor data of all sub-sensor systems 10, 20 by means of

Data fusion device 30 fused together. However, if the radar sensor system 100 is in emergency mode, i. H. If at least one partial sensor system has been put into the silent mode, the sensor data of the partial sensor systems 10, 20 offset into the silent mode are not fused with the sensor data of the other partial systems 10, 20.

This can be achieved, for example, by virtue of the fact that a partial sensor system 10, 20 which has been put into the silent mode by the control device 50 no longer provides its data to the data fusion device 30. Alternatively or additionally, the control device 50 may be the

Data fusion device 30 to inform all those sub-sensor systems that are currently placed in the silent mode and / or which has ever been put into the silent mode. The data fusion device 30 may be configured to receive the sensor data including the

Data fusion device 30 of sub-sensor systems 10, 20 receives, which are indicated by the control device 50 as offset into the silent operation, not taken into account in the generation of the output data, that is in particular approximately not fused with other sensor data.

Further alternatively, it can be provided that each partial sensor system 10, 20, which has been put into the silent mode, that of the

Data fusion device 30 itself informs, for example as part of

Sensor data or as the sensor data, which to the

Data fusion device 30 are transmitted attached status signal. The data fusion device 30 may thus be configured such that sensor data so designated does not come from the data fusion device 30

be taken into account.

The data fusion device 30 may be formed separately from the partial sensor systems 10, 20. In some advantageous embodiments, however, the data fusion device 30 is designed and arranged to be distributed and, in addition to a respective arithmetic unit, includes a respective sub-unit. Sensor system 10, 20 still data lines between the individual sub-sensor systems 10, 20, preferably direct data connections between the individual sub-sensor systems 10, 20th

It is also conceivable that the data fusion device 30 in the

Control device 50 is integrated. Thus, the control device 50 can act as a central control device with which the partial sensor systems 10, 20 advantageously permanently in contact: the control device 50 can at any time put each sub-sensor systems 10, 20 in the silent mode. For this purpose, the control device 50 advantageously receives continuously, or at least regularly, data, for example the sensor data of the respective sub-sensor systems 10,

20, on the basis of which the control device 50 determines whether the respective sub-sensor system 10, 20 can remain in normal operation or whether it is put into the silent mode (or, vice versa, if a put into the pig operation partial sensor system 10, 20 back in normal operation is put).

If a separate, central component is used for the data fusion device 30 for a plurality of the partial sensor systems 10, 20 or even for all of the partial sensor systems 10, 20, the advantage arises that this central data fusion device efficiently with more computing power

can be formed, which saves overall space and at the same time the available computing power can be increased. In addition, a Verschaltungsaufwand can be reduced in this way, since some or all of the direct data lines between the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 can be omitted.

For example, if a radar sensor system 100 is configured with four sub-sensor systems 10, 20, then each sub-sensor system 10, 20 should be able to use direct data links with each other sub-sensor system 10, 20, thus one arithmetic unit of each sub-sensor system 10, 20 each own sensor data with the sensor data of all other sub-sensor systems 10, 20 in the

Normal business can merge, thus a total of six direct

Data lines between the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 necessary. For N partial sensor systems 10, 20, the number of required direct

Data connections between all sub-sensor systems 10, 20 corresponding to N * (Nl) / 2. This is to be compared with the case in which all sub-sensor systems 10, 20 each communicate only with a central data fusion device 30.

For this purpose, only N data lines are required, namely one between each partial sensor system 10, 20 and the data fusion device 30. In the case of N partial sensor systems, only N data lines are required.

However, an advantage of embodiments with direct data lines between all sub-sensor systems 10, 20 is that these embodiments have a particularly high redundancy and not the one, central

Data fusion device 30 (which may or may not be integrated with controller 50) is a common source of error.

As already mentioned, communication that is as permanent as possible, or at least regular communication, between the individual sub-sensor systems 10, 20 is desirable in order to be able to fuse the sensor data on the lowest possible signal level, in particular on a raw data-near level.

The data fusion device 30 is in particular designed to fuse the sensor data generated by the partial sensor systems 10, 20 on a raw data plane or on a spectral plane. In other words, in particular either the raw sensor data itself can be fused

(Raw data level), or complex signals or spectra can be determined, which are then fused together (spectral level).

Ideally, the merger is done at the raw data level, which, however, requires high performance of the data lines, for example, at several Gbps or a lot of memory, these two solutions being relatively expensive. In order to reduce this effort, advantageously a communication between the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 with between one and 1000 Mbps, in particular between 200 and 800 Mbps, particularly preferably between 300 and 700 Mbps, can be used to increase the sensor data on one level merge before a subsequent angle estimation occurs. Advantageously, in each sub-sensor system 10, 20, the entire data volume of all sub-sensor systems 10, 20 is mirrored in normal operation, so that a high degree of redundancy is also present in this regard.

Particularly preferably, the antenna arrangements 13, 23 of the partial sensor systems 10, 20 are arranged relative to one another in accordance with at least one type of symmetry. In the case of, for example, two antenna arrangements 13, 23, the antenna arrangements can be arranged in particular mirror-symmetrically with respect to a mirror symmetry axis, for example as will be explained below with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG.

For example, when four antenna arrays 13, 23 of the radar sensor system 100 are provided, there is an arrangement with two

Mirror symmetry axes advantageous so that in two space dimensions in good case of the radar sensor system, a high accuracy can be achieved and in the silent operation, a high degree of redundancy, to compensate for failures (due to offset in the silent operation partial sensor systems).

Also a point-symmetrical arrangement of some or all

Antenna arrangements 13, 23 of sub-sensor systems 10, 20 may be advantageous. However, arrangements of the antenna arrangements 13, 23 of the partial sensor systems 10, 20 are also conceivable with respect to one another, which have no symmetry, but which are, for example, nested or have a pseudo-random arrangement.

FIG. 2 shows a detail of a radar sensor system 100 according to a possible embodiment, the first antenna arrangement 13 of the first sub-sensor system 10 being connected to the second antenna arrangement 23 of the second sub-sensor system 20 with respect to a mirror symmetry axis S

is designed and arranged mirror-symmetrically. As in FIG. 2

1, elements to the first antenna arrangement 13 of the first sub-sensor system 10 are shown to the left of the mirror symmetry axis S, and elements to the second antenna arrangement 23 of the second sub-sensor system 20 to the right of the mirror symmetry axis S belong. In the following, the arrangement (ie, in particular alignment and

Positioning) of the antenna assemblies 13, 23 described to each other by means of an example, according to which these antenna assemblies 13, 23 and the radar sensor system 100 are formed as part of a vehicle. Here, in Fig. 2, the horizontal direction (i.e., from left to right) is to correspond to the horizontal direction when driving a vehicle, and the vertical direction, that is, from the left to the right direction. H. from top to bottom in Figure 2, to correspond to a vertical direction when driving the vehicle, d. H. different heights above the roadway. Thus, distributed arrangements of

Receiving antennas and / or transmitting antennas in the horizontal direction suitable for determining the so-called azimuth angle of objects with respect to the vehicle. On the other hand, an arrangement distribution of receiving antennas and / or transmitting antennas in the vertical direction is suitable for particularly precisely determining the so-called elevation angle of objects with respect to the vehicle.

As further illustrated in Figure 2, each of these two includes

Antenna arrangements 13, 23 each a plurality of receiving antennas, collectively referred to as RX and a plurality of transmit antennas, collectively referred to as TX.

Advantageously, the receiving antennas RX of both antenna arrangements 13, 23 are arranged parallel to one another in a line, in the example in FIG. 2 in FIG

horizontal direction. As already mentioned, a particularly high resolution in the horizontal direction is provided in this way, i. That is, the azimuth angle with respect to the vehicle of objects around the vehicle can be determined particularly accurately by the radar sensor system 100. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first antenna arrangements 13 comprise eight receiving antennas RX, which are designed, for example, as columnar antennas.

In addition to the receiving antennas RX, the first antenna arrangement 13 furthermore comprises four receiving antennas TX, which according to FIG. 2 are likewise designed as column antennas, wherein in principle also other forms of antennas are possible. As further shown in FIG. 2, two of the transmission antennas TX are advantageously aligned in such a way that they each follow their direction Column direction collinear with exactly one other transmitting antenna TX are arranged. The two pairs of collinear transmit antennas TX are shifted from each other in the horizontal direction and additionally also in the vertical direction. In other words, in the vertical direction, no two of the transmit antennas are exactly the same. Advantageously, it can be provided that in each case two adjacent transmitting antenna TX in the vertical direction partially overlap in the vertical direction. In this way, a particularly accurate resolution can be achieved in the vertical direction, so that the

Elevation angle of objects around the vehicle through the

Radar sensor system 100 can be determined very accurately. In other words, the elevation performance of the output data of the radar sensor system 100 can be improved in this way.

As already mentioned, the first antenna arrangement 13 and the second antenna arrangement 23 are mirror-inverted with respect to a mirror symmetry axis S and arranged.

The transmitting antennas TX of each antenna array 13, 23 are, in the horizontal direction, farther from the mirror symmetry axis S than the respective receiving antennas RX of the corresponding antenna array 13, 23. The receiving antennas RX of the first antenna array 13 are not arranged parallel to each other and in series, but instead also with the similarly arranged receiving antennas RX of the second antenna arrangement 23, so that the radar sensor system according to FIG. 2 comprises a total of sixteen receiving antennas RX arranged parallel to one another in a row.

Also, in the vertical direction, the respective transmission antennas TX are advantageously arranged so that none of the transmission antennas TX are vertically aligned with any of the reception antennas RX. In this way, the resolution in the vertical direction, i. H. the elevation performance of the output data, further improved. It may be provided that in each case one of the receiving antennas TX of the antenna arrangements 13, 23 overlaps in the vertical direction the mutually parallel receiving antenna RX, in particular that a large part of the extent of the corresponding

Transmitting antenna TX in the vertical direction a major part of the extent of Reception antenna RX overlaps. It may further be provided that the transmitting antenna TX, which is vertically adjacent to the transmitting antenna TX, which overlaps the receiving antenna RX, is arranged so that it directly adjoins the receiving antennas RX in the vertical direction, but is horizontally spaced therefrom.

It is clearly evident from the examples of FIG. 2 that, when one of the two sub-sensor systems 10, 20 is put into silent mode from normal operation, the respectively remaining sub-sensor system 10, 20 enables the output data of the radar sensor system can be provided in the vertical direction with unaltered resolution and in the horizontal direction with reduced, for example halved, resolution.

The embodiment shown in Figure 2 is thus in particular for

Radar sensor systems 100 suitable in which particularly the elevation performance in emergency operation of the radar sensor system 100 is significant. Instead, the radar sensor system can also be formed with two partial sensor systems 10, 20 whose antenna arrangements 13, 23 are designed and arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to a mirror symmetry axis S, this mirror symmetry axis S extending in the horizontal direction. In this case, therefore, the radar sensor system 100 would be particularly well suited to provide a constant azimuth performance, while in the emergency operation, the elevation performance would decrease according to the number of sub-sensor systems 10, 20 offset to a silent operation.

From the above, it can be seen that a radar sensor system 100 having four, sixteen, or another divisible by four, number of sub-sensor systems 10, 20 is advantageous, since such a radar sensor system may include antenna arrays 13, 23, which are arranged mirror-symmetrically to each other both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction or, more generally, which are arranged mirror images of each other with respect to two mutually perpendicular mirror symmetry axes S. In such arrangements, even in the event of failure of a sub-sensor system, both nearly full elevation performance and near full azimuth performance would still be achieved. In contrast, has a radar sensor system 100 with only two partial sensor systems 10, 20 has the advantage of smaller dimensions and lower costs.

The mirror image of the same, or at least substantially similar, embodiment of the antenna assemblies 13, 23 of the individual partial sensor systems 10, 20 has the further advantage that in emergency operation of the radar sensor system 100, d. H. if one or more sub-sensor systems 10, 20 are put into the silent mode, while other sub-sensor systems 10, 20 are still in normal operation, the quality and / or other characteristics of the output data of the radar sensor system 100 as little as possible

which part sensor system (s) 10, 20 exactly in the

Schweigsbetrieb was shifted.

The embodiment presented with reference to FIG. 2 has the advantage, for example, that no matter which of the partial sensor systems 10, 20 fails, in each case the same reduction of the azimuth performance and the same change (namely none) of the elevation performance takes place. The latter is due to the fact that there are at least one transmission antenna TX of the other of the two sub-sensor systems 10, 20, which is arranged at the same vertical height, for each transmission antenna TX of each of the two sub-sensor systems 10, 20 in FIG in that there are at least one receiving antenna RX of the other of the two partial sensor systems 10, 20, which is arranged at the same vertical height, for each receiving antenna RX of each of the two partial sensor systems 10, 20 in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a possible concretization of an electronic architecture of a radar sensor system 100 according to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

The separation of the radar sensor system 100 into two separate partial sensor systems 10, 20 is indicated in FIG. 3 as a substantially horizontally extending, dashed curve. Elements above this curve are counted to the first sub-sensor system 10 or are formed as part of the first sub-system 10. Elements below this curve will be associated with the second partial sensor system 20 or are formed as part of the second partial sensor system 20.

The transmit antennas, referred to collectively in FIG. 2 as TX, in the electronic architecture according to FIG. 3 are blocks of four in each case

Transmit antennas summarized and denoted by 11 and 21, respectively. The

Transmitting antenna block 11 of the first antenna array 13 is associated with and formed as part of the first sub-sensor system 10. The

Transmitting antenna block 21 of the second antenna array 23 is associated with and formed as part of the second sub-sensor system 20. It is understood that the antenna arrangements 13, 23 each also several

Transmit antenna blocks, and / or with other numbers of transmit antennas TX, such as transmit antenna blocks each having two

Transmitting antennas and the like.

The receiving antennas, which are collectively referred to as RX in FIG. 2, are blocks of eight each in the electronic architecture according to FIG

Reception antennas summarized and designated 12 and 22 respectively. The receive antenna block 12 of the first antenna array 13 is associated with and formed as part of the first sub-sensor system 10. The

Reception antenna block 22 of the second antenna arrangement 23 is associated with the second sub-sensor system 20 and formed as part of it. It is understood that the antenna arrangements 13, 23 each also several

Receive antenna blocks, and / or with other numbers of

Reception antennas RX, may have, for example

Receiving antenna blocks each with four receiving antennas or with two receiving antennas or the like.

In each case, one of the transmitting antenna transmitting antenna blocks 11 and one of the receiving antenna blocks 12 are each jointly integrated

Circuit 14, 24 assigned and / or formed as part of this integrated circuit 14, 24.

The integrated circuits 14, 24 may in particular be MMICS G.monolithic microwave integrated circuits. In contrast, at Many known in the art radar sensor systems

For reasons of cost, the electronics for all transmitting antennas and receiving antennas integrated on a single integrated circuit, so that in the event of failure of this integrated circuit, typically all transmitting antenna and all

Receiving antenna are detected by a Schweigebetrieb.

In the integrated circuits 14, 24 may advantageously be integrated, for example, RF modules with signal generation, transmitter, receiver with baseband chain and / or analog-to-digital converter and the like. The combination of the transmitting and receiving antenna blocks 11, 21, in each case with the associated integrated circuit 14, 24, can also be referred to as a radar front end.

FIG. 3 also explains how the clock 60 already explained with reference to FIG. 1 provides the integrated clock signal 71 to the integrated circuits 14, 24.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, which is a variant of the embodiment described according to FIG. 1, the control device 50 comprises a plurality of control devices 15, 25, wherein each partial sensor system comprises at least one of the control devices 15, 25 for offsetting the respective sub-sensor system 10, 20 is assigned to the Schweigebetrieb. As illustrated with reference to FIG. 3, a first control device 15 is advantageously assigned to the first partial sensor system 10, in particular as a part thereof, and a second control device 25 is assigned to the second partial sensor system 20, in particular as a part thereof.

Preferably, the control devices 15, 25 are designed as microcontrollers. However, the control devices 15, 25 may alternatively or additionally also comprise or be configured as an application for integrated specific circuits, FPGAs or the like.

As further illustrated by FIG. 3, FIG

Data fusion device 30 a direct data interface between the control means 15, 25, which serves to exchange the sensor data of the individual partial sensor systems 10, 20 for their fusion. Each of the Control devices 15, 25 is via a respective

Voltage supply device 16, 26 supplied with a supply voltage. Optionally, the individual power supply devices 16, 26 may be connected to a common bus system by means of at least (preferably exactly one) connector plug 40, for example to a vehicle bus system such as the frequently used CAN bus.

The fusion of the sensor data is advantageously carried out in both (or in all, if more than two sub-sensor systems 10, 20 are provided) control devices 15, 25, so that in good case, if both sub-sensor systems 10, 20 error case work, each of the control devices 15, 25 the same content

Can generate and output output data. In other words, there may be a complete reflection within each of the controllers 15, 25.

In the case that one of the two sub-sensor systems 10, 20 in the

Is switched off, its sensor data is no longer used for the fusion of the sensor data; in the case described with reference to FIG 3 with exactly two sub-sensor systems 10, 20 thus no fusion of sensor data takes place and it is only the sensor data of not offset in the silent operation partial sensor system 10, 20 used as output data and / or further processed.

FIG. 3 also illustrates that the control devices 15, 25 can output the output data via various systems, for example likewise to the common bus system. This can be done, for example, via CAN interfaces, Ethernet interfaces 18, 28 and / or Flexray interfaces 19, 29.

As an alternative to the case shown by way of example in FIG. 3 with exactly one

Connector 40 can also be several connector, namely in particular per sub-sensor system 10, 20 each at least one

Connector, be provided. FIG. 4 shows a schematic flowchart for explaining a method for operating a radar sensor system according to another

Embodiment of the present invention. The system according to FIG. 4 can be used in particular for operating the radar sensor system 100. Thus, the method explained with reference to FIG. 4 can be adapted according to all the modifications and developments explained above in relation to the radar sensor system 100, and vice versa.

Any reference in the following description of the

inventive method is illustrative nature does not mean

necessarily, that the method is restricted to the use of precisely this component. Whenever reference numerals of the preceding Figures 1 to 3 are mentioned below, it should also be understood that this is intended primarily to illustrate and not to imply that the method is limited to the use of precisely these elements.

In a step S10, sensor data is received in front of a first partial sensor system 10 of a radar sensor system 100, the first partial sensor system 10 having an antenna arrangement 13 with at least one

Receiving antenna RX and at least one transmitting antenna TX includes.

In a step S20, at least one second partial sensor system 20 of the radar sensor system 100 receives sensor data, the second partial sensor system 20 having its own second antenna arrangement 23 with at least one receiving antenna RX and at least one transmitting antenna TX. The first and the second partial sensor system 10, 20 can, in particular as regards the arrangement and configuration of the antenna arrangements 13, 23, advantageously be designed as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The steps S10 and S20 can in particular be carried out at the same time, if necessary, also at the same time as further explained

Process steps.

In a step S30, the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 are provided with a common clock signal 71, for example as described above with reference to FIG the clock 60 described. The provision S30 of the clock signal 71 preferably takes place regularly, continuously and / or over a relatively long period of time.

In a step S40, at least one of the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 is independent of the other sub-sensor systems 10, 20 of a

Normal operation in a Schweigebetrieb added, in particular as in

The foregoing has been described with respect to the control device 50.

In a step S50, the sensor data are exclusive of those partial sensor systems 10, 20 which are in normal operation

Generation of output data fused together, in particular as described above with respect to the data fusion device 30.

In a step S60, the generated output data is outputted, for example, to a connector plug 40 as described above, for example, to a connector plug 40 adapted to be connected to a vehicle. The generated output data may also be otherwise output to a vehicle, such as wirelessly.

It should be understood that the foregoing method is not limited to radar sensor systems having exactly two sub-sensor systems in FIGS. 10, 20 but may equally well be applied to radar sensor systems 100 having more than two sub-sensor systems 10, 20 as well has already been explained in detail in the foregoing.

Preferably, the method also comprises a step S70, in which

at least one partial sensor system 10, 20, which has been put into the silent mode, is returned to normal operation. The steps S40 of shifting into the silent mode and S70 of the occupied normal mode can each include sub-steps in which sensor data of the sub-sensor systems 10, 20 are evaluated and determined based on the sensor data, whether the respective sub-sensor system 10, 20 in normal operation is to be moved in normal operation, in the

Schweinsbetrieb is to be offset and / or continues to operate in the Schweigebetrieb. Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto, but modifiable in a variety of ways. In particular, the invention can be varied or modified in many ways without deviating from the gist of the invention.

Claims

claims

1. Radar sensor system (100), with:

at least a first sub-sensor system (10) and a second sub-sensor system (20) each for generating sensor data, each sub-sensor system (10, 20) having an antenna arrangement (13, 23) with at least one receiving antenna (RX) and at least a transmitting antenna (TX); a control device (50), by means of which each sub-sensor system (10, 20) is independently displaceable from a normal operation into a silent operation; and

a data fusion device (30) adapted to fuse together the sensor data excluding the partial sensor systems (10, 20) in normal operation to generate output data.

2. radar sensor system (100) according to claim 1,

wherein the data fusion device (30) is adapted to fuse the sensor data generated by the sub-sensor systems (10, 20) at a raw-data-level.

3. radar sensor system (100) according to claim 2,

wherein the data fusion device is configured to fuse the sensor data generated by the sub-sensor systems at a raw data level or at a spectral level.

4. Radar sensor system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3,

wherein the control device is designed as a plurality of control devices and wherein each sub-sensor system is associated with at least one of the control means for offsetting the respective sub-sensor system in the Schweigebetrieb.

5. radar sensor system (100) according to claim 4, wherein the control devices are designed as microcontrollers

6. radar sensor system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5,

wherein the data fusion device comprises a data interface between at least two of the plurality of control devices.

7. Radar sensor system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the control device comprises a central control device for at least two of the sub-sensor systems or consists of a central control device for all sub-sensor systems.

8. Radar sensor system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 7,

wherein the antenna arrangements of at least two partial sensor systems are point symmetrical with respect to each other, axisymmetric and / or

are arranged rotationally symmetrically.

9. Radar sensor system (100) according to one of claims 1 to 8,

wherein each sub-sensor system (10, 20) has its own independent

Voltage supply device (16, 26), which via a common connector (40) of the radar sensor system (100) can be fed with electrical energy.

10. A method of operating a radar sensor system (100), comprising the steps of:

Receiving (S10) sensor data of a first sub-sensor system (10) of a radar sensor system (100);

Receiving (S20) sensor data of a second sub-sensor system (20) of the radar sensor system (100);

Providing (S30) a common clock signal (71) to the sub-sensor systems (10, 20);

Placing (S40) at least one of the sub-sensor systems (10, 20) independently of the other sub-sensor systems (10, 20) from normal operation into a silent operation; Fusing (S50), using the common clock signal (71), the sensor data excluding those sub-sensor systems (10, 20) which are in normal operation to generate output data; and

Outputting (S60) the generated output data.