US 12,379,489 B1Granted

Proximity sensing using pulsed ultrasonic signals

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorVamshi Krishna Chillara

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Abstract

Techniques for proximity-sensing devices to detect movement of a person in an environment by emitting pulsed ultrasonic signals into the environment, and detecting a change in the energy measurements of the reflections of the pulsed ultrasonic signals off the person caused by the movement of the person relative to the proximity-sensing devices. In addition to detecting movement, and thus presence, of a person, the proximity-sensing devices may further perform techniques for identifying a direction of movement of the person, and also to perform techniques for identifying a number of people that are in the room. The use of pulsed ultrasonic signals, and monitoring changes in energy in reflections of the emitted signals over time, not only enables movement detection and tracking, but also requires less power and computing resources than continuous emission techniques.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A proximity-sensing device comprising:

a microphone;
a loudspeaker;
one or more processors;
and
one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
cause the loudspeaker to emit a first pulsed ultrasonic signal into an environment of the proximity-sensing device;
receive, at the microphone, a first reflected signal of the first pulsed ultrasonic signal off an object in the environment;
determine, using the first reflected signal, first energy of the first reflected signal;
cause the loudspeaker to emit a second pulsed ultrasonic signal into the environment at a first time;
receive, at a second time, a second reflected signal of the second pulsed ultrasonic signal off the object;
determine, using the second reflected signal, second energy of the second reflected signal;
determine, based at least in part on the first energy being different than the second energy, that the object is moving in the environment;
and
determine, based at least in part on a difference between the first time and the second time, and a speed of sound value, a distance between the proximity-sensing device and the object.

11 more elements

A computing device comprising:

a loudspeaker;
a microphone;
one or more processors;
and
one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
cause the loudspeaker to emit a first pulsed ultrasonic signal in an environment;
receive, at the microphone, a first reflected signal corresponding to the first pulsed ultrasonic signal reflecting off an object in the environment;
determine first energy associated with the first reflected signal;
cause the loudspeaker to emit a second pulsed ultrasonic signal into the environment;
receive, at the microphone, a second reflected signal corresponding to the second pulsed ultrasonic signal reflecting off the object;
determine second energy associated with the second reflection signal;
and
determine, using the first energy and the second energy, that the object is in motion.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

causing a loudspeaker of a computing device to emit a first pulsed ultrasonic signal into an environment of the computing device;
receiving a first reflected signal, corresponding to the first pulsed ultrasonic signal, at a microphone of the computing device, the first reflected signal originating at a first object in the environment;
receiving a second reflected signal, corresponding to the first pulsed ultrasonic signal, at the microphone, the second reflected signal originating at a second object in the environment;
determining first energy associated with the first reflected signal and second energy associated with the second reflected signal;
causing the loudspeaker to emit a second pulsed ultrasonic signal into the environment;
receiving a third reflected signal, corresponding to the second pulsed ultrasonic signal, at the microphone, the third reflected signal originating at the first object;
receiving a fourth reflected signal, corresponding to the second pulsed ultrasonic signal, at the microphone, the fourth reflected signal originating the second object;
determining third energy associated with the third reflected signal and fourth energy associated with the fourth reflection signal;
determining, based at least in part on the first energy and the third energy, that the first object is in motion;
and
determining, based at least in part on the second energy and the fourth energy, that the second object is in motion.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.