WO2017140700A1

WO2017140700A1 - Traffic-monitoring system having a waveguide device for monitoring a traffic area

Info

Publication number: WO2017140700A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/053344
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dominik Zoeke; Florian Poprawa; Marcus Zwick
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2016-02-19
Filing date: 2017-02-15
Publication date: 2017-08-24
Also published as: DE102016202608A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a traffic-monitoring system (30, 50) for monitoring a traffic area (VF) having parking areas (P1,..., P9) for vehicles (6a, 6b, 6c) and/or having areas to be kept free of vehicles. The traffic-monitoring system (30, 50) comprises at least one radar sensor (31) and at least one waveguide device (37) having a number of openings (38a,..., 38i), wherein the at least one radar sensor (31) is connected to the waveguide device (37) and the openings of the waveguide device (37) are arranged relative to the traffic area (VF) in such a way that radar waves (RW) can be emitted by the radar sensor (31) through the waveguide device (37) and out of the openings (38a,..., 38i) onto the traffic area (VF) and reflected radar waves (RW) from the traffic area (VF) can be detected. The invention further relates to an associated method for monitoring a traffic area (VF) having parking areas (P1,..., P9) for vehicles (6a, 6b, 6c) and/or having areas to be kept free of vehicles.

Description

description

Traffic monitoring system with a waveguide for monitoring a traffic area

The invention relates to a traffic monitoring system for monitoring a traffic area with parking areas for vehicles and / or with surfaces to be kept free of vehicles. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for monitoring a traffic area with parking areas for vehicles and / or to be kept free of vehicles surfaces.

With increasing population in cities and metropolitan areas and the associated increase in the number of vehicles, traffic management plays a key role.

An important component here is the parking space management to reduce or increase the efficiency of parking space search traffic and thus a reduction of emission and traffic loads. For targeted and ideally autonomous traffic flow control a wide-ranging collection of ak ^¬ tual occupancy situation of available parking spaces is required. Most of the time, vehicles of private transport parked quietly on parking areas. Due to the limited traffic available in urban areas, cities often can not provide enough parking space, which leads to a considerable volume of traffic only through vehicles looking for free parking space. This is accompanied by an increase in violations of applicable to parking areas parking regulations, especially in no-parking zones, which can on one hand be a security risk and other ^¬ hand urban transport policy thwarted, according to local residents, so-called green vehicles and groups of users with special needs, such as wheelchair users, special rights be granted when parking their vehicles. One way to control the utilization of parking areas is the imposition of a fee, the limitation of the allowed parking time or the limitation of the parking authorization to a certain time of day. In any case, in terms of effective and economical parking space management by the operator an interest in surveil ^¬ monitoring and control of compliance with applicable parking regulations that go beyond routine patrols in which Kontrollper ^¬ sonen take the parking areas personally inspected.

To monitor a parking area for each individual vehicle vehicle detectors are known, which detect the occupancy ^¬ state automatically. Thus, on ceilings of parking garages or parking garages hanging ultrasonic sensors are known, the underlying parking lot on presence of a

Can scan vehicle. On uncovered parking lots, on side lanes or on the roadside, where vehicles can be parked in an orderly row, under the corridor of the traffic surface arranged magnetic field sensors for occupancy detection of the individual sequentially ranked parking areas can be used.

Typically, magnetic field sensors or radar sensors are used to detect individual parking spaces, which are embedded in the ground and the allocation information

(connected / not connected) wirelessly to a nearby base station ^¬ send. Per parking space at least one sensor is necessary for occupancy sensing, wherein the parked vehicle must come to stand out ^¬ reaching down to the sensor to be detected. In not shown parking areas (z. B. along the roadside) and a large distance between benachbar ^¬ ten sensors, there is the possibility that a floor sensor between two parked vehicles pass "looks" and there is no detection. Another drawback with this type of sensor arrangement is the insertion into the ground, which on the one hand installation costs and on the other hand, the Verwen ^¬ tion of a battery to power the sensor, ie maintenance required. Typically, a large number of sensors requires a corresponding installation effort. This problem contributes to the fact that so far no large-scale installation of available on the market single-user sensors has taken place.

In another method for monitoring the parking areas an accounting is applied, which is usually limited to be ^¬ limited parking areas such. B. can be used in parking garages. An estimate of the current occupancy of the parking spaces is made by counting the vehicles arriving and leaving. Although this method provides information about the overall occupancy, but does not allow the detection of Be parking individual parking spaces and thus no targeted route guidance to a defined free parking space.

The invention has for its object to provide a traffic monitoring system, which allows effective monitoring of a traffic area with parking areas for vehicles and / or to be kept free of vehicles with less installation and maintenance.

The object is achieved by a traffic ^¬ monitoring system according to claim 1 and a method for monitoring a traffic area according to claim 13.

Accordingly, a traffic monitoring system for monitoring a traffic area with parking areas for vehicles and / or with areas to be kept clear of vehicles comprises one or more radar sensors. A radar sensor is to be understood as meaning a radar system having a transmitting / receiving device for transmitting and receiving radar waves. Such a radar sensor may, for example, comprise a pulsed radar or a radar with continuous radar waves. In the use of continuous radar waves preferably modulated radar waves are emitted in order to be able to carry with them a Entfer ^¬ voltage measurement. Furthermore, he includes inventive traffic monitoring system and at least one waveguide with a number of openings, ie at least one opening. As a waveguide device, any type of radar waves can be understood to mean devices which shield the radar waves outwards and which run along a predetermined trajectory. The waveguide extends, for example, along a series of parking spaces, and said openings are distributed along the row of parking spaces via the waveguide. The at least one radar sensor is connected to the shaft ^¬ guiding device and the openings of the waveguide are angeord ^¬ net relative to the traffic surface that radar waves from the radar sensor through the waveguide through and out of the openings on the traffic surface can be emitted and reflected radar waves using the Radar sensors are detectable.

In doing so, radar beams emitted by the openings of the waveguide scan the surface of the traffic area and objects located thereon, such as parked and moving vehicles, the transit times between emission of a beam and reception of the reflected beam

Beam component measured and from the temporal behavior of the detected radar waves is determined. From the Laufzeitverhal ^¬ th turn can be closed to distances in which vehicles are. Since the positions of the individual openings and the associated these are known to be monitored areas of the traffic area, can from the determined distances in which vehicles are to be determined which areas of the traffic area, whether it be kept free at ^¬ play as parking positions or vehicles areas occupied by vehicles.

Advantageously, in the traffic monitoring system according to the invention, the number of radar sensors used, depending on the number of openings of the waveguide device, can be reduced to one sensor for a larger number of parking spaces. The radar sensor can also in be installed in a protected area, which greatly facilitates the provision of power and access for maintenance personnel compared to single-user sensors. Due to the protected arrangement, the radar sensors compared to individual sensors are far less often damaged by vandalism or accidents and therefore have clotting ^¬ gere life cycle costs.

Furthermore, there is an additional advantage that the installation of the waveguide can in principle be done in a simple surface mounting, so without serious structural interference in existing infrastructures. Moreover, there is the advantage over the use of single-user sensors that no battery is needed to supply the individual sensors, so that considerably less maintenance is to be expected. If, in a conventional monitoring device with a large number of single-station sensors, instead of a battery for supplying the sensors, a wired variant is selected, an assembly in which the supply cable must be inserted, for example, into the existing building structures entails an increased installation effort. In this regard OF INVENTION ^¬ dung modern traffic control system for remedy ensures, since now only a centrally located radar sensor must be supplied with electric current so that an elaborate Integra ^¬ tion of a supply cable in components along the Ver ^¬ periodic surface is no longer necessary. In addition, in the traffic monitoring system according to the invention, a possible radio transmission of the occupancy information from the individual sensors can be dispensed with, since the occupancy information is detected centrally at the at least one radar sensor. In this way, an unauthorized remote access via radio to the occupancy information in the traffic monitoring system according to the invention is prevented.

In comparison to known occupancy sensors, which each monitor only individual parking spaces, centrally arranged radar sensors, their radar waves per waveguide be transported over long distances, scanning a larger traffic area with a large number of parking areas. As a result, the cost of acquisition and installation of the required monitoring sensors can be reduced. Emitted from the openings of the wave guiding sensor radar beams, for example, an FMCW radar (FMCW frequency modulated continuous wave radar frequenzmodulier = ^¬ tes continuous wave radar), keys from a plurality of parking areas. Radar technology also has the advantage of more robust detection results, especially when compared to video techniques that are highly dependent on the prevailing light and weather behaves ^¬ nissen.

In the inventive method for monitoring a traffic area with parking spaces for vehicles of at least one radar sensor and at least one wave ^¬ guide device with a number of openings radar waves from the radar sensor by the wave guiding therethrough and out of the openings are emitted at the traffic area with the aid and reflected radar waves detected , As a result of ge ^¬ protected transmission of the radar waves through the waveguide means a disturbance-free transmission to be ^¬ number of undesirables to monitor portions of a traffic area is obtained, wherein for a single radar sensor is needed in the best case. The to be analyzed

Measurement data, in this case radar waves, can thus be recorded centrally and further processed. Thus, the collection of measurement data from the areas to be monitored is significantly simplified.

The essential components of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention can be designed predominantly in the form of software components. This applies in particular to any existing control units and evaluation units for controlling the radar sensors and for evaluating the detected sensor signals. In principle, however, these components can also be partly used, in particular in the case of very fast calculations, in the form of software supported hardware, such as FPGAs or the like, be realized. Likewise, the required interfaces, for example, if it is only about a transfer of data from other software components, be designed as software interfaces. But they can also be configured as hardware on ^¬ built interfaces which are controlled by appropriate software.

A largely software implementation has the advantage that controllers have been used or evaluation units of traffic monitoring systems are easily retrofitted by a software update Kings ^¬ nen to work in the inventive manner. Insofar as the object is program product by a corresponding Computerpro- achieved by a computer program, which is di ^¬ rectly loadable into a memory device of a traffic monitoring system according to the invention and program sections includes to perform all the steps of the inventive method when the computer program is executed in the traffic monitoring system ,

Such a computer program ^product , in addition to the computer ^¬ program optionally additional components such as ei ^¬ ne documentation and / or additional components, including hardware components, such as hardware keys (dongles, etc.) for using the software include.

May monitoring system for transport to the storage device of the Verkehrsüberwa ^¬ surveillance system and / or for storage in the Verkehrsüberwa- a computer readable medium such as a memory stick, a hard disk or any other transportable or fixed mounted discs serve on which the einlesbaren of a computer unit of the traffic monitoring system and executable Program sections of the computer program are stored. The computer unit can eg

for this purpose have one or more cooperating microprocessors or the like and, for example, are part of a control be unit or evaluation or perform functions for these or distributed to this.

The dependent claims and the following description each contain particularly advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention. The claims of claim category may also be further formed in accordance with from ^¬ dependent claims to claim any other category in particular. In addition, in the context of the invention, the various features of different embodiments and claims can also be combined to form new embodiments.

Furthermore, the traffic monitoring system comprises an evaluation unit, which is designed to recognize vehicles parked on the traffic area from the detected reflected radar waves and to determine their locations and dimensions. In this case, at least one direct evaluation of the detected signals of the reflected radar waves takes place, preferably by direct evaluation of the signal propagation times, and optionally additionally by a data comparison of the detected signals of the reflected radar waves with reference data of the parking areas and / or areas to be kept clear by vehicles, about their occupancy states to determine. The reference data may e.g. recorded radar signals from

Parking areas or areas to be kept free of parking areas, wherein the reference data represent the respective areas once with and once without occupancy. Preferably according to the invention Verkehrsüberwa ^¬ monitoring system further comprises an image output unit which is directed to a ^¬, based on the occupancy states determined a map representation of the traffic area with marked parking areas and ben auszuge- whose current occupancy states. With the help of the map display, persons assigned with the traffic monitoring can drive to specific positions, on which vehicles parked in accordance with the law are parked. Furthermore, based on the map display, information mation to road users or with the regulation of traffic addressed devices are transmitted to achieve a ver ^¬ improved use of free parking areas and parking facilities zen to set- having regard to the road users.

The evaluation unit and the image output unit can be arranged in a monitoring center of the traffic monitoring system. If the evaluation unit is designed as a central evaluation unit, then evaluation units can be saved on site, ie at the individual radar sensors, which are assigned to different traffic areas to be monitored at different locations. In addition redu ^¬ ed by the fact of maintenance. In this embodiment, the detected sensor signals are processed by a plurality of radar sensors for data transmission in a suitable manner, sent to the evaluation unit and evaluated there in the manner already described in order to determine occupancy states on the individual monitored traffic areas.

In an advantageous embodiment, the traffic monitoring system according to the invention comprises a street lighting system with one or more street lights for illuminating the traffic area, wherein a radar sensor is integrated in a street lamp. This creates a moni ^¬ monitoring the traffic area possible without the cityscape is affected by more visible recording devices to the radar sensor and any tax or evaluation devices. When building a street lamp or when converting the lamps to LED technology, such a radar sensor can be integrated without additional installation costs. Preferably, electrical operating devices of the street lamp are arranged in a carrier system of the street lamp, in particular in a mast. The radar sensor can then be arranged in the installation space within the housing of the street lamp, which has hitherto been occupied by the electrical operating devices. The monitored by a radar sensor with the aid of the wave guiding section of the traffic area may be approximately de ^¬ congruent with the illuminated by the lamp surface, however, the position, arrangement and extent of the wave guiding is in principle independent of the existing infrastructure selectable. In an advantageous embodiment, radar sensors with waveguide are used in particular when an integration of radar sensors in street lights is structurally impossible or leads to loss of functionality, such as ei ^¬ ner incomplete parking space detection at too large distances of the street lights or unfavorable relative arrangement of street lamp to parking area.

Advantageously, a radar sensor of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention for electrical supply to be ^¬ standing power supply lines, such as a street lamp, connected. This allows for additional supply lines and its own power source, such as a solar module with energy storage, can be dispensed to the radar sensor, which ver ^¬ Ringert acquisition and installation costs. If required, the radar sensor can also be operated with a solar module.

A radar sensor of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention is designed for data communication with another radar sensor and / or the evaluation and the image output unit via power supply lines. By using so-called PLC technology (English Power Line Communication) can be dispensed with additional data communication lines, which further reduces installation costs. Al ^¬ tively the data communication could also be done wirelessly.

In a preferred embodiment of the traffic ^{monitoring system according to} the invention, a street ^{lamp has a} controllable switching device for switching on and / or switching off and / or dimming a lamp of the street lamp. In this case, the evaluation unit is designed to detect from the detected radar signals on the traffic area moving vehicles and / or cyclists and / or pedestrians and to determine their current locations. The evaluation ^¬ unit is then further designed to determine based on the he ^¬ mittelten locations the sites associated street lights and to control their switching devices. If, for example, no movement is detected on the traffic surface, then the associated street lighting can be switched off or dimmed darker in order to save energy. Where and so long as ^¬ moving road users are detected, street lights can be turned on or light dimmed to heights there to ER- road safety and personal safety.

In a preferred variant of the traffic ^{monitoring system} according to the invention, the individual openings are each assigned ei ^¬ ner provided for parking a single vehicle parking area and are aligned in the direction of this parking area and each designed to determine the occupancy state of the associated parking area. Depending on the course of the waveguide device or waveguide relative to the parking lots to be monitored, the openings are possibly parked on the parking lots

Vehicles facing each arranged. In this way, ^¬ the emitted from the openings radar waves emitted directly to any parked vehicles. Of these, the radar waves are thrown back and coupled via the openings of the waveguide again in this. Subsequently ^¬ ßend the radar waves are passed back through the waveguide means back to the connected radar sensor and received from. From running time measurements can be determined, through which of the openings detected radio waves or radar waves were received, and thus occupancies of individual parking spaces of the monitored traffic area can be easily determined. In a further advantageous embodiment, traffic monitoring system according to the invention comprises a control unit by means of a location of a currently parked in a parking zone ^¬ prohibition vehicle and / or a currently Towards the a parking violation vehicle control can be determined. The control unit comprises an image output unit, by means of which a map representation can be output, which represents the traffic area with marked parking areas and / or no parking zones and with the determined locations of current violations. In addition, the current duration of Parkversto ^¬ ßes can be displayed. The control unit may be arranged in a surveil ^¬ central monitoring of the traffic monitoring system, which has control personnel access to the image output unit. There the places currently present parking violations can read for patrols and an optimized path planning are out ^¬ clearly made path and AntreffWahrscheinlichkeit.

Preferably, the control unit of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention is designed as a mobile terminal with Naviga ^¬ tion unit and image output unit. By means of the image output unit can be output a map illustrating further the respective current location of the control unit, and a recommended route from the current location of the control unit at a determined location of a violations ^¬ sequent vehicle. This increases the flexibility of the traffic monitoring system, as it does not necessarily have to start from a surveillance center. In addition, the route planning for a tour is optimized by the automatic route recommendation and independent of the local knowledge of the control personnel.

In a particularly effective variant of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention, the evaluation unit is designed to determine a position of a parked vehicle based on the transit time of radar waves emitted from the openings of the waveguide. That is, the running time results from the time required by the radar waves is to run from the radar sensor to the parked vehicle and return back to the radar sensor. If radar waves are thrown back by vehicles, amplitude maximums are obtained after the reception of the reflected radar waves and a subsequent suitable signal processing, which are detected by the evaluation unit in a time-dependent manner. From the time of detection of the amplitude maxima can be concluded that a runtime of the emitted radar waves. The transit times in turn correspond to distances from which the detected radar waves were reflected.

Preferably, the waveguide may be a waveguide or a waveguide. Such a conductor is connected to the radar sensor of the traffic monitoring system, and transmits the interference emitted by the radar sensor ^¬ radar waves to predetermined positions such as parking areas or surfaces to be kept free from vehicles. Such conductors can include insulation than to-additional protection against external interference and vice versa ^¬ against collection of the transported by the conductor signals. In this way, a trouble-free transmission of the radar waves is guaranteed to distant positions.

Preferably, the evaluation unit of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention is adapted to a total ^¬ distance of an object based on the sum of a SpeI ^¬ seoffsets, an opening distance and a distance be- see the respective opening of the waveguide means and an object to be determined. As a food offset in this context, the length of a cable connection between the radar sensor itself and a coupling point of Wellenleit ^¬ device to be referred to, in which the transmission cable of the radar sensor is connected to the waveguide. The opening distance is the distance of a respective opening of the waveguide to that of the coupling point of the waveguide, ie the radar sor facing the end of the waveguide. Depending on the position of the opening on the waveguide, a different opening distance results, which is in each case connected to a different transit time of the radar waves. Thus it can be deduced from the transit time of the radar waves, via which of the openings the reflected radar waves were received. In this way, detected radar signals can be assigned to individual openings so that it can be determined whether a vehicle is parked at a certain position or not.

In one embodiment of the traffic ^{monitoring system} according to the invention, the waveguide extends in egg ^¬ ner longitudinal direction, wherein the openings are arranged transversely to the longitudinal direction. That is, in the case of a tubular waveguide, the openings are on the peripheral surface of the waveguide.

In a specific embodiment, the traffic monitoring system comprises at least two radar sensors, each of which ^¬ weils at an opposite end, ie the end faces of the waveguide means are arranged so that in the operation of the two sensors in the temporal change of a second and distinct removal pattern of the detected Objects is created.

The feed from the second side pursues the following two objectives: First, the amplitude maxima in practice are rather distribution ^densities than sharp peaks. As a rule, two different and ^¬ unambiguous patterns emerge when fed from two sides. Skillful offsetting the two patterns allows to improve the accuracy of range measurement and therefore more robust assignment to individual Stellplät ^¬ zen. Secondly, in particularly unfavorable cases, the distance of the objects to the waveguide and the distance between the individual parking areas can lead to ambiguity when fed from only one side. A feed from the second page always provides a different, unique pattern in this case. By cleverly offsetting both patterns, the ambiguities can be completely eliminated (see also FIG. 10). The 10 beschrie ^¬ bene procedure, see Second or in conjunction with FIG is expedient, for example when mounting the waveguide as shown in FIG 7, since there is always reflected and the bottom at the free Park ^¬ places and is ER- construed as "object". The use of Reference data can also eliminate these ambiguities

To understand procedure described Secondly, as an alternative to groove ^¬ Zung reference data or to further increase the reliability and accuracy. The waveguide device can be arranged, for example, above the traffic area or in the floor of the traffic area or laterally to the traffic area. The arrangement of the shaft ^¬ guiding device depends on the local conditions of the traffic area. If, for example, the traffic area is covered, it is advisable to install the waveguide under the roof of the roof. In this case, the openings are correspondingly downwards, ie arranged in the bottom direction, so that radar waves are radiated to positioned below the Wellenleit ^¬ device objects. Alternatively, it may be advantageous to mount the waveguide on a side wall or even sink it in the ground.

In a variant of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention ^¬ the distances between the openings of the wave guide means are less than a ^¬ average vehicle length. Selecting closer pitches of the apertures allows for improved resolution in the detection of objects located on the traffic area to be monitored. Preferably, the traffic monitoring system according to the invention is designed such that the geometry of the openings is formed such that a beam focusing of the emitted radar waves is achieved at the exit point. A beam focus allows tion from a stronger radar signal from a klei ^¬ Neren region and thus improves the signal / noise ratio of the radar sensor. At the same time, the beam focusing limits the detected area, as a result of which the robustness of the detection is counteracted by disturbing influences, eg due to unwanted effects

Multiple reflection of adjacent objects, increased and thus the assignment of the maturities is facilitated to individual parking spaces.

The evaluation unit of Verkehrsüberwa ^¬ surveillance system according to the invention may advantageously be used to determine the distance of the vehicles on the basis of a Fourier transform of the detected radar waves and a subsequent target detection. By a transformation of the detected radar signals from the frequency domain into the time domain, the time profile of the detected radar signals and ^thus the transit time behavior of the radar waves can be determined. Distances and thus positions of parked vehicles are determined from the determined runtime behavior.

The traffic monitoring system according to the invention may further comprise a logic unit which is adapted to carry out an assignment of this information to an opening and / or to a parking space associated with the opening on the basis of the distance information. With the help of the logic unit, a comparison of the distances determined with known reference data, such as the distances of individual openings from the radar sensor. In a specific embodiment, the traffic monitoring system may comprise a reference data storage unit for Abspeiche ^¬ tion of reference measurement data, which are associated with defined scenarios, wherein the evaluation unit is adapted is set up on the basis of a comparison of measurement data with the reference measurement data to make a clear assignment of the recorded measurement data to defined scenarios. The traffic monitoring system according to the invention may additionally comprise a change detection unit, which is set up to detect changes in the occupancy of the parking spaces or the areas to be kept clear of vehicles. For example, moving objects, such as vehicles or persons, can thus be detected. As already mentioned, street lights can be switched on and off on the basis of such a motion detection in order to save electrical energy in this way. In a special embodiment of the traffic monitoring system according to the invention, the wave guiding means is formed such that the distances of the openings to each other vari ^¬ portable. That is, the positions of the openings may be changed depending on a concrete configuration of the traffic area to be monitored. In this way, read ^¬ sen flexibly produce anpassba ^¬ re traffic monitoring systems to various traffic scenarios that are cost adaptable to the individual use. Beispielswei ^¬ se can in the longitudinal direction, ie extending in the extending direction of the wave guiding elongated openings be formed on the wave guiding surrounding displaceable in the longitudinal direction of aperture may be partially or fully ^¬ constantly by additional, the circumferential surface of the waveguide means are covered, so that the size and the position of the openings can be varied.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the beige ^¬ added figures using ^exemplary embodiments. Show it:

1 shows a traffic monitoring system with a radar sensor; 2 shows different types of arrangement of parking spaces for

Motor vehicles; 3 shows a traffic monitoring system according to a first embodiment of the invention;

4 shows the traffic monitoring system shown in FIG. 3 with a plurality of parking spaces for vehicles parked side by side;

5 shows a traffic monitoring system according to a second

Embodiment of the invention;

6 shows a possible type of arrangement of a waveguide device of a traffic monitoring system according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG 7 shows an alternative type of positioning of the wave guiding of a traffic monitoring system ge ^¬ Mäss an embodiment of the invention;

8 shows a further alternative type of arrangement of a waveguide device of a traffic monitoring system according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG 9 shows an alternative type of positioning of the wave guiding of a traffic monitoring system ge ^¬ Mäss an embodiment of the invention with parking lots for one behind the other parked vehicles;

10 shows a schematic representation of a detection of

Vehicles with the help of several radar sensors.

In FIG. 1, a traffic monitoring system 10 is shown. The traffic monitoring system 10 includes a radar sensor device 1. The radar sensor device 1 by means of suitable measures waveforms, for example, according to the FMCW principle (FMCW = frequency modulated continuous wave = frequenzmodu ^¬ profiled continuous wave) distances of objects. The radar sensor device radiates electromagnetic energy

Shafts RW by means of an antenna device 4, which are reflected to be detected objects 6a, 6b, 6c and again at the emission position, that is received by the antenna 4. From the duration of the radar waves RW, the distances Ri, R ₂ , R3 between the Radarsensoreinrich ^¬ device 1 and a plurality of objects 6a, 6b, 6c simultaneously ermit ^¬ means. FIG. 1 additionally shows a graph with which the intensity detected by the radar sensor device 1 is shown. A of the radar waves in dependence on the distance R of the detected objects 6a, 6b, 6c is plotted. There are several maxima at the distances Ri, R2, R3 clearly erken ^¬ nen which make the presence of objects, in this case a motor vehicle 6a, 6b, 6c on a traffic surface VF, close. The radar sensor device 1 further comprises a frequency generator 2, also referred to as a synthesizer, for generating a predetermined waveform of radar waves RW. Part of the radar sensor device 1 is also a transceiver 3 for signal mixing and signal amplification of the radar waves RW generated by the frequency generator 2. In addition, the radar sensor device 1 also comprises an evaluation unit 5a for analyzing the Empfangssigna ^¬ le. Alternatively, the evaluation unit can also be designed as a separate unit 5b (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1). The separate unit 5b can be arranged, for example, in a control cabinet or designed as a PC.

The antenna 4 of the radar sensor device 1 is usually arranged in the vicinity of the radar sensor device. However, this has the disadvantage that several major projects to be detected Whether ^¬ cover each other and thus can shade the radar waves. Only the distance moderately next object Consequently detected while the white ^¬ ter distant objects are in the radar shadow and not be detected in this case. The invention now makes use of the fact that parking areas are arranged in certain patterns. For example, in parking garages parking spaces are regularly in transverse arrangement, ie vehicle next to vehicle, while on public roads and other longitudinal arrangements, ie vehicle behind vehicle parallel to the road, are to be found.

2 shows such two different traffic areas VF1, VF2, which have parking spaces with different configurations. While a first traffic area VF1 shown on the left in FIG. 2 comprises parking spaces P1, P2 on which motor vehicles 6a, 6b can be placed next to one another, a second traffic area VF2 comprises a parking space. che with consecutively arranged parking spaces P3, P4, on which motor vehicles 6a, 6b can position one behind the other. FIG. 3 shows a traffic monitoring system 30 according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The radar waves generated RW Instead of the application of sensor Ver ^¬ close antennas at the traffic monitoring system 30 in a wave guiding means 37, for meadow, a waveguide or a waveguide is transmitted. The waveguide 37, also called leakage line, runs along the regular shelves and comprises a plurality of openings 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d, from which in each case a portion of the generated Ra ^¬ darwellen RW is coupled or emitted. This open- ings 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d, out ^¬ forms, for example, as slots which serve as a plurality of spatially distributed transmit and Emp ^¬ fang antennae, wherein at least one of these antennas being in each case in the direction of a parking space for a motor vehicle ^¬ aligned is.

The radar sensor device 31 shown in FIG. 3, similar to the radar sensor device 1 shown in FIG. 1, further comprises a frequency generator 32 for generating a predetermined waveform of radar waves RW. Part of the radar sensor device 31 is also a transceiver 33 for signal mixing and signal amplification of the radar waves RW generated by the frequency generator 32. In addition, the radar sensor device 31 also includes an evaluation unit 35 for analyzing the received signals.

The function of the evaluation device will be discussed in connection with FIG. In Figure 4, the system shown in FIG 3 Ver ^¬ traffic monitoring system 30 is applied to a traffic area VF with four juxtaposed parking PI, P2, P3, P4 shown. On the third parking P3 a power ^¬ vehicle 6a is parked. The radar sensor device 31 now sends radar waves RW through the waveguide 37, of which the radar waves inter alia through the third opening 38c in Direction of the motor vehicle 6a are emitted. The

Motor vehicle 6a reflects part of the radar waves RW, which are reflected back towards the third opening 38c and to a lesser extent towards the other openings 38a, 38b, 38d. At the third opening 38c and also at the other openings 38a, 38b, 38d, the reflected radar waves are coupled back into the waveguide 37 and transported from there back to the radar sensor device 31. The sensor device 31 receives the reflected radar waves RW. In the sensor device 31, the detected radar waves RW are amplified by a transceiver 33 (see FIG. 3) and forwarded to an evaluation unit 35 (see FIG. 3). The analysis unit 35 analyzes the intensity or the amplitude A of the received radar waves as a function of time and determines from this depen ^¬ gigkeitsbeziehung the respective distance, in which a motor vehicle is 6a, which has reflected the detected Radarwel ^¬ len. The radar waves, on their way to the motor vehicle 6a, travel a distance with a path length R ±, the path length R ± resulting from the following relationship:

R _; = s ₀ + n ₁ + d _! .. (1) where Thus, the so-called feed offset, ie, the Entfer ^¬ voltage between the radar sensor device 31 and the wave guiding 37, which is bypassed, for example, using an electrical connecting cable and then passed through the path length of the connecting cable is. The size ni indicates the slot distance of the nth opening. For example, the slot distance 3i of the third opening 38c is 2.5 times the slot spacing 1 between two openings, if the openings 38a, 38b, 38c are all equidistant and the distance of the first opening 38a to the front side facing the radar sensor 31 Waveguide 37 is half a slot spacing 1, as is the case in the embodiment shown in FIG 4. The quantity d ± represents the distance between an nth opening and an object which is located on one of the respective n-th opening associated i-th parking lot Pi. For an unambiguous assignment of a vehicle 6a to a parking space, the distance d ± between the nth opening and the i-th parking space may not exceed a maximum value d _max , otherwise the radar waves reflected from the i-th parking space of radar waves from adjacent parking spaces can be superimposed or it is not clear from which of the pitches received radar waves come from. If, for example, the distance d ± corresponds exactly to the distance 1 between two adjacent openings, the paths of radar waves from adjacent parking spaces are exactly the same for the case in which the distance di ₊ i of the vehicle at the next parking space Pi ₊ i is zero ,

In the scenario shown in FIG. 4, a motor vehicle 6a, which is located at a distance d3 from the third slot 38c, is located on the third parking space P3. In the case shown in FIG. 4, therefore, the distance R3 to the motor vehicle 6a on the third parking space P3 results in:

R ₃ = s ₀ + 3 ₁ + d ₃ . (2)

An unambiguous assignment is no longer so easily possible with overlapping distance ranges. An arrangement 50, in which also overlapping distance ranges are separable, is shown in FIG. 5 and in FIG.

The traffic monitoring system 50 shown in FIG. 5 comprises a traffic area VF to be monitored with a plurality of adjacent parking spaces PI,..., P9 to be monitored. Openings 38a, 38i correspond to the parking spaces PI,..., P9, which openings are formed in a waveguide 37, which extends longitudinally on the front side of the adjacent parking areas PI,..., P9. The traffic ^monitoring system 50 shown in FIG. 5 differs from the traffic monitoring system 30 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 in that there are two radar sensor devices 31a, 31b has only one. The two radar sensor devices 31a, 31b are arranged at opposite ends of the waveguide 37 of the traffic monitoring system 50 and feed the waveguide 37 in opposite directions in temporal change. This creates a second, unique distance pattern, as in a

Graph is illustrated in the lower part of FIG 5. If all vehicles are exactly at the same distance from the Öff ^¬ calculations, the removal pattern would actually the- oretisch mirror image. In practice, however, the blank by comparison even on the distance of each vehicle to the opening lying in front closing ^¬ SEN two unique patterns arise.

The graph shown in the lower part of FIG 5 veran ^¬ illustrates again the distance dependence of the amplitude A of the radar waves. While the radar waves generated from that on the left side of the waveguide means arranged 37 Radar sensor device 31a maxima of Radarwellenamplitu ^¬ de at the distances R2 having R5 and R6 shows the Ra ^¬ darwellenamplitude the arranged from that on the right side of the Wel ^¬ lenleiteinrichtung 37 Radar sensor device 31b emitted radar waves a maximum at the distances R ₂ ', R5' and R6 '. The maxima determined in the named distances correspond to the parking positions of motor vehicles 6a, 6b, 6c on the parking spaces P2, P5, P6 of the parking area VF shown in FIG.

The position of the waveguide 37 and thus the emission direction of the radar waves RW depends on the type of parking space to be monitored. For example, the Wel ^¬ lenleiter 37 from the front, ie be formed on the front side of adjacent parking lots. Such an arrangement 60 is shown in FIG. In the traffic monitoring system 60 illustrated in FIG. 6, the radar waves are radiated from the front onto the vehicles 6a, 6b parked next to each other on adjacent parking spaces PI, P2. The necessary openings 38a, 38b in the waveguide Direction 37 are located on the vehicles 6a, 6b facing side surface of the waveguide 37th

The dashed lines shown in FIG. 6 are intended here to mark the "detection area." The "viewing direction", that is to say the direction of the primary wave decoupling, lies exactly between the dashed lines.

In Figure 6, this viewing direction is thus e.g. perpendicular to the waveguide 37 and the dashed lines represent the

Beam width (moderate focusing here). The 6 ge ^¬ showed in FIG wave guiding means 37 is mounted on the floor B of a parking area. Furthermore, the waveguide 37 may also be mounted above the parking space, for example on the ceiling D of a parking garage, as shown in FIG. In such a configured traffic monitoring system 70 waveguiding devices 37 are positioned directly above the parking areas PI, P2, for example in the middle of the expected Parkposi ^¬ tion of vehicles 6a, 6b. The openings 38a, 38b for emitting the radar waves are located on the underside of the waveguide 37, so that the radar waves can be emitted downwards onto vehicles 6a, 6b which are parked below the openings.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a traffic ^monitoring system 80, in which the waveguide 37 is embedded in the ground B below the parking area. In this embodiment, the openings of the waveguide 37 are arranged on the upper side of the waveguide device 37, so that radar waves can be radiated upward to the underside of a vehicle 6a parked above the waveguide 37. The waveguide means 37 is embedded in this particular variant in the bottom B, a drive over the waveguide means 37 to be granted slightest ^¬ th. 9 shows a configuration of a traffic ^monitoring system 90, in which the parking areas to be monitored are designed as parking spaces for longitudinal parkers 6a, 6b. In this embodiment, distances of the openings 38a, 38b, 38c of the waveguide 37 of at most an average vehicle length are necessary to obtain sufficiently accurate occupancy information. The waveguide 37 used in FIG. 9 is arranged laterally to the parked vehicles 6a, 6b, so that radar waves are radiated laterally onto the parked vehicles 6a, 6b. In the embodiment shown in FIG 9 variant are significantly more slots 38a, 38b, 38c provided per vehicle length, whereby a height ^¬ re resolution of the allocation information is obtained. In an advantageous embodiment, more slots than in the embodiment shown in FIG 9 can be used in the case of Längsparkern. With this arrangement, the length of vehicles and / or parking spaces can be estimated. Furthermore, no firmly marked parking areas for installation and evaluation are required, ie this configuration is suitable for the case of free parking space. This is also an additional advantage over, for example, single-field magnetic field sensors used in the ground.

In FIG 10 is a monitoring system the Verkehrsüberwa- shown in Figure 5 simplifies 50 corresponding shown Ver ^¬ traffic monitoring system 100 is illustrated. 10 illustrates a situation in which an unambiguous assignment of the vehicles 6a, 6b to the parking space PI or P2 alone would no longer be possible with the aid of a single radar sensor 31a. Because in the situation shown in Figure 10 corresponds to the distance di of the first vehicle 6a to the sum of the distance 1 between two neighboring be ^¬ openings 38a, 38b and the distance d2 between the second port 38b and the second vehicle 6b. Thus, the paths Ri, R2 of radar waves from the first Ra ^¬ darsensor 31a to the first vehicle 6a and to the second vehicle 6b and back are exactly the same. On the other hand, however, the paths Ri ', R ₂ ' of the radar waves of the second radar sensor 31b are different from the first vehicle 6a and the second one Vehicle 6b clearly from each other. This can also be seen in the diagram illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 10, where the different amplitude maxima Mi, M ₂ , Mi ', M ₂ ' are recorded as a function of the determined distances. While the position of the determined from the first radar sensor 31a maxima Mi, M ₂ in the same distance Ri = R ₂ to be measured, the peaks determined by the second radar sensor 31b are Mi ', M _2' in differing ^¬ chen distances Ri ', R ₂ From this it can be concluded that two vehicles 6a, 6b are present at the parking positions PI and P2.

It is finally pointed out once again that the above-described traffic surveillance systems and the described monitoring method are merely preferred embodiments of the invention and that the invention can be varied by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, as far as specified by the claims is. It is the sake of completeness also noted that the use of the indefinite article "a" and does not exclude "a" that the Subject Author ^¬ fenden features can also be present more than once. Likewise, the term "unit" does not exclude that it consists of meh ^¬ reren components that may optionally be spatially distributed.

Claims

claims

A traffic monitoring system (30, 50) for monitoring a traffic area (VF) with parking areas (PI, ..., P9) for vehicles (6a, 6b, 6c) and / or with surfaces to be kept clear of vehicles, comprising at least one radar sensor (31 ) and Minim ^¬ least a waveguide means (37) having a plurality of openings (38a, 38i), wherein the at least one Radarsen ^¬ sor (31) is connected to the waveguide means (37) and the openings of the waveguide means (37) in such a way relative to the Traffic surface (VF) are arranged so that radar waves (RW) from the radar sensor (31) through the waveguide (37) and out of the openings (38a, ..., 38i) on the traffic surface (VF) are emitted and from the Area of the monitored traffic area (VF) reflected radar ^¬ waves (RW) are detectable.

2. The traffic surveillance system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide (37) comprises a plurality of spaced apart openings (38a, 38i).

3. Traffic surveillance system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising an evaluation unit (35) which is adapted to detect on the basis of the detected radar waves the existence of parked on the traffic area (VF) vehicles (6a, 6b, 6c) and preferably their locations to identify and / or de ^¬ ren dimensions.

4. traffic monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein the evaluation unit (35) is ^adapted to from a data ^¬ comparison of the signals detected radar waves with reference data of the parking areas (PI, ..., P9) and / or areas to be kept free of vehicles occupancy states to be determined, wherein the occupying state of a parking area (PI, ..., P9) for a vehicle (6a, 6b, 6c) or a surface to be kept free of vehicles is either occupied or vacant.

5. traffic monitoring system according to claim 4, comprising an image output unit that is adapted to receive a Kar ^¬ tendarstellung the traffic area (VF) with marked parking spaces (PI, ..., P9) and outputting their current occupancy states.

6. Traffic monitoring system according to one of claims 1 to

5, wherein at least some of the openings (38a, 38i) each ^¬ weils a to terminate a single vehicle (6a, 6b, 6c) provided for parking area (PI, ..., P9) are associated, and (in the direction of the parking area PI, ..., P9) are aligned and in each case for determining the occupancy state of the ^¬ orderly parking area (PI, ..., P9) are formed.

7. Traffic monitoring system according to one of claims 3 to

6, wherein the evaluation unit (35) is adapted to a position of a parked vehicle based on the transit time of radar waves (RW) radiated from the openings (38a, 38i) of the waveguide (37)

(6a, 6b, 6c) to determine.

8. Traffic monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit (35) is adapted to a Gesamtent ^¬ distance (Ri) of an object (6a, 6b, 6c) on the basis of the sum of a Speiseoffsets (see above), an opening distance (ni) and a distance (di) between the respective opening (38a, 38i) of the waveguide (37) and an object (6a, 6b, 6c) to determine.

A traffic surveillance system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the waveguide (37) extends in a longitudinal direction, the openings (38a, 38i) being transverse to the longitudinal direction and / or the waveguide (37) surrounding a waveguide or waveguide - sums up.

10. Traffic monitoring system according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least two radar sensors (31a, 31b), wel ^¬ che respectively at an opposite end of the waveguide (37) are arranged, so that in the operation of the two radar sensors (31a, 31b) a second and unique distance pattern of the detected objects arises in temporal change.

11. Traffic monitoring system according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the waveguide device (37) above the traffic area (VF) or in the ground (B) of the traffic area (VF) or laterally to the traffic area (VF) is arranged.

12. Traffic monitoring system according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the distances (1) between the openings (38 a,

38i) of the waveguide (37) are smaller than an average vehicle length and / or the geometry of the openings (38a, 38i) is designed such that beam focusing of the emitted radar waves (RW) is achieved at the exit point.

13. A method for monitoring a traffic area (VF) with parking areas (PI, ..., P9) for vehicles (6a, 6b, 6c) and / or with surfaces to be kept free of vehicles, using at least one radar sensor (31) and at least a Wel ^¬ lenleiteinrichtung (37) having a plurality of openings (38a, 38i) radar waves (RW) from the radar sensor (31) by the waveguide means (37) through and out of the openings (38a, ..., 38i) out to the Traffic surface (VF) are emitted and from the traffic area (VF) reflected Radarwel ^¬ len (RW) are detected.

14. A computer program product with a computer program, wel ^¬ ches directly lad in a storage device of a traffic monitoring system (30, 50) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is ^¬ bar, with program sections to perform all the steps of the method according to claim 13, when the Computer- Program in the traffic monitoring system (30, 50) is executed.

To execute 15. The computer-readable medium on which a computer unit of a traffic monitoring system (30, 50) according to one of claims 1 to 12-loadable and executable Programmab ^¬ sections are stored all the steps of the method according to claim 13 when the program portions of the Computer unit to be executed.