Back to results
US 9,285,468 B2Granted
Extended angular resolution in sensor arrays using secondary echoes
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorIgal Bilik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reflector is used to extend an aperture of an omni-directional, single-point remote-sensing echo-system utilizing secondary round-trip reflections of a transmitted sensor signal. The reflector is spatially displaced from a transmission element to contribute a secondary reflection whose echo from the target object provides additional information used to triangulate both azimuthal and elevation angles of the target object.
Claims12
A method for resolving an angular direction of an object, the method comprising:
- transmitting a signal towards an object from a transmitter at transmission time, t0;
- receiving a first echo of the signal from the object at a receiver at receipt time t2;
- directing the first echo of the signal towards the object from a reflector displaced from the receiver;
- receiving the second echo of the signal from the object at the receiver at second receipt time t5;
- and
- using a processor configured to triangulate an azimuthal angular direction of the object based on a delay between the times t2 and t5, the azimuthal angular direction relative to a line defined by the transmitter and the receiver.
3 more elements
An apparatus for resolving an angular direction of an object, the apparatus comprising:
- a signal transmission element operative to transmit a signal towards the object at a transmission time, t0;
- a signal reception element operative to receive a first echo of the signal from the object at a first receipt time, t2;
- a signal retransmission device displaced from the transmission element, the retransmission device operative to direct the first echo of the signal towards the object such that the signal receiver receives a second echo of the signal from the object at a second receipt time, t5;
- and
- a processor operative to triangulate an azimuthal angular direction of the object relative to the transmission element based on a delay between the times t2 and t5, the azimuthal angular direction relative to a line defined by the transmitter and the receiver.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.