# US 9,519,053 B2 · Distance measuring apparatus and distance measuring method

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- Number: US 9,519,053 B2
- Document ID: US9519053B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/446,339
- Filed: 2014-07-30
- Published: 2015-10-01
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-26
- Assignees: Joy Technology(Shen Zhen)Co., Ltd
- Applicants: Joy Technology(Shen Zhen)Co., Ltd
- Inventors: Yu-Zheng Zheng
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519053B2

## CPC

- G01S 11/14: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- G01S 15/74: Systems using reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
- G01S 19/13: Receivers
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES

## Abstract

A distance measuring apparatus and a distance measuring method are provided. The distance measuring apparatus includes a GPS module, an ultrasound transceiver module and a control module. The GPS module is configured to generate a pulse signal. The ultrasound transceiver module is configured to generate and transmit a first ultrasound signal and receive a second ultrasound signal transmitted from an object. When the control module receives the pulse signal, the control module controls the ultrasound transceiver module to generate and transmit the first ultrasound signal, and determines whether the ultrasound transceiver module receives the second ultrasound signal within a first interval. When the ultrasound transceiver module receives the second ultrasound signal within the first interval, the control module determines a distance between the distance measuring apparatus and the object according to a time difference.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A distance measuring apparatus, comprising:
a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to generate a pulse signal;
an ultrasound transceiver module configured to generate and transmit a first ultrasound signal and receive a second ultrasound signal transmitted from an object; and
a control module electrically coupled to the GPS module and the ultrasound transceiver module,
wherein when the control module receives the pulse signal, the control module controls the ultrasound transceiver module to generate and transmit the first ultrasound signal, and determines whether the ultrasound transceiver module receives the second ultrasound signal within a first interval,
wherein when the ultrasound transceiver module receives the second ultrasound signal within the first interval, the control module determines a distance between the distance measuring apparatus and the object according to a time difference between receiving the second ultrasound signal and transmitting the first ultrasound signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The distance measuring apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound transceiver module comprises:
an ultrasound transmitting unit configured to transmit the first ultrasound signal; and
an ultrasound receiving unit configured to receive the second ultrasound signal;
wherein when the control module receives the pulse signal, the control unit activates the ultrasound transmitting unit to transmit the first ultrasound signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The distance measuring apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control module inactivates the ultrasound transmitting unit to stop transmitting the first ultrasound signal after a second interval since the control unit activates the ultrasound transmitting unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The distance measuring apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit activates the ultrasound receiving unit to receive the second ultrasound signal after a third interval since the control unit inactivates the ultrasound transmitting unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The distance measuring apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the ultrasound receiving unit does not receive the second ultrasound signal within the first interval, the control unit inactivates the ultrasound receiving unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The distance measuring apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an alert module electrically coupled to the control module, and configured to generate an alert signal, wherein when the time difference is shorter than a threshold time, the control module activates the alert module to generate the alert signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The distance measuring apparatus of claim 6, wherein the threshold interval is an interval for the second ultrasound signal traveling through a safe distance.

### Claim 8

A distance measuring method, comprising:
receiving a pulse signal generated from a GPS module;
generating and transmitting a first ultrasound signal according to the pulse signal;
determining whether a second ultrasound signal is received within a first interval; and
determining a distance according to a time difference when the second ultrasound signal is received within the first interval, wherein the time difference is between receiving the second ultrasound signal and transmitting the first ultrasound signal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The distance measuring method of claim 8, further comprising:
stopping transmitting the first ultrasound signal after a second interval since receiving the pulse signal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The distance measuring method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether the second ultrasound signal is received within the first interval comprises:
determining whether the second ultrasound signal is received within the first interval after a third interval since stopping transmitting the first ultrasound signal.