JP7189003B2 - RADAR DEVICE AND METHOD OF SETTING OPERATING CONDITIONS OF RADAR DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a radar device and an operating condition setting method for the radar device.

A millimeter wave radar is known as a radar device mounted on a vehicle. The millimeter wave radar mounted on the vehicle transmits millimeter waves to the surroundings of the vehicle and receives the millimeter waves reflected by surrounding objects. to measure. When monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle using millimeter wave radars, multiple millimeter wave radars are attached to multiple locations on the vehicle.

The millimeter wave radar has different setting conditions depending on where it is mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the manufacturer needs to individually set the operating conditions of the millimeter wave radar according to the location where it is mounted on the vehicle. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of setting operating conditions for a radar device mounted on a vehicle.

However, the setting of operating conditions for millimeter-wave radar has been a burden for manufacturers.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-139690

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a radar device and a method of setting operating conditions for a radar device that can simplify the setting of operating conditions.

A radar apparatus according to the present invention includes a target information deriving unit that derives the relative velocity of the target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave of radiated electromagnetic waves from the target; Whether the radar device is mounted at a predetermined mounting location based on the relative velocity derived by the target information deriving unit and a reference for specifying the mounting location where the radar device is mounted on the moving body an operating condition setting unit for setting an operating condition to be used at the predetermined mounting location when the mounting location identifying unit identifies that the device is mounted at the predetermined mounting location; Prepare.

The radar device according to the present invention specifies the position where the radar device is mounted on the moving body, and when the radar device is mounted on the predetermined mounting position, sets the operating conditions according to the mounting position. Therefore, the radar device according to the present invention can simultaneously check the mounting position and set the operating conditions. Therefore, the radar device according to the present invention can simplify the setting of operating conditions of the radar device.

A radar apparatus according to the present invention includes a target information deriving unit that derives the relative velocity of the target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave of radiated electromagnetic waves from the target; A mounting location where the radar device is mounted is specified based on the relative velocity derived by the target information derivation unit and a reference corresponding to each of a plurality of mounting locations where the radar device is mounted on the moving object. and an operating condition setting unit configured to set operating conditions to be used at the mounting location based on the mounting location identified by the mounting location identifying unit.

After being mounted on a moving body, the radar device according to the present invention identifies the location where the radar device is mounted on the moving body, and sets operating conditions according to the location where the radar device is mounted. In doing so, the radar system according to the invention uses the relative velocity. Since the radar device according to the present invention uses the relative velocity and the reference corresponding to each of the plurality of mounting locations to specify the mounting location of the radar device, it is possible to simplify the setting of the operating conditions of the radar device.

In the radar device mounted on a moving object according to the present invention, the target information derivation unit further derives the relative angle of the target using the received signal, and the mounting location identification unit receives the target information A mounting location where the radar device is mounted may be identified based on the relative angle derived by the derivation unit.

The radar device according to the present invention identifies the mounting location of the radar device based on the relative angle of the target. Therefore, the radar device according to the present invention can improve the accuracy of specifying the mounting location.

In the radar device mounted on the moving object according to the present invention, the mounting point identification unit identifies the mounting point where the radar device is mounted, based on temporal changes in relative velocity and relative angle of one target. may

A radar device according to the present invention identifies a mounting position of the radar device based on temporal changes in relative velocity and relative angle of one target. Therefore, a space for arranging a plurality of targets is not required when specifying the mounting position of the radar device. Therefore, the radar device according to the present invention can reduce the space required for setting operating conditions.

In the radar device mounted on a moving body according to the present invention, the target information derivation unit uses the received signal to determine a plurality of relative velocities corresponding to the plurality of targets and a A plurality of relative angles are derived, and the mounting location identifying unit identifies a mounting location where the radar device is mounted based on the plurality of relative velocities and the plurality of relative angles derived by the target information deriving unit. may

A radar device according to the present invention identifies a mounting position of the radar device based on relative velocities and relative angles corresponding to a plurality of targets. Therefore, the radar apparatus according to the present invention only needs to measure the relative velocity and the relative angle once, and can omit the measurement of the relative velocity and the relative angle over time. Therefore, the radar device according to the present invention can shorten the time required for setting operating conditions.

An operating condition setting method for a radar apparatus according to the present invention is a method for deriving target information for deriving a relative velocity of a target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave of radiated electromagnetic waves from a target. the relative velocity derived by the target object information deriving step; and a reference for identifying a mounting position where the radar device is mounted on the moving body, the radar device is mounted at a predetermined mounting position. and an operation of setting operating conditions to be used at the predetermined mounting location when the mounting location identifying step identifies that the device is mounted at the predetermined mounting location. and a condition setting step.

A method for setting operating conditions for a radar device according to the present invention specifies a mounting position of the radar device after the radar device is mounted on a moving body, and sets operating conditions according to the mounting position. Therefore, the operating condition setting method for a radar device according to the present invention can simplify the setting of operating conditions for a radar device.

An operating condition setting method for a radar apparatus according to the present invention is a method for deriving target information for deriving a relative velocity of a target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives a reflected wave of radiated electromagnetic waves from a target. the relative velocity derived by the target information deriving step; and a reference corresponding to each of a plurality of mounting locations where the radar device is mounted on the moving object. and an operating condition setting step of setting operating conditions to be used at the mounting location based on the mounting location identified by the mounting location identifying step.

A method of setting operating conditions for a radar device according to the present invention specifies a location where a radar device is mounted on a vehicle, and sets operating conditions according to the location where the radar device is mounted. Here, the radar device identifies the mounting location of the radar device using a reference corresponding to each of the plurality of mounting locations. Therefore, the operating condition setting method for a radar device according to the present invention can simplify the setting of operating conditions for a radar device.

A radar device and an operating condition setting method for a radar device according to the present invention can simplify setting of operating conditions.

1 shows an example of a vehicle equipped with a radar device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the radar device shown in FIG. 1 ; 2 shows a diagram for explaining the relative velocity and relative angle derived by the radar device shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 shows an example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target derived by the radar device shown in FIG. 2 shows an example of the positional relationship between the radar device shown in FIG. 1 and a target. FIG. 2 shows a first example of relative velocity and relative angle of a target derived by the radar device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows a second example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target derived by the radar device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows an example of the criterion data shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example of a flowchart showing the operation of the radar device shown in FIG. 1 ; FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle equipped with a radar device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows an example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target derived by the radar device shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 1 shows an example of a vehicle equipped with a radar device according to Modification 1 of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows an example of the positional relationship between a radar device and a target according to Modification 3 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 14 shows a first example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target derived by the radar device shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 14 shows a second example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target derived by the radar device shown in FIG. 13; FIG. 11 shows an example of relative velocity and relative angle of a target according to Modification 6 of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of a bus configuration of a CPU;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment shown below. Moreover, these examples of implementation are merely illustrative, and the present invention can be implemented in various modified and improved forms based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements with the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent elements.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle 1 equipped with a radar device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Vehicle 1 functions as a mobile object. The vehicle 1 includes radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL and 10RR.

In the following description, the terms "front", "rear", "right" and "left" of the vehicle 1 are used. The "front" of the vehicle 1 is the direction in which the vehicle 1 travels straight and is the direction from the driver's seat to the steering wheel. The "rear" of the vehicle 1 is the direction in which the vehicle 1 travels straight and is the direction from the steering wheel toward the driver's seat. The “left side” of the vehicle 1 is a direction perpendicular to the straight traveling direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle 1 , and is the left direction with respect to the front of the vehicle 1 . The “right side” of the vehicle 1 is a direction perpendicular to the straight-ahead direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle 1 , and is the right direction with respect to the front of the vehicle 1 .

In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, a two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system having an X-axis and a Y-axis with the center point RP of the vehicle 1 as the origin will be used. The center point RP is, for example, the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 . This two-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is a so-called local coordinate system. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the Y-axis direction is forward and rearward, and the X-axis direction is leftward and rightward. In the following description, the positive direction of the Y-axis is used as a reference, and the clockwise direction is assumed to be a negative angle.

In this embodiment, the orthogonal coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 is used for explanation, but any coordinate system can be used. As the coordinate system, for example, the coordinate system shown in ISO-8855 may be used.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the radar device 10 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. The radar device 10 shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, and 10RR shown in FIG. That is, the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, and 10RR have the same configuration.

Description will be made with reference to FIG. 1 again. The radar device 10FL is mounted on the front and left sides of the vehicle 1 . The radar device 10FR is mounted on the front and right side of the vehicle 1 . The radar device 10RL is mounted behind and to the left of the vehicle 1 . The radar device 10RR is mounted on the rear and right side of the vehicle 1 .

The radar device 10 transmits transmission waves, which are electromagnetic waves. In the following description, the direction that serves as a reference for the relative angle of the radar device 10 is defined as a reference direction. As the reference direction, the direction in which the electric field intensity of the probe indicating the electric field intensity of the transmission wave transmitted from the radar device 10 is maximum may be used. The reference direction of the radar device 10FR is 60 degrees rightward from the positive direction of the Y-axis. In other words, the reference direction of the radar device 10FR is rotated -60 degrees with respect to the positive direction of the Y-axis. The reference direction of the radar device 10FL is 60 degrees leftward from the positive direction of the Y-axis, and is rotated 60 degrees with respect to the positive direction of the Y-axis. The reference direction of the radar device 10RR is directed 140 degrees to the right from the positive direction of the Y-axis, and is rotated -140 degrees with respect to the positive direction of the Y-axis. The reference direction of the radar device 10RL is 140 degrees leftward from the positive direction of the Y-axis, and is rotated 140 degrees with respect to the positive direction of the Y-axis.

The reference directions of the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, and 10RR do not face the Y-axis direction or the X-axis direction. In other words, the reference directions of the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, and 10RR are tilted with respect to the Y-axis direction or the X-axis direction.

Again, refer to FIG. The radar device 10 uses, for example, an FCM (Fast-Chirp Modulation) method to calculate the relative velocity and distance of the target with respect to the radar device 10 .

The transmitting/receiving unit 20 transmits a transmission wave PVW and receives a reception wave RW including a reflected wave of the transmission wave PVW reflected by a target. The transmitting/receiving section 20 acquires a power spectrum from the received wave RW.

The control unit 30 causes the transmitting/receiving unit 20 to transmit the transmission wave PVW and acquires the power spectrum from the transmitting/receiving unit 20 . The control unit 30 identifies a mounting position where the radar device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1, and sets operating conditions for each mounting position.

The storage unit 40 is a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory. The storage unit 40 stores criterion data 41 and history data 42 . The determination reference data 41 is reference data used when the mounting location identification unit 32 identifies the mounting location. The history data 42 includes the relative velocity value and the relative angle value of the target derived by the target information derivation unit 31 .
The storage unit 40 may store a coordinate conversion formula used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10 as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. This coordinate conversion formula is, for example, a predetermined formula that is calculated in advance from the shape of the vehicle 1, the mounting position of the radar 10, and the like.

The transmitter/receiver 20 includes a transmitter 21 , a transmitter antenna 22 , multiple receiver antennas 23 , multiple receivers 24 , and a signal processor 25 . The receiving unit 24 and the transmitting antenna 23 correspond one-to-one.

The transmitter 21 is electrically connected to the transmission antenna 22 . Also, the transmitter 21 is electrically connected to each of the plurality of receivers 24 . The transmitter 21 supplies the transmission signal PVS to each of the transmitter antenna 22 and the plurality of receivers 24 . The frequency of the transmission signal PVS is swept, for example, in units of several to several tens of microseconds. The transmission antenna 22 transmits the transmission signal PVS received from the transmission section 21 as a transmission wave PVW.

Each of the plurality of receiving antennas 23 receives a received wave RW and converts the received received wave RW into a received signal RS. The received wave RW includes a reflected wave and a transmitted wave.

Each of the plurality of receivers 24 acquires the received signal RS from the corresponding receiving antenna 23 . A received signal RS acquired by the receiver 24 is amplified by a low-noise amplifier (not shown). Each of the plurality of receivers 24 acquires the transmission signal PVS from the transmitter 21 . Each of the plurality of receivers 24 outputs a beat signal BS generated from the amplified reception signal RS and the acquired transmission signal PVS. Although four receiving units 24 and four receiving antennas 23 are shown in FIG. 2, the number of receiving antennas 23 and receiving units 24 may be plural.

Each of the multiple receivers 24 includes a mixer 241 and an A/D converter 242 . The mixer 241 acquires the reception signal RS from the reception antenna 23 and acquires the transmission signal PVS from the transmitter 21 . The mixer 241 mixes the received signal RS and the transmitted signal PVS to generate the beat signal BS. The mixer 241 outputs the generated beat signal BS to the A/D converter 242 .

The A/D converter 242 discretizes the beat signal BS received from the mixer 241 and outputs the discretized beat signal BSD.

The signal processing unit 25 acquires the discretized beat signal BSD from each of the plurality of receiving units 24 . The signal processing unit 25 processes the discretized beat signal BSD and outputs the processed signal.

The signal processing section 25 includes a Fourier transform section 251 . The Fourier transform unit 251 Fourier transforms the beat signal BSD obtained from each of the plurality of receivers 14 to generate a power spectrum.

In FIG. 2, the signal processing section 25 is provided in the transmitting/receiving section 20 . However, the signal processing unit 25 may be provided in the target object information derivation unit 31, which will be described later. When the signal processing unit 25 is provided in the target information deriving unit 31 described later, the signal processing unit 25 functions as part of the target information deriving unit 31 .

The control unit 30 includes a target information derivation unit 31 , a mounting location identification unit 32 and an operating condition setting unit 33 .

The target information derivation unit 31 acquires the power spectrum from the Fourier transform unit 251 . The target information deriving unit 31 analyzes the acquired power spectrum to calculate the distance and relative velocity of the target with respect to the radar device 10 . The target information deriving unit 31 outputs the calculated relative velocity and relative angle of the target with respect to the radar device 10 .

The relative velocity of the target with respect to the radar device 10 is the component in the direction toward the radar device 10 and the component in the direction away from the radar device 10 among the velocities of the target. In the following description, the relative velocity in the approaching direction will be described as a negative relative velocity. For example, when the vehicle 1 equipped with the radar device 10 is stationary and the target is approaching at a speed of 50 km/h, the relative speed between the vehicle 1 equipped with the radar device 10 and the target is -50 km/h. Details of the relative velocity will be described later.

The target information derivation unit 31 estimates the direction of arrival of the reflected wave as the relative angle of the target. The method for estimating the direction of arrival is not particularly limited, and for example, ESPRIT (Estimation Signal Parameter via a Rotational Invariant Technique), MUSIC (Multiple Signal Classification), or the like can be used.

The relative angle of the target with respect to the radar device 10 is the angle of the target with the reference direction of the radar device 10 as a reference and the clockwise direction as a negative value. Details of the relative angle will be described later.

The mounting location identifying unit 32 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the target calculated by the target information deriving unit 31 . The mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the criterion data 41 from the storage unit 40 . The mounting location identification unit 32 identifies the mounting location where the radar device 10 is mounted among the plurality of mounting locations on the vehicle 1 using the relative velocity and relative angle of the target and the determination reference data 41 . The plurality of mounting locations are, for example, front right FR, front left FL, rear right RR, and rear left RL of vehicle 1 . The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location.

The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the value of the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets operating conditions according to the mounting position of the radar device 10 specified by the mounting position specifying unit 32 . Here, the operating condition set by the operating condition setting unit 33 is a setting condition of the radar device 10 according to the mounting position, and is, for example, a conversion formula used by the radar device 10 to convert from polar coordinates to local coordinates.

<Overview of operation>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the radar device 10FR and targets. First, the polar coordinate system used by the radar device 10FR will be described with reference to FIG. This is because the radar device 10FR identifies the position of the target based on the distance to the target and the relative angle of the target.

An xy coordinate system is defined with the position of the radar device 10FR as the origin. The x-axis extends in the reference direction of the radar device 10FR described above, and the y-axis extends in a direction perpendicular to the x-axis. The positive direction of the x-axis is the transmission direction of the transmitted wave. The positive direction of the y-axis is the left direction with respect to the positive direction of the x-axis. A position vector R indicates the position of the target A30. The radar device 10 identifies the position of the target A30 using the magnitude of the position vector R and the relative angle α. The relative angle α is the angle between the x-axis and the position vector R. Note that the axis X1 shown in FIG. 3 is parallel to the X axis shown in FIG. Axis Y1 shown in FIG. 3 is parallel to the Y axis shown in FIG.

Description will be made with reference to FIG. 3 again. The radar device 10FR converts the position of the target A30 from the polar coordinate system to the local coordinate system used by the vehicle 1. FIG. Although the radar device 10FR is shown in FIG. 3, the positions of the targets identified by the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL and 10RR are expressed in a common coordinate system (local coordinate system).

The conversion formula used by the radar device 10 for conversion from polar coordinates to the local coordinate system differs depending on the mounting position of the radar device 10 . The radar device 10 identifies the mounting location in order to identify the conversion formula to be used. Although the details will be described later, the relative velocity and the relative angle change in different patterns depending on where the radar device 10 is mounted. The radar device 10 compares the detected relative speed and relative angle with preset patterns, and identifies the mounting location based on the comparison result. The radar device 10 sets operating conditions so as to use a conversion formula according to the identified mounting location.

Since it is not necessary to set the operating conditions of the radar device 10 before the radar device 10 is mounted on the vehicle, setting of the operating conditions of the radar device 10 can be simplified.

<Relative velocity and relative angle>
The relative velocity and relative angle of the target will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows the radar device 10FR and targets A31, A32, A33, A34, and A35. In FIG. 3, the radar device 10FR is stationary. In FIG. 3, each of the targets A31, A32, A33, A34, and A35 is moving from the positive direction to the negative direction of the Y1 axis at a constant speed vt.

A relative velocity vr31 is the relative velocity of the target A31 with respect to the radar device 10 . The relative velocity vr31 is the component in the linear direction connecting the target A31 and the radar device 10 among the components of the velocity vt. A relative velocity vr32 is the relative velocity of the target A32 with respect to the radar device 10 . The relative velocity vr32 is the component in the linear direction connecting the target A32 and the radar device 10 among the components of the velocity vt.

A relative velocity vr33 is the relative velocity of the target A33 with respect to the radar device 10 .
The relative velocity vr33 is the component in the linear direction connecting the target A33 and the radar device 10 among the components of the velocity vt. A relative velocity vr34 is the relative velocity of the target A34 with respect to the radar device 10 . The relative velocity vr34 is the component in the linear direction connecting the target A35 and the radar device 10 among the components of the velocity vt. A relative velocity vr35 is the relative velocity of the target A35 with respect to the radar device 10 . The relative velocity vr35 is the component in the linear direction connecting the target A35 and the radar device 10 among the components of the velocity vt.

The relative velocities vr31, vr32, and vr33 are components in the direction approaching the radar device 10. FIG. Relative velocity vr35 is a component in the direction away from radar device 10 . Relative velocity vr34 of target A34 is a zero vector. This is because the straight line connecting the target 34 and the radar device 10 is parallel to the X-axis, and the velocity vt is perpendicular to the Y1-axis direction.

The relative angle α31 is the angle between the reference direction of the radar device 10 and the straight line connecting the target A31 and the radar device 10 . That is, the relative angle α31 is the azimuth angle of the target A31 with respect to the reference direction of the radar device 10 . In the following description, the relative angle may be described as "azimuth". Also, relative angles and azimuth angles are described with the clockwise direction being negative. The relative angle α34 is the angle between the reference direction of the radar device 10 and the straight line connecting the target A34 and the radar device 10 . The relative angle α35 is the angle between the reference direction of the radar device 10 and the straight line connecting the target A35 and the radar device 10 . For example, the relative angle α31 is 30 degrees, the relative angle α34 is −30 degrees, and the relative angle α35 is −60 degrees. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the relative angle between the reference direction of the radar device 10 and the straight line connecting the target A33 and the radar device 10 is 0 degrees. That is, the straight line connecting the target A33 and the radar device 10 is parallel to the axis X1 and the X axis.

As described above, when the radar device 10FR is mounted on the front and right sides of the vehicle 1, even if the movement speed of the target is constant, the acquired relative speed and relative angle vary depending on the mounting location. change by The same applies to the radar devices 10FL, 10RR, and 10RL.

In other words, the pattern of change in relative velocity and relative angle in each radar device 10 differs depending on the mounting position in the vehicle 1 and the orientation of the reference direction. Each radar device 10 identifies a mounting position by identifying a pattern of changes in the mounting position and the reference direction in the vehicle 1 .

FIG. 4 shows an example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target calculated by the radar device 10FR shown in FIG. In the graph shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal axis is the azimuth angle and the vertical axis is the relative velocity. A line TL_A indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target calculated by the radar device 10FR. The line TL_A is shaped like the letter S. On the horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 4, the positive direction is the left direction on the paper.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which the angle αY1 between the reference direction of the radar device 10FR shown in FIG. 3 and the axis Y1 is −60 degrees. Since the angle αY1 is −60 degrees, when the relative angle becomes 60 degrees, the straight line connecting the target and the radar device 10FR coincides with the positive direction of the axis Y1. Therefore, the relative velocity of the target when the relative angle of the target indicated by line TL_A is 60 degrees is −vt.

On the other hand, even if the relative angle is changed in the negative direction, the straight line connecting the target and the radar device 10FR will not coincide with the negative direction of the axis Y1. This is because even if the relative angle is 90 degrees, which is the maximum value, the straight line connecting the target and the radar device 10 does not coincide with the negative direction of the axis Y1. Therefore, even if the relative angle is changed in the negative direction, the relative velocity of the target indicated by line TL_A reaches only a value smaller than vt.

<Operation of radar device 10>
The operation of the radar device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 5 is arranged on the conveying surface of the conveyor 50 . Vehicle 1 is transported by conveyor 50 . In this embodiment, the conveyor 50 conveys the vehicle 1 at a constant speed. The conveying direction of the conveyor 50 is the front of the vehicle 1 . Around the vehicle 1, targets 111, 112, 113, 121, 122, 123, 131, 132, 133, 141, 142, 143 are arranged.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, a reference line RL10FR indicating the reference direction of the radar device 10FR passes through the target 112. In the example shown in FIG. A reference line RL10RR indicating the reference direction of the radar device 10RR passes through the target 122. FIG. A reference line RL10FL indicating the reference direction of the radar device 10FL passes through the target object 132 . A reference line RL10RL indicating the reference direction of the radar device 10RL passes through the target 142. FIG.
Although not shown in FIG. 5, each of the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL and 10RR can simultaneously detect at least two targets. For example, the radar device 10FL can detect targets 111, 112, and 113 at the same time. In other words, the target detection range of the radar device 10FL is wider than each of the targets 111 , 112 , and 113 .

The targets 111 to 113 , 121 to 123 , 131 to 134 and 141 to 141 are fixed outside the conveying surface of the conveyor 50 . Therefore, as the vehicle 1 is transported forward, the relative positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and these targets changes. Targets passing through each reference line of the radar device 10 change as the vehicle 1 is transported forward.

The radar device 10 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the target while the vehicle 1 is being conveyed by the conveyor 50 . The number of times the radar device 10 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the target is one. For example, when the radar device 10FL can acquire the relative velocities and relative angles of the targets 131 to 133 at the same time, the radar device 10FL does not repeat acquisition of the relative velocities and relative angles of the targets 131 to 133 .

FIG. 6 shows an example of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target calculated by the radar devices 10FR and 10RR. In the graph shown in FIG. 6, the horizontal axis is the azimuth angle and the vertical axis is the relative velocity. Points FR111, FR112, and FR113 indicate relative velocities and relative angles of the targets 111, 112, and 113 calculated by the radar device 10FR, respectively. Points RR121, RR122, and RR123 indicate relative velocities and relative angles of the targets 121, 122, and 123 calculated by the radar device 10RR, respectively. On the horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 6, the positive direction is the left direction on the paper.

Graphs after FIG. 6 show part of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target that can be calculated by the radar device 10, and the identification of the mounting location of the radar device 10 will be described.

The operation of the radar device 10FR will be explained. In the radar device 10FR, the mounting location specifying unit 32 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the surrounding targets calculated by the target object information deriving unit 31 . The mounting location specifying unit 32 obtains an approximate line from FR111, FR112, and FR113. The approximation line is obtained by, for example, the method of least squares. The approximation line obtained by the mounting location identification unit 32 is the approximation line TL_FR5. The approximation line TL_FR5 has a monotonically decreasing characteristic and a negative relative velocity characteristic when the azimuth angle is 0 degree.

In this embodiment, an example of obtaining an approximate straight line as the approximate line will be described. However, an approximation curve may be obtained as the approximation line. Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the relative velocities and relative angles of three targets are shown for each radar device 10. FIG. However, using the relative velocities and relative angles of the three targets is not an essential requirement. In this embodiment, the relative velocity and relative angle of at least two targets should be calculated. When the relative velocity and relative angle of two targets are calculated, a line connecting points indicating the relative velocity and relative angle of the two targets is used instead of the approximate line.

The mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the criterion data 41 from the storage unit 40 . The criterion data 41 is, for example, the data shown in FIG. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position of the radar device 10FR based on which row of the determination reference data 41 shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the feature of the obtained approximate line. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting position of the radar device 10FR is the front and right side of the vehicle 1 . The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location to the operating condition setting unit 33 .

In FIG. 8, in the characteristics of the approximation line, monotonic decrease is listed as one of the conditions for specifying the mounting location. However, as a condition for specifying the mounting location, instead of monotonically decreasing, the relative angle may change from positive to negative as the relative angle increases.

The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10FR based on the acquired mounting locations. Since the mounting location is specified as the front and right sides of the vehicle 1 , the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions corresponding to the front and right sides of the vehicle 1 . The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

The operation of the radar device 10RR will be described with reference to FIG. 6 again. In the radar device 10RR, the mounting location specifying unit 32 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the surrounding target calculated by the target information deriving unit 31 . The mounting location identification unit 32 obtains an approximate line from the points RR121, RR122, and RR123. The approximation line obtained by the mounting location identification unit 32 is the approximation line TL_RR5. The approximation line TL_RR5 has a monotonically decreasing characteristic and a positive relative velocity when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees.

The mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the criterion data 41 from the storage unit 40 . The criterion data 41 is, for example, the data shown in FIG. The mounting location identification unit 32 identifies the mounting location of the radar device 10RR based on which row of the determination reference data 41 shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the feature of the obtained approximate line. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting position of the radar device 10FR is the rear and right side of the vehicle 1 . The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location to the operating condition setting unit 33 .

The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10FR based on the acquired mounting locations. Since the mounting position is specified as the rear and right sides of the vehicle 1 , the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions corresponding to the rear and right sides of the vehicle 1 . The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

FIG. 7 shows the relative velocity and relative angle of the target calculated by the target information derivation unit 31 provided in each of the radar devices 10FL and 10RL. Points FL131, FL132, and FL133 indicate relative velocities and relative angles of the targets 131, 132, and 133 calculated by the radar device 10FL. Points RL141, RR142, and RR143 indicate relative velocities and relative angles of the targets 141, 142, and 143 calculated by the radar device 10RL. On the horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 7, the positive direction is the left direction on the paper.

The operation of the radar device 10FL will be explained. In the radar device 10FL, the mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the surrounding targets calculated by the target object information deriving unit 31 . The mounting location identification unit 32 obtains an approximate line from the points FL131, FL132, and FL133. The approximation line obtained by the mounting location identification unit 32 is the approximation line TL_FL6. The approximation line TL_FL6 has a monotonically increasing characteristic and a negative relative velocity when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees.

The mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the criterion data 41 from the storage unit 40 . The criterion data 41 is, for example, the data shown in FIG. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position of the radar device 10FL based on which row of the determination reference data 41 shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the feature of the obtained approximate line. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting position of the radar device 10FL is the front and left side of the vehicle 1 . The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location to the operating condition setting unit 33 .

In FIG. 8, in the characteristics of the approximation line, monotonic increase is listed as one of the conditions for specifying the mounting location. However, as a condition for identifying the mounting location, instead of monotonically increasing, the relative angle may change from negative to positive as the relative angle increases.

The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10FL based on the acquired mounting locations. Since the mounting location is specified as the front and left sides of the vehicle 1 , the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions corresponding to the front and left sides of the vehicle 1 . The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

The operation of the radar device 10RL will be described with reference to FIG. 7 again. In the radar device 10RL, the mounting location identification unit 32 obtains an approximate line from the points RL141, RR142, and RR143. The approximation line obtained by the mounting location identification unit 32 is the approximation line TL_RL6. The approximation line TL_RL6 has a monotonically increasing characteristic and a positive relative velocity when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees.

The mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the criterion data 41 from the storage unit 40 . The criterion data 41 is, for example, the data shown in FIG. The mounting location identification unit 32 identifies the mounting location of the radar device 10RL based on which line of the determination reference data 41 shown in FIG. 8 corresponds to the feature of the obtained approximate line. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting position of the radar device 10RL is the rear and left sides of the vehicle 1 . The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location to the operating condition setting unit 33 .

The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10FL based on the acquired mounting locations. Since the mounting position is specified as the rear and left sides of the vehicle 1 , the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions corresponding to the rear and left sides of the vehicle 1 . The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

<Flow chart of radar device 10>
FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of the radar device 10 according to this embodiment. The radar device 10 calculates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target while the vehicle 1 is being conveyed by the conveyor 50 . The number of times the radar device 10 acquires the relative velocity and relative angle of the target is one. In other words, the radar device 10 acquires the relative velocities and relative angles of a plurality of targets in one measurement, so the relative velocities and relative angles of the targets are not repeated.

In the radar device 10, the target information deriving unit 31 calculates the relative velocity of the target and the relative angle of the target (step S101). The mounting location identifying unit 32 acquires the relative velocity of the target and the relative angle of the target from the target information deriving unit 31 . The mounting location identification unit 32 obtains an approximate line from the acquired relative velocity and relative angle of the target. The mounting location identification unit 32 determines whether the approximation line has a monotonically decreasing characteristic (step S102).

If the approximation line has a monotonically decreasing characteristic (Yes in step S102), the mounting location identification unit 32 checks the relative velocity when the azimuth angle of the approximation line is 0 degrees. If the relative velocity is positive when the azimuth angle of the approximation line is 0 degrees (Yes in step S103), the mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position as rear and right (step S104). The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10 based on the acquired mounting location (step S106).

In step S106, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating condition such that the measured relative angle of the target is converted from the polar coordinate system based on the radar device 10 to the local coordinate system and output. The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

The flow chart of the radar device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 again. If the relative velocity is negative when the azimuth angle of the approximation line is 0 degrees (No in step S103), the mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position as front and right (step S104). The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10 based on the acquired mounting location (step S106).

In step S106, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating condition such that the measured relative angle of the target is converted from the polar coordinate system based on the radar device 10 to the local coordinate system and output. The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

The flow chart of the radar device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 again. If the approximation line does not have monotonically decreasing characteristics (No in step S102), the mounting location identification unit 32 checks the relative velocity when the azimuth angle of the approximation line is 0 degrees. If the relative velocity is positive when the azimuth angle of the approximation line is 0 degrees (Yes in step S107), the mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position as rear and left (step S108). The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10 based on the acquired mounting location (step S106).

In step S106, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating condition such that the measured relative angle of the target is converted from the polar coordinate system based on the radar device 10 to the local coordinate system and output. The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

The flow chart of the radar device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 again. If the relative velocity is negative when the azimuth angle of the approximation line is 0 degrees (No in step S107), the mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position as front and left (step S109). The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting location identified by the mounting location identification unit 32 . The operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10 based on the acquired mounting location (step S106).

In step S106, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating condition such that the measured relative angle of the target is converted from the polar coordinate system based on the radar device 10 to the local coordinate system and output. The operating condition setting unit 33 selects and sets a coordinate conversion formula to be used when setting operating conditions. This coordinate conversion formula is used to convert a relative angle in the polar coordinate system with the radar device 10FR as a reference to a relative angle in the local coordinate system. A coordinate conversion formula is predetermined.

As described above, the radar device 10 according to the present embodiment, after being mounted on the vehicle 1, identifies the mounting position where the radar device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1, and operates according to the mounting position. Set conditions. Therefore, the radar device 10 can simplify setting of operating conditions of the radar device 10 .
Further, the radar device 10 according to this embodiment identifies the mounting location of the radar device 10 based on the relative angle of the target. Therefore, the radar device 10 according to this embodiment can improve the accuracy of specifying the mounting location. Further, the radar device 10 according to this embodiment identifies the mounting location of the radar device 10 based on the relative velocities and relative angles corresponding to a plurality of targets. Therefore, the radar device 10 only needs to measure the relative velocity and the relative angle once, and can omit the measurement of the time change of the relative velocity and the relative angle. Therefore, the radar device 10 can shorten the time required for setting the operating conditions.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the mounting position of the radar device 10 is specified by simultaneously obtaining the relative velocities and relative angles of a plurality of targets. However, in the present embodiment, acquisition of the relative velocity and relative angle of the target is repeated, and the mounting position of the radar device 10 is specified based on the temporal changes in the acquired relative velocity and relative angle.

The operation of the radar device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows the vehicle 1 at time t1 and the vehicle 1 at time t6. A target 151 is placed to the right of the vehicle 1 and outside the conveyor 50 . A target 152 is placed to the left of the vehicle 1 and outside the conveyor 50 .

The vehicle 1 is transported in the transport direction of the conveyor 50 as time elapses. The radar devices 10FR and 10RR provided in the vehicle 1 measure the target 151. FIG. The target information derivation unit 31 provided in each of the radar devices 10FR and 10RR calculates changes over time in the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 .

FIG. 11 shows temporal changes in the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar devices 10FR and 10RR. FIG. 11 shows relative velocities and relative angles at times t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6. Time t passes in order of t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6.

A point FR151_t1 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar device 10FR at time t1. A point FR151_t2 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar device 10FR at time t2. A point FR151_t3 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar device 10FR at time t3.

A point RR151_t4 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar device 10RR at time t4. A point RR151_t5 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar device 10RR at time t5. A point RR151_t6 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 151 calculated by the radar device 10RR at time t6.

First, the operation of the radar device 10FR will be described. The mounting location identifying unit 32 obtains an approximate line TL_FR10 from the points FR151_t1, FR151_t2, and FR151_t3. The mounting location identification unit 32 obtains the characteristics of the approximation line TL_FR10. The approximation line TL_FR10 has a monotonically decreasing characteristic and a negative relative velocity characteristic when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees.

The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting position of the radar device 10FR is the front and right side of the vehicle 1 based on the determination reference data 41 shown in FIG. The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location. The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting locations identified by the mounting location identifying unit 32, and sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10FR based on the acquired mounting locations. The operating condition setting unit 33 sets operating conditions corresponding to the front and right sides of the vehicle 1 . In other words, as in the first embodiment, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the relative angle of the target to be converted from the polar coordinate system based on the radar device 10 to the local coordinate system and output.

Description will be made with reference to FIG. 11 again. The operation of the radar device 10RR will be described. The mounting location identification unit 32 obtains an approximate line TL_RR10 from the points RR151_t4, RR151_t5, and RR151_t6. The mounting location identification unit 32 obtains the characteristics of the approximation line TL_RR10. The approximation line TL_RR10 has a monotonically decreasing characteristic and a positive relative velocity when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees.

The mounting location identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting location of the radar device 10RR is the rear and right side of the vehicle 1 based on the determination reference data 41 shown in FIG. The mounting location identification unit 32 outputs the identified mounting location. The operating condition setting unit 33 acquires the mounting locations identified by the mounting location identifying unit 32, and sets the operating conditions of the radar device 10RR based on the acquired mounting locations. The operating condition setting unit 33 sets operating conditions corresponding to the rear and right sides of the vehicle 1 . In other words, as in the first embodiment, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the relative angle of the target to be converted from the polar coordinate system based on the radar device 10 to the local coordinate system and output.

Although the mounting positions of the radar devices 10FR and 10RR have been specified in the present embodiment, the mounting positions of the radar devices 10FL and 10RL can be similarly specified.

The radar device 10 according to the present embodiment identifies the mounting location of the radar device 10 based on the time change of the relative velocity and relative angle of one target. Therefore, a space for arranging a plurality of targets is not required when specifying the mounting location of the radar device 10 . Therefore, the radar device 10 can reduce the space required for setting operating conditions.

(Modification 1)
In the above embodiment, the radar device 10 has been described as specifying the mounting location using both the relative velocity and the relative angle. However, the invention is not so limited. In this modification, the relative velocity is used to identify the mounting location of the radar device 10 . In this modified example, the relative angle is not used when specifying the mounting location of the radar device 10 . Further, in the above embodiment, the four radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, and 10RR are mounted on the vehicle 1, which is a moving object. However, the invention is not so limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a vehicle 2, which is a moving body, may include radar devices 10FC and 10RC. Radar devices 10FC and 10RC shown in FIG. 12 have the same configuration as the radar device 10 . The reference direction of the radar device 10FC is forward, and the reference direction of the radar device 10FC is backward.

In this modification, it is assumed that the reference direction of the radar device 10FC is forward, and the direction of the relative velocity is the direction approaching the radar device 10FC. Based on this assumption, when a target is placed in front of the vehicle 2 and the conveyor 50 conveys the vehicle 2 forward, the relative velocity of the target derived by the radar device 10FC is negative. Also, in this modification, it is assumed that the reference direction of the radar device 10RC is backward and the direction of the relative velocity is the direction away from the radar device 10RC. Based on this assumption, when a target is placed in front of the vehicle 2 and the conveyor 50 conveys the vehicle 2 forward, the relative velocity of the target derived by the radar device 10FC is positive.

Therefore, even if the radar devices 10FC and 10RC are mounted like the vehicle 2, the mounting locations can be specified.

After the radar device 10 according to the present modification is mounted on the vehicle 2, which is a moving body, the mounting location where the radar device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 2 is specified, and the operating conditions are adjusted according to the mounting location. set. At that time, the radar device 10 uses the relative velocity. Since the radar device 10 identifies the mounting position of the radar device 10 using the relative speed and the predetermined reference, setting of the operating conditions of the radar device 10 can be simplified.

(Modification 2)
In the embodiment described above, the four radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, and 10RR are mounted on the vehicle 1, which is a moving object. Further, in the modification described above, the two radar devices 10FC and 10RC are mounted on the vehicle 1, which is a moving body. However, the invention is not so limited. The vehicle 1 may include, for example, at least one of the radar devices 10FL, 10FR, 10RL, 10RR, 10FC and 10RC.

In this modified example, in the radar device 10, the mounting location identifying unit 32 identifies whether the radar device 10 is mounted at a predetermined mounting location. When the mounting location identification unit 32 identifies that the radar device 10 is mounted at a predetermined mounting location, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets operating conditions used at the predetermined mounting location.

This modification will be described using the radar device 10FR shown in FIG. The predetermined mounting location of the radar device 10FR is the front and right side of the vehicle 1 . Therefore, in the radar device 10FR, the mounting location identification unit 32 identifies whether the radar device 10FR is mounted on the front and right side of the vehicle 1 or not.

For example, it is assumed that points FR111, FR112, and FR113 shown in FIG. 6 are calculated as the relative velocity and relative angle of the target by the radar device 10FR. In the radar device 10FR, the mounting location identification unit 32 obtains an approximate line TL_FR5 from FR111, FR112, and FR113. The approximation line TL_FR5 has a monotonically decreasing characteristic and a negative relative velocity characteristic when the azimuth angle is 0 degree.

The mounting location identification unit 32 acquires the criterion data 41 from the storage unit 40 . Further, the mounting position identification unit 32 identifies the mounting position of the radar device 10FR based on which row of the determination reference data 41 the feature of the obtained approximate line corresponds to. The mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the mounting position of the radar device 10FR is the front and right side of the vehicle 1 . Further, the mounting position identification unit 32 identifies that the radar device 10FR is mounted at a predetermined mounting position.

Since the mounting location identification unit 32 identifies that the radar device 10 is mounted at the predetermined mounting location, the operating condition setting unit 33 sets the operating conditions to be used at the predetermined mounting location. The operating condition setting unit 33 sets operating conditions for the front and right sides of the vehicle 1 as operating conditions for the radar device 10FR.

The radar device 10 according to the present modification identifies the location where the radar device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 2, which is a moving body, and when the radar device 10 is mounted on a predetermined mounting location, the operating condition corresponding to the mounting location is determined. set. Therefore, the radar device 10 can simultaneously check the installation location and set the operating conditions. Therefore, the radar device 10 can simplify setting of operating conditions of the radar device 10 .

(Modification 3)
In the above embodiment, the range in which the radar device 10 can simultaneously detect is described as being wider than the size of the target to be detected. However, the invention is not so limited. The target may have a size exceeding the detectable range 200 detectable by the radar device 10, as shown by targets 161 and 162 in FIG. 13, for example. Detectable range 200 is, for example, the range that falls within the beam half-width of radar 10 . Note that the detectable range 200 shown in FIG. 13 conceptually shows the beam half width of the radar device 10 . Therefore, the range in which the radar device 10 can detect a target is not limited to the detectable range 200 in FIG. 13 .

The conveyor 50 conveys the vehicle 1 in the direction of the arrow of the conveying direction shown in FIG. In other words, the conveyor 50 conveys the vehicle 1 in a direction from the bottom to the top of the paper. In this modification, the conveying speed of the conveyor 50 is 5 km/h. Vehicle 1 is stationary on conveyor 50 . Targets 161 and 162 are also stationary.

This modification will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 14, a line FR162 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 162 derived by the radar device 10FR. A line RR162 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 162 derived by the radar device 10RR. Line FR162 and line RR162 are not discrete characteristics as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, but continuous linear characteristics.

In FIG. 14, line RR162 has a relative velocity of 5 km/h when the azimuth angle is -40 degrees. That is, the absolute value of the relative velocity of the line RR162 when the azimuth angle is -40 degrees coincides with the absolute value of the conveying velocity of the conveyor 50 . The line FR162 has a relative angle of 5 km/h when the azimuth angle is 60 degrees. That is, the absolute value of the relative velocity of the line FR162 when the azimuth angle is 60 degrees matches the absolute value of the conveying velocity of the conveyor 50 . In other words, the absolute value of the relative speed indicated by the lines RR162 and FR162 is equal to the absolute value of the transport speed of the conveyor 50 .

In this modified example as well, the operating conditions can be set after specifying the mounting location using the determination reference data 41 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

In FIG. 15, a line FL161 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 161 derived by the radar device 10FL. A line RL161 indicates the relative velocity and relative angle of the target 161 derived by the radar device 10RL. The line FL161 and the line RL161 are not discrete characteristics as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, but continuous linear characteristics. The line RL161 has a relative velocity of 5 km/h when the azimuth angle is 40 degrees. The line FL161 has a relative angle of -5 km/h when the azimuth angle is -60 degrees. That is, the absolute value of the relative speed indicated by the lines RL161 and FL161 is equal to the absolute value of the conveying speed of the conveyor 50 .

In this modified example as well, the operating conditions can be set after specifying the mounting location using the determination reference data 41 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

(Modification 4)
In the embodiment described above, the radar device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1, which is a moving body. However, the invention is not so limited. The radar device 10 does not have to be mounted on the vehicle 1 . For example, the radar device 10 may be mounted on a mobile object other than the vehicle 1 . Even if the radar device 10 is mounted on a moving object other than the vehicle 1, it is possible to identify the mounting position and set the operating conditions by acquiring the relative speed and relative angle of other targets. can.

(Modification 5)
In the above embodiment, it has been described that the relative speed and relative angle of a single target are derived over time and the mounting position of the radar device 10 is specified. However, the invention is not so limited. The radar device 10 may determine the mounting position of the radar device 10 by deriving temporal changes in relative velocities and relative angles of a plurality of targets.

(Modification 6)
In the above embodiment, the relative velocity and relative angle of the target are derived and compared with the criterion data 41 to specify the mounting position. However, the invention is not so limited. In this modification, when the relative velocity and the relative angle of the target that do not completely meet the criterion of the determination criterion data 41 are derived, the mounting point identification unit 32 searches the history data 42 and finds the closest mounting point. may be specified.

For example, assume that relative velocity values and relative angle values such as points FR171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, and 177 shown in FIG. 16 are obtained. Point FR174 has zero relative velocity when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees. In this case, the approximate line obtained using the points FR171 to FR177 may have a relative velocity of zero when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees due to the influence of the point FR174. When the relative velocity becomes zero when the azimuth angle is 0 degrees, the mounting position identification unit 32 cannot identify the mounting position even by using the determination reference data 41 .

However, the mounting location identification unit 32 may identify the mounting location using other device history data (not shown) stored in the storage unit 40 . The other device history data (not shown) is data in which the value of the mounting position when the mounting position is specified by another radar device 10 is associated with the relative velocity value and the relative angle value of the target. .

For example, it is assumed that other device history data (not shown) has data with substantially the same characteristics as points FR171 to FR177, and that the mounting location for that data is specified as front and right. In this case, the mounting location of the radar device 10 for which the points FR171 to FR177 are acquired may be identified as the front and right side.

In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 30 may be individually integrated into one chip by a semiconductor device such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), or may be integrated into one chip so as to include part or all of it. . Although LSI is used here, it may also be called IC (Integrated Circuit), system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI, depending on the degree of integration.

The method of circuit integration is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure connections and settings of circuit cells inside the LSI may be used.

Also, part or all of the processing executed by the control unit 30 may be implemented by a program. Part or all of the processing of each functional block in each of the above embodiments is performed by a central processing unit (CPU) in a computer. A program for performing each process is stored in a storage device such as a hard disk or ROM, and is read from the ROM or RAM and executed.

Further, each process of the above embodiment may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by software (including cases where it is realized together with an OS (operating system), middleware, or a predetermined library). . Furthermore, it may be realized by mixed processing of software and hardware.

For example, when the control unit 30 is realized by software, using the hardware configuration shown in FIG. Each functional unit may be realized by software processing.

A computer program that causes a computer to execute the method described above and a computer-readable recording medium that records the program are included in the scope of the present invention. Examples of computer-readable recording media include flexible disks, hard disks, CD-ROMs, MOs, DVDs, DVD-ROMs, DVD-RAMs, large-capacity DVDs, next-generation DVDs, and semiconductor memories. .

Also, the execution order of the processing methods in the above embodiments is not limited to the description of the above embodiments, and the execution order may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are merely examples for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the above-described embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.

1: vehicle 2: vehicle 10: radar device 10FC, 10FR, 10FL, 10RC, 10RR, 10RL: radar device 20: transmitter/receiver 21: transmitter 22: transmitter antenna 23: receiver antenna 24: receiver 241: mixer 242: A /D converter 25 : Signal processing unit 251 : Fourier transform unit 30 : Control unit 31 : Target information deriving unit 32 : Mounting location identification unit 33 : Operating condition setting unit 40 : Storage unit 41 : Criteria data 42 : History data

Claims (7)

A radar device mounted on a mobile object,
a target information deriving unit for deriving the relative velocity of the target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives the reflected wave of the radiated electromagnetic wave from the target;
The radar device is mounted at a predetermined mounting location based on the relative velocity derived by the target object information deriving unit and a reference for specifying the mounting location where the radar device is mounted on the moving object. a mounting location identification unit that identifies whether or not the
an operating condition setting unit that sets an operating condition to be used at the predetermined mounting location when the mounting location identifying unit identifies that the device is mounted at the predetermined mounting location;
A radar device. A radar device mounted on a mobile body,
a target information deriving unit for deriving the relative velocity of the target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives the reflected wave of the radiated electromagnetic wave from the target;
A mounting location where the radar device is mounted based on the relative velocity derived by the target object information deriving unit and a reference corresponding to each of a plurality of mounting locations where the radar device is mounted on the moving body a mounting location identification unit that identifies the
an operating condition setting unit that sets operating conditions to be used at the mounting location based on the mounting location identified by the mounting location identifying unit;
A radar device. The target information derivation unit further derives a relative angle of the target using the received signal,
3. The mounting position identifying unit identifies the mounting position where the radar device is mounted based on the relative angle derived by the target information deriving unit. Radar device according to. The mounting location identification unit identifies the mounting location where the radar device is mounted based on the time change of the relative velocity and relative angle of one target.
The radar device according to claim 3. The target information deriving unit uses the received signal to derive a plurality of relative velocities corresponding to the plurality of targets and a plurality of relative angles corresponding to the plurality of targets,
The mounting location identification unit identifies the mounting location where the radar device is mounted based on the plurality of relative velocities and the plurality of relative angles derived by the target information derivation unit.
The radar device according to claim 3. A method for setting operating conditions for a radar device mounted on a mobile object, comprising:
a target information derivation step of deriving the relative velocity of the target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives the reflected wave of the radiated electromagnetic wave from the target;
The radar device is mounted at a predetermined mounting location based on the relative velocity derived by the target information deriving step and a reference for identifying the mounting location where the radar device is mounted on the moving object. a mounting location identification step of identifying whether or not the
an operating condition setting step of setting operating conditions to be used at the predetermined mounting location when the mounting location identifying step identifies that the device is mounted at the predetermined mounting location;
A method of setting operating conditions for a radar device, comprising: A method for setting operating conditions for a radar device mounted on a mobile object, comprising:
a target information derivation step of deriving the relative velocity of the target using a received signal generated by a receiving unit that receives the reflected wave of the radiated electromagnetic wave from the target;
A mounting location where the radar device is mounted based on the relative velocity derived by the target object information deriving step and a reference corresponding to each of a plurality of mounting locations where the radar device is mounted on the moving object. a mounting location identification step of identifying the
an operating condition setting step of setting operating conditions to be used at the mounting location based on the mounting location identified by the mounting location identifying step;
A method of setting operating conditions for a radar device, comprising:

Images