Range measuring system

• US 20030035342A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thales Visionix Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Intersense Incorporated
• Inventors: Harrington, Michael, Foxlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/210,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20030035342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/102 using transmission of pulses having some particular characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52026 Extracting wanted echo signals Doppler systems G01S15/50; Doppler short range imaging systems G01S15/8979

Abstract

A system is provided having a transmitting transducer for transmitting a burst of energy in response to an electrical drive waveform. The system includes a receiving transducer for generating an electrical signal in response to arrival of the transmitted burst of energy. A generator is provided for generating the electrical drive waveform, such generator generating such waveform to enable the receiving transducer to produce the electrical signal with at least one of the following characteristics: (a) a series of waves having an amplitude which increases, then decreases, and then increases again; (b) a series of groups of waves, such series having an initial group of waves of a period, T, followed by a transitional group having at least one wave with a period different from the period, T, followed by a succeeding group of waves having the period, T; or (c) a series of groups of waves, such series having an initial group of waves and a later group of waves, the later group of waves having a phase shift of 2πn relative to the initial group of waves, where n is a non-integer number. A detector is provided for detecting one of the characteristics of the electrical signal generated by the receiving transducer. The detector uniquely detects a specific point in the generated signal, such point being unambiguously identifiable because of the characteristic in the electrical signal generated by the receiving transducer.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a transmitting transducer for transmitting a burst of energy in response to an electrical drive waveform; and

a receiving transducer for generating an electrical signal in response to arrival of the transmitted burst of energy; and

a generator for generating the electrical drive waveform, such generator generating such waveform to enable the receiving transducer to produce the electrical signal with at least one of the following characteristics;

(a) a series of waves having an amplitude which increases, then decreases, and then increases again;

(b) a series of groups of waves, such series having an initial group of waves of a period, T, followed by a transitional group having at least one wave with a period different from the period, T, followed by a succeeding group of waves having the period, T;

or

(c) a series of groups of waves, such series having an initial group of waves and a later group of waves, the later group of waves having a phase shift of 2π

n relative to the initial group of waves, where n is a non-integer number.

2. The system recited in claim 1 including a detector for detecting one of the characteristics of the electrical signal generated by the receiving transducer.

3. The system recited in claim 1 including a detector for uniquely detecting a specific point in the generated signal, such point being unambiguously identifiable because of the characteristic in the electrical signal generated by the receiving transducer.

4. The system recited in claim 3 wherein the specific point identified by the detector is one of the following:

(a) a specific identifiable positive or negative peak in the electrical signal generated by the receiving transducer;

(b) a zero-crossing point immediately following the identifiable peak;

or

(c) another peak or zero-crossing point lying approximately a predetermined time before, or after, the peak or point of (a) or (b), respectively.

5. The system recited in claim 4 wherein the specific identifiable peak is identified on the basis of amplitude relative to the amplitude of one or more preceding peaks or valleys.

6. The system recited in claim 4 wherein the specific identifiable peak is identified on the basis of its phase relative to the phase of one or more peaks or zero-crossings.

7. The system recited in claim 5 wherein the identified peak is the first peak following a depression to have an amplitude greater than a predetermined amplitude relative to the largest peak before the depression.

8. A system for detecting a burst of ultrasonic energy, comprising:

a resonant, acoustic transmitter;

a drive for driving the transmitter with a waveform having a non-periodic feature therein, such transmitter, in response to the drive, being adapted to emit the burst of oscillatory ultrasonic energy;

a receiver for receiving the transmitted burst, the received burst having the non-periodic feature of the waveform driving the transmitter; and

a detector for detecting the non-periodic feature in the received burst.

9. A system for detecting a burst of ultrasonic energy, comprising:

an acoustic transmitter;

a drive for driving he transmitter with a series of waves, one of the waves in the series having a phase reversal relative to a preceding one of the waves;

a receiver for receiving the transmitted burst of ultrasonic energy and producing a signal in response to the received energy, such signal having a characteristic therein resulting from the phase reversal in the driving waves; and

a detector for detecting the characteristic in the receiver produced signal.

10. A system for detecting a burst of ultrasonic energy, comprising:

an acoustic transmitter;

a drive for driving the transmitter with a series of waves, one of the waves in the series having a phase reversal relative to a preceding one of the waves;

a receiver for receiving the transmitted burst of ultrasonic energy and for producing a signal having an oscillatory waveform with a series of peaks and valleys, such peaks initially increasing, then deceasing, then again increasing to a maximum; and

a detector for detecting the decrease and subsequent increase in the amplitude of the series of peaks, or valleys, in the receiver produced signal.

11. A system for detecting a burst of ultrasonic energy, comprising:

an acoustic transmitter;

a driver for driving the transmitter to produce a burst of energy;

a receiver for receiving the transmitter produced burst of energy and for producing a signal in response to the received burst of energy;

wherein the driver is adapted to drive the transmitted to enable the receiver to produce such signal with a depression at a time therein between commencement of the received burst of energy and a maximum in the receiver produced signal;

a detector for detecting the depression in the receiver produced signal.

12. A system for detecting a burst of ultrasonic energy, comprising:

an acoustic transmitter having a resonant frequency f;

a driver for driving the transmitter with a pair of drive waves each having a time duration 1/f, one of the drive waves being out of phase with the other one of the drive waves, such transmitter, in response to the drive, being adapted to emit a burst of oscillatory ultrasonic energy;

a receiver for receiving the transmitted burst and for producing a signal in response to the received burst, such receiver produced signal having a depression therein between commencement of the received burst and a maximum in the received burst;

a detector for detecting the depression in the received burst.

13. A system for detecting a burst of ultrasonic energy, comprising:

an acoustic transmitter;

a drive for driving the transmitter with a series of waves, one of the waves in the series having half period delay from the preceding wave in the series, the transmitter, in response to the drive, being adapted to emit a burst of ultrasonic energy;

a receiver for receiving the transmitted burst, such received burst being an oscillatory waveform having a series of peaks and valleys, such peaks initially monotonically increasing, then deceasing, then again monotonically increasing to a maximum;

a detector for detecting the decrease and subsequent increase prior to the maximum in the series of peaks in the waveform.

14. A system for detecting an oscillatory wave energy, comprising:

a receiver for receiving such burst of oscillatory wave energy and for producing signal having a series of peaks and valleys, such peaks initially monotonically increasing, then deceasing, then again monotonically increasing to a maximum;

a detector for detecting the decrease and increase prior to the maximum in the series of peaks in the receiver produced signal.

15. A system for detecting a burst of wave energy, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a burst of wave energy in response to a trigger signal, such transmitted energy being oscillatory and having a phase reversal therein and;

a receiver for receiving the burst;

a detector for a phase reversal in the received burst.

16. A method for detecting a burst of wave energy, comprising:

transmitting the energy as a waveform with a phase reversal therein; and

receiving the transmitted waveform;

detecting a phase reversal in the received waveform.

17. A system for detecting a sound burst, comprising:

a microphone for receiving the sound burst; and

a detector fed by the microphone for detecting a phase reversal in the sound burst received by the microphone.

18. A system for detecting a sound burst, comprising:

an emitter for producing the sound burst with a phase reversal therein;

a microphone for receiving the sound burst; and

,

a detector fed by the microphone for detecting the phase reversal in the sound burst received by the microphone.

19. A method for detecting a sound burst, comprising:

transmitting the sound burst with a phase reversal therein;

receiving the sound burst; and

,

detecting a phase reversal in the received sound burst.