Imaging Method Utilizing a Synthetic Aperture, Method for Determining a Relative Velocity Between a Wave-Based Sensor and an Object, or Apparatus for Carrying Out the Methods
First Claim
1. An imaging method for imaging or locating an object with a wave-based sensor by way of a synthetic aperture, comprising:
- receiving an object signal that emanates from an object by at least one sensor at least one sensor position, and the sensor(s) and the object assume a number of at least two spatial positions relative to each other and thus form the synthetic aperture, wherein from at least one object position, a wave field emanates from the object as the object signal, wherein the object signal is produced by either irradiating the object with at least one wave source and, in response, the object reflecting or scattering said wave field, or by the object independently emitting a waveform;
sensing an echo signal by the sensor at each of said sensor positions,forming a number greater than one of several of the echo signals of the echo signals, wherein at least one of the amplitude and the phase characteristic is a function of a signal delay or a signal delay difference or a function of a distance or a distance difference between the object and at least one of the sensors;
extracting, of this number greater than one of the echo signals, at least one function value per each echo signal, wherein the extracted function values are allocated to an assumed space coordinate of the object;
wherein the number of the extracted function values of the echo signals at their assumed sensor positions have a determinable, deterministic and non-constant residual phase characteristic that is due to at least one of a deviation of real sensor positions from assumed or measured sensor positions and a movement of the object;
the method further comprising;
analyzing or compensating said residual phase characteristic; and
determining or estimating, from the result of the analysis or the compensation, at least one image point of the object or the object position of the object or the relative movement of the object.
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Abstract
An imaging method is provided for imaging or locating an object with a wave-based sensor. A wave field emanates from the object as an object signal, with this object signal emanating from a sensor is received at a sensor position, and wherein the sensor(s) and the object assume a number of spatial positions with respect to each other and form a synthetic aperture, and an echo signal is sensed at each of these sensor positions, a number of function values is extracted from the echo signals, which are allocated to a space coordinate of the object, and a signal with a residual phase characteristic is formed from the function values. Based on a residual phase characteristic that is due to a deviation of real sensor positions from assumed or measured sensor positions, an image point, the object position or the relative movement of the object is determined.
35 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An imaging method for imaging or locating an object with a wave-based sensor by way of a synthetic aperture, comprising:
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receiving an object signal that emanates from an object by at least one sensor at least one sensor position, and the sensor(s) and the object assume a number of at least two spatial positions relative to each other and thus form the synthetic aperture, wherein from at least one object position, a wave field emanates from the object as the object signal, wherein the object signal is produced by either irradiating the object with at least one wave source and, in response, the object reflecting or scattering said wave field, or by the object independently emitting a waveform; sensing an echo signal by the sensor at each of said sensor positions, forming a number greater than one of several of the echo signals of the echo signals, wherein at least one of the amplitude and the phase characteristic is a function of a signal delay or a signal delay difference or a function of a distance or a distance difference between the object and at least one of the sensors; extracting, of this number greater than one of the echo signals, at least one function value per each echo signal, wherein the extracted function values are allocated to an assumed space coordinate of the object; wherein the number of the extracted function values of the echo signals at their assumed sensor positions have a determinable, deterministic and non-constant residual phase characteristic that is due to at least one of a deviation of real sensor positions from assumed or measured sensor positions and a movement of the object; the method further comprising; analyzing or compensating said residual phase characteristic; and determining or estimating, from the result of the analysis or the compensation, at least one image point of the object or the object position of the object or the relative movement of the object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzed echo signals are sensed by both at least two different apparently measured sensor positions and at least two different object positions.
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14. The method according to claim 1 for determining a relative velocity between the sensor and the object as the relative movement or a movement component thereof.
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15. An apparatus with a wave-based sensor for sensing a sequence of echo signals of an object and with at least one of a logic element and a processor accessing at least one program, wherein the at least one of the logic element and the processor are configured for carrying out a method according to claim 1.
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16. An apparatus according to claim 15, comprising a memory or an interface to a memory, wherein the program is stored in the memory.
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Specification