System and method for object position estimation based on ultrasonic reflected signals
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsNathan Altman, Yossef Tsfaty, Meir Agassy
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Abstract
A system for small space positioning comprises a transmitting element at a fixed and known location, which transmitting a modulated continuous wave, for example an ultrasonic wave, having a continuous carrier signal part and a base-band signal modulated thereon. The transmitting element transmits the modulated continuous wave over a range in which an object to be positioned may appear. A receiving element receives signals transmitted by the transmitting device and reflected by the object, and a position detection element determines a position of the object from analysis of both the carrier signal part and the base-band signal received from the reflected signal.
Claims45
A system for small space positioning comprising:
- a transmitting element at a fixed and known location, configured for transmitting a modulated continuous ultrasonic wave, wherein the modulated continuous ultrasonic wave comprises a continuous ultrasonic carrier signal part and a predetermined ultrasonic base-band signal modulated onto said carrier signal part, the transmitting element being configured to transmit said modulated continuous ultrasonic wave over a range in which an object to be positioned may appear;
- a receiving element configured for receiving one or more signals transmitted by the transmitting element and reflected by the object, said received one or more signals comprising said modulated continuous ultrasonic wave;
- and
- a position detection element configured to determine a position of the object from analysis of both the carrier signal part and the base-band signal in the received one or more signals, wherein the analysis of both the carrier signal part and the base-band signal includes phase analysis.
A system for small space positioning comprising:
- a transmitting element at a first fixed and known location, configured for transmitting a modulated ultrasonic continuous wave, wherein the modulated ultrasonic continuous wave comprises a continuous ultrasonic carrier signal part and a predetermined ultrasonic base-band signal modulated onto said continuous ultrasonic carrier signal part, the transmitting element being configured to transmit said modulated ultrasonic continuous wave over a range in which an object to be positioned may appear;
- and
- a receiving element at a second fixed and known location configured for receiving one or more signals transmitted by the transmitting element and reflected by the object, each of said received one or more signals comprising said modulated continuous ultrasonic wave, the receiving element comprising a position detection element configured to determine a position of the object from analysis of the received one or more signals, wherein the analysis includes phase analysis.
A system for small space positioning comprising:
- at least three transmission elements each configured to emit modulated continuous ultrasonic waveforms;
- and
- a central controller for providing a controlled delay between signals at each transmission element to provide ultrasonic beam steering to receive reflections from a desired direction, thereby to provide three-dimensional positioning around said transmission elements, said signals comprising said modulated continuous ultrasonic waveforms.
A method for small space positioning comprising:
- transmitting, using a transmitting device, a modulated ultrasonic continuous wave from a fixed location, wherein the modulated ultrasonic continuous wave comprises a continuous ultrasonic carrier signal part and a predetermined ultrasonic base-band signal modulated onto said carrier signal part, said transmitting being into a range in which an object to be positioned may appear;
- receiving one or more signals transmitted by the transmitting device and reflected by the object, said received one or more signals comprising said modulated continuous ultrasonic wave;
- and
- determining a position of the object from analysis of both the carrier signal part and the base-band signal reflected from the object, wherein the analysis of both the carrier signal part and the base-band signal includes phase analysis.
A method for small space positioning comprising:
- transmitting, using a transmitting device, a modulated continuous ultrasonic wave from a first fixed location, wherein the modulated continuous ultrasonic wave comprises a continuous ultrasonic carrier signal part and a predetermined ultrasonic base-band signal modulated onto said carrier signal part, said transmitting being into a range in which an object to be positioned may appear;
- receiving, at a second fixed location, signals, transmitted by the transmitting device and reflected by the object, said received signals comprising said modulated continuous ultrasonic wave;
- and
- determining a position of the object from analysis of the signals, wherein the analysis includes phase analysis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.