Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a controlled sound field. In one example, the system and method perform or include receiving a sound wave emitted from a sound source; determining, with an electronic processor, a pattern of at least one of an amplitude change and a phase change necessary to create a desired sound field using the sound wave; determining, with the electronic processor, a plurality of passive sound-modulating elements needed to generate the pattern of at least one of the amplitude change and the phase change; and constructing the plurality of sound-modulating elements to generate the controlled sound field.

Abstract: A dual frequency ultrasound transducer includes a high frequency ultrasound array and a low frequency transducer positioned behind or proximal to the high frequency ultrasound array. In one embodiment, a dampening material is positioned between a rear surface of the high frequency array and the a front surface of the low frequency array. The dampening preferably is high absorbing of signals at the frequency of the high frequency array but passes signals at the frequency of the low frequency transducer with little attenuation. In additional, or alternatively, the low frequency can angled with respect to the plane of the high frequency transducer to reduce inter-stack multipath reflections. Beamforming delays compensate for the differences in physical distances between the elements of the low frequency transducer and the plane of the high frequency transducer.

Abstract: System for diagnosing the wheel alignment of a vehicle includes a measuring device configured to measure a characteristic parameter of the wheel alignment, wherein the measuring device comprises a wireless communication device to remotely transmit a signal related to the characteristic parameter. The system further comprises a portable remote device, distinct and separate from the measuring device, having a wireless communication device to remotely receive the signal related to the measured characteristic parameter, and a control unit adapted to receive the related signal from the wireless communication device and to carry out a step of processing the signal to derive a value of the characteristic parameter. The portable remote device further has a screen to display a characteristic information representative of the value of the characteristic parameter, and a battery connected to the wireless communication device, to the control unit and to the screen to allow their respective operation.

Abstract: A lidar sensor system and method use the parallax phenomenon to determine one or more attributes of an object, such its distance, size, or shape. An optical element illuminates the object with a linear beam along a first plane. A photodetector is displaced from the optical element so that it detects the reflection of the linear beam from the object along a second plane, which is at an angle to the first plane. A computer-implemented line detection module determines a measure of deviation of the linear beam reflection from a vanishing point of the first plane. A computer-implemented analysis module determines the attribute based on the measure of deviation.

Abstract: A laser diode firing circuit for a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device that includes an inductively coupled feedback system is disclosed. The firing circuit includes a laser diode coupled in series with a transistor, such that current through the laser diode is controlled by the transistor. The laser diode is configured to emit a pulse of light in response to current flowing through the laser diode. A feedback loop is positioned to be inductively coupled to a current path of the firing circuit that includes the laser diode. As such, a change in current flowing through the laser diode induces a voltage in the feedback loop. A change in voltage across the leads of the feedback loop can be detected and the timing of the voltage change can be used to determine the time that current begins flowing through the laser diode.

Abstract: This wave source direction estimation apparatus is capable of highly accurately estimating the direction of a wave source even in an environment with a high surrounding noise level, and is provided with: a plurality of input signal acquisition means for acquiring signals generated at a wave source as input signals; a correlation function calculation means for calculating correlation functions on the basis of the input signals acquired by the input signal acquisition means; an envelope function extraction means for extracting envelope functions on the basis of the calculated correlation functions; a combined envelope function calculation means for calculating a combined envelope function by combining the extracted envelope functions; and an estimated direction information generation means for generating estimated direction information about the wave source on the basis of the calculated combined envelope function.

Abstract: A method for scanning a transmitted beam through a 360° FOV in a LIDAR system using no moving parts. The method includes generating a laser beam, frequency modulating the laser beam, and directing the frequency modulated laser beam to a spiral phase plate resonator (SPPR) device. The method further includes directing the beam from the SPPR device onto a conical mirror, and receiving a reflected beam from the target. The method mixes and correlates the transmitted beam and the reflected beam, calculates a fast Fourier transform of signals representing the mixed transmitted and reflected beams, determines beat frequencies in the mixed and transformed signals, identifies intermediate frequencies in the beat frequencies, estimates a time delay between the transmitted beam and the reflected beam from the beat frequencies to determine the distance to the target, and determines a Doppler frequency from the beat frequencies to determine the velocity of the target.

Abstract: In a light deflection device and a lidar device, a parallel operation can be realized with a simple constitution, so as to avoid enlargement or complication of a system. The reflection angle of the light deflection device depends on a wavelength and a refractive index, so that light beams with respective wavelengths different from each other are simultaneously and parallelly deflected in directions of deflection angles each defined by the wavelength and the refractive index. The light beams with the plural wavelengths different from each other are deflected at the different deflection angles each defined by each wavelength and the refractive index, so that they can be deflected simultaneously and parallelly. The plural deflected light beams can be distinguished from each other based on the difference in the wavelength and the deflection angle of the light, even in the simultaneous and parallel operation.

Abstract: A method of determining a temporal position of a received signal within a sample series is disclosed. The method includes sampling a sensor at a sampling frequency to generate the sample series. A matched filter set of matched filters is applied to the sample series to generate a matched filter correlation set of matched filter correlations, wherein impulse responses of respective matched filters correspond to a template signal at the sampling frequency of the sensor shifted by a sub-interval shift. The matched filter correlations are evaluated to determine a received signal sub-interval shift. The temporal position of the received signal within the sample series is determined based on at least the received signal sub-interval shift.

Abstract: A measurement configuration of a remote sensing device for use in implementing a remote sensing measurement campaign is improved. One method includes adjusting a scan geometry configuration of the remote sensing device during the measurement campaign based on measurement data acquired in a previous scan geometry configuration. In another method, the remote sensing device is configured in a scan geometry configuration having a plurality of scan geometries, and following acquisition of a measurement data set by the remote sensing device at a first time interval, one of the scan geometries indicative of an improved or optimal scan geometry at the first time interval is selected. The remote sensing device forms part of a remote sensing system and includes an optical source emitting a probe as a light beam along different lines of sight. The remote sensing device includes or is operatively associated with a receiver for detecting the reflected probe.

Abstract: A system, article, and method of acoustic angle of arrival detection uses both same-time and delayed-time audio signal value comparisons in a time domain that are input to a classifier neural network.

Abstract: An operating mode of a laser scanner is selected from a plurality of operating modes in dependence on a driving state of a vehicle.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, a laser marker includes a supporter, a movable portion, at least one laser optical source, a tilt sensor, a first actuator, and a controller. The movable portion is tiltably supported by the supporter. The tilt sensor is provided to the movable portion, detects a first tilt of the movable portion, and outputs a first detection value that indicates the first tilt. The first actuator changes a tilt of the movable portion with respect to the supporter. The controller controls the first actuator such that a center value of a first series of detection values and a reference value coincide with each other.

Abstract: A computing system may operate a LIDAR device to emit and detect light pulses in accordance with a time sequence including standard detection period(s) that establish a nominal detection range for the LIDAR device and extended detection period(s) having durations longer than those of the standard detection period(s). The system may then make a determination that the LIDAR detected return light pulse(s) during extended detection period(s) that correspond to particular emitted light pulse(s). Responsively, the computing system may determine that the detected return light pulse(s) have detection times relative to corresponding emission times of particular emitted light pulse(s) that are indicative of one or more ranges. Given this, the computing system may make a further determination of whether or not the one or more ranges indicate that an object is positioned outside of the nominal detection range, and may then engage in object detection in accordance with the further determination.

Abstract: Method for acquiring seismic data is described. The method includes determining a non-uniform optimal sampling design that includes a compressive sensing sampling grid. Placing a plurality of source lines or receiver lines at a non-uniform optimal line interval. Placing a plurality of receivers or nodes at a non-uniform optimal receiver interval. Towing a plurality of streamers attached to a vessel, wherein the plurality of streamers is spaced apart at non-uniform optimal intervals based on the compressive sensing sampling grid. Firing a plurality of shots from one or more seismic sources at non-uniform optimal shot intervals. Acquiring seismic data via the plurality of receivers or nodes.

Abstract: Techniques for acoustic vehicle location tracking are presented. In one embodiment, a processor receives, from a radio-frequency positioning system, measurements of a candidate location for a plurality of vehicles and receives, from a plurality of acoustic sensors, acoustic signals associated with a detected vehicle. The acoustic signals are compared to an acoustic vehicle signature library that includes acoustic information associated with the vehicles. Upon determining that the acoustic signals match acoustic information associated with a vehicle in the acoustic vehicle signature library, the measurements of the candidate location of the detected vehicle based on the radio-frequency signals are compared with a location of the vehicle based on the acoustic signals. Upon determining that the measurements of the candidate location are within a predetermined area of the location of the detected vehicle, the measurements are provided to a vehicle location database.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a laser, a transceiver, and one or more optics. The laser source is configured to generate a beam. The transceiver is configured to transmit the beam as a transmit signal through a transmission waveguide and to receive a return signal reflected by an object through a receiving waveguide. The one or more optics are external to the transceiver and configured to optically change a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal by displacing one of the transmit signal or the return signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a small spatial sound source orientation detecting device, including a circuit board; three or more MEMS acoustic-electric transducers fixedly arranged on the circuit board and centrosymmetric distribution. The distance between adjacent MEMS acoustic-electric transducers is not more than one-half of the shortest wavelength of the sound source signal; and a micro-control unit, each MEMS acoustic-electric transducer is electrically connected to the micro-control unit respectively. The micro-control unit is to obtain the orientation information of the spatial sound source based on the acoustic signals collected by three or more MEMS acoustic-electric transducers. The present invention also provides a spatial sound source orientation detection method. The small spatial sound source orientation detecting device of the present invention has an ultra-small space size, and can accurately detect the orientation information of the sound source.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to determine a traveling time for a plurality of received light pulses that reflected and returned from an object. Each returned light pulse is associated with a timestamp indicating a time between a transmission time of a corresponding light pulse and a time of arrival of the returned light pulse. For each timestamp, a number C is determined of time stamps that are subsequent to the timestamp and within a predetermined time window after the timestamp. A maximum number C is determined, and an index i is determined for the maximum number C. A traveling time is determined for the plurality of light pulses as an average of the timestamp having a same index as the maximum number C and timestamps that are within the predetermined time window after the timestamp having the same index as the maximum number C.

Abstract: A method of performing a seismic survey including: deploying nodal seismic sensors at positions in a survey region; activating a plurality of seismic sources; and using the nodal seismic sensors to record seismic signals generated in response to the activation of the plurality of signals.