Patent ID: 6404328
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
A method for distinguishing an overhead roadway object that is not in a host vehicle path from a substantially motionless roadway object that is in the vehicle path, comprising the steps of:providing a plurality of sensor scan signals into an anticipated path of a host vehicle; receiving a plurality of object return signals that correspond to reflections of the plurality of sensor scan signals from at least one detected stationary object; and determining an average amplitude slope of the plurality of object return signals as a function of the range to the at least one detected stationary object, wherein a sufficiently positive amplitude slope identifies the at least one detected stationary object as an overhead roadway object that is not in the vehicle path and a sufficiently negative amplitude slope identifies the at least one detected stationary object as a substantially motionless roadway object that is in the vehicle path.