Method and system for implementing ultrasonic sensor signal strength calibrations
First Claim
1. A vehicle, comprising:
- a first sensor outputting a signal characterizing a temperature of air surrounding an occupant cabin of the vehicle;
a second sensor outputting a signal characterizing a temperature of air being inducted by an engine of the vehicle;
a third sensor outputting a signal indicating presence of an object adjacent the third sensor;
a signal processing unit coupled to the first sensor, second sensor, and third sensor, wherein the signal processing unit determines a distance between the third sensor and the object in accordance with a signal strength calibration as a function of the signal of the third sensor, wherein the signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the signal of the first sensor when a first vehicle speed condition is met and wherein the signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the signal of the second sensor when a second vehicle speed condition is met;
the first vehicle speed condition includes a current speed of the vehicle being greater than a first vehicle speed threshold and having been greater than the first vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time longer than a first time at-speed threshold; and
the second vehicle speed condition includes the current speed of the vehicle being less than a second vehicle speed threshold and having been lower than the second vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time greater than a second time at-speed threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A first sensor outputs a signal characterizing a temperature of air being inducted by an engine of a vehicle. A second sensor outputs a signal characterizing a temperature of air surrounding an occupant cabin of the vehicle. A third sensor outputs a signal indicating presence of an adjacent object. A signal processing unit determines a distance between the third sensor and the adjacent object in accordance with a signal strength calibration as a function of the third sensor signal. The signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the first sensor signal when a first vehicle speed condition is met. The signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the second sensor signal when a second vehicle speed condition is met. The signal strength calibration is specified as a function of first sensor signal and the second sensor signal when a third vehicle speed condition is met.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A vehicle, comprising:
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a first sensor outputting a signal characterizing a temperature of air surrounding an occupant cabin of the vehicle; a second sensor outputting a signal characterizing a temperature of air being inducted by an engine of the vehicle; a third sensor outputting a signal indicating presence of an object adjacent the third sensor; a signal processing unit coupled to the first sensor, second sensor, and third sensor, wherein the signal processing unit determines a distance between the third sensor and the object in accordance with a signal strength calibration as a function of the signal of the third sensor, wherein the signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the signal of the first sensor when a first vehicle speed condition is met and wherein the signal strength calibration is specified as a function of the signal of the second sensor when a second vehicle speed condition is met; the first vehicle speed condition includes a current speed of the vehicle being greater than a first vehicle speed threshold and having been greater than the first vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time longer than a first time at-speed threshold; and the second vehicle speed condition includes the current speed of the vehicle being less than a second vehicle speed threshold and having been lower than the second vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time greater than a second time at-speed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 25, 26)
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8. A method for processing a signal provided from an ultrasonic sensor of a vehicle to a signal processing unit of the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
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setting a signal strength calibration as a function of the signal representing the outside air temperature in response to starting an engine of the vehicle for initiating a current engine operating instance; sampling a signal representing a current speed of the vehicle during the current engine operating instance; maintaining the signal strength calibration as a function of the signal representing the outside air temperature of the vehicle when the signal representing the current speed of the vehicle indicates that a current speed of the vehicle is greater than a first vehicle speed threshold and has been greater than the first vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time longer than a first time at-speed threshold; setting the signal strength calibration as a function of the signal representing the engine intake air temperature of the vehicle when the current speed of the vehicle is less than a second vehicle speed threshold and a second vehicle speed condition indicates that a vehicle road speed has been lower than the second vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time greater than a second time at-speed threshold; and setting the signal strength calibration as a function of the signal representing the engine intake air temperature of the vehicle and the signal representing the outside air temperature of the vehicle when the current speed of the vehicle is less than a second vehicle speed threshold and a second vehicle speed condition indicates that the vehicle road speed has been lower than the second vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time less than a second time at-speed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic controller system of a vehicle having at least one data processing device coupled between an ultrasonic sensor, a sensor outputting a signal representing an engine intake air temperature of the vehicle and a sensor outputting a signal representing an outside air temperature of the vehicle, comprising:
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instructions causing the at least one data processing device to set a signal strength calibration of the signal processing unit as a function of a signal representing an outside air temperature of the vehicle in response to starting an engine of the vehicle for initiating a current engine operating instance; instructions causing the at least one data processing device to sample a signal representing a current speed of the vehicle during the current engine operating instance; instructions causing the at least one data processing device to maintain the signal strength calibration of the signal processing unit as a function of the signal representing the outside air temperature of the vehicle when a current speed of the vehicle is greater than a first vehicle speed threshold and a first vehicle speed condition indicates that a vehicle road speed has been greater than the first vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time longer than a first time at-speed threshold; and instructions causing the at least one data processing device to set the signal strength calibration of the signal processing unit as a function of a signal representing an engine intake air temperature of the vehicle when the current speed of the vehicle is less than a second vehicle speed threshold and a second vehicle speed condition indicates that the vehicle road speed has been lower than the second vehicle speed threshold for a duration of time greater than a second time at-speed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification