ROBOTIC SENSE-THROUGH-WALL SENSOR WITH SIMPLIFIED CONTROL INTERFACE

• US 20150054671A1
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Original Assignee: Farrokh Mohamadi
• Inventors: Mohamadi, Farrokh
• Granted Patent: US 9,547,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/21
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/0209 Systems with very large relative bandwidth, i.e. larger than 10 %, e.g. baseband, pulse, carrier-free, ultrawideband
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection

Abstract

A system includes a self-propelled robotic vehicle carrying an UWB sensor. The UWB sensor responds to binary transitions of a mode control signal to select for its modes of operation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a self-propelled robotic vehicle configured to receive a mode control signal from a remote user; and

an UWB sensor configured to change operating modes responsive to successive binary transitions of the mode control signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a ground vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle is a flying vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the flying vehicle is a rotory or fixed wing asset.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the robotic vehicle further comprises a wireless interface configured to receive the mode control signal wirelessly from the remote user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the wireless interface is further configured to receive an on/off control signal wirelessly from the remote user, and wherein the UWB sensor is powered through a relay switch controlled by the on/off control signal.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the UWB sensor is configured to operate over a first range and over a second range shorter than the first range, and wherein the UWB sensor further comprises a microprocessor configured to control the UWB sensor to operate over the first range responsive to a single binary transition of the mode control signal and to operate over the second range responsive to two binary transitions of the mode control signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to control the UWB sensor to continually increase its sensitivity responsive to a first number of binary transitions of the mode control signal.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to control the UWB sensor to stop increasing its sensitivity responsive to a subsequent binary transition of the mode control signal after the first number of binary transitions.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to control the UWB sensor to continually decrease its sensitivity responsive to a second number of binary transitions of the mode control signal.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to control the UWB sensor to stop decreasing its sensitivity responsive to a subsequent binary transition of the mode control signal after the second number of binary transitions.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to control a display mode for the system responsive to a second number of binary transitions of the mode control signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to change the display mode for the system responsive to the second number of binary transitions of the mode control signal to select for a cross-section display mode.

14. A method of controlling an UWB sensor on a self-propelled vehicle, comprising:

changing a range for the UWB sensor responsive to a first number of binary transitions for a mode control signal; and

changing a sensitivity for the UWB sensor responsive to second number of binary transitions of the mode control signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

changing a display mode for the UWB sensor to a cross-section display mode responsive to a third number of binary transitions of the mode control signal.