Ultrasonic velocity sensor

• US 4,942,558 A
• Filed: 03/31/1988
• Issued: 07/17/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micro-Trak Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micro-Trak Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Tofte, Semor D., Hiniker, Thomas K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spector, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US07/175,777
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 367/89, 367/90, 367/91, 342/104, 342/106, 342/114, 342/115, 342/70, 342/71, 342/72, 73/597
• US Class Current: 367/91
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/60 wherein the transmitter and receiver are mounted on the moving object, e.g. for determining ground speed, drift angle, ground track
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52006 with provision for compensating the effects of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/523 Details of pulse systems short-range imaging G01S7/52017; methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/5273 using digital techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/902 Speed of sound compensation

Abstract

An ultrasonic ground speed sensor has a single transducer which both transmits and receives ultrasonic signals. The sensor is mounted on a vehicle in alignment with the direction of the vehicle, the transducer having a built-in angle with the body of the sensor unit. The transmitted signal is clocked by a 16 MHz clock, with the signal received by the transducer selectively filtered and amplified. A temperature sensor is also used to determine the speed of the transmitted and received signal. A 64-cycle sample period is used, as well as multiple counters and a signal processor to increase accuracy and minimize erroneous readings. A drop-out detector and monitoring system sensor is also described. The vehicle speed is calculated from a Doppler-based formula as a function of both the sum and difference of the transmitted and received signal frequencies. Also disclosed is a gasket seal having leak holes for drainage from the interior of the sensor.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic velocity sensor comprising:

(a) a transducer for alternatively transmitting an ultrasonic frequency signal and receiving a reflection of the transmitted signal;

(b) clock means for driving the signal transmitted by the tranducer at a predetermined frequency and for providing clock signals to a signal processing means;

(c) amplifier means for processing the reflected signals sensed by the transducer to amplify those signals which are in a predetermined frequency range;

(d) temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the medium through which the ultrasonic signal is transmitted and generating an electrical signal indicative of that temperature;

(e) signal processing means for receiving the temperature-indicative signal generated by the temperature sensing means receiving the signal received at the transducer and amplified at the amplifier means, and processing the signals received to generate a signal indicative of the velocity of the transducer relative to the surface which relfects the reflected signal;

(f) software means for controlling the signal processing means, said software means including means for averaging the readings sampled from the transducer by the signal processing means, means for determining whether successive measurements of the frequency of the received signal indicate a rate of acceleration greater than a predetermined amount and means for limiting the change in the velocity signal output by the sensor if the acceleration exceeds said predetermined amount.

2. An ultrasonic speed sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein said signal processing means comprises means for generating a signal indicative of the velocity of the transducer relative to the object from which the reflected signal is reflected as a function of the velocity of the signal transmitted by the transducer and the difference between the frequency of the transmitted signal and the frequency of the reflected signal.

3. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second signal processing means further includes means for generating data indicative of the speed of the ultrasonic signal transmitted by the transducer as a function of the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor means.

4. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the clock means comprises a 16 MHz clock and the reflected signal receiving means includes means for sampling the reflected signal frequency over a period of 64 cycles of the clock means.

6. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the amplifier means further comprises limiting amplifier means for selectively reducing the amplification for strongly reflected signals.

7. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the amplifier means further comprises band pass amplifier means for selectively amplifying signals in a predetermined range of frequencies.

8. An electronic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a drop out detector means for generating a low signal output when pulses are not received from the transducer during a time period greater than a pre-selected time period.

9. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 8, wherein the pre-selected time period is 27 micro seconds.

10. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the signal processing means further comprises a first counter means and a second counter means, the first counter means counting a predetermined number of cycles of the received signal before the second counter means is enabled to count the signal generated by the clock means.

11. An ultrasonic velocity sensor in accordance with claim 1, further comprising isolator circuit means for detecting the veloclty signal output of the velocity sensor and providing a signal indicative of the velocity signal output to a monitoring system output terminal, said isolator circuit means electrically isolated from said isolator circuit means.

5. An ultrasonic velocity sensor comprising:

(a) a transducer for alternatively transmitting an ultrasonic frequency signal and receiving a reflection of the transmitted signal;

(b) clock means for driving the signal transmitted by the transducer at a predetermined frequency and for providing clock signals to a signal processing means;

(c) amplifier means for processing the reflected signals sensed by the transducer to amplify those signals which are in a predetermined frequency range;

(d) temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the medium through which the ultrasonic signal is transmitted and generating an electrical signal indicative of that temperature.

(e) signal processing means for receiving the temperature-indicative signal generated by the temperature sensing means, receiving the signal received at the transducer and amplified ied at the amplifier means, and processing the signals received to generate a signal indicative of the velocity of the transducer relative to the surfaCe which reflects the reflected signal; and

(f) monitoring system sensing means interconnected with the signal processing means for sensing the type of output monitor connected to the sensor, determining whether the circuit across the sensor outputs to the monitoring means comprises a power source or a resistance, determining the approximate value of the load resistanoe if such a resistance is sensed, and providing a signal to said signal processing means indicative of the monitor sensed.

12. An ultrasonic velocity sensor comprising:

(a) a transducer for alternatively transmitting an ultrasonic frequency signal and receiving a reflection of the transmitted signal;

(b) clock means for driving the signal transmitted by the transducer at a predetermined frequency and for providing clock signals to a signal processing means;

(c) amplifier means for processing the reflected signals sensed by the transducer to amplify those signals which are in a predetermined frequency range;

(d) Temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the medium through which the ultrasonic signals is transmitted and generating an electrical signal indicative of that temperature;

(e) signal processing means for receiving the temperature-indicative signal generated by the temperature sensing means, receiving the signal received at the transducer and amplified at the amplifier means, and processing the signals rfeceived to generate a signal indicative of the velocity of the transducer relative to the surface which reflects the reflected signal, seid generated signal having a first state and second state, the first state having a duration substantially different from the duration of the second state; and

(f) software means for controlling the signal processing means comprising means for determining whether the vehicle'"'"'s velocity is negative and means for inverting the signal generated by the signal processing means when the vehicle'"'"'s velocity is negative.