EXTENDED ANGULAR RESOLUTION IN SENSOR ARRAYS USING SECONDARY ECHOES

• US 20140015708A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: BILIK, IGAL
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/06 Systems determining the position data of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/93 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/462 using multipath signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/468 by Triangulation, i.e. two antennas or two sensors determine separately the bearing, direction or angle to a target, whereby with the knowledge of the baseline length, the position data of the target is determined
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 in the front of the vehicles

Abstract

An apparatus and associated method for improved angular resolution capability of a remote sensing echo system based on utilizing both a first and a secondary echo of a single transmission signal.

Claims

1. A method for measuring an angular direction of an object, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal;

receiving a first echo of the signal from the object;

returning the first echo towards the object;

receiving a second echo from the object; and

computing an angular direction of the object based on measurements of the first echo and the second echo.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises an electromagnetic signal or an acoustical signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein returning the first echo comprises actively repeating the first echo or passively reflecting the first echo.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a measurement of the first echo or of the second echo includes a time measurement or a frequency measurement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the angular direction of the object comprises an angular direction of a position vector of the object or an angular direction of a velocity vector of the object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a component of the angular direction of the object comprises an azimuthal angular component or an elevation angular component.

7. An apparatus for measuring an angular direction of an object, the apparatus comprising:

a signal transmission element operative to transmit a signal towards the object in the vicinity of the apparatus;

a signal reception element operative to receive a first echo of the signal from the object;

a signal retransmission device operative to return the first echo towards the object, such that the signal receiver receives a second echo from the object; and

a processor operative to compute an angular direction of the object based on measurements of the first echo and the second echo.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal comprises an electromagnetic signal or an acoustical signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the signal retransmission element comprises an active signal repeater or a passive signal reflector.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a measurement of the first echo or of second echo comprises a time measurements or a frequency measurements.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the angular direction of the object comprises an angular direction of a position vector of the object or an angular direction of a velocity vector of the object.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a component of the angular direction of the object comprises an azimuthal angular component or an elevation angular component.