Error-eliminating rapid ultrasonic firing

Patent · Tue Aug 24 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:6231925

Borenstein, Johann; Koren, Yoram

A system for producing reliable navigation data for a mobile vehicle, such as a robot, combines multiple range samples to increase the confidence'' of the algorithm in the existence of an obstacle. At higher vehicle speed, it is crucial to sample each sensor quickly and repeatedly to gather multiple samples in time to avoid a collision. Erroneous data is rejected by delaying the issuance of an ultrasonic energy pulse by a predetermined wait-period, which may be different during alternate ultrasonic firing cycles. Consecutive readings are compared, and the corresponding data is rejected if the readings differ by more than a predetermined amount. The rejection rate for the data is monitored and the operating speed of the navigation system is reduced if the data rejection rate is increased. This is useful to distinguish and eliminate noise from the data which truly represents the existence of an article in the field of operation of the vehicle.

• Research Organization: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-86NE37969
• Assignee: University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
• Patent Number(s): 5,239,515
• Application Number: 07/798,094
• OSTI ID: 6231925
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
CONTROL SYSTEMS
ELECTRONIC GUIDANCE
NAVIGATION
REAL TIME SYSTEMS
ROBOTS
SOUND WAVES
ULTRASONIC WAVES