Apparatus and methods for detection of objects using broadband signals
First Claim
1. A method for determining range to an object, comprising:
- transmitting, via a transmitter, a broadband signal, the transmitter including an electrically pumped semiconductor laser element,producing, via a receiver, a sampled signal based on a sample of a reflected signal, the reflected signal including a reflection of the broadband signal off the object, the receiver including a photodetector;
determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on at least one processor, a time-reversed instance of the transmitted broadband signal, the at least one processor including computer readable instructions stored thereon;
determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, one or more correlograms, a respective one of the one or more correlograms including a convolution of the time-reversed instance of the transmitted broadband signal and the sampled signal at a plurality of lags, the respective one of the one or more correlograms corresponding to a zero-mean signal by subtraction of a mean value from at least one of the transmitted broadband signal and the sampled signal, the respective one of the one or more correlograms including one or more values;
comparing, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, the one or more correlogram values of the respective one of the one or more correlograms at the plurality of lags to a detection threshold; and
determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, a range to the object based on the one or more values of the respective one of the one or more correlograms breaching the detection threshold, the range corresponding to a given lag of the plurality of lags, where the given lag is associated with the one or more values of the respective one of the one or more correlograms.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Broadband signal transmissions may be used for object detection and/or ranging. Broadband transmissions may comprise a pseudo-random bit sequence or a bit sequence produced using, a random process. The sequence may be used to modulate transmissions of a given wave type. Various types of waves may be utilized, pressure, light, and radio waves. Waves reflected by objects within the sensing volume may be sampled. The received signal may be convolved with a time-reversed copy of the transmitted random sequence to produce a correlogram. The correlogram may be analyzed to determine range to objects. The analysis may comprise determination of one or more peaks/troughs in the correlogram. Range to an object may be determines based on a time lag of a respective peak.
220 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for determining range to an object, comprising:
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transmitting, via a transmitter, a broadband signal, the transmitter including an electrically pumped semiconductor laser element, producing, via a receiver, a sampled signal based on a sample of a reflected signal, the reflected signal including a reflection of the broadband signal off the object, the receiver including a photodetector; determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on at least one processor, a time-reversed instance of the transmitted broadband signal, the at least one processor including computer readable instructions stored thereon; determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, one or more correlograms, a respective one of the one or more correlograms including a convolution of the time-reversed instance of the transmitted broadband signal and the sampled signal at a plurality of lags, the respective one of the one or more correlograms corresponding to a zero-mean signal by subtraction of a mean value from at least one of the transmitted broadband signal and the sampled signal, the respective one of the one or more correlograms including one or more values; comparing, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, the one or more correlogram values of the respective one of the one or more correlograms at the plurality of lags to a detection threshold; and determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, a range to the object based on the one or more values of the respective one of the one or more correlograms breaching the detection threshold, the range corresponding to a given lag of the plurality of lags, where the given lag is associated with the one or more values of the respective one of the one or more correlograms. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for determining at least one positional attribute associated with an object, comprising:
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transmitting, via a transmitter, configured to transmit an oscillatory signal, the transmitter including an electrically pumped semiconductor laser element; producing, via a receiver, a sampled signal based on a sample of a reflected signal, the reflected signal including a reflection of the oscillatory signal off the object, the receiver including a photodetector; performing, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on at least one processor, a comparison of at least a modified signal, the modified signal comprising the portion of the modified instance of the at least the portion of the transmitted oscillatory signal to at least a portion of the sampled signal, the at least one processor including computer readable instructions stored thereon; evaluating, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, one or more values obtained from the comparison to a detection criterion, the detection criterion comprising a positive threshold or a negative threshold of a magnitude of the at least the modified signal; and determining, via execution of computer readable instructions stored on the at least one processor, at least one positional attribute associated with the object corresponding to a parameter associated with the at least one of the one or more values obtained from the comparison, the determining based on at least one of the one or more values from the comparison breaching the positive threshold or the negative threshold from a baseline. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage apparatus comprising a storage medium having a computer program, the computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus:
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cause a transmitter to transmit a broadband signal, the transmitter including an electrically pumped semiconductor laser element; cause a receiver to produce a sampled signal based on a sampling of a reflection of the broadband signal from an object, the receiver including a photodetector; cause the processor apparatus to;
determine a time-reversed instance of the transmitted broadband signal;
determine a correlogram, the correlogram comprising a convolution of the time-reversed instance of the transmitted broadband signal and the sampled signal at a plurality of time lags;compare (i) one or more correlogram values of the correlogram at the plurality of time lags to (ii) one or more detection thresholds; and determine a range to the object based on at least a portion of the one or more correlogram values breaching the one or more detection thresholds, the range corresponding to a given time lag of the plurality of time lags, where the given time lag is associated with the at least portion of the one or more correlogram values. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification