Pulse radar ranging apparatus and ranging algorithm thereof

• US 9,239,377 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Cheng, Yu-Yi, Tseng, Tien-Cheng, Chang, Kuang-I, Chen, Jyun-Long, Hu, Jwu-Sheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/831,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 342/135, 342/134, 342/175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/103 particularities of the measurement of the distance G01S13/12, G01S13/14, G01S13/16, G01S13/18 and G01S13/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/28 Details of pulse systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/292 Extracting wanted echo-signals

Abstract

A pulse radar ranging apparatus and a ranging algorithm thereof are provided. The pulse radar ranging apparatus includes a radio frequency pulse generator, a radio frequency filter, a radio frequency switch and a transceiver aerial. The radio frequency pulse generator generates a pulse signal. The radio frequency filter receives the pulse signal and generates a high-pass filter signal, wherein the high-pass filter signal includes a radio frequency pulse reference signal. The radio frequency switch controls an output of the radio frequency pulse reference signal. The transceiver aerial transmits the radio frequency pulse reference signal. The radio frequency pulse reference signal contacts an object and generates a return signal, and the transceiver aerial receives the return signal. The ranging algorithm processes and analyzes the signals obtained by the pulse radar ranging apparatus, and calculates a distance between pulse radar ranging apparatus and the object by using polynomial interpolation.

Claims

1. A pulse radar ranging apparatus, comprising:

a radio frequency pulse generator is configured to generate a pulse signal;

a radio frequency filter coupled to the radio frequency pulse generator, is configured to receive the pulse signal to generate a high-pass filter signal, wherein the high-pass filter signal comprises a radio frequency pulse reference signal;

a radio frequency switch coupled to the radio frequency filter, is configured to control an output of the radio frequency pulse reference signal; and

a transceiver aerial coupled to the radio frequency switch, the transceiver aerial being configured to be controlled by a first digital signal to transmit the radio frequency pulse reference signal and receive a return signal.

2. The pulse radar ranging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio frequency switch comprises a first radio frequency switch and a second radio frequency switch, where the first radio frequency switch is coupled to the radio frequency filter, and the second radio frequency switch is coupled to the transceiver aerial.

3. The pulse radar ranging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a radio frequency amplifier coupled to the first radio frequency switch, is configured to amplify the radio frequency pulse reference signal to generate a first signal;

a low noise amplifier coupled to the second radio frequency switch, is configured to amplify the return signal to generate a second signal;

a radio frequency signal processing unit coupled to the low noise amplifier, comprises a detector, an amplifier and a comparator;

a counting unit respectively coupled to the radio frequency signal processing unit and the second radio frequency switch, comprises a flip-flop, a register and a buffer;

a mixer respectively coupled to radio frequency amplifier and the low noise amplifier, is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal for converting into a vibration signal with phase variation; and

a signal processing device, coupled to the mixer and the counting unit.

4. The pulse radar ranging apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the radio frequency signal processing unit converts the second signal into a second digital signal.

5. The pulse radar ranging apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second digital signal and the first digital signal are respectively input to the counting unit to detect a time difference through the counting unit, and output a time difference signal.

6. The pulse radar ranging apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flip-flop is used to count a number of pulses input to the counting unit.

7. The pulse radar ranging apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the time difference signal and the vibration signal are respectively input to the signal processing device, and a ranging algorithm is used to perform signal processing analysis on the time difference signal and the vibration signal.

8. A ranging algorithm, adapted to a pulse radar ranging apparatus, the ranging algorithm comprising:

creating a database comprising a plurality of parameters, wherein the parameters comprises at least a distance between the pulse radar ranging apparatus and an object, an output voltage of a mixer and a measurement time;

extracting the parameters of the database to calculate an average voltage data from the extracted parameters and remove voltage signal values subjected to interference; and

calculating a distance between the pulse radar ranging apparatus and the object by using polynomial interpolation.

9. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of extracting the parameters of the database comprises:

determining a variation trend of the output voltage and the distance according to variation of a voltage waveform;

obtaining a linear regression equation of a waveform segment according to a least-square method; and

removing the voltage subjected to external interference or noise influence according to the linear regression equation.

10. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of calculating the distance between the pulse radar ranging apparatus and the object by using polynomial interpolation comprises:

measuring the measurement time corresponding to the output voltage by using the counting unit; and

estimating the distance corresponding to the measurement time through the polynomial interpolation by using the output voltage and a signal sample obtained after the data extraction step.

11. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pulse radar ranging apparatus comprises:

a radio frequency pulse generator is configured to generate a pulse signal;

a radio frequency filter coupled to the radio frequency pulse generator, is configured to receive the pulse signal to generate a high-pass filter signal, wherein the high-pass filter signal comprises a radio frequency pulse reference signal;

a radio frequency switch coupled to the radio frequency filter, is configured to control an output of the radio frequency pulse reference signal; and

a transceiver aerial coupled to the radio frequency switch, is configured to transmit the radio frequency pulse reference signal that is controlled by a first digital signal, wherein the ratio frequency pulse reference signal contacts the object to generate a return signal, and the transceiver aerial receives the return signal.

12. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 11, wherein the radio frequency switch has a first radio frequency switch and a second radio frequency switch, the first radio frequency switch is coupled to the radio frequency filter, and the second radio frequency switch is coupled to the transceiver aerial.

13. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pulse radar ranging apparatus further comprises:

a radio frequency amplifier coupled to the first radio frequency switch, is configured to amplify the radio frequency pulse reference signal to generate a first signal;

a low noise amplifier coupled to the second radio frequency switch, is configured to amplify the return signal to generate a second signal;

a radio frequency signal processing unit coupled to the low noise amplifier, comprises a detector, an amplifier and a comparator;

a counting unit respectively coupled to the radio frequency signal processing unit and the second radio frequency switch, comprises a flip-flop, a register and a buffer;

a mixer respectively coupled to the radio frequency amplifier and the low noise amplifier, is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal for converting into a vibration signal with phase variation; and

a signal processing device, coupled to the mixer and the counting unit.

14. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 13, wherein the radio frequency signal processing unit converts the second signal into a second digital signal.

15. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second digital signal and the first digital signal are respectively input to the counting unit to detect a time difference through the counting unit and output a time difference signal.

16. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flip-flop is used to count a number of pulses input to the counting unit.

17. The ranging algorithm as claimed in claim 14, wherein the time difference signal and the vibration signal are respectively input to the signal processing device, and a ranging algorithm is used to perform signal processing analysis on the time difference signal and the vibration signal.