Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and a device for determining relevant variables of an object in the environment of a motor vehicle by means of at least one ultrasonic, the method comprising: acquiring a measurement series of real sensor values for the at least one ultrasonic sensor, which sensor values represent the shortest distance between the object and the motor vehicle, wherein the sensor values are acquired cyclically with a specified time interval, modeling a series of sensor values for the at least one ultrasonic sensor by modeling the object movement using a state vector and a parameter vector, and modeling the distance sensing in accordance with the state vector and the parameter vector, and determining the state vector and the parameter vector by adapting the modeled sensor values to the measured real sensor values of the at least one ultrasonic sensor by means of an optimization method.

Abstract: An inductive sensor may track an angle of a movable element. In some cases, it is desirable to operate the inductive sensor using battery power so that turns are tracked properly even when power is lost. The disclosed inductive sensor includes circuitry to conserve power, such as a non-resonant driver that allows for fast measurements without wasting energy and a difference encoder that can estimate the angle within a range without the need for digitization and complicated processing.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for estimating wave properties of a body of water. A computer-implemented system obtains measurement data for a duration of time from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) onboard an underwater device, generates model input data based on at least the measurement data obtained at the plurality of time points, and processes the model input data to generate model output data indicating one or more wave properties using a machine-learning model. The system further determines, based on at least the one or more wave properties, whether the device is safe to be deployed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the quality of ultrasound images made up of a combination of multiple sub-images include giving more weight to sub-image information that is more likely to improve a combined image quality. Weighting factor information may be determined from the geometry (e.g., angle or path length) of a location of one or more specific transducer elements relative to a specific point within a region of interest or a region of an image. In some embodiments, any given pixel (or other discrete region of an image) may be formed by combining received echo data in a manner that gives more weight to data that is likely to improve image quality, and/or discounting or ignoring data that is likely to detract from image quality (e.g., by introducing noise or by increasing point spread).

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. The first electrode is provided an ultrasonic microphone that includes a vibration element that provides a function for converting between mechanical vibrations and electrical signals. The second electrode is externally from the ultrasonic microphone such that an electrical characteristic between the second electrode and the first electrode changes based on an adhesion state of substances adhering to the ultrasonic microphone. The third electrode is provided so as to suppress changes in the electrical characteristic between the first electrode and the second electrode caused by factors other than the adhesion of substances adhering to the ultrasonic microphone.

Abstract: Focused acoustic radiation, referred to as tonebursts, are applied to a volume of liquid to generate a set of droplets. The droplets generated are substantially smaller in scale than the focal spot size of the acoustic beam (e.g., the frequency at which the acoustic transducer operates). Further, the droplets have trajectories that are substantially in the direction of the acoustic beam propagation direction. In one embodiment, a first toneburst is applied to temporarily raise a protuberance on a free surface of the fluid. After the protuberance has reached a certain state, a second toneburst is applied to the protuberance to break it into very small droplets. In one embodiment, the state of the protuberance at which the second toneburst is supplied is the time period shortly after the protuberance reaches its maximum height but before the protuberance recedes back into the volume of fluid.

Abstract: Described herein are Compressive Sensing algorithms developed for automated reduction of NDE/SHM data from pitch-catch ultrasonic guided waves as well as a methodology using Compressive Sensing at two stages in the data acquisition and analysis process to detect damage: (1) temporally undersampled sensor signals from (2) spatially undersampled sensor arrays, resulting in faster data acquisition and reduced data sets without any loss in damage detection ability.

Abstract: The present application provides a method, device and system for determining a relative angle between intelligent devices, and intelligent devices. The method is applicable to a first intelligent device. The first intelligent device includes a first sound detection module and a second sound detection module. The relative angle between intelligent devices can be determined quickly, simply, conveniently and accurately.

Abstract: Circuitry comprising excitation circuitry for supplying a transducer with an excitation signal to generate a detection signal and current monitor circuitry for monitoring current through the transducer.

Abstract: A device for ultrasonic object detection, having at least two independent transducers that are able to emit at least two ultrasonic signals respectively in order to produce reflected ultrasonic signals in return, and able to receive the reflected ultrasonic signals, wherein it has an electronic processing unit configured so as to convert the received reflected ultrasonic signals into respective spectrograms, in an audible frequency band, and form respective audible temporal signals through an inverse Fourier transform of the spectrograms.

Abstract: A cell transfer device includes a base on which a container accommodating a plurality of cells is mounted, a head with a suction tip attached that sucks the cells in the container, and a control unit that controls the head. The cells are placed on a placement surface that is an upper surface of an underlying culture medium layer including a gel-like culture medium. The control unit acquires information on a height position of the placement surface, specifies a suction height for the cells existing at a first point on the placement surface, and causes the suction tip to suck the cells. Then, the control unit causes the suction tip to suck the cells existing at a second point different from the first point on the placement surface by using the suction height of the first point.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes an adhesion sensor including a variable capacitance and a fixed capacitance. The variable capacitance includes a sensor electrode provided on a first surface of a bottom having a microphone installed thereon and a capacitance value thereof changes in accordance with adhesion of foreign matter on the first surface. The fixed capacitance includes a first electrode connected to the sensor electrode, and a second electrode provided on a member different from a microphone housing and disposed facing the first electrode. The adhesion sensor further includes an adhesion detecting section that is connected to the sensor electrode via the fixed capacitance and detects adhesion of foreign matter to the first surface by supplying an alternating-current signal to the fixed capacitance and the variable capacitance.

Abstract: A system can receive a request for service from the computing device of a requesting user of the network service. The system can select a driver to provide the service for the requesting user, and transmit an invitation to the computing device of the selected driver to facilitate the request for service. The system can receive a dataset from a first device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver, the dataset indicating that the first device has detected an ultrasonic signal outputted by a second device of the computing device of the requesting user or the computing device of the selected driver. Based on receiving the dataset, the system can verify that a rendezvous between the requesting user and the selected driver has occurred.

Abstract: The present specification relates to systems and methods capable of detecting and tracking a perpetrator of the vehicle break-in. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method of tracking a perpetrator of a break-in in a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes detecting, using one or more sensors, that the vehicle has been broken in and monitoring the perpetrator during the break-in using in-vehicle data from the one or more sensors. The method further includes receiving the crowdsourced data on the perpetrator and combining the in-vehicle data and the crowdsourced data to form an integrated data set. Finally, the method tracks the perpetrator using the integrated data set.

Abstract: A MEMS device includes a MEMS sound transducer, and control circuitry. The control circuitry includes a supply signal provider for providing a high-level supply signal and read-out circuitry for receiving an output signal from the MEMS sound transducer, and a switching arrangement for selectively connecting the MEMS sound transducer to the supply signal provider, and for selectively connecting the MEMS sound transducer to the read-out circuitry based on a control signal. The control circuitry provides the control signal having an ultrasonic actuation pattern to the switching arrangement during a first condition TX of the control signal, wherein the ultrasonic actuation pattern of the control signal triggers the switching arrangement for alternately coupling the high-level supply signal to the MEMS sound transducer.

Abstract: Disclosed are power machines and systems configured to provide autonomous or augmented control of the machines in a localized positioning environment in which GPS navigation is not available. Also disclosed are methods of providing augmented control of a power machine in such an environment.

Abstract: Disclosed are an object recognition apparatus and method for a vehicle. The object recognition apparatus for a vehicle may include two or more sensors each configured to transmit a signal toward an object and receive signals having a direct path and indirect path and reflected and received from the object, a time of flight (ToF) detector configured to detect ToFs of the direct path and indirect path of each of the two or more sensors using the signals having the direct path and indirect path and received by each of the two or more sensors, and an object recognizer configured to recognize the object using the ToFs of the direct path and indirect path of each of the two or more sensors, detected by the ToF detector.

Abstract: A method of performing distance estimation between a first recording device at a first location and a second recording device at a second location includes: estimating acoustic relative transfer function (RTF) between the first recording device and the second recording device for a sound signal, e.g., by applying an improved proportionate normalized least mean square (IPNLMS) filter; and estimating the distance between the first recording device and the second recording device based on the RTF. The at least one acoustic feature extracted from the RTF estimated between the first recording device and the second recording device includes at least one of clarity index, direct-to-reverberant ratio (DRR), and reverberation time. A distributed-gradient-boosting algorithm with regression trees is used in combination with signal-to-reverberation ratio (SRR) and the at least one acoustic feature extracted from the RTF to estimate the distance between the first recording device and the second recording device.

Abstract: A parking assistance device includes a recognition part that is configured to acquire recognition information through recognition of surroundings of a host vehicle, a maneuver controller that is configured to perform maneuver control to park the host vehicle in a parking region based on the recognition information, a maintain stop position controller that is configured to keep the host vehicle stationary after the host vehicle is stopped by the maneuver control of the maneuver controller until a predetermined operation is received from a driver, a determination part that is configured to determine a type of the parking region in which the host vehicle is to be parked with the maneuver controller; and a decision part that is configured to determine, in accordance with the type of the parking region that is determined by the determination part, a parking reference location that is used to park the host vehicle in the parking region.

Abstract: A device comprises a processor coupled with an ultrasonic transducer coupled which is configured to emit an ultrasonic pulse and receive returned signals received after a ringdown period of the transducer and corresponding to the emitted ultrasonic pulse. The processor is configured to evaluate the returned signals to find a candidate echo, from an object located in a ringdown blind spot area, in a time window between one and two times the ringdown period; locate multiple echoes from the object of higher order than the candidate echo; validate the candidate echo as at least a secondary echo associated of the object; and determine, based on analysis of the returned signals, an estimated distance from the transducer to the object in the ringdown blind spot area, wherein the ringdown blind spot area is located between the transducer and a closest distance at which objects can be sensed by the transducer.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for estimating wave properties of a body of water. A computer-implemented system obtains measurement data for a duration of time from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) onboard an underwater device, generates model input data based on at least the measurement data obtained at the plurality of time points, and processes the model input data to generate model output data indicating one or more wave properties using a machine-learning model. The system further determines, based on at least the one or more wave properties, whether the device is safe to be deployed.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a propulsion unit configured to move the vehicle and to change a characteristic of the environment of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a proximity sensor configured to detect the characteristic of the environment of the vehicle. The characteristic of the environment is changed by operation of the propulsion unit. The vehicle further includes obstacle detection circuitry configured to determine a presence of an obstacle in the vicinity of the vehicle based on a comparison between the detected characteristic of the environment and a reference value.

Abstract: A sonar unit includes: a circuit substrate on which a transducer, electronic components constituting a circuit configured to drive the transducer, and an input-output terminal for the circuit are mounted; and a shield unit. The shield unit includes a plate portion at a position where the plate portion overlaps at least a part of the electronic components when the shield unit is viewed in a thickness direction of the rectangular circuit substrate. The shield unit includes a window portion provided as a through-hole or a notch. The window portion is placed at a position close to the input-output terminal in a longitudinal direction of the rectangular circuit substrate when the window portion is viewed in the thickness direction of the rectangular circuit substrate.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic detection system that uses frequency-modulation coding to distinguish emitted bursts from multiple transducers, a receiver associated with a transducer uses dynamic thresholding to discriminate valid echoes from system and environmental noise in multiple envelope signals produced by multiple correlators. The time-varying dynamic thresholds are generated from the mean of noise in a respective envelope derived from the output of a respective correlator. Multiple thresholds can be combined together such that a single time-varying threshold is applied to all correlators' envelopes. Such thresholding has the benefits of a constant false-alarm rate with regard to detection of echoes (as opposed to false triggering from noise), and, owing to finer-resolution and adaptive thresholds, can detect targets or obstacles as further distances and with greater time responsiveness.

Abstract: A method for correcting a position of a vehicle when parking in a parking space. The method includes determining the position of the vehicle on the basis of odometry information, sensing ultrasonic signals from a linear object, carrying out a method for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) on the basis of the linear object and the ultrasonic signals, and correcting the position of the vehicle A control device for a driving support system of a vehicle is also disclosed, which is designed to receive odometry information of the vehicle, to receive ultrasonic signals from at least one ultrasonic sensor of the driving support system, and to carry out the aforementioned method. A driving support system for a vehicle with an aforementioned control device and with at least one ultrasonic sensor is disclosed. The invention likewise relates to a vehicle with an aforementioned driving support system.

Abstract: A female urinary diagnostic device including a urine stream collection container having a discharge opening and a stream collection opening, the stream collection opening being configured to surround and isolate a urethral opening, a probe guide passage configured for interior engagement with a vaginal opening for placement of the stream collection opening relative to the urethral opening, and an internal baffle that defines an interior wall of the urine stream collection container that provides a spillway from the stream collection opening to the discharge opening and cooperates with at least a urine sensing device, where the spillway provides urine passage to the urine sensing device and a collection tank, wherein the internal baffle forms at least a portion of the probe guide passage and defines a sounding probe guide surface that positions a sounding probe within the vaginal opening.

Abstract: A measuring system is disclosed. The measuring system includes a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device including a piezoelectric substrate and a first and second electrode disposed on a surface of the piezoelectric substrate, and a measuring device communicatively coupled to the first electrode via a first probe and the second electrode via a second probe and configured to apply an electrical signal to the first and second electrode to generate an incident bulk acoustic wave within the piezoelectric substrate, detect at least a first reflected bulk acoustic wave and a second reflected bulk acoustic wave at the first and second electrode, and calculate a thickness between a first interface corresponding to the first reflected bulk acoustic wave and a second interface corresponding to the second reflected bulk acoustic wave based on a time elapsed between detecting the first and second reflected bulk acoustic waves.

Abstract: Techniques for detecting and presenting rewards for presence are disclosed. Presence of a mobile device within a building is detected based on a plurality of triggers including a degradation of a first signal and a concurrent improvement of a second signal. The triggers are identified by a client-side application of the mobile device or a corresponding server-side processor with which the client-side application is in communication and from which the client-side application is configured to automatically receive available rewards. In response to detecting presence within the building, the server-side processor determines that a user of the mobile device is eligible for a reward, and the reward is provided to the user via the client-side application at the mobile device.

Abstract: An ultrasonic and optical waveguide apparatus includes a face plate and an ultrasonic waveguide extending through a portion of the face plate. The ultrasonic waveguide has a hollow interior with an interior diameter tapered along an elongate axis of the ultrasonic waveguide. The elongate axis of the ultrasonic waveguide is oriented orthogonal to the face plate. An optical shield extends through at least a portion of the hollow interior of the ultrasonic waveguide. The optical shield prevents transmission of a portion of light through the hollow interior.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus including at least one measurement unit, in which the measurement unit includes: a voltage level converter that applies an arbitrary bias to a voltage obtained on the basis of an output from a light receiver to offset a level of the voltage; an amplifier that amplifies a voltage output from the voltage level converter; and a measurement section that measures a timing at which an output from the amplifier reaches a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An ultrasound detect circuit includes a decimator that decimates a transmit signal to be transmitted through an ultrasonic transducer. The transmit signal is decimated to generate first and second template signals. The decimator uses a different decimation ratio to generate the first template signal than the second template signal. The circuit also includes a first correlator to correlate a signal derived from the ultrasonic transducer with the first template signal, aa second correlator to correlate the signal derived from the ultrasonic transducer with the second template signal, and a Doppler shift determination circuit to determine a Doppler frequency shift based on an output from the first correlator and an output from the second correlator.

Abstract: Provided is an ultrasonic sensor device and a sensing method thereof. The device includes a driving unit for providing a transmission pulse to a transducer which transmits an ultrasonic wave and receives an echo of the ultrasonic wave; an amplifier for amplifying an electrical signal for the echo; an analog-to-digital converter for converting the amplified electrical signal into an original digital signal; a signal processor for performing an envelope extraction processing of the original digital signal to generate an extracted signal; and a control unit for outputting a distance signal with respect to an external object based on the original digital signal and the extracted signal, wherein the control unit includes: a test frequency generator for applying a test frequency signal to the transducer, and an excitation frequency measuring unit for measuring the excitation frequency generated in the transducer.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus includes a transmitting portion configured to transmit a transmission wave, a receiving portion configured to receive a reception wave based on the transmission wave which returned, an estimation portion configured to estimate an amount of frequency transition between the transmission wave and the reception wave on the basis of a result of a frequency analysis, a correction portion configured to correct the reception wave to obtain consistency of frequencies with the transmission wave on the basis of an estimation result of the estimation portion, and a detection portion configured to detect information related to the object on the basis of a relation between the transmission wave and the corrected reception wave corrected by the correction portion.

Abstract: A distance sensor (1) for estimating a distance to a surface (OS) of an object (O), the distance sensor including a micro electric mechanical system (MEMS) (5), a detection means (30) and a processing device (40). The MEMS comprises a MEMS device (10) having a surface (12), denoted as MEMS sensor surface, to be arranged opposite the surface (OS) of said object (O) and a MEMS driver (20) for generating an ac driving signal to cause the MEMS sensor surface (12) to vibrate. The detection means (30) is to determine a value of a property of a dynamic behavior of the MEMS (5) and the processing device (40) is to estimate an average distance (h) as a measured distance (D2) between the MEMS sensor surface (12) and the surface (Os) of the object (O) based on the determined value for said property.

Abstract: A node transmits/receives signals over first and second communication channels having non-equal propagation speeds. When node identifies reset signal received over first communication channel, it adjusts internal clock, transmits acknowledgement signal and initiates acknowledgement process. When reset signal not identified, node transmits reset signal over first communication channel and receives response signal from one node. If response signal is acknowledgement signal, acknowledgement process is initiated. If response signal is non-acknowledgement signal, internal clock is adjusted and acknowledgement process is initiated. In acknowledgement process, node determines distance to other nodes by measuring travelling time for signal over second communication channel exchanges distance information with other nodes, and fine tunes internal clock of each node when transmitting over first communication channel.

Abstract: Example implementations relate to gathering audio data. For example, a system can include a range sensor to determine a location and distance of an object. The system can include a microphone to gather audio data at the location and from within a threshold proximity of the object. The system can include a computing device to determine a portion of audio data outside the threshold proximity of the object to remove.

Abstract: An object detection device which determines an amplitude Ar of an ultrasonic wave received by a receiving unit, detects a frequency fr of the ultrasonic wave, sweeps a frequency fp of a pulse signal after a predetermined time has elapsed from start of generation of the pulse signal, and determines that the received ultrasonic wave is a reflected wave of the probe wave when the frequency fr after the amplitude Ar becomes a predetermined reference value or more from start of transmission of the probe wave makes the same change as the frequency fp. When an ultrasonic wave received by a receiver is determined to be a reflected wave of the probe wave, the object detection unit calculates a distance to an object based on a time from transmission of the probe wave to reception of the ultrasonic wave.

Abstract: A reception device for receiving a radio signal, designed to estimate a time of arrival of the radio signal. The reception device includes a reception module designed to receive the radio signal, and a detection module configured so as to: measure a current supplied by an electric power source to the reception module, detect a current peak measured by the detection module, the current peak being caused by the reception of the radio signal by the reception module, and determine the time of arrival of the radio signal on the basis of the time of detection of the detected current peak.

Abstract: A microphone assembly comprises a substrate and an enclosure disposed on the substrate. A port is defined in one of the substrate or the enclosure. An acoustic transducer is configured to generate an electrical signal in response to acoustic activity. The acoustic transducer comprises a membrane separating a front volume from a back volume of the microphone assembly. The front volume is in fluidic communication with the port, and the back volume is filled with a first gas having a thermal conductivity lower than a thermal conductivity of air. An integrated circuit is electrically coupled to the acoustic transducer and configured to receive the electrical signal from the acoustic transducer. At least a portion of a boundary defining at least one of the front volume or the back volume is configured to have compliance so as to allow pressure equalization. The first gas is different from the second gas.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for dynamic, cognitive hybrid positioning within an indoor environment includes: receiving fingerprinting training data corresponding to the indoor environment, trilateration data corresponding to the indoor environment, triangulation data corresponding to the indoor environment, or a combination of the fingerprinting training data, the trilateration data, and/or the triangulation data; estimating a layout of the indoor environment based at least in part on the fingerprinting training data; classifying at least some areas of the estimated layout according to one of a plurality of predetermined area types; and determining an optimum positioning technique to utilize for each area of the estimated layout, wherein the optimum positioning technique is determined based at least in part on the area type.

Abstract: The disclosure discloses an ultrasonic sensing device, including a first shell portion, a second shell portion and an ultrasonic sensor. The first shell portion has a first through hole. The first through hole includes a first opening and a second opening. The second shell portion has a second through hole. The second through hole includes a third opening and a fourth opening. The ultrasonic sensor includes a transmitting unit and a receiving unit. The transmitting unit is coupled to the first opening. The receiving unit is coupled to the third opening. At least one of the second opening and the fourth opening is elongated. The ultrasonic sensing device greatly reduces the direct transmission of ultrasonic wave from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit.

Abstract: A vehicle computing system may implement techniques to dynamically adjust a volume and/or frequency of a sound emitted from a vehicle to warn an object (e.g., dynamic object) of a potential conflict with the vehicle. The techniques may include determining a baseline noise level and/or frequencies proximate to the object. The baseline noise level and/or frequencies may be determined based on an identification of one or more noise generating objects in the environment. The vehicle computing system may determine the volume and/or a frequency of the sound based in part on the baseline noise level and/or frequencies, an urgency of the warning, a probability of conflict between the vehicle and the object, a speed of the object, etc.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving transit time and/or phase measurement and/or for synchronization in digital transmission systems. According to the invention, at least one first, particularly digital, piece of information in at least one first analog signal is transmitted in encoded form between two objects by means of the transmission system and at least one first sample value of the at least one first analog signal is used to determine a temporal position and/or phase relationship. The at least one first sample value lies in a rising or falling edge of the at least one first analog signal and/or of the at least one first received analog signal, which can be recognized, for example, from the sample value itself and/or the characteristic of adjacent sample values.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display panel configured to display an image and a plurality of vibration generating devices on a rear surface of the display panel, the display panel being at least one of a vibration plate configured to output sound and a vibration plate configured to output a haptic vibration. Each of the plurality of vibration generating devices includes a first electrode under the display panel, a piezoelectric member under the first electrode, a damping member in a periphery the piezoelectric member, and a second electrode under the piezoelectric member.

Abstract: Features for systems and methods for loading items into a tray are disclosed. The system may have an item conveyor configured to move the items towards a tray conveyor. The tray conveyor may be configured to move trays to receive items from the item conveyor into the tray. One or more sensors may detect the height of the items on the item conveyor and/or in the tray, and/or the position of the trays on the tray conveyor. A controller may receive data related to the one or more detected heights of the items and/or the position of the trays on the tray conveyor and correspondingly control movement of the item and/or tray conveyors for efficient loading of items into the tray and efficient movement of the trays for further processing. Tray conveyor movement sensors may detect movement of the trays or tray conveyors for further control or reliability of the system.

Abstract: An inspection system includes: a sheet material that is attached to a surface of a pipe and has two-dimensional patterns drawn thereon that are arranged on the pipe and indicate positions on the pipe; a reader that is mounted to an ultrasonic probe and reads the two-dimensional patterns; and a calculation unit that acquires position data on the pipe based on the two-dimensional patterns read by the reader. The inspection system associates the position data with a flaw detection result obtained from a detection result based on the ultrasonic probe.

Abstract: An object detection device includes: a transducer having a vibrator transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave and configured to transmit a transmission signal encoded to be imparted with identification information and receive the transmission signal reflected by an object as a reception signal; a correlation processing unit acquiring a first correlation value corresponding to a degree of similarity between the identification information of the transmission and reception signals and to determine whether the reception signal to which the identification information having a predetermined level or higher degree of similarity with the identification information of the transmission signal is imparted has been received; and a detection unit detecting information about the object when determined that the reception signal to which the identification information having the predetermined level or higher degree of similarity is imparted has been received.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transceiver can detect the presence of nearby moving objects while rejecting signals from stationary targets and from transmitter signal feedthrough. Data corresponding to received ultrasound signals are stored in a digital memory. For each sample in a measurement, a difference is calculated between corresponding samples in the stored data corresponding to received signals for current and previous measurements to estimate a time of flight to a moving object.

Abstract: An object detection apparatus drives a piezoelectric vibrator to transmit an ultrasonic wave, and receives a reflected wave that is reflected from an object. The object detection apparatus includes the piezoelectric vibrator, a drive circuit that supplies drive power which drives the piezoelectric vibrator, and a resistor section that is connected in parallel with the piezoelectric vibrator and has a resistance value that is variable.

Abstract: Techniques for locating and identifying mobile devices are described. According to various embodiments, an ambient sound signal may be detected using a microphone of a mobile device. Thereafter, it may be determined that the ambient sound signal corresponds to a predefined user query for assistance in locating the mobile device. For the, a predefined response sound corresponding to the predefined user query may be emitted, using a speaker of the mobile device.