TIME OF FLIGHT RANGE FINDING WITH AN ADAPTIVE TRANSMIT PULSE AND ADAPTIVE RECEIVER PROCESSING
First Claim
1. A method for acquiring and tracking targets, the method comprising:
- executing, by a rangefinding system, a target-acquisition process comprisingtransmitting one or more ultrasonic pulses, andlistening for one or more echoes corresponding to the one or more ultrasonic pulses;
repeating, by the rangefinding system, the target-acquisition process when the listening reveals no targets; and
exiting, by the rangefinding system, the target-acquisition process and executing, by the rangefinding system, a target-tracking process when the listening reveals at least one target, the target-tracking process comprising iterativelytransmitting an optimized ultrasonic pulse having a duration in a range of about 25% to about 97% of a time-of-flight expected for the at least one target based on at least one of the target-acquisition process and a previous iteration of the target-tracking process,listening for at least one echo corresponding to the optimized ultrasonic pulse, andcalculating, based on the at least one echo, an updated location for the at least one target.
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Abstract
A rangefinding apparatus and method are disclosed. The apparatus may include at least one processor and memory operably connected to the at least one processor. The memory may store instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to iterate a target-acquisition process until a target is identified and then iterate a target-tracking process after the target has been identified. The target-acquisition process may include transmitting a short ultrasonic pulse, transmitting a long ultrasonic pulse, and listening for one or more echoes corresponding to the short or long ultrasonic pulses. The target-tracking process may include steering an optimized ultrasonic pulse toward the target, listening for an echo corresponding to the optimized ultrasonic pulse, and calculating, based on the echo, an updated location for the target.
58 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for acquiring and tracking targets, the method comprising:
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executing, by a rangefinding system, a target-acquisition process comprising transmitting one or more ultrasonic pulses, and listening for one or more echoes corresponding to the one or more ultrasonic pulses; repeating, by the rangefinding system, the target-acquisition process when the listening reveals no targets; and exiting, by the rangefinding system, the target-acquisition process and executing, by the rangefinding system, a target-tracking process when the listening reveals at least one target, the target-tracking process comprising iteratively transmitting an optimized ultrasonic pulse having a duration in a range of about 25% to about 97% of a time-of-flight expected for the at least one target based on at least one of the target-acquisition process and a previous iteration of the target-tracking process, listening for at least one echo corresponding to the optimized ultrasonic pulse, and calculating, based on the at least one echo, an updated location for the at least one target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A rangefinding system comprising:
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at least one processor; memory operably connected to the at least one processor; and the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the rangefinding system to; iterate a target-acquisition process until at least one target is identified, the target-acquisition process comprising transmitting one or more ultrasonic pulses, listening for one or more echoes corresponding to the one or more ultrasonic pulses; iterate a target-tracking process after at least one target has been identified in the target-acquisition process, the target-tracking process comprising transmitting an optimized ultrasonic pulse having a duration in a range of about 25% to about 97% of a time-of-flight expected for the at least one target based on at least one of the target-acquisition process and a previous iteration of the target-tracking process, listening for at least one echo corresponding to the optimized ultrasonic pulse, and calculating, based on the at least one echo, an updated location for the at least one target. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification