US 11,852,722 B2
Method and device for evaluating an object height using ultrasonic signals received by an ultrasonic sensor mounted on a vehicle
Christian Matthies, Stuttgart (DE); Juergen Schmidt, Magstadt (DE); Michael Schumann, Stuttgart (DE); and Tom Reimann, Bissingen An der Teck (DE)
Assigned to Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 17/441,406
Filed by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Apr. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/060137
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 21, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/212243, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 22, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019205565.6 (DE), filed on Apr. 17, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0179067 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 15/60 (2006.01); G01S 7/52 (2006.01); G01S 15/36 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 15/60 (2013.01) [G01S 7/52031 (2013.01); G01S 7/52036 (2013.01); G01S 15/36 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for evaluating an object height using ultrasonic signals acquired by an ultrasonic sensor mounted on a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:
in each measurement cycle:
a. acquiring a first ultrasonic signal as an edge reflection or as a directly traveling echo of an object;
b. calculating an expectation window for an associated interior-corner reflection;
c. acquiring a second ultrasonic signal;
d. when the second ultrasonic signal is acquired in the expectation window, identifying the second ultrasonic signal as an interior-corner reflection associated with the first ultrasonic signal, and combining the first ultrasonic signal and the second ultrasonic signal to form a signal group;
e. determining a first significance of the first ultrasonic signal and determining a second significance of the second ultrasonic signal, the significance of each acquired ultrasonic signal of the first and second ultrasonic signals indicating a probability that the acquired ultrasonic signal is a reflection of an emitted ultrasonic signal by at least one object;
f. assigning the signal group to an object in a surrounding environment of the vehicle;
g. comparing the first significance and the second significance and, as a function of the comparison, assigning the signal group to a first echo group or to a second echo group;
determining a first rate of the assignment of a signal group to the first echo group over a determined number of measurement cycles;
determining a second rate of the assignment of the signal group to the second echo group over the determined number of measurement cycles;
evaluating the object height as a function of the first rate and the second rate.