Methods for controlling a system in a vehicle using a transmitting/receiving transducer and/or while compensating for thermal gradients
First Claim
1. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment for enclosing at least one occupying item having surfaces, a method for controlling a system in the vehicle based on the at least one occupying item comprising the steps of:
- arranging a first transducer in a tube having an opening, irradiating at least a portion of the passenger compartment in which the at least one occupying item is situated by controlling the first transducer to emit waves which travel through the tube and out of the opening of the tube into the passenger compartment;
receiving reflected radiation from the surfaces of the at least one occupying item within the passenger compartment at the first transducer after the reflected radiation enters into the tube through the opening;
processing the received radiation in order to create at least one electronic signal containing information of the distance from at least one of the surfaces of the at least one occupying item to the first transducer; and
controlling the system in the vehicle based on the at least one signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for controlling a system in a vehicle in which radiation is directed from a transducer into the passenger compartment and is reflected off or modified by an object in the passenger compartment and received by the same or a different transducer. When ultrasonic waves in particular are used, several techniques are used to compensate for thermal gradients in the passenger compartment and/or enable the use of a single transducer to send and receive waves. This is accomplished through the use of a tubular mounting structure for the transducers, electronic suppression of ringing of the transducer, mechanical damping of the transducer cone, shaped horns, grills and reflectors for the output of the transducers to precisely control the beam pattern, a logarithmic compression amplifier, a method of temperature compensation based on the change in transducer properties with temperature and/or a dual level network, one level for categorization and the second for occupant position sensing, to improve the accuracy of categorization and the speed of position measurement for dynamic out-of-position.
156 Citations
39 Claims
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1. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment for enclosing at least one occupying item having surfaces, a method for controlling a system in the vehicle based on the at least one occupying item comprising the steps of:
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arranging a first transducer in a tube having an opening, irradiating at least a portion of the passenger compartment in which the at least one occupying item is situated by controlling the first transducer to emit waves which travel through the tube and out of the opening of the tube into the passenger compartment;
receiving reflected radiation from the surfaces of the at least one occupying item within the passenger compartment at the first transducer after the reflected radiation enters into the tube through the opening;
processing the received radiation in order to create at least one electronic signal containing information of the distance from at least one of the surfaces of the at least one occupying item to the first transducer; and
controlling the system in the vehicle based on the at least one signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
selectively amplifying the at least one signal whereby the magnitude of at least one larger peak in the at least one signal is reduced relative to the magnitude of at least one smaller peak in the at least one signal, the system in the vehicle being controlled based on the amplified at least one signal.
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3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selective amplification is performed by a log compression amplifier circuit.
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4. The method of claim 2, wherein the selective amplification is performed by a log compression amplifier, further comprising the step of:
starting the log compression amplifier after the first transducer is driven to emit waves.
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5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
electronically reducing motion of a cone of the first transducer to reduce ringing of the first transducer.
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6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of electronically reducing the motion of the cone of the first transducer comprises the steps of arranging a second transducer for measuring motion of the first transducer and obtaining information from the second transducer to enable electronic circuitry to reduce the motion of the cone of the first transducer.
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7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:
directing the first transducer to move opposite to its measured motion after a driving phase with a view toward stopping motion of the first transducer.
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8. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of electronically reducing the motion of the cone of the first transducer comprises the steps of:
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determining a natural frequency of the first transducer, tuning drive circuitry of the first transducer to drive the first transducer at the determined natural frequency, and deriving a sequence of pulses to be fed into the drive circuitry with reversed polarity to counteract the motion of the first transducer and diminish oscillations of the first transducer.
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9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
determining a length of the tube based on the distance required for ringing of the first transducer to subside and a predetermined minimum target sensing distance defined as a distance between the opening of the tube and a position closest to the tube in which the at least one occupying item may be sensed.
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10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
selecting a size of the opening of the tube and a diameter of the tube to avoid excessive signal loss and ensure reception of the reflected waves by the first transducer.
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11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
recessing the tube within a surface defining the passenger compartment.
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12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
selecting a size of a diameter of the tube to avoid excessive signal loss.
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13. The method of claim 1, wherein the tube includes a shaped horn adjacent the opening of the tube.
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14. The method of claim 13, wherein the opening of the tube is elliptical.
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15. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment for enclosing at least one occupying item having surfaces, a method for controlling a system in the vehicle based on the at least one occupying item comprising the steps of:
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arranging a transducer in a tube having an opening, emitting waves from the transducer to travel through the tube and out of the opening of the tube to impact a location in which the at least one occupying item is likely to be situated;
receiving reflected waves from the at least one occupying item at the same transducer after the reflected waves pass through the opening into the tube;
processing the received reflected waves to obtain information about the distance from the at least one occupying item to the transducer; and
controlling the system in the vehicle based on the determined distance from the at least one occupying item to the transducer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 20, 21)
determining a length of the tube based on the distance required for ringing of the transducer to subside and a predetermined minimum target sensing distance defined as a distance between the opening of the tube and a position closest to the tube in which the at least one occupying item may be sensed.
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17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:
selecting a size of the opening of the tube and a diameter of the tube to avoid excessive signal loss and ensure reception of the reflected waves by the transducer.
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18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:
recessing the tube within a surface defining the passenger compartment.
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20. The method of claim 15, wherein the tube includes a shaped horn adjacent an opening of the tube.
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21. The method of claim 20, wherein the opening of the tube is elliptical.
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19. The method of 15, further comprising the step of:
selecting a size of a diameter of the tube to avoid excessive signal loss.
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22. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment for enclosing at least one occupying item having surfaces, a method for controlling a system in the vehicle based on the at least one occupying item comprising the steps of:
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irradiating at least a portion of the passenger compartment in which the at least one occupying item is situated by driving a first transducer to emit waves;
receiving reflected radiation from the surfaces of the at least one occupying item within the passenger compartment at a receiver;
processing the received radiation in order to create at least one electronic signal containing information of the distance from at least one of the surfaces of the at least one occupying item to the receiver;
providing a compression amplifier to selectively amplify the at least one signal depending on the level of the at least one signal such that the magnitude of at least one larger peak in the at least one signal is reduced relative to the magnitude of at least one smaller peak in the at least one signal;
starting the compression amplifier only after the first transducer is driven to emit waves; and
controlling the system in the vehicle based on the amplified at least one signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
electronically reducing motion of a cone of the first transducer to reduce ringing of the first transducer.
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24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of electronically reducing the motion of the cone of the first transducer comprises the steps of arranging a second transducer for measuring motion of the first transducer and obtaining information from the second transducer to enable electronic circuitry to reduce the motion of the cone of the first transducer.
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25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of:
directing the first transducer to move opposite to its measured motion after a driving phase with a view toward stopping motion of the first transducer.
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26. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of electronically reducing the motion of the cone of the first transducer comprises the steps of:
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determining a natural frequency of the first transducer, tuning drive circuitry of the first transducer to drive the first transducer at the determined natural frequency, and deriving a sequence of pulses to be fed into the drive circuitry with reversed polarity to counteract the motion of the first transducer and diminish oscillations of the first transducer.
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27. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:
arranging the first transducer in a tube having an opening.
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28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of:
recessing the tube within a surface defining the passenger compartment.
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29. The method of claim 27, wherein the tube includes a shaped horn adjacent the opening of the tube.
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30. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment for enclosing at least one occupying item having surfaces, a method for controlling a system in the vehicle based on the at least one occupying item comprising the steps of:
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irradiating at least a portion of the passenger compartment in which the at least one occupying item is situated by means of a first transducer;
electronically reducing motion of a cone of the first transducer to reduce ringing of the first transducer, the step of electronically reducing the motion of the cone of the first transducer comprising the steps of arranging a second transducer to measure motion of the first transducer and obtaining information from the second transducer to enable electronic circuitry to reduce the motion of the cone of the first transducer;
receiving reflected radiation from the surfaces of the at least one occupying item within the passenger compartment at a receiver;
processing the received radiation in order to create at least one electronic signal containing information of the distance from at least one of the surfaces of the at least one occupying item to the receiver; and
controlling the system in the vehicle based on the at least one signal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
providing a compression amplifier to selectively amplifying the at least one signal depending on the level of the at least one signal such that the magnitude of at least one larger peak in the at least one signal is reduced relative to the magnitude of at least one smaller peak in the at least one signal, the system in the vehicle being controlled based on the amplified at least one signal.
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32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of:
arranging the first transducer in a tube having an opening.
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33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of:
recessing the tube within a surface defining the passenger compartment.
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34. The method of claim 32, wherein the tube includes a shaped horn adjacent the opening of the tube.
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35. The method of claim 30, wherein the electronic circuitry includes a Colpits or Hartley oscillator.
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36. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of forming the second transducer as part of the first transducer.
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37. In a motor vehicle having an interior passenger compartment for enclosing at least one occupying item having surfaces, a method for controlling a system in the vehicle based on the at least one occupying item comprising the steps of:
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irradiating at least a portion of the passenger compartment in which the at least one occupying item is situated by means of a transducer having a cone;
arranging damping material in the transducer cone to reduce ringing of the transducer;
receiving reflected radiation from the surfaces of the at least one occupying item within the passenger compartment at a receiver;
processing the received radiation in order to create at least one electronic signal containing information of the distance from at least one of the surfaces of the at least one occupying item to the receiver; and
controlling the system in the vehicle based on the at least one signal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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Specification