Abstract: An obstacle monitoring system includes a transducer that receives an ultrasonic echo from an obstacle and generates a signal based on the echo. The system further includes a controller coupled to the transducer that is calibrated based on a frequency response of the transducer and a coupling circuit. The system further includes circuitry generating a damping current, controlled by the controller, that reduces or eliminates reverberation of the transducer.

Abstract: A smart ultrasonic integrated-circuit that allows at least one MEMS device to be combined with a piezoelectric transducer in a sensor array module. The sensor array module is capable of additional functionality for an advanced driver assistance system. For example, the MEMS device can add functionality because its wide bandwidth allows for simultaneous detection of audio signals and ultrasonic signals. Accordingly, the sensor array module may provide dual-mode (audio and ultrasonic) sensing in a single module. Additionally, the size/cost of a MEMS device allows for the use of a two-dimensional array for receiving ultrasonic echoes which can add a dimension to the ultrasonic range detection for a vehicle.

Abstract: A smart ultrasonic integrated-circuit that allows at least one MEMS device to be combined with a piezoelectric transducer in a sensor array module. The sensor array module is capable of additional functionality for an advanced driver assistance system. For example, the MEMS device can add functionality because its wide bandwidth allows for simultaneous detection of audio signals and ultrasonic signals. Accordingly, the sensor array module may provide dual-mode (audio and ultrasonic) sensing in a single module. Additionally the size/cost of a MEMS device allows for the use of a two-dimensional array for receiving ultrasonic echoes which can add a dimension to the ultrasonic range detection for a vehicle.

Abstract: An illustrative controller includes: a transmitter to drive an acoustic transducer to generate a first acoustic burst and a second acoustic burst; a receiver coupled to the acoustic transducer to sense a first response to the first acoustic burst and a second response to the second acoustic burst; and a processing circuit to derive output data from the first and second responses in part by determining an offset frequency difference between the first and second responses, wherein the first acoustic burst has a first characteristic frequency and the second acoustic burst has a second characteristic frequency different from the first characteristic frequency.

Abstract: Ultrasonic sensors, sensor controllers, and sensing methods may employ adaptive data compression to improve important aspects of measurement signal fidelity while retaining the main benefits of data compression. One illustrative sensor includes: a piezoelectric transducer; and a sensor controller. The sensor controller includes: a receiver coupled to an ultrasonic transducer to obtain a receive signal having one or more reflections of an acoustic burst within a measurement interval associated with the acoustic burst; a correlator configured to produce an output signal having a peak for each of the one or more reflections; and a compressor configured to determine a digital representation of the output signal for communication via a bus using at least one encoding parameter that varies within the measurement interval.

Abstract: illustrative vehicles, systems, and methods adapt ultrasonic sensing arrays for close-range communication with, e.g., smart devices, parking infrastructure, and other vehicles. As one example, an illustrative vehicle includes: one or more ultrasonic sensors configured for proximity sensing; and a controller configured to use the one or more ultrasonic sensors to receive an acoustic signal from a smart device by: detecting a trigger; generating with the one or more ultrasonic transducers an acoustic signal representing a beacon; upon receiving an acoustic signal representing a connection request, using the one or more ultrasonic transducers to send an acoustic signal representing a response to the connection request; and upon receiving an acoustic signal representing a command to the vehicle, executing the command and using the one or more ultrasonic transducers to send an acoustic response message acknowledging the command and communicating a result.

Abstract: Sensors may incorporate ultrasonic cleaning device controllers and methods to keep their exposed surfaces free from water, ice, and other adherent substances. One illustrative controller includes a driver configured to drive a transducer with a periodic waveform having voltage pulses and high impedance intervals repeating at a drive frequency. The controller may also include a receiver configured to measure a high impedance voltage of the transducer during the high impedance intervals. The controller may further include control logic configured to adjust the drive frequency using the high impedance voltage to track a resonance frequency of the transducer. Some implementations may use diagnostic bursts with lower voltage pulse magnitudes for tracking and cleaning bursts with higher voltage pulse magnitudes for cleaning. Duty cycle fading may be employed to prevent voltage overshoots after each burst.

Abstract: Sensors may incorporate ultrasonic cleaning device controllers and methods to keep their exposed surfaces free from water, ice, and other adherent substances. One illustrative controller includes a driver configured to drive a transducer with a periodic waveform having voltage pulses. The illustrative controller further includes control logic that performs a diagnostic operation using the periodic waveform to determine a resonance frequency of the transducer and performs a cleaning operation using the periodic waveform with a voltage pulse magnitude that is larger than a voltage pulse magnitude used for the diagnostic operation. Some implementations may use high impedance voltage measurements to enable drive frequency adaptation during driving. Duty cycle fading may be employed to prevent voltage overshoots after each burst.

Abstract: Sensors may incorporate ultrasonic cleaning device controllers and methods to keep their exposed surfaces free from water, ice, and other adherent substances. One illustrative controller includes a driver configured to drive a transducer with a periodic waveform having voltage pulses and high impedance intervals at a duty cycle having an initial value. The illustrative controller further includes control logic configured to reduce the duty cycle of the periodic waveform to a pre-termination value before terminating the periodic waveform with a high impedance state. Some implementations may use diagnostic bursts with lower voltage pulse magnitudes for tracking and cleaning bursts with higher voltage pulse magnitudes for cleaning. Drive frequency adaptation may be performed based on high impedance voltage measurements during excitation of the transducer.

Abstract: illustrative vehicles, systems, and methods adapt ultrasonic sensing arrays for close-range communication with, e.g., smart devices, parking infrastructure, and other vehicles. As one example, an illustrative vehicle includes: one or more ultrasonic sensors configured for proximity sensing; and a controller configured to use the one or more ultrasonic sensors to receive an acoustic signal from a smart device. As another example, an illustrative vehicle includes one or more microphones configured for at least one of noise cancellation, voice control, emergency vehicle detection, and proximity sensing; and a controller configured to use the one or more microphones to receive an acoustic signal from a smart device, the acoustic signal being in the frequency range between 18 kHz and 25 kHz, inclusive.

Abstract: Accordingly, there is disclosed herein host device and bus communication method that enables fast sensor device reinitialization that minimizes outage time associated with an unexpected device reset. In one illustrative embodiment, a bus master includes: a driver configured to drive a downlink signal on a bus signal line coupled to slave devices each with a dynamically-determined bus address; a receive buffer configured to sense an uplink signal on the bus signal line; and a controller coupled to the driver and the receive buffer, the controller being configured to implement a communication method via the bus signal line. The communication method includes: sending a query for a unique device identifier to a default bus address; and upon detecting a query timeout, initiating a data frame to collect time-division multiplexed data from the slave devices.

Abstract: An illustrative sensor controller includes: a transmitter, a first receiver, a second receiver, a propagation speed circuit, and a level circuit. The transmitter provides a drive signal to an ultrasonic sending transducer to generate an acoustic burst. The first receiver receives a first response signal from a first ultrasonic receiving transducer. The second receiver receives a second response signal from a second ultrasonic receiving transducer at a predetermined distance from the ultrasonic sending transducer. The propagation speed circuit is configured to detect a direct arrival of the acoustic burst in the second response signal and to measure a corresponding propagation speed. The level circuit detects a reflected arrival of the acoustic burst in the first response signal, measures a corresponding time of flight, and derives a fluid level based on the time of flight and the propagation speed.

Abstract: An illustrative sensor controller includes: a transmitter, a receiver, a time-of-flight circuit, and a phase shift circuit. The transmitter is configured to provide a drive signal to an ultrasonic sending transducer to generate an acoustic burst. The receiver is configured to receive a response signal from an ultrasonic receiving transducer. The time-of-flight circuit is configured to detect an arrival of the acoustic burst in the response signal and to measure a first time of flight associated with that arrival. The phase shift circuit is configured to measure a phase shift of the acoustic burst in the response signal and to determine a second time of flight corresponding to the phase shift.

Abstract: Ultrasonic sensors, sensor controllers, and sensor control methods are provided with self-cleaning functionality. An illustrative method includes: driving a piezoelectric transducer to generate a short acoustic burst for obstacle detection or distance measurement; obtaining a receive signal to monitor for reflections of the short acoustic burst; and operating to clean the sensor by driving the piezoelectric transducer to generate a long acoustic burst at a resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer. The method may be implemented by a sensor controller having a transmitter configured to drive the piezoelectric transducer, a receiver coupled to the piezoelectric transducer and a microphone to detect a reflection of the acoustic burst within a measurement interval associated with the acoustic burst; and a microcontroller configured to control a length of the acoustic burst.

Abstract: Accordingly, there is disclosed herein host device and bus communication method that enables fast sensor device reinitialization that minimizes outage time associated with an unexpected device reset. One illustrative bus communication method includes: providing each of one or more slave devices with a dynamically-determined bus address; querying each of the dynamically-determined bus addresses to obtain a unique device identifier associated with that dynamically-determined bus address; receiving a sequence of data frames each having time-division multiplexed data from the one or more slave devices; and between data frames in the sequence, checking to determine whether any of the one or more slave devices has been reset.

Abstract: An obstacle monitoring system includes a transducer that receives an ultrasonic echo from an obstacle and generates a signal based on the echo. The system further includes a controller coupled to the transducer that is calibrated based on a frequency response of the transducer and a coupling circuit. The system further includes circuitry generating a damping current, controlled by the controller, that reduces or eliminates reverberation of the transducer.

Abstract: Illustrative sensor controllers, sensors, sensing systems, and sensing methods, may enable cost-efficient implementation of ADAS (advanced driver-assistance system) features with hidden sensors. As one example, an illustrative sensing method includes: transmitting an acoustic burst through a surface over an ultrasonic transducer; receiving an acoustic signal with a MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) microphone, the MEMS microphone representing the acoustic signal as an electrical receive signal; and processing the electrical receive signal to detect a reflection of the acoustic burst.

Abstract: illustrative vehicles, systems, and methods adapt ultrasonic sensing arrays for close-range communication with, e.g., smart devices, parking infrastructure, and other vehicles. As one example, an illustrative vehicle includes: one or more ultrasonic sensors configured for proximity sensing; and a controller configured to use the one or more ultrasonic sensors to receive an acoustic signal from a smart device. As another example, an illustrative vehicle includes one or more microphones configured for at least one of noise cancellation, voice control, emergency vehicle detection, and proximity sensing; and a controller configured to use the one or more microphones to receive an acoustic signal from a smart device, the acoustic signal being in the frequency range between 18 kHz and 25 kHz, inclusive.

Abstract: An illustrative controller includes: a transmitter to drive an acoustic transducer to generate a first acoustic burst and a second acoustic burst; a receiver coupled to the acoustic transducer to sense a first response to the first acoustic burst and a second response to the second acoustic burst; and a processing circuit to derive output data from the first and second responses in part by determining an offset frequency difference between the first and second responses, wherein the first acoustic burst has a first characteristic frequency and the second acoustic burst has a second characteristic frequency different from the first characteristic frequency.

Abstract: Breathing sensors, sensing methods, and vehicle occupant monitoring systems may employ ultrasonic transducers. One illustrative sensing method includes: sensing an acoustic transducer's responses to a series of acoustic bursts emitted in a vehicle's cabin; differencing pairs of said responses to obtain difference signals; converting the difference signals into magnitude signals; performing peak detection on each of the magnitude signals to obtain at least one peak amplitude; and providing a breathing signal based on the at least one peak amplitude. The breathing signal may be an occupancy detection flag, an occupant position, a breathing frequency, and/or any combination thereof.