Vehicle diplex doppler near-obstacle detection apparatus.

This invention relates to a diplex Doppler obstacle detection apparatus for a vehicle.

Obstacle detection apparatus for providing an indication of the distance and/or warning of approaching objects are known. One application for such apparatus is for detecting objects in proximity to an automotive vehicle. For example, the vehicle may employ a near-obstacle detection apparatus to alert the vehicle operator of the presence of obstacles behind the vehicle while backing the vehicle or to alert the vehicle operator of any obstacle in front of the vehicle below the operator's line of sight.

Various apparatus have been proposed for near-obstacle detection, as, for example, shown in US Patent Nos. 3,863,253 and 3,750,171. One such apparatus is commonly referred to as a diplex Doppler apparatus having the capability of providing range and relative velocity between the vehicle and an object. In general, a diplex Doppler radar apparatus transmits two separate RF signals differing only slightly in frequency and receives two echo signals which are reflected by an object in the vehicle path. Each reflected signal is mixed with the corresponding transmitted signal to produce a Doppler signal resulting from the relative motion between the vehicle and the object. Because of the small change in the wavelength of the transmitted signals, the two Doppler signals will be shifted in phase from one another by an amount that is a direct measure of the distance to the target.

For example, with a first RF frequency of 10.525 GHz, a Doppler signal resulting from mixing the generated signal with a signal returned from an object will result in a 19.49 Hz/kph (31.37 Hz/mph) Doppler frequency shift. A second RF signal having a frequency of 10.531 GHz when mixed with a signal returned from an object will result in a Doppler frequency shift of 31.38 Hz/mph. Because of the small change in wavelength, the phase of the first Doppler return signal will be slightly shifted in phase from the second Doppler return signal for a given target distance. The further the distance to the target, the greater the phase shift. In this example, a phase shift from zero to 70′ corresponds to a range of 0 to 4.88 m (0 to 16 ft).

In order to extract the range information, the typical apparatus provides for converting the two Doppler signals into two rectangular signals, which in turn are provided to the input terminals of an exclusive OR gate. The output of the exclusive OR gate is a signal having a duty cycle (the percentage of the pulse width to the overall signal cycle) that is a direct measure of the distance between the vehicle and the obstacle. The duty cycle modulated signal is then provided to a filter circuit whose output is an analogue voltage having a magnitude representative of the range between the vehicle and the obstacle.

Characteristic of the foregoing apparatus is that a large time constant filter is required in order to convert the duty cycle range information to a DC voltage range signal with acceptably low ripple. This results in a significant lag and therefore error in the signal indication of the range to a fast moving obstacle. In accordance with this invention, a vehicle near-obstacle detector is provided in the form of a diplex Doppler radar apparatus such as described above but which provides for accurate range information even for high relative velocities between the vehicle and an obstacle.

To this end, a Doppler radar system in accordance with the present invention which is defined by claim 1 is characterised over US Patent No. 3,863,253 by the features specified in the characterising portion of Claim 1.

In accordance with the principles of this invention, it is recognized that the error introduced by the filter circuit converting the duty cycle signal to a DC voltage is in direct proportion to the relative speed between the vehicle and the object. Particularly, at low speeds the lag introduced by the filter circuit is small relative to the duty cycle signal cycle time thereby having little effect on the analogue signal range indication. However, with increasing closing rates between the vehicle and the obstacle, the lag introduced by the filter circuit increasingly effects the analogue signal range indication as the filter time constant increasingly becomes more significant relative to the duty cycle signal cycle time.

Since the range is calculated by the phase shift between the two Doppler signals, the subject invention provides for a closing rate dependent compensation to the lag of the duty cycle to DC conversion filter by introducing a small time shift in the signal path of one of the Doppler signals to effect a shift in the range indication provided at the output of the duty cycle to DC conversion filter. The phase shift of the Doppler signal path represented by this time shift is small at low Doppler signal frequencies corresponding to low closing velocities between the vehicle and the obstacle with the phase shift represented by the time shift increasing with increasing frequencies of the Doppler signal corresponding to increasing closing speeds between the vehicle and the obstacle. This increasing phase shift introduced by the time shift with increasing frequencies of the Doppler signal is a compensation for the increasing error introduced by the lag of the duty cycle to DC conversion filter with increasing frequencies of the Doppler signals. In this manner, the error of the duty cycle to DC conversion filter may be substantially eliminated over the Doppler frequency range of the radar apparatus.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings, in which:- <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Figure 1 depicts the application of the Doppler near-obstacle detection apparatus of this invention to sensing an object behind a vehicle;</li><li>Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the transmitted and received RF signals from a diplex Doppler radar apparatus carried by the vehicle of Figure 1;</li><li>Figure 3 is a general diagram of the diplex Doppler radar apparatus incorporating the principles of this invention; and</li><li>Figure 4 illustrates diagrams of various waveforms of the apparatus of Figure 3.</li></ul>

The Doppler near-obstacle detection apparatus of this invention is illustrated in Figure 1 as applied to a vehicle 10 for sensing an obstacle 12 located at a distance D from the rear of the vehicle. As can be appreciated, it is desirable to provide to the vehicle operator an indication of the presence of the obstacle 12 and its distance D from the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is in reverse and being backed toward the obstacle. The Doppler radar apparatus in this embodiment provides a signal (audio, visual or both) having a frequency that is indicative of the distance D of the obstacle 12 behind the vehicle 10. It is, of course, understood that the Doppler radar apparatus may be used to detect objects in proximity to the vehicle 10 other than rearward, such as for objects that are in front of the vehicle that may be below the operator's line of sight.

The Doppler radar apparatus utilized in the vehicle 10 of Figure 1 is, as previously described, a diplex Doppler continuous wave radar apparatus. In this form of apparatus, two continuous wave signals of slightly different frequency are transmitted, reflected from an object such as the obstacle 12 and mixed with the corresponding transmitted signals. A pair of Doppler signals result from relative motion between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12. The phase difference between the Doppler signals is a direct measure of the distance D between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12.

Referring to Figure 2, the diplex Doppler radar apparatus is generally illustrated as including a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 14 for generating RF signals. The VCO 14 is modulated by the output of a squarewave signal generator 16 providing alternating voltage levels to the VCO 14 so as to alternately generate two RF signals slightly shifted in frequency. In this embodiment, it will be assumed the voltage output of the squarewave signal generator 16 shifts between two voltages which cause the RF signal output of the VCO 14 to switch between RF frequencies of 10.525 GHz and 10.531 GHz. The squarewave signal generator 16 may take the form of a Schmidt-trigger oscillator squarewave generator having a 30 microsecond period and a variation of 25 millivolts peak-to-peak.

The RF signal output of the voltage controlled oscillator 14 is provided to a transmitting antenna 18 which transmits the continuous wave RF signal alternating between the two frequencies rearward from the vehicle 10. VCO 14, squarewave signal generator 16 and transmitting antenna 18 define transmitting means. If an object, such as the obstacle 12, is present behind the vehicle, the transmitted signal is reflected and received by a receiving antenna 20 (receiving means). The received RF signal is coupled from the receiving antenna 20 to an RF input of a conventional mixer 22. A local oscillator signal LO is provided to the mixer 22 from the output of the voltage controlled oscillator 14 by means of a coupler 24. Mixer 22 and coupler 24 define mixing means.

The output of the mixer 22 is an IF signal comprising the Doppler signals associated with each of the frequencies of the RF signal provided by the VCO 14. This IF signal is provided to a processing circuit 26 which functions in accordance with this invention to provide audible and/or visual indications of the range D between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12.

The Doppler frequency at the output of the mixer 22 when the RF signal output of the VCO 14 is at the higher frequency is slightly greater than the frequency of the Doppler signal output of the mixer 22 when the frequency of the RF signal output of the VCO 14 is at the lower frequency. As will be described, by detecting the phase shift between these two Doppler signals, range D to the obstacle 12 may be determined.

Referring to Figure 3, details of the processing circuit 26 are illustrated. The IF signal from the mixer 22 is provided to a wide band preamplifier 28 whose output is coupled to a synchronous demodulator 30 driven by the squarewave VCO modulation signal output of the squarewave signal generator 16. This squarewave signal is provided to the switch input of the synchronous demodulator 30. By using the same squarewave signal from the squarewave signal generator 16 used to control the VCO 14, the synchronous demodulator 30 provides for separation of the Doppler signals associated with the two frequencies of the RF signal output of the VCO 14. Particularly, the synchronous demodulator 30 provides on one output a Doppler signal D1 having a frequency F1 associated with the higher RF signal frequency 10.531 GHz and provides on a second output a Doppler signal D2 having a frequency F2 associated with the lower RF signal frequency 10.525 GHz.

In order to provide for substantially continuous wave Doppler signals, the Doppler signal D2 output of the second channel of the synchronous demodulator 30 is held during the period the first channel is selected by means of a capacitor 32 coupled to a regulated voltage source VCC. The capacitor 32 is charged by the Doppler signal D2. Similarly, when the second channel is selected by the squarewave signal, the Doppler signal D1 is held by a capacitor 34 coupled to the voltage source VCC and charged by the Doppler signal D1. The resulting substantially continuous Doppler signals are illustrated in Figure 4A. The Doppler signal D2 is shifted in phase relative to the Doppler signal D1 by an amount that is directly proportional to the distance D between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12.

The Doppler signal D1 output of the second channel of the synchronous demodulator 30 is then time shifted by a time delay circuit 35 (delaying means) comprised of a resistor 36 and a capacitor 38 coupled between the regulated voltage source VCC and the synchronous demodulator 30. The shifted Doppler signal D1' is provided at the junction of the capacitor 38 and the resistor 36 and is illustrated in Figure 4A. The time shift provided by the time delay circuit 35 is substantially constant over the Doppler frequency range of the near-obstacle detection apparatus.

The Doppler signal D2 is amplified by an amplifier 40 and the time shifted Doppler signal D1′ is amplified by an amplifier 42. The amplifiers 40 and 42 are identical and provide for amplification of the Doppler signals and further may provide for signal limiting.

A pair of comparators 44 and 46 convert the analogue signal output of the amplifiers 40 and 42 into a squarewave logic signal having a 50% duty cycle at the frequency of the individual Doppler signals D1′ and D2. These squarewave signals are illustrated by the solid line squarewave signal 45 of Figure 4B extending from time t₂ to time t₅ and which is associated with the Doppler signal D1′ and the squarewave signal 47 of Figure 4C extending from time t₃ to time t₆ and which is associated with the time shifted Doppler signal D2. The squarewave signal outputs of the comparators 44 and 46 are coupled to inputs of an exclusive OR gate 48 which provides logic output signals as illustrated by the solid line logic signals of Figure 4D. In general, the output of the exclusive OR gate 48 provides signal pulses that are high during the non-overlapping periods of the Doppler signals D1′ and D2. The duration of each pulse of the pulse train output of the exclusive OR gate 48 represents the phase shift between the Doppler signals D1′ and D2. The duration of each pulse (such as from t₂ to t₃ and from t₅ to t₆) in relation to one half the period of the Doppler signals establishes a duty cycle signal whose duty cycle value represents the phase shift between the Doppler signals D1′ and D2. The amplifiers 40, 42, comparators 44, 46 and exclusive OR gate 48 define generating means.

In the present embodiment, a no object detection circuit 50 provides an output for controlling a switch 52 which is controlled to be conducting or non-conducting depending on whether an obstacle 12 is sensed rearward of the vehicle 10. In general, the no object detection circuit 50 determines the absence of a toggling of the output of the comparator 44 to control the switch 52. Assuming an object is present in combination with relative motion to the obstacle 12 resulting in the Doppler signal D2 and a switching in the output of the comparator 44, the no object detection circuit 50 controls the switch 52 to a conducting state to couple the output of the exclusive OR gate 48 to a filter 54.

As previously described, the output of the exclusive OR gate 48 coupled to the filter 54 is a duty cycle signal that is a direct measure of the phase shift between the Doppler signals D1 and D2. Since the phase shift between the Doppler signals D1 and D2 (and therefore between the Doppler signals D1 and D2) is proportional to range, the duty cycle signal is also proportional to range. Also, since the frequency of the Doppler signals D1 and D2 are proportional to the closing rate between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12, the frequency of the duty cycle signal of Figure 4D is also proportional to range. The function of the filter 54 is to convert the duty cycle signal to a DC analogue range voltage having a value that is a measure of the distance D.

At low relative velocities between the vehicle 10 and obstacle 12 the frequency of the Doppler signals is low. At near distances, the duty cycle of the duty cycle signal output of the exclusive OR gate 48 is small. For these conditions, in order to provide a DC analogue range signal at the output of the filter 54 representing the distance D while at the same time not having excessive ripple, it is necessary for the filter 54 to have a large time constant. For example, this circuit may typically have a 1/2 second time constant. This large time constant introduces a lag, or error, between the duty cycle of the signal at the input to the filter 54 and the analogue range voltage output representing the duty cycle value of the input duty cycle when the duty cycle is changing. As the relative velocity between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12 increases, the lag or error between the duty cycle and the analogue range voltage representation thereof increases. As will be described, the time shift to the Doppler signal D1 provided by the time delay circuit 35 resulting in the Doppler signal D1′ compensates for the frequency dependent error introduced by the filter 54 so that the analogue signal output of the filter 54 is an accurate representation of the phase shift between the Doppler signals D1 and D2 and therefore the distance D to the object.

The analogue range voltage output of the filter 54 representing the range D to the obstacle 12 is provided to a voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56 which functions to generate a squarewave signal having a frequency inversely proportional to the range D to the obstacle 12. The voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56 may take the form of an integrator having equal charge and discharge currents. The integrator is controlled so as to be alternately charged from a constant reference signal to the analogue range voltage output of the filter 54 and discharged to the constant reference value. The charge and discharge states of the integrator may be controlled by a comparator comparing the integrator output with the constant reference signal when the integrator is discharging and with the analogue range voltage when the integrator is charging. The output of the comparator comprises the squarewave output of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56. Therefore, the higher the analogue range voltage output of the filter 54, the lower the frequency of oscillation of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56. As the obstacle 12 becomes closer to the vehicle 10, the analogue range voltage output of the filter 54 decreases so that the charge and discharge times between the reference value and the analogue range voltage decreases resulting in an increase in the frequency output of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56.

The signal output of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56 is coupled to a driver circuit 58 through an OR gate 60. The driver circuit 58 output in turn drives a visual indicator such as a lamp 62 and an audible indicator such as a piezoelectric buzzer 64. Assuming the second input (to be described) to the OR gate 60 is a logic 0, the output of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56 periodically energizes the buzzer 64 and the lamp 62 at a frequency that is inversely proportional to the range D to provide a visual and audible indication to the operator of the presence of an obstacle 12 and through the observation of the frequency of the visual or audio signals the relative distance D of the obstacle 12 from the vehicle 10.

The preferred embodiment of the invention further includes an out-of-range detector 66 that functions to limit the maximum distance and therefore minimum frequency output of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56. This limit is provided simply by measuring the amplitude of the analogue output of the filter 54 representing range and limiting the signal input to the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56. The apparatus further includes a diagnostic comparator 68 that monitors the DC offset level of the IF signal. If the DC offset is greater than a predetermined certain level indicating a blocked antenna, the diagnostic comparator 68 supplies a logic 1 signal to the OR gate 60 whose output is maintained at a high level to continuously energize the buzzer 64 and the lamp 62 to provide an indication of the blocked antenna.

To illustrate the invention, it will first be assumed that the time delay circuit 35 is not provided. With this condition, the Doppler signal D1 is passed to the amplifier 42 resulting in the dotted line squarewave signal 70 of Figure 4B beginning at time t₁ and ending at time t₄. The resulting duty cycle signal at the output of the exclusive OR gate 48 is represented in the Figure 4D by the digital pulses extending from time t₁ to time t₃ and from time t₄ to time t₆. The duty cycle represented by these pulses is a direct and accurate measure of the actual range D between the obstacle 12 and the vehicle 10. The filter 54 then converts the signal to the DC analogue range signal previously described. However, due to the large time constant of the filter 54, the range represented by the analogue range signal value lags the actual distance represented by the duty cycle output of the exclusive OR gate 48. As a result, the distance represented by the analogue range signal is too large as the distance decreases. As indicated, the amount of the lag and therefore error in the range represented by the analogue range signal increases with increasing closing velocities between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12. Particularly, as the vehicle 10 is backing up toward the obstacle 12, the duty cycle of the signal output of the exclusive OR gate 48 decreases at a rate dependent on the closing velocity. However, the decrease in the analogue range signal output of the filter 54 lags the decrease in the duty cycle by an amount dependent on the closing velocity so that the analogue signal output of the filter 54 represents a greater than actual value of the range D. Therefore, the frequency of the voltage controlled squarewave oscillator 56 and therefore of the buzzer 64 and lamp 62 will represent a range that is greater than the actual range.

This invention provides for a compensation to the Doppler frequency error introduced by the filter 54 by introducing the constant time shift in the Doppler signal D1 by the time delay circuit 35. This delay results in the phase delayed Doppler signal D1′ which in turn results in the artificial decrease in the duty cycle of the duty cycle range signal from the exclusive OR gate 48. This decrease in duty cycle is illustrated in Figure 4D wherein the pulse width for the same distance D is decreased from t₁ to t₃ to t₂ to t₃ and from t₄ to t₆ to t₅ to t₆. This artificial decrease in the duty cycle output of the exclusive OR gate 48 functions to decrease the value of the analogue range signal output of the filter 54 to compensate for the error introduced by its large time constant. As can be seen, the constant time delay imposed by the time delay circuit 35 in conjunction with the increasing frequency of the Doppler signals D1 and D2 as the relative velocity between the vehicle 10 and obstacle 12 increases provides a velocity dependent compensation. By proper selection of the time shift provided by the circuit elements 36 and 38, the phase shift to the Doppler signal D1 can be sized to compensate for the lag of the duty cycle to DC converter in the form of the filter 54 over the complete range of relative velocities between the vehicle 10 and the obstacle 12.