Self-contained range detection systems with reconfigurable chatter-mitigated output indication

A detection system with chatter-mitigated output indication, the system comprising:

• a housing;
• a sensor coupled to the housing, configured to be affixed to a stationary object and to generate a detection signal, in response to detection of at least one target in a detection field, as a function of a spatial relationship of the at least one target to the sensor;
• a control circuit coupled to the housing, configured to generate a control signal, in response to the detection signal, as a function of a predetermined indication response profile, wherein the predetermined indication response profile comprises:
• a plurality of continuous but non-overlapping output ranges (OI) corresponding to the detection signal, wherein each of the output ranges are separated by a plurality of nominal transition points (TN) corresponding to distance thresholds for the detection signal, and a transition threshold (δNi) for each of the nominal transition points, the transition thresholds implemented as hysteresis lines;
• and,
• a light-emitting indicator array comprising a plurality of spatially-distributed visual indications, each corresponding to one of the plurality of output ranges, and wherein, in response to the control signal, the light-emitting indicator array is configured to generate one of the spatially-distributed visual indications corresponds to the spatial relationship between the at least one target and the sensor, wherein:
• when the spatially-distributed visual indication generated by the light-emitting indicator array changes from a first spatial distribution (S1) to a second spatial distribution (S2) in response to the control signal as a function of a change in the spatial relationship represented by the detection signal crossing a first nominal transition point (T1) by at least a corresponding transition threshold (δ1i), the spatially-distributed visual indication does not respond to perturbations in the detection signal causing the detection signal to cross the nominal transition point T1 by less than the corresponding transition threshold δ1i, and,
• the light-emitting indicator array is coupled to the housing, such that the sensor, the control circuit, and the light-emitting indicator array are unitary and configured as a single unit for functional and physical manipulation;
• wherein the control circuit applies a smoothing function to the detection signal to generate a conditioned signal, the smoothing function being configured to attenuate perturbations and transient fluctuations in the detection signal.