US 12,345,808 B2
Method for detecting a traffic congestion situation in a motor vehicle
Guillermo Pita-Gil, Versailles (FR); and Salim Zair, Massy (FR)
Assigned to Ampere S.A.S., Boulogne-Billancourt (FR); and NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., Yokohama (JP)
Appl. No. 17/996,307
Filed by RENAULT S.A.S., Boulogne-Billancourt (FR); and NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD., Yokohama (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/057192
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/209225, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2003851 (FR), filed on Apr. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0204762 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 13/931 (2020.01); G01S 7/41 (2006.01); G01S 13/52 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 13/931 (2013.01) [G01S 7/411 (2013.01); G01S 13/52 (2013.01); G01S 2013/93271 (2020.01); G01S 2013/93272 (2020.01); G01S 2013/93274 (2020.01)] 12 Claims
 
1. A method for detecting a traffic congestion situation by a radar system equipping a host vehicle, said radar system comprising multi-beam radar sensors arranged at rear and front corners of the host vehicle and configured to emit radar beams in various given targeted directions in such a manner as to cover, for each radar sensor, a detection zone extending between a radial direction oriented obliquely toward a front of the host vehicle and a radial direction oriented obliquely toward a rear of the host vehicle, each radar sensor being configured to supply, for each given targeted direction, a range of a radar beam emitted in said direction, the method comprising:
distributing the radar beams emitted by the radar sensors according to a division of an environment of the host vehicle into four angular sectors, in opposing pairs, respectively extending toward the front and toward the rear of the host vehicle and toward a right side and toward a left side of the host vehicle;
selecting, for each of the four angular sectors, from amongst radar beams distributed into each angular sector for which no target is detected, a radar beam having a shortest range for which no target is detected;
detecting an amplitude of reflected beams corresponding respectively to said selected radar beams having the shortest range for which no target is detected for each of the four angular sectors;
determining a period of time for which an amplitude of said reflected beams is maintained; and
detecting a traffic congestion situation when simultaneously for the four angular sectors, said period of time for which the amplitude is maintained is greater than or equal to a predefined time threshold for each angular sector.