WO2022209165A1

WO2022209165A1 - Information processing device, information processing method, and radar measurement system

Info

Publication number: WO2022209165A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/001611
Authority: WO
Inventors: 一貴平石
Original assignee: ソニーグループ株式会社
Priority date: 2021-03-30
Filing date: 2022-01-18
Publication date: 2022-10-06
Also published as: JP2022154673A

Abstract

An information processing device according to an embodiment of this invention comprises a determination unit and an operation control unit. The determination unit determines a travel scene for a vehicle equipped with a plurality of radar devices. The operation control unit controls the order in which the plurality of radar devices are operated according to the determined travel scene.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and radar measurement system

The present technology relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a radar measurement system applicable to radar measurement using a plurality of radar devices.

Patent Document 1 describes a multi-radar system that integrates data measured by multiple radars to detect a target. In this system, two radars are synchronously driven so that their transmission timings are the same. Then, the target detection results obtained from each radar are synthesized by the integrated processing device. By performing measurements in synchronization with each radar in this way, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, and it is possible to improve the target detection performance (paragraphs [0030] [0041] of the specification of Patent Document 1. [0065] FIG. 1, etc.).

JP 2018-59895 A

In recent years, advanced sensing technology has been developed by installing multiple radar devices in vehicles, and it is expected to be applied in areas such as driver assistance and autonomous driving. On the other hand, there is concern that increasing the number of radar devices increases the processing load. For this reason, there is a demand for a technique capable of realizing sufficient measurement accuracy while reducing the processing load required for radar measurement.

In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present technology is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a radar measurement system capable of achieving sufficient measurement accuracy while reducing the processing load required for radar measurement. That's what it is.

To achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present technology includes a determination section and an operation control section.
The determination unit determines a driving scene of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of radar devices.
The operation control unit controls the order of operating the plurality of radar devices according to the determined driving scene.

This information processing device determines the driving scene of a vehicle equipped with multiple radar devices, and controls the order in which each radar device is operated based on the results. As a result, for example, each radar device operates in an order suitable for the driving scene, so unnecessary measurements and the like can be suppressed. As a result, sufficient measurement accuracy can be achieved while reducing the processing load required for radar measurement.

The operation control unit may set operation timings of the plurality of radar devices.

The operation control unit may set the operation timings so that operation periods for each of the plurality of radar devices do not overlap.

The operation control unit may set the operation timings so that the operation periods of some of the radar devices overlap.

The determination unit may determine the driving scene based on at least one of information measured using the plurality of radar devices or information measured using another sensor mounted on the vehicle. good.

The operation control unit sets a relatively high operation frequency of a radar device among the plurality of radar devices that measures a space in which an object at risk of colliding with the vehicle is assumed in the determined driving scene. You may

The plurality of radar devices may include a front radar device capable of measuring the front of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the front radar device. In this case, the operation control unit sets the operation frequency of the front radar device higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices when the scene in which the vehicle travels forward is determined as the driving scene. may

The plurality of radar devices may include a rear radar device capable of measuring the area behind the vehicle and another radar device having a measurement range different from that of the rear radar device. In this case, when a scene in which the vehicle changes lanes is determined as the driving scene, the operation control unit may set the operation frequency of the rear radar device higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices. good.

The plurality of radar devices may include a side radar device capable of measuring a side of the vehicle and another radar device having a measurement range different from that of the side radar device. In this case, when a scene in which the vehicle is parked is determined as the driving scene, the operation control unit may set the operation frequency of the side radar device higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices. good.

The information processing device may further comprise an adjustment unit that adjusts the operating parameters of each of the plurality of radar devices according to the processing load related to the data output from each of the plurality of radar devices.

The operating parameters may include at least one of a frame rate of radar measurement by the radar device, a sampling number of data output from the radar device, and parameters relating to radar waves emitted by the radar device.

The adjustment unit may determine whether to adjust the operation parameter based on the processing load.

The processing load may be the processing time required to process data output from the radar device. In this case, the adjustment unit may adjust the operation parameter when the processing time does not fit within the frame rate of radar measurement by the radar device.

The operating parameters may include a first parameter and a second parameter. In this case, the adjustment unit calculates a change in measurement accuracy expected when the first parameter is adjusted, and adjusts the second parameter when the change in measurement accuracy exceeds an allowable range. may

The adjustment unit may select the operation parameter to be adjusted according to the driving scene.

The plurality of radar devices may be FMCW radar devices.

An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present technology is an information processing method executed by a computer system, and includes determining a driving scene of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of radar devices.
The order of operating the plurality of radar devices is controlled according to the determined driving scene.

A radar measurement system according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a plurality of radar devices, a determination section, and an operation control section.
The plurality of radar devices are mounted on a vehicle.
The determination unit determines a driving scene of the vehicle.
The operation control unit controls the order of operating the plurality of radar devices according to the determined driving scene.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a radar control system according to an embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of a radar control system; FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the radar measurement of a FMCW system. It is a schematic diagram explaining the calculation method of the angle by a radar measurement. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a measurement routine for a plurality of radar devices; 4 is a flow chart showing an operation example of the radar control system; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the order of operations of the radar device according to the driving scene; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the order of operations of the radar device according to the driving scene;

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of radar control system]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a radar control system according to an embodiment of the present technology. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the radar control system 100. As shown in FIG.
The radar control system 100 is a system that controls a plurality of radar devices 20 mounted on the vehicle 10 and integrates the output of each radar device 20 to sense the surroundings of the vehicle 10 .
As shown in FIG. 2 , the radar control system 100 has multiple radar devices 20 , a storage unit 25 and a controller 30 . In this embodiment, the radar control system 100 corresponds to a radar measurement system.

The plurality of radar devices 20 is a device that performs radar measurement by irradiating a radar wave 1 (transmission wave) and measuring the reflected wave. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of radar devices 20 are mounted on respective parts of a vehicle 10 so as to have different detection ranges. In the example shown in FIG. 1, as the plurality of radar devices 20, radar devices 20a to 20e are provided in the vehicle .

Here, the radar device 20a is provided near the center of the front part of the vehicle body so as to measure the front (right front) of the vehicle 10. The radar device 20b is provided on the left side of the front part of the vehicle body so as to measure the front left side of the vehicle 10, and the radar device 20c is provided on the right side of the front part of the vehicle body so as to measure the front right side of the vehicle 10. be done. The radar device 20d is provided on the left side of the rear portion of the vehicle body so as to measure the rear left side of the vehicle 10, and the radar device 20e is provided on the right side of the rear portion of the vehicle body so as to measure the rear right side of the vehicle 10.

The detection ranges of the radar devices 20a to 20e may partially overlap. For example, the detection ranges of the radar device 20a that measures the front and the detection ranges of the

radar devices

20b and 20c that measure the left and right front may overlap, or the detection ranges of the

radar devices

20d and 20e that measure the left and right rear may overlap each other. good too. Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which the detection ranges of the radar devices 20a to 20e do not overlap.

In this way, the

radar devices

20a, 20b, and 20c are set so that at least part of the detection range includes the front side of the vehicle 10. FIG. In this embodiment, the

radar devices

20a, 20b, and 20c are examples of front radar devices capable of measuring the front of the vehicle.
Further, the

radar devices

20d and 20e are set so that at least part of the detection range includes the rear side of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the

radar devices

20d and 20e are examples of front radar devices capable of measuring the front of the vehicle.
The detection ranges of the

radar devices

20b and 20d are set to include at least a portion of the left side of the vehicle 10, and the detection ranges of the

radar devices

20c and 20e are set to include at least a portion of the right side of the vehicle 10. It is In this embodiment, the

radar devices

20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e are examples of side radar devices capable of measuring the sides of the vehicle.

In addition, the number of radar devices 20 mounted on the vehicle 10 and the set detection range are not limited and may be set arbitrarily. For example, radar devices 20 for measuring the right side and left side of the vehicle 10 may be provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. Further, a radar device 20 for measuring the rear of the vehicle 10 may be provided at the rear center of the vehicle body.

In this embodiment, FMCW radar devices are used as the plurality of radar devices 20 . In the FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) system, a frequency-modulated continuous wave is used as a radar wave. The radar wave band is typically a millimeter wave band, and for example, millimeter waves such as 76 GHz band and 79 GHz band are used. Of course, radar waves of other bands may be used.

In the radar device 20, an FMCW radar wave (transmission wave) is emitted toward the detection range, and a radar wave (reflected wave) reflected by an object in the detection range is received. An IF signal (intermediate frequency signal) is generated by mixing the transmitted wave and the reflected wave. This IF signal is digitized by an ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) and output to the controller 30 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining FMCW radar measurement.
FIG. 3 shows a schematic graph showing the radar wave 1 of the FMCW system. The horizontal axis of the graph is time t, and the vertical axis is frequency F. The solid line graph is the transmitted wave 2 emitted from the radar device 20, and the dotted line graph is the reflected wave 3 reflected by surrounding objects.

As shown in FIG. 3, the FMCW radar wave 1 is a radio wave (chirp) modulated such that the frequency linearly changes during the period T0. Here, an up-chirp radar wave 1 in which the frequency F linearly increases during one cycle is used. A down-chirp radar wave 1 or the like in which the frequency F linearly decreases during one cycle may be used.
Further, the reflected wave 3 becomes a radio wave whose entire chirp is delayed with respect to the transmitted wave 2 by reciprocating the distance D to the reflection point.

The distance D to the reflection point is expressed from the delay time Δt of the reflected wave 3 with respect to the transmitted wave 2 and the propagation speed (light speed c) of the radar wave 1 (D=c·Δt/2). The delay time Δt is Δt=(T0·ΔF)/B using the difference B between the maximum frequency and the minimum frequency in one chirp, the period T0, and the frequency difference ΔF between the transmitted wave 2 and the reflected wave 3. . That is, the distance D can be calculated from the transmitted wave 2, the reflected wave 3, and the frequency difference ΔF.

Also, if the reflection point is moving, for example, the distance D measured from each chirp (reflected wave 3) changes according to the speed of the reflection point. Therefore, it is possible to calculate the velocity of the target including the reflection point from the difference between the frequency differences ΔF and ΔF' in the adjacent chirps. In practice, the velocity of the object is calculated by detecting changes in ΔF in multiple chirps.

Thus, in the FMCW method, the distance and speed to the object are calculated from the transmitted wave 2, the reflected wave 3, and the frequency difference ΔF.
Although only one reflected wave 3 is shown in the graph of FIG. 3, the reflected wave 3 is actually received in a state in which a plurality of radio waves reflected at different distances overlap each other. By mixing the reflected wave 3 and the transmitted wave 2, an IF signal having a plurality of frequency components corresponding to each frequency difference ΔF is generated. Based on such IF signals, the controller 30 calculates distances and velocities for a plurality of targets.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method of calculating an angle by radar measurement.
FIG. 4 schematically shows a plurality of antennas 22 (antenna array) provided on the measurement surface 21 of the radar device 20. As shown in FIG. Although a one-dimensional antenna array is illustrated here, the antenna array is actually arranged two-dimensionally.

Assume that the radar wave 1 (reflected wave 3) reflected at the reflection point enters the measurement surface 21 at an incident angle θ. In this case, if the distance between the adjacent antennas 22 is d, the optical paths of the reflected waves 3 incident on the adjacent antennas 22 change by d·sin θ. A phase difference occurs in the reflected wave 3 received by the adjacent antenna 22 according to this optical path difference. By detecting such a phase difference, the controller 30 calculates the incident angle .theta.

Thus, by using the radar device 20, it is possible to detect the distance, speed, and angle of an object within the detection range.

Each part of the vehicle 10 is provided with a radar device 20 having performance (distance resolution, maximum detectable distance, speed resolution, maximum detectable speed, angular resolution, maximum detectable angle), for example, according to the purpose. For example, as the radar device 20a, a device that can detect relatively far is used. As the radar devices 20b to 20e, for example, devices with high range resolution and wide detection angles are used.
As the radar device 20, for example, a modularized device such as MMIC (Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit) is used. In addition, the specific type and configuration of the radar device 20 are not limited.

Returning to FIG. 2, the storage unit 25 is a non-volatile storage device. As the storage unit 25, for example, a recording medium using a solid device such as SSD (Solid State Drive) or a magnetic recording medium such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is used. In addition, the type of recording medium used as the storage unit 25 is not limited, and any recording medium that records data non-temporarily may be used.

A driving scene list 26 , an operation mode list 27 , processing parameters 28 , and detection data 29 are stored in the storage unit 25 .
The driving scene list 26 is a list of data recording, for example, combinations of conditions (threshold values, etc.) that each driving scene satisfies for each driving scene of the vehicle 10 .
The operation mode list 27 is, for example, a list of data recording operation parameters set to the radar device 20 in each operation mode for each operation mode of the radar device 20 .
The processing parameters 28 are, for example, data in which parameters being used by the radar device 20 and the controller 30 (for example, operating parameters set in the radar device 20, etc.) are recorded.
The detection data 29 is data measured by each radar device 20 and sent to the controller 30 (a radar information signal processing unit 32 described later).
).
The driving scene list 26, operation mode list 27, processing parameters 28, and detection data 29 will be specifically described later.

The storage unit 25 also stores a control program for controlling the overall operation of the radar control system 100 . The control program is a program according to the present embodiment, and the storage unit 25 corresponds to a computer-readable recording medium in which the program is recorded. In addition, the storage unit 25 stores arbitrary data necessary for the operation of the radar control system 100 .

The controller 30 controls the operation of each block of the radar control system 100. The controller 30 has a hardware configuration necessary for a computer, such as a CPU and memory (RAM, ROM). Various processes are executed by the CPU loading the control program stored in the storage unit 25 into the RAM and executing it. In this embodiment, the controller 30 corresponds to an information processing device.

As the controller 30, a device such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or other ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) may be used. Alternatively, a processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may be used as the controller 30 .

In the present embodiment, the CPU of the controller 30 executes the program according to the present embodiment so that functional blocks include a radar information acquisition unit 31, a radar information signal processing unit 32, a detection result output unit 33, and a driving scene determination unit 34. , an operation timing control unit 35, a processing time measurement unit 36, an operation parameter adjustment unit 37, and a radar control unit 38 are realized. These functional blocks execute the information processing method according to the present embodiment. In order to implement each functional block, dedicated hardware such as an IC (integrated circuit) may be used as appropriate.

The radar information acquisition unit 31 functions as an input interface that acquires raw data measured by a plurality of radar devices 20 . For example, digitized IF signal data (Raw data) output from each radar device 20 is appropriately read.

The radar information signal processing unit 32 analyzes the data acquired by the radar information acquisition unit 31 and calculates detection data 29 . As the detection data 29, for example, data representing distances, velocities, angles, etc. of objects existing around the vehicle 10 are calculated. For example, the distance, speed, angle, etc. of moving objects (other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.) existing around the vehicle 10 are detected. Further, the distance and angle of obstacles (guard rails, curbs, etc.) around the vehicle 10 are detected.
In addition, data representing the shape, type, number, distribution, etc. of objects may be calculated.

The radar information signal processing unit 32 processes the RaW data, for example, each time each radar device 20 performs measurement. Specifically, when raw data is read, FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) is performed on the data to detect frequency component data. Then, based on the frequency component data, the distance, speed, and angle of each object with respect to the reflection position are calculated as detection data 29 (see FIGS. 3 and 4, etc.).

Further, the detection data 29 may be calculated by integrating the measurement results of each radar device 20 . In this case, data obtained by mapping the positions (distances and angles) of surrounding objects around the vehicle 10, data obtained by estimating the shape and moving direction of each object, and the like are calculated as the detection data 29, for example. A method or the like for calculating the detection data 29 is not limited, and any algorithm applied to radar measurement, for example, may be used.
The calculated detection data 29 are stored in the storage unit 25 .

The detection result output unit 33 reads the detection data 29 stored in the storage unit 25 and outputs it to a processing block that performs processing using the detection data 29 and other arithmetic devices as appropriate. For example, the detection result output unit 33 provides the detection data 29 to a system that performs automatic operation. In this case, the detection data 29 is used for calculation processing of the travel route of the vehicle 10 and the like. Also, for example, the detection data 29 is provided to a system that assists the driver in driving. In this case, the detection data 29 is used for the process of notifying the driver of the approach of other vehicles or obstacles.

The driving scene determination unit 34 determines the driving scene of the vehicle 10 on which the multiple radar devices 20 are mounted. In the present disclosure, the driving scene includes, for example, various scenes (situations) that occur when the vehicle 10 is driving.
In this embodiment, the driving scene determination unit 34 corresponds to a determination unit.

The driving scene determination unit 34 determines at least one current driving scene of the vehicle 10 from among the multiple classified driving scenes. For example, the driving scene list 26 stored in the storage unit 25 is read, and it is determined whether or not the current state of the vehicle 10 satisfies the conditions of each driving scene included in the list. Then, a driving scene that applies to the current state is determined.

The type of scene set as the driving scene is not limited.
For example, a normal driving scene in which the vehicle 10 drives forward, a lane change scene, a parking scene, or the like is set as the driving scene.
Also, for example, a scene of stopping, a scene of starting motion, a scene of turning left or right, a scene of U-turn motion, a scene of backward motion, a scene of high-speed driving, etc. may be set as driving scenes.
Also, the time scene may be set according to the circumstances of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 . For example, a traffic scene, a scene of driving at an intersection or a pedestrian crossing, a scene of driving in a merging lane or a separating lane, a scene of driving on a slope, a scene of driving on a winding road, etc. are set as driving scenes.
In addition, the driving scene is not limited, and for example, driving scenes (night scenes and snowy road scenes) may be appropriately set according to the outside temperature, weather, road surface conditions, time of day, season, and the like.

The operation timing control unit 35 controls the order of operating the plurality of radar devices 20 according to the driving scene determined by the driving scene determination unit 34 . Here, the order of operating the plurality of radar devices 20 is, for example, the order of performing radar measurement by each radar device 20 . Therefore, in the operation timing control unit 35, the order of performing the operation of emitting the transmission wave 2 and receiving the reflected wave 3 is set according to the driving scene.
In this embodiment, the operation timing control section 35 corresponds to an operation control section.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the order of operating the radar devices 20a to 20e is set. Measurements by the radar devices 20a to 20e are repeated in the order set by the operation timing control section 35 until the driving scene changes.
Hereinafter, the order in which the plurality of radar devices 20 are operated is referred to as a measurement routine. Therefore, it can be said that the operation timing control section 35 sets the measurement routine according to the current driving scene. A method of setting the order (measurement routine) of operating each radar device 20 according to the driving scene will be described later in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 and the like.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the measurement routine of a plurality of radar devices 20. FIG. FIG. 5 schematically shows an example of a measurement routine for the radar devices 20a-20e. Here, the order of operation periods T of the radar devices 20 represents the measurement routine.

The operation period T is, for example, the period during which each radar device 20 performs radar measurement. Here, a period from when the radar device 20 emits a radar wave to when it processes Raw data is referred to as one operation period. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the operation period T includes a signal measurement period during which radar waves are actually emitted and the reflected waves are received, and a data processing period for processing Raw data. That is, the processing performed during the operation period T is the processing for one frame in which one radar measurement (signal measurement and data processing) is performed by the radar device 20, and the reciprocal of the operation period T is the frame rate fr.

The operation periods of the

radar devices

20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e are hereinafter denoted as Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, and Te, respectively.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, measurement is first performed by the radar device 20a. Next, a second measurement is performed by the radar device 20a. After that, the radar device 20b, the radar device 20c, the radar device 20d, and the radar device 20e each perform one measurement in this order.
In this way, a setting may be made such that the same radar device 20 is assigned to operate two or more times in one measurement routine.

The operation timing control unit 35 sets the operation timings τ of the plurality of radar devices 20 . Here, the operation timing t is, for example, the timing at which the measurement operation of each radar device 20 is started, that is, the timing at which the operation period T starts. By setting the operation timing τ, it becomes possible to accurately and flexibly set the measurement routine.
For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, operation timings τa1 and τa2 for starting the first and second measurement operations of the radar device 20a are set. Operation timings τb, τc, τd, and τe of the radar device 20b, the radar device 20c, the radar device 20d, and the radar device 20e are set, respectively.

The method for setting the operation timing τ is not limited, and for example, the next operation timing τ may be set after confirming the completion of the immediately preceding operation period T. Alternatively, the operation timings τ of the radar devices 20 may be collectively set according to the frame rate fr.
A certain waiting time or the like may be appropriately provided after the immediately preceding operation period T is completed.
Also, the frame rate fr may be set to a different value for each radar device 20 .

Returning to FIG. 2, the processing time measurement unit 36 measures the processing time required for processing the data (raw data) measured by each radar device 20 each time the measurement of each radar device 20 is performed. That is, the processing time is the time required to process data output from one radar device.
Specifically, in the radar information signal processing section 32 described above, the time from when the raw data is read until the detection data 29 is calculated is measured. For example, a certain period (data processing period shown in FIG. 5) is set in advance for calculating the detection data 29 . Separately from this, the processing time measuring unit 36 measures the time required until the detection data 29 is actually calculated as the processing time.

The operating parameter adjuster 37 adjusts the operating parameters of each of the plurality of radar devices 20 according to the processing load related to data output from each of the plurality of radar devices 20 .
For example, when the processing load is high, the operating parameters are adjusted to reduce the processing load. Further, for example, the operation parameters are adjusted so that the processing can be continued appropriately even when the processing load is high.
In the present embodiment, the operating parameter adjuster 37 corresponds to the adjuster.

The processing load is, for example, the load of analysis processing performed to calculate the detection data 29 based on the raw data read from the radar device 20 . More specifically, it is the load applied to the processing executed by the radar information signal processing section 32 described above.
In this embodiment, the processing time calculated by the processing time measuring unit 36 is used as the processing load. That is, the time required for analysis processing is used as a parameter representing the load.
As the processing load, the utilization rate of the CPU, the occupancy rate of the memory, or the like may be used. In addition, any parameter representing processing load may be used.

An operation parameter is, for example, a parameter that is set for each radar device 20 and that controls the operation of the radar device 20 . The parameters adjusted by the operating parameter adjuster 37 are used for the next measurement by the radar device 20 . This makes it possible to reduce the processing load and to continue the radar measurement properly.

The operating parameters to be adjusted include the frame rate fr of radar measurement by the radar device 20 . As mentioned above, the frame rate fr corresponds to the reciprocal of the operating period T of radar measurements (signal measurement and data processing).
The operating parameters also include the number of samples of data (raw data) output from the radar device 20 . The raw data sampling number is, for example, the sampling number (sampling rate) set in the ADC that digitizes the IF signal that is a mixture of the transmitted wave 2 and the reflected wave 3. Parameters for radar wave 1 are included. The parameters related to the radar wave 1 are parameters for setting the waveform, period, intensity, etc. of the radar wave 1, for example.
For example, as described with reference to FIG. 3, the FMCW-modulated radar wave 1 becomes a chirp in which the frequency continuously changes during a constant period T0. In radar measurement, a radar wave 1 containing a plurality of chirps is emitted. In this embodiment, the number of chirps emitted as the radar wave 1 (the number of chirps) is adjusted as an operating parameter.

In the present embodiment, the operating parameter adjuster 37 determines whether to adjust the operating parameter based on the processing load.
For example, if the processing load is low enough, it is assumed that radar measurements are being made properly and no adjustments are made to the operating parameters. On the other hand, when the processing load is high, it may be difficult to continue processing at the required speed. In such a case, processing is executed to reduce the processing load by adjusting the operating parameters.

An operation mode list 27 stored in the storage unit 25, for example, is used to adjust the operation parameters. In this case, the operation parameter adjustment unit 37 selects an appropriate operation mode from the operation mode list 27 according to the state of the processing load, the driving scene, and the like. In this case, each operating parameter is adjusted to a value preset for the selected operating mode. Thus, it can be said that the operation parameter adjustment unit determines the operation mode of the radar device 20 .
Note that each operation parameter may be individually adjusted without using the operation mode list 27 .

The radar control unit 38 communicates with a plurality of radar devices 20 and controls the operation of each radar device 20 . Specifically, each radar device 20 is operated in accordance with the operation timing τ calculated by the operation timing control section 35 . Also, the operating parameters adjusted by the operating parameter adjuster 37 are set in each radar device 20 . Note that when the frame rate fr is adjusted as an operation parameter, the operation timing τ may be set according to the frame rate fr.

[Operation of radar control system]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the radar control system 100. As shown in FIG. The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is a loop process that is repeatedly executed while the vehicle 10 is operating, for example.

In this process, the operation timing τ of the radar device 20 to be operated next is set according to the driving scene of the vehicle 10 . Thereby, the order of operating the plurality of radar devices 20 is controlled. Also, the operating parameters of the radar device 20 that has already been operated are adjusted.
For example, in the background of the processing shown in FIG. 6, radar measurements are performed by a plurality of radar devices 20, and detection data 29 are sequentially calculated. The order of operating each radar device 20 (operation timing τ of each radar device 20) and the operating parameters of each radar device 20 set by the processing shown in FIG. Sequentially reflected in the control.

First, the normal driving scene is selected by the driving scene determination unit 34 (step 101). Here, the normal driving scene is set as a preset initial scene.
In this case, the operation timing control unit 35 sets the order of operating each radar device 20 in the normal driving scene (see FIG. 6). In the background, radar measurement is performed by each radar device 20 according to the order set at this time.

Next, the current driving scene is determined by the driving scene determination unit 34 (step 102).
Specifically, the driving scene determination section 34 determines the driving scene based on the information measured using the plurality of radar devices 20 . Here, information measured using a plurality of radar devices 20 is information calculated as detection data 29 . The detection data 29 may be data from several frames before, which is already stored in the storage unit 25, in addition to the data calculated immediately before.

For example, from among a plurality of driving scenes listed in the driving scene list 26, a driving scene that meets the conditions is appropriately determined. The detection data 29 is used for this determination.
Here, as driving scenes, a normal driving scene, a lane change scene, and a parking scene will be described as examples.

The normal running scene is a scene in which the vehicle 10 runs forward, and is a scene in which the attitude of the vehicle 10 hardly changes. Here, the state in which the vehicle 10 travels forward is, for example, a scene in which the vehicle 10 moves forward without making a course change such as a right turn, a left turn, or a lane change. A scene in which the vehicle continuously travels within one diagonal line is a normal driving scene. A speed condition may be added as a normal driving scene. In this case, for example, a state in which the vehicle 10 is moving forward at a speed equal to or higher than a certain speed (for example, 10 km/h or higher) is set as the normal driving scene.
In a normal driving scene, it is considered that the directions of other vehicles existing around the vehicle 10 hardly change. The driving scene determination unit 34 determines that the current driving scene is the normal driving scene, for example, when the speed of the vehicle 10 is above a certain level and the direction of the other vehicle is within the threshold range.

A lane change scene is, for example, a scene in which the vehicle 10 is traveling forward at a speed higher than a certain level, and the attitude of the vehicle 10 changes. In this case, it is conceivable that the direction of other vehicles existing around the vehicle 10 changes. The driving scene determination unit 34 determines that the current driving scene is a lane change scene, for example, when the speed of the vehicle 10 is above a certain level and the direction of the other vehicle changes beyond the threshold range.

A parking scene is, for example, a scene in which the vehicle 10 moves forward/backward at a relatively low speed while the vehicle 10 has an obstacle near it, and changes its posture significantly. For example, when the distance to an obstacle near the vehicle 10 is less than a threshold, the orientation of the obstacle changes beyond the threshold range, and the speed of the vehicle 10 is less than the threshold First, it is determined that the current driving scene is the parking scene.

Also, the driving scene may be determined based on information measured using other sensors mounted on the vehicle 10 . For example, data from an in-vehicle camera or the like may be used for determination of a normal driving scene or a lane change scene. Also, the operation (ON/OFF) of a direction indicator, a gyro sensor such as an IMU, or the like may be used to determine a lane change scene. In addition, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 10, a GPS sensor, an illuminance sensor, a temperature sensor, and the like may be used as appropriate. By using various sensors mounted on the vehicle 10, various driving scenes can be accurately determined.
Of course, the driving scene may be determined by integrating information measured by a plurality of radar devices 20 and information measured using other sensors.

Next, the operation timing τ of the radar device 20 to be operated next is controlled by the operation timing control unit 35 according to the driving scene of the vehicle 10 (step 103). Specifically, the radar device 20 to be operated next is selected from the order (measurement routine) corresponding to the driving scene determined by the driving scene determination unit 34 . Then, the irradiation timing (operation timing τ) of the radar wave 1 suitable for the driving scene is set for the selected radar device 20 .

For example, when the driving scene has not changed, the radar device 20 to be operated next is selected and the operation timing τ is set according to the order set for the driving scene.
Further, for example, when the driving scene changes, the radar device 20 to be operated next is selected and the operation timing τ is set according to the order set for the newly determined driving scene. For example, the radar device 20 set at the beginning of the newly determined driving scene measurement routine is selected. Alternatively, the radar device 20 to be operated next may be selected by referring to the radar device 20 that was operating immediately before.

Next, the operating parameter adjuster 37 determines whether or not to adjust the operating parameter (step 104). Here, the operating parameters of the radar device 20 that has already been operated (typically, the radar device 20 that was operated immediately before) are adjusted.
In this embodiment, the operating parameters are adjusted when the processing time required for processing data output from one radar device 20 does not fit within the frame rate fr of radar measurement by the radar device 20 . That is, if the processing is not completed within the preset operating period T, the operating parameters are adjusted.

As described with reference to FIG. 5, the radar device 20 is set with an operation period T (frame rate fr). The operation period T includes the data processing period. However, when the amount of data is large or the number of objects to be detected is large, the processing load increases, and the assumed data processing period Analysis may not be completed in some cases. That is, data processing may not be completed within one frame.

At step 104, it is determined whether or not the processing time measured by the processing time measuring unit is equal to or shorter than the data processing period.
For example, if the processing time is less than or equal to the data processing period (Yes in step 104), it is assumed that the raw data output from the radar device 20 can be processed within one frame, and the operation parameters are not adjusted, and step 106 is executed.
If the processing time is sufficiently short (for example, 50% of the data processing period), the values of the operation parameters adjusted in step 105, which will be described later, may be set to the values before adjustment. In this case, the values before adjustment are obtained by referring to the processing parameters 28 and the like stored in the storage unit 25 .

Further, for example, if the processing time is longer than the data processing period (No in step 104), the operation parameters of the radar device 20 are adjusted based on the assumption that the raw data output from the radar device 20 cannot be processed within one frame. (step 105).

At step 105, the operation parameter adjustment unit 37 adjusts the operation parameter of the radar device 20 that cannot be processed within one frame.
As the operating parameters, for example, at least one of the frame rate fr of radar measurement by the radar device 20, the sampling number of data (raw data) output from the radar device 20, and the chirp number of the radar wave 1 emitted by the radar device 20 is controlled. be done. Of these, the number of samplings and the number of chirps are radar parameters set in the radar device 20 itself.
Further, when adjusting the operating parameters, for example, determination of the operating mode, accuracy evaluation when the adjusted parameters are used, and the like are executed. This point will be described in detail later.

Next, it is determined whether or not to continue radar measurement by the plurality of radar devices 20 (radar control system 100) (step 106). For example, if it is determined to continue the radar measurement (Yes in step 106), the process returns to step 102 and the driving scene is determined again. Further, when the driving of the vehicle 10 is finished, it is determined that the radar measurement is completed, and the process shown in FIG. 6 is finished (No in step 106).
In this way, the radar control system 100 is a system that continues to output target detection results while controlling appropriate radar operation timings and operation modes (operation parameters) according to driving scenes.

[Order of operating the radar device]
The order of operation of the radar device 20 that is set according to the driving scene of the vehicle 10 in step 103 of FIG. 6 will be specifically described below.
In this embodiment, the operation timing control unit 35 sets the operation timing τ so that the operation periods T for each of the plurality of radar devices 20 do not overlap. That is, the order (measurement routine) of operating the radar devices 20a to 20e is set so that when measurement by one radar device 20 is completed, measurement by the next radar device 20 is started. In this case, measurements by two or more radar devices 20 are not performed at the same timing.
This makes it possible to sufficiently reduce the processing load of the analysis processing executed by the radar information signal processing section 32 .

In each driving scene, the behavior of the vehicle 10 and the positional relationship with other vehicles are different. Therefore, for example, the expected direction and range of an object approaching the vehicle 10 (or an object approaching the vehicle 10) varies depending on the driving scene. In this embodiment, the measurement routine (operation timing t) is set so that an object approaching the vehicle 10 and having a risk of colliding with the vehicle 10 can be appropriately detected.

Specifically, the operation timing control unit 35 determines the operation frequency of the radar device 20 that measures the space in which an object at risk of colliding with the vehicle 10 is assumed in the determined driving scene, among the plurality of radar devices 20. Set relatively high.
Here, the operation frequency is, for example, the frequency with which the radar device 20 is operated within a certain period of time. For example, the frequency of operation of the radar device 20 is the number of times the same radar device 20 is operated in the measurement routine.

As a result, it is possible to focus on measuring a space where an object with a risk of colliding with the vehicle 10 is assumed, and reliably detect an object with a risk of colliding. In addition, the operation frequency of the radar device 20 that measures a space in which an object with a risk of collision is not assumed (for example, a space in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the vehicle 10, etc.) is relatively low. As a result, the radar measurement can be properly continued without unnecessarily increasing the processing load of the entire system.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the order of operations of the radar device 20 according to the driving scene. Here, the order in which the radar devices 20a to 20e are operated in each driving scene is schematically illustrated using operation periods Ta to Te of the respective radar devices 20a to 20e. The order of these is the order of repeating the measurement routine corresponding to each driving scene.

FIG. 7A shows the order in which the radar devices 20a to 20e are operated in a normal driving scene. In a normal driving scene, it is necessary to pay attention to approaching vehicles in front of the vehicle 10 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 and pedestrians passing through the space in front of the vehicle 10 . In this case, an object in front of the vehicle 10 (a forward vehicle, a pedestrian, etc.) becomes an object that has a risk of colliding with the vehicle 10 .

Therefore, in a normal driving scene, the operation frequency of the front radar devices (

radar devices

20a, 20b, and 20c) capable of measuring the front of the vehicle 10 is set relatively high.
For example, in FIG. 7A, the order of the operation periods Ta to Te in the measurement routine is set to Ta, Tb, Tc, Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, and Te. That is, the radar measurement is performed twice by the front radar devices (

radar devices

20a, 20b, and 20c), and the measurement is performed once by the other radar devices (

radar devices

20d and 20e). In a normal driving scene, such a measurement routine is repeated.

In this way, when a normal driving scene in which the vehicle 10 normally drives is determined as the driving scene, the operating frequency of the forward radar device is set higher than the operating frequencies of the other radar devices.
As a result, the radar measurement is focused on the space in front of the vehicle 10 to which attention should be paid during normal running. As a result, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of the preceding vehicle and the like, thereby improving safety.
Also, during normal running, all the radar devices 20a to 20e operate in the order shown in FIG. 7A. This makes it possible to measure not only the front of the vehicle 10 but also the entire surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 including the rear and sides of the vehicle 10 . The operating frequency of the

radar devices

20d and 20e for measuring the rear of the vehicle 10 is set relatively low. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the area behind the vehicle 10 is unnecessarily measured, and it is possible to suppress the overall processing load.

FIG. 7B shows the order in which the radar devices 20a to 20e are operated in a lane change scene. In the lane change scene, since the lane in which the vehicle 10 travels changes, it is necessary to be careful when approaching a vehicle behind the vehicle 10 or the like existing in the space behind the vehicle 10 . In this case, an object behind the vehicle 10 (such as a forward vehicle) is an object that has a risk of colliding with the vehicle 10 .

Therefore, in the lane change scene, the operation frequency of the rear radar devices (

radar devices

20d and 20e) capable of measuring the area behind the vehicle 10 is set relatively high. In particular, since the

radar devices

20d and 20e are arranged so as to be able to measure the oblique rear of the vehicle, it is possible to reliably detect a vehicle or the like approaching behind in the destination lane.
For example, in FIG. 7B, the order of the operation periods Ta to Te in the measurement routine is set to Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, Te, Td, Te. That is, radar measurement is performed twice by the rear radar devices (

radar devices

20d and 20e), and measurement is performed once by the other radar devices (

radar devices

20a, 20b, and 20c). In a lane change scene, such a measurement routine is repeated.

In this way, when a lane change scene in which the vehicle 10 changes lanes is determined as the driving scene, the operation frequency of the rear radar device is set higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices.
As a result, the radar measurement is focused on the space behind the vehicle 10 to which attention should be paid when changing lanes. Also, the number of radar measurements for the space ahead of the vehicle 10, that is, the operation frequency of the

radar devices

20a, 20b, and 20c is set relatively low. In this way, by increasing the number of left and right rear radar measurements and reducing the number of front radar measurements, it is possible to improve the detection performance behind the vehicle 10 without increasing the processing load on the processor. becomes.

In a lane change scene, if it is known which side the vehicle 10 will move to, left or right, the operation order of the radar device 20 is set so that the measurement is focused on the rear of the moving side. may be The direction in which the vehicle 10 moves when changing lanes can be estimated from information such as ON/OFF of a direction indicator, steering angle of a steering wheel, line of sight of the driver, and the like.
For example, when the vehicle 10 changes the left oblique line, the operation frequency of the radar device 20d for measuring the left rear of the vehicle 10 is set relatively high, and the operation frequency of the other radar device 20e is set relatively low. be done. Similarly, when the vehicle 10 makes a right oblique line change, the operation frequency of the radar device 20e for measuring the right rear of the vehicle 10 is set relatively high.
As a result, it is possible to reliably detect the vehicle behind traveling in the destination lane and sufficiently suppress the overall processing load.

FIG. 7C shows the order in which the radar devices 20a to 20e are operated in the parking scene. In the parking scene, it is necessary to pay attention to approaching obstacles (other vehicles, walls, fences, pedestrians, etc.) that exist in the left and right spaces of the vehicle 10, compared to normal driving. In this case, an object on the side of the vehicle 10 (such as a forward vehicle) is an object that has a risk of colliding with the vehicle 10 .

Therefore, in the parking scene, the operation frequency of the side radar devices (

radar devices

20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e) capable of measuring the sides of the vehicle 10 is set relatively high.
For example, in FIG. 7C, the order of the operation periods Ta to Te in the measurement routine is set to Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, Te, Tb, Tc, Td, Te. That is, radar measurement is performed twice by the side radar devices (

radar devices

20b, 20c, 20d, and 20e), and measurement is performed once by the other radar device (radar device 20a). Such a measurement routine is repeated in the parking scene.

In this way, when a parking scene in which the vehicle 10 is parked is determined as the driving scene, the operation frequency of the side radar device is set higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices.
As a result, the radar measurement is focused on the left and right spaces of the vehicle 10 to which attention should be paid when the vehicle is parked. Further, the operation frequency of the radar device 20a targeting the front of the vehicle 10 is set relatively low. In this way, in the parking scene, by increasing the number of radar measurements on the left and right sides of the vehicle 10 and decreasing the number of radar measurements on the front side, obstacles on the left and right sides of the vehicle 10 can be detected with high accuracy and parking is possible. It is possible to improve the space detection performance.

The order of operating the plurality of radar devices 20a to 20e is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, a scene of stopping, a scene of starting motion, a scene of turning left or right, a scene of U-turn motion, a scene of backward motion, a scene of high-speed driving, a traffic jam scene, a scene of driving at an intersection or a pedestrian crossing. A measurement routine may be appropriately set according to various driving scenes such as driving in a merging lane or a separating lane, driving on a slope, driving on a curving road, nighttime, and snowy road.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the order of operations of the radar device 20 according to the driving scene.
In the example shown in FIG. 8 , the operation timing τ is set by the operation timing control unit 35 so that the operation periods T of some of the radar devices 20 overlap. That is, the order (measurement routine) of operating the radar devices 20a to 20e is set so that two or more radar devices 20 perform measurements at the same timing.

For example, if the processing power of the CPU is sufficiently high, it is possible to simultaneously perform analysis processing on raw data output from two or more radar devices 20 in parallel. In such a case, radar measurements (signal measurement and data processing) by two or more radar devices 20 may be performed such that their operation periods T overlap. As a result, the number of times of measurement per unit time is increased, and it is possible to sufficiently improve the accuracy of detecting a moving object, for example.

8A to 8C schematically show the order of operations set so that the operation periods T of the two radar devices 20 overlap, using the operation periods Ta to Te of the respective radar devices 20a to 20e. It is Here, the order of operating the radar devices 20 (Ta, Tb, Tc, Ta, Tb, Tc, Td, Te) in the normal driving scene described with reference to FIG. T has been changed to overlap.
Note that the measurement routines applied to the lane change scene, parking scene, etc. shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C may be modified according to the following description.

In FIG. 8A, operation timings τ are set such that operation periods T overlap for some pairs of radar devices 20 among the radar devices 20a to 20e. Hereinafter, when the operation periods T1 and T2 of the two radar devices 20 overlap, the order is described as "T1/T2". In FIG. 8A, the start timings of T1 and T2 are substantially simultaneous.
For example, in FIG. 8A, the order of the operation periods Ta to Te in the measurement routine is set to Ta, (Tb/Tc), Ta, (Tb/Tc), and (Td/Te). That is, the radar measurement by the radar device 20a is performed independently. Radar measurements by the

radar devices

20b and 20c directed to the left front and right front and radar measurements by the

radar devices

20d and 20e directed to the left rear and right rear are performed substantially simultaneously.
As a result, for example, it is possible to simultaneously monitor a relatively wide range of the left and right front (or left and right rear) of the vehicle 10 . Further, since the radar device 20a performs data processing independently, it is possible to improve the processing time, for example.

In FIG. 8B, the operation timing τ is set such that the operation periods T overlap in all radar measurements. Here, the start timings of the overlapping operation periods T are substantially the same.
For example, in FIG. 8B, the order of the operation periods Ta to Te in the measurement routine is set to (Ta/Tb), (Tc/Ta), (Tb/Tc), and (Td/Te). In other words, radar measurements for two units are always executed, and the time required to complete one measurement routine is shorter than the measurement routine shown in FIG. 8A. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently improve the detection accuracy of, for example, a moving object or the like.

FIG. 8C shows an example in which the measurement routine shown in FIG. 8B is set such that the start timings of the overlapping operation periods T are shifted.
For example, in FIG. 8C, the order of the operation periods Ta to Te in the measurement routine is set to (Ta/Tb), (Tc/Ta), (Tb/Tc), and (Td/Te). Of these, (Ta/Tb), which is executed first, is set so that the start timing of Tb is delayed from Ta by a certain time. Also, in (Tc/Ta) to be executed next, Tc is set so as to overlap with Tb executed immediately before, and Ta is set after a certain time from Tc. Similarly, (Tb/Tc) and (Td/Te) are also set such that the operation periods T are delayed from each other by a certain time.

For example, as described with reference to FIG. 5, etc., the operation period T is divided into a signal measurement period in which the radar wave 1 is emitted and the reflected wave 3 is measured, and a data processing period in which the measured signal is analyzed. In the measurement routine shown in FIG. 8C, for example, it is possible to set the operation timing τ such that the signal measurement of the next radar device 20 is performed while the data processing of the radar device 20 operated immediately before is being performed. . As a result, it is possible to sufficiently improve the accuracy of detecting a moving object or the like while suppressing the processing load on the CPU.

[Adjustment of operating parameters]
The operating parameters of the radar device 20 that are adjusted in step 105 of FIG. 6 are described below.
For example, in signal processing for FMCW radar measurement, the amount of calculation for the distance and velocity of an object (distance and velocity directions in polar coordinates) is determined by the number of samples of Raw data and the number of chirps of radar wave 1, and is substantially constant. becomes. On the other hand, the amount of calculation for estimating the angle of an object varies depending on the number of detected objects. This is for angle estimation with each object included in the distance and speed detection results as a target.

For this reason, for example, in a situation where there are many target objects in the vicinity, the frame rate fr is reduced (the period T is lengthened), or the number of samplings or chirps is increased in order to properly continue the radar measurement. Processing such as reduction is performed.
Note that when angle estimation is performed in all directions, a substantially constant processing load is generated regardless of the number of targets. Even in such a case, it is effective to appropriately adjust the frame rate fr, the number of samples, and the number of chirps in order to properly calculate the distance, speed, angle, etc. of the target within the required time. be.

The frame rate fr corresponds to the number of measurements per unit time when repeating radar measurements. Therefore, when detecting a moving target (moving object) or the like, the moving object detection accuracy is improved by setting a high frame rate fr. Conversely, when a low frame rate fr is set, the time allocated to one radar measurement becomes longer, so that it is possible to secure time for data processing.

The number of samplings is the number of samplings for the IF signal obtained by mixing the transmitted wave 2 and the reflected wave 3 generated by the radar device 20 . Therefore, when the number of samplings is large, a digital signal (raw data) that reproduces the IF signal in detail can be generated. As a result, the frequency difference between the transmitted wave 2 and the reflected wave 3 can be calculated with high accuracy, and the distance resolution is improved (see FIG. 3). Conversely, if a small number of samplings is set, the number of raw data points is reduced, so the processing load can be reduced.

The number of chirps is the number of chirps used as the transmission waves 2 generated by the radar device 20 . When the number of chirps is large, the number of samples of the frequency difference between the transmitted wave 2 and the reflected wave 3 can be increased. This makes it possible to accurately calculate the frequency difference (ΔF and ΔF′) between adjacent chirps, improving the velocity resolution (see FIG. 3). Conversely, when a small number of chirps is set, the number of times of repeated processing performed for each chirp is reduced, so it is possible to reduce the processing load.

Adjusting the frame rate fr, the number of samples, and the number of chirps in this manner changes the following characteristics in radar measurement.
Frame rate: Motion detection accuracy Sampling count: Range resolution Chirp count: Velocity resolution

In this embodiment, the frame rate fr, the number of samplings, and the number of chirps are adjusted by the operation parameter adjustment unit 37 in consideration of such characteristics.
Specifically, the measurement accuracy that occurs when the operating parameter is changed is evaluated, and if the decrease in measurement accuracy is acceptable, the operating parameter is adjusted. Other operating parameters are also controlled if the degradation in measurement accuracy is unacceptable.

For example, by referring to the velocities of targets around the vehicle 10, the amount of decrease in measurement accuracy that occurs when the frame rate fr is lowered is calculated. If the amount of decrease in measurement accuracy falls within the allowable range, the frame rate fr is reduced and radar measurement is performed. Also, if the amount of decrease in measurement accuracy does not fall within the permissible range, the number of samplings and the number of chirps are reduced, and radar measurement is performed with reduced range resolution and velocity resolution.

Note that the allowable range is set based on, for example, the accuracy range allowed in an application (for example, an automatic driving system, a driving support system, etc.) that uses the detection data 29 measured by the radar device 20 .
Further, for example, the allowable range may be set according to the degree of importance of each measurement accuracy (moving object detection accuracy, distance resolution, speed resolution, etc.) in the current driving scene.

As described above, the operation parameter adjustment unit 37 calculates the expected change in measurement accuracy when the frame rate fr is adjusted. adjusted.
In this case, the frame rate fr corresponds to the first parameter and the sampling number (or chirp number) corresponds to the second parameter.
In this way, by setting the operation parameter to be adjusted based on the change in measurement accuracy, it is possible to suppress the processing load while maintaining the necessary measurement accuracy.
Also, the method of adjusting the frame rate fr, the number of samples, and the number of chirps is not limited. For example, a default adjustment value may be used, or an adjustment value may be appropriately set according to the processing load value or the like.

In place of the frame rate fr, the measurement accuracy when the sampling number is adjusted may be calculated. In this case, if the change in measurement accuracy exceeds the allowable range, the frame rate fr or the number of chirps is adjusted.
Similarly, the measurement accuracy may be calculated when the number of chirps is adjusted. In this case, if the change in measurement accuracy exceeds the allowable range, the frame rate fr or the number of samples is adjusted.
In addition, there are no restrictions on the operating parameters whose measurement accuracy is estimated during adjustment.

Also, the operating parameters to be adjusted may be selected according to the driving scene of the vehicle 10 . In this case, for example, in a driving scene, data designating operation parameters to be adjusted, data of adjustment values to be set for the operation parameters to be adjusted, and the like are read from the operation mode list 27 .
Below, an example of adjusting the operation parameter in each driving scene will be described.

For example, assume that a high-speed driving scene in which the vehicle 10 is traveling on a highway is determined. In this case, the speed of the vehicle 10 itself is high, and the speeds of other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 10 are also high. Therefore, in a high-speed driving scene, it is required to accurately detect a moving object moving at high speed. Therefore, the value of the frame rate fr, which affects the accuracy of moving object detection, is maintained, and instead the number of samplings and the number of chirps are reduced. This makes it possible to shorten the processing time.

Also, assume that a parking scene in which the vehicle 10 is parked has been determined. In this case, the speed of the vehicle 10 itself is low, and most of the obstacles and the like existing around the vehicle 10 are stationary objects. Thus, since the vehicle 10 is moving at a low speed, the effect of improving the moving object detection accuracy is small. Therefore, the frame rate is reduced. This makes it possible to secure processing time even when a large number of objects are detected. Also, since there are many stationary objects, the effect of improving the velocity resolution is small. This reduces the number of chirps. This makes it possible to shorten the processing time. In the parking scene, it is considered that the distance to the obstacle is short. Therefore, the number of samples, which affects range resolution, is maintained. As a result, it is possible to reduce the processing load and reliably detect surrounding targets while maintaining distance measurement accuracy.

Also, assume that a traffic jam scene is determined in which the vehicle 10 is traveling on a congested road. In this case, since both the vehicle 10 and the surrounding vehicles are moving at low speed, there is no need to detect a high-speed moving object, and the frame rate is reduced. On the other hand, since moving objects with various velocities are densely packed, the number of samples that affects range resolution and the number of chirps that affect velocity resolution are maintained. This makes it possible to reliably detect a large number of targets.

As described above, the controller 30 according to the present embodiment determines the driving scene of the vehicle 10 equipped with a plurality of radar devices 20, and controls the order of operating each radar device 20 based on the result. As a result, for example, each radar device operates in an order suitable for the driving scene, so unnecessary measurements and the like can be suppressed. As a result, sufficient measurement accuracy can be achieved while reducing the processing load required for radar measurement.

When using a plurality of radars, a method of setting the radar measurement order and parameters based on prior information such as the appearance position of a target is conceivable. However, when a plurality of radars are used as on-vehicle radars, it is difficult to control each radar using advance information or the like because there are many targets including stationary objects.
In recent years, technology has been studied to achieve higher accuracy than a single millimeter-wave radar by installing multiple in-vehicle millimeter-wave radars and combining information. However, in order to perform integrated processing of multiple radars, a high-performance system such as data transfer and processor processing capacity is required, and there is a risk that the processing cannot keep up with the processing depending on the device.

In this embodiment, the order of operating the plurality of radar devices 20 is controlled according to the driving scene of the vehicle 10 . This makes it possible to allocate each radar device 20 so as to focus on measuring a space where the risk of collision or the like is high in each driving scene. Conversely, the processing load required for radar measurement can be reduced by relatively lowering the measurement frequency for the radar device 20 that measures a low-risk space.

Also, the operating parameters of each radar device 20 are adjusted according to the processing load. As a result, it is possible to operate each radar device 20 by setting operation parameters that reduce the processing load. The operating parameters are also controlled to ensure the measurement accuracy required for radar measurements. As a result, even when the driving scene changes, for example, it is possible to realize stable radar measurement while maintaining the measurement accuracy required for each driving scene.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in an in-vehicle system equipped with a plurality of radar devices 20 having different detection ranges, the timing of radar operation suitable for the driving environment and the radar operation mode (operation parameter) are considered, including the processing capacity of the processor. can be set as follows. This makes it possible to realize highly reliable automatic driving systems, driving support systems, and the like.

<Other embodiments>
The present technology is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other embodiments can be implemented.

　In the above, the FMCW radar system was mainly explained. Not limited to this, for example, Doppler radar, pulse radar, or the like may be used. Even in such a case, by appropriately controlling the order in which the plurality of radar devices are operated, it is possible to reduce the processing load required for radar measurement and achieve sufficient measurement accuracy.

It is also possible to combine at least two characteristic portions among the characteristic portions according to the present technology described above. That is, various characteristic portions described in each embodiment may be combined arbitrarily without distinguishing between each embodiment. Moreover, the various effects described above are only examples and are not limited, and other effects may be exhibited.

In the present disclosure, "same", "equal", "orthogonal", etc. are concepts including "substantially the same", "substantially equal", "substantially orthogonal", and the like. For example, states included in a predetermined range (for example, a range of ±10%) based on "exactly the same", "exactly equal", "perfectly orthogonal", etc. are also included.

Note that the present technology can also adopt the following configuration.
(1) a determination unit that determines a driving scene of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of radar devices;
An information processing apparatus comprising: an operation control unit that controls an order in which the plurality of radar devices are operated according to the determined driving scene.
(2) The information processing device according to (1),
The information processing device, wherein the operation control unit sets operation timings of the plurality of radar devices.
(3) The information processing device according to (2),
The information processing device, wherein the operation control unit sets the operation timings so that operation periods for each of the plurality of radar devices do not overlap.
(4) The information processing device according to (2),
The information processing device, wherein the operation control unit sets the operation timing so that the operation periods of some of the radar devices overlap.
(5) The information processing device according to at least one of (1) to (4),
The determination unit determines the driving scene based on at least one of information measured using the plurality of radar devices and information measured using another sensor mounted on the vehicle. Device.
(6) The information processing device according to at least one of (1) to (5),
The operation control unit sets a relatively high operation frequency of a radar device among the plurality of radar devices that measures a space in which an object at risk of colliding with the vehicle is assumed in the determined driving scene. Information processing equipment.
(7) The information processing device according to (6),
The plurality of radar devices include a front radar device capable of measuring the front of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the front radar device,
The operation control unit sets the operating frequency of the forward radar device to be higher than the operating frequency of the other radar devices when the driving scene is determined to be a scene in which the vehicle is traveling forward. .
(8) The information processing device according to (6) or (7),
The plurality of radar devices include a rear radar device capable of measuring the rear of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the rear radar device,
The operation control unit sets the operation frequency of the rear radar device to be higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices when it is determined that the vehicle changes lanes as the driving scene.
(9) The information processing device according to at least one of (6) to (8),
The plurality of radar devices includes a side radar device capable of measuring the side of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the side radar device,
The operation control unit sets the operation frequency of the side radar device higher than the operation frequency of the other radar device when the scene in which the vehicle is parked is determined as the driving scene.
(10) The information processing device according to at least one of (1) to (9), further comprising:
An information processing apparatus comprising an adjustment unit that adjusts an operation parameter of each of the plurality of radar devices according to a processing load related to data output from each of the plurality of radar devices.
(11) The information processing device according to (10),
The operating parameters include at least one of a frame rate of radar measurement by the radar device, a sampling number of data output from the radar device, and parameters relating to radar waves emitted by the radar device.
(12) The information processing device according to (10) or (11),
The information processing apparatus, wherein the adjustment unit determines whether or not to adjust the operation parameter based on the processing load.
(13) The information processing device according to (12),
The processing load is the processing time required to process data output from the radar device,
The adjustment unit adjusts the operation parameter when the processing time does not fit within a frame rate of radar measurement by the radar device. Information processing device.
(14) The information processing device according to at least one of (10) to (13),
the operating parameters include a first parameter and a second parameter;
The adjustment unit calculates a change in measurement accuracy expected when the first parameter is adjusted, and adjusts the second parameter when the change in measurement accuracy exceeds an allowable range. .
(15) The information processing device according to at least one of (10) to (14),
The information processing device, wherein the adjustment unit selects the operation parameter to be adjusted according to the driving scene.
(16) The information processing device according to at least one of (1) to (15),
The information processing device, wherein the plurality of radar devices are FMCW radar devices.
(17) determining a driving scene of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of radar devices;
An information processing method, wherein a computer system controls the order of operating the plurality of radar devices according to the determined driving scene.
(18) a plurality of radar devices mounted on a vehicle;
a determination unit that determines a driving scene of the vehicle;
a radar measurement system comprising: an operation control unit that controls the order in which the plurality of radar devices are operated according to the determined driving scene.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Radar wave 2... Transmission wave 3... Reflected wave 10...

Vehicle

20, 20a-20e... Radar device 25... Storage part 30... Controller 31... Radar information acquisition part 32... Radar information signal processing part 33... Detection result output part 34 Driving scene determination unit 35 Operation timing control unit 36 Processing time measurement unit 37 Operation parameter adjustment unit 38 Radar control unit 100 Radar control system

Claims

a determination unit that determines a driving scene of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of radar devices;
An information processing apparatus comprising: an operation control unit that controls an order in which the plurality of radar devices are operated according to the determined driving scene.
The information processing device according to claim 1,
The information processing device, wherein the operation control unit sets operation timings of the plurality of radar devices.
The information processing device according to claim 2,
The information processing device, wherein the operation control unit sets the operation timings so that operation periods for each of the plurality of radar devices do not overlap.
The information processing device according to claim 2,
The information processing device, wherein the operation control unit sets the operation timing so that the operation periods of some of the radar devices overlap.
The information processing device according to claim 1,
The determination unit determines the driving scene based on at least one of information measured using the plurality of radar devices and information measured using another sensor mounted on the vehicle. Device.
The information processing device according to claim 1,
The operation control unit sets a relatively high operation frequency of a radar device among the plurality of radar devices that measures a space in which an object at risk of colliding with the vehicle is assumed in the determined driving scene. Information processing equipment.
The information processing device according to claim 6,
The plurality of radar devices include a front radar device capable of measuring the front of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the front radar device,
The operation control unit sets the operating frequency of the forward radar device to be higher than the operating frequency of the other radar devices when the driving scene is determined to be a scene in which the vehicle is traveling forward. .
The information processing device according to claim 6,
The plurality of radar devices include a rear radar device capable of measuring the rear of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the rear radar device,
The operation control unit sets the operation frequency of the rear radar device to be higher than the operation frequency of the other radar devices when it is determined that the vehicle changes lanes as the driving scene.
The information processing device according to claim 6,
The plurality of radar devices includes a side radar device capable of measuring the side of the vehicle and another radar device having a different measurement range from the side radar device,
The operation control unit sets the operation frequency of the side radar device higher than the operation frequency of the other radar device when the scene in which the vehicle is parked is determined as the driving scene.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
An information processing apparatus comprising an adjustment unit that adjusts an operation parameter of each of the plurality of radar devices according to a processing load related to data output from each of the plurality of radar devices.
The information processing device according to claim 10,
The operating parameters include at least one of a frame rate of radar measurement by the radar device, a sampling number of data output from the radar device, and parameters relating to radar waves emitted by the radar device.
The information processing device according to claim 11,
The information processing apparatus, wherein the adjustment unit determines whether or not to adjust the operation parameter based on the processing load.
The information processing device according to claim 12,
The processing load is the processing time required to process data output from the radar device,
The adjustment unit adjusts the operation parameter when the processing time does not fit within a frame rate of radar measurement by the radar device. Information processing device.
The information processing device according to claim 10,
the operating parameters include a first parameter and a second parameter;
The adjustment unit calculates a change in measurement accuracy expected when the first parameter is adjusted, and adjusts the second parameter when the change in measurement accuracy exceeds an allowable range. .
The information processing device according to claim 10,
The information processing device, wherein the adjustment unit selects the operation parameter to be adjusted according to the driving scene.
The information processing device according to claim 1,
The information processing device, wherein the plurality of radar devices are FMCW radar devices.
Judging the driving scene of a vehicle equipped with multiple radar devices,
An information processing method, wherein a computer system controls the order of operating the plurality of radar devices according to the determined driving scene.
a plurality of radar devices mounted on a vehicle;
a determination unit that determines a driving scene of the vehicle;
A radar measurement system comprising: an operation control unit that controls an order in which the plurality of radar devices are operated according to the determined driving scene.