CN112805593A - Transducer device, sonar module, and control method therefor - Google Patents
Transducer device, sonar module, and control method therefor Download PDFInfo
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- CN112805593A CN112805593A CN201880097671.0A CN201880097671A CN112805593A CN 112805593 A CN112805593 A CN 112805593A CN 201880097671 A CN201880097671 A CN 201880097671A CN 112805593 A CN112805593 A CN 112805593A
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 24
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 claims description 32
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 17
- 241000251468 Actinopterygii Species 0.000 description 12
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 6
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000035945 sensitivity Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05D—SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- G05D1/00—Control of position, course or altitude of land, water, air, or space vehicles, e.g. automatic pilot
- G05D1/02—Control of position or course in two dimensions
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/02—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems using reflection of acoustic waves
- G01S15/06—Systems determining the position data of a target
- G01S15/42—Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S15/93—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
- G01S15/88—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications
- G01S15/96—Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications for locating fish
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
- G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
- G01S7/521—Constructional features
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G01S7/00—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
- G01S7/52—Details of systems according to groups G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00 of systems according to group G01S15/00
- G01S7/523—Details of pulse systems
- G01S7/524—Transmitters
Abstract
The application discloses a transducer device, a sonar module suitable for an autonomous device, and a control method thereof. The autonomous device may use the reflection distance information corresponding to different transducer assemblies to discover changes in the surrounding environment and determine appropriate responsive operation according to various rules for different purposes. The transducer unit of the sonar module in an embodiment of the present invention includes at least a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly. The first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are coaxially disposed on the base and have different circular shapes. The second pointing angle of the second transducer assembly is less than the first pointing angle of the first transducer assembly.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a transducer device, a sonar module, and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a transducer device, a sonar module, and a control method suitable for an autonomous device having at least two transducer assemblies.
Background
Traditionally, sonar systems have been used for commercial fishing, or for research purposes to detect fish populations, such as marine fishing, but are rarely used by amateurs. Sonar systems typically emit sound waves at a predetermined angle and at a predetermined frequency. It can therefore only detect the presence or movement of fish in a certain area with a certain accuracy. Meanwhile, the consumer market of underwater devices is being vigorously developed along with various kinds of fishing lures. Amateur fishermen can attract fish using the bait to increase the chance of catching fish. However, amateur fishing still requires luck and experience in order to locate a good fishing ground.
Disclosure of Invention
Accordingly, the present invention discloses a transducer device, a sonar module, and a control method suitable for an autonomous device having at least two transducer assemblies to solve the above disadvantages.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a transducer apparatus includes a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly. The first transducer assembly is configured to transmit a first transmitted wave in a pointing direction at a first pointing angle. The second transducer assembly is disposed substantially coaxially with the first transducer assembly. The second transducer assembly is configured to transmit a second transmitted wave at a second pointing angle along the pointing direction. The second pointing angle is less than the first pointing angle, and the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are formed in different circular shapes.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the first transducer assembly is a ring-like structure having a through opening, the second transducer assembly is a disc structure, and the disc structure is disposed in the through opening.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a sonar module includes a sonar processing unit, a sonar control unit, and a transducer unit. The sonar processing unit is used for determining an operation mode and generating an original signal according to the operation mode. The sonar control unit is used for generating a transmitting signal according to the original signal. The transducer unit is used for receiving the transmitting signal and transmitting a transmitting wave according to the transmitting signal, and comprises a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly, and the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are provided with partially overlapped coverage areas. Selectively and independently driving, by the sonar control unit, the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly to transmit the transmitted wave according to an operating mode.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a control method for an autonomous device having at least two transducer assemblies comprises: configuring settings of at least two transducer assemblies; transmitting the transmission waves from the transducer assemblies respectively according to the setting; receiving the reflected waves by the transducer assemblies respectively according to the setting; processing the reflected waves to generate reflected distance information corresponding to the transducer assembly; judging the operation to be executed according to the reflection distance information; and performing the operation by the autonomous device; wherein at least two transducer assemblies are coaxially arranged and have different pointing angles in the same pointing direction.
In summary, the autonomous device of the present invention can utilize reflection distance information corresponding to different transducer assemblies to discover changes in the surrounding environment and determine appropriate responsive operation according to various rules for different purposes. In contrast to prior art systems, the transducer unit of the sonar module in embodiments of the present invention includes at least a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly. The first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are coaxially disposed on the base and are circular in shape. The second pointing angle of the second transducer assembly is less than the first pointing angle of the first transducer assembly, and the gain of the second transducer assembly in the pointing direction is greater than the gain of the first transducer assembly in the pointing direction. Thus, the first transducer assembly is responsible for detecting a larger area and the second transducer assembly is responsible for detecting a central area located in the large area with greater gain to compensate for the absence of the central area detected by the first transducer assembly.
These and other objects of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the various drawing figures and drawings.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of an autonomous device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a transducer unit according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a wave field diagram of a first transducer assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a wave field diagram of a second transducer assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a wave field diagram of a transducer unit according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 illustrates a process flow diagram for a control method suitable for use with an autonomous device having a transducer assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of an underwater drone with a sonar module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an obstacle avoidance function of an autonomous device having multiple transducer assemblies in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an obstacle avoidance function of an autonomous device having multiple transducer assemblies in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description
In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as "top," "bottom," etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the drawings described. The assembly of the present invention can be positioned in many different orientations. Accordingly, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. On the other hand, the drawings are only schematic, and the size of the components may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms "connected," "mounted," and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect connections and mountings. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
Please refer to fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of an autonomous device (autonomous device)100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 1, the autonomous device 100 includes a processing module 1, a transceiver module 2, and a sonar module 3, in addition to other modules not shown. The processing module 1 is configured to process data and/or information received from other modules of the autonomous device 100, determine an operation corresponding to the processing result, and send an instruction for performing the operation to a relevant module, and the like. The transceiver unit 2 is used to receive data and/or commands from the external device 9 and to transmit data and/or commands to the external device 9. The transceiver unit 2 may be implemented in wired or wireless communication, such as USB, Wi-Fi, bluetooth, ZigBee, and/or other suitable protocols.
Sonar module 3 includes a sonar processing unit 4, a sonar control unit 5, and a transducer unit/transducer device 6. Further, sonar control unit 5 includes a generation unit 50, a switch unit 51, and a reception unit 52. The generation unit 50 is coupled to the sonar processing unit 4, and the generation unit 50 is coupled to the transducer unit 6 via a switch unit 51. The receiving unit 52 is coupled to the sonar processing unit 4 and the transducer unit 6. Sonar processing unit 4 is also coupled to processing module 1 and transceiver module 2. Further, sonar processing unit 4 may be, but is not limited to, coupled to switching unit 51.
As shown in fig. 1, sonar processing unit 4 is configured to generate a raw signal 400. The original signal 400 is transmitted to the generation unit 50 of the sonar control unit 5. The generating unit 50 is configured to process the original signal 400 into a transmission signal 501. In embodiments of the present invention, the original signal 400 may be generated at different frequencies and/or waveforms depending on the selected mode of operation, system configuration, or user input. The transmit signal 501 may be generated according to the resonance characteristics of the transducer unit 6 so that the transducer unit 6 may be appropriately enabled to transmit waves.
The transducer unit 6 comprises a first transducer assembly 60 and a second transducer assembly 61 having different resonance characteristics and being arranged in different circular shapes. The switching unit 51 selectively drives the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61 in accordance with the transmit signal 501 to transmit the first transmit wave 70 and the second transmit wave 71, respectively. Switching unit 51 may receive an indication of the operating mode in which the sonar module is located from sonar processing unit 4 and provide transmit signal 501 to first transducer assembly 60 and second transducer assembly 61 depending on the operating mode. Due to the different resonant characteristics of the transducer assemblies 60 and 61, the first transmitted wave 70 and the second transmitted wave 71 correspond to different coverage areas that overlap each other. In an embodiment of the present invention, the switching unit 51 provides the transmit signal 501 to the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61 independently. In case the transmit signal 501 is provided only to the first transducer assembly 60, only the first transmit wave 70 is transmitted from the transducer unit 6. With the transmit signal 501 provided to both the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61, both the first transmit wave 70 and the second transmit wave 71 are transmitted from the transducer unit 6. The switching unit 51 may provide the transmit signal 501 to the transducer unit 6 according to a predetermined rule or user selection.
When the first transmitted wave 70 and/or the second transmitted wave 71 encounter an external object (or an external obstacle), the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61 also receive the first reflected wave 701 and the second reflected wave 711, respectively. The receiving unit 52 receives the first reflected wave 701 and the second reflected wave 711 for further processing and generates a first sonar signal 520 and a second sonar signal 521 accordingly. The first sonar signal 520 and the second sonar signal 521 are passed back to the sonar processing unit 4 for further processing to generate reflected distance information, which will be explained later in the description.
In this way, the sonar control unit 5 drives and/or enables the transducer unit 6 to emit the first transmitted wave 70 and the second transmitted wave 71 having different coverage areas, and receives the first reflected wave 701 and the second reflected wave 711 corresponding to the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61. It should be noted that sonar processing unit 4 is capable of controlling switching unit 51 to selectively and independently provide transmit signal 501 to first transducer assembly 60 and second transducer assembly 61. Sonar module 3 of the present invention is thus capable of operating in multiple modes of operation. In the embodiment of the present invention, sonar module 3 has two modes of operation. In the first mode of operation, the transmit signal 501 is provided to both the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61, and in the second mode of operation, the transmit signal 501 is selectively provided to only one of the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61. One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that other embodiments of the present invention may be implemented with more than two modes of operation, and that each of the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61 may be independently selected.
Please refer to fig. 2, which is a diagram of a transducer unit 62 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment of the invention, the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are piezo ceramic assemblies. As shown in fig. 2, the transducer unit 62 includes a first piezoceramic assembly 600, a second piezoceramic assembly 610 and a base a. First piezoceramic elements 600 and second piezoceramic elements 610 are formed in different circular shapes and are disposed about the same center point or axis. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first piezo-ceramic element 600 is a circular ring with a through opening 601, and the second piezo-ceramic element 610 is a circular disc with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the through opening 601 of the first piezo-ceramic element 600. Base a is adapted to hold first piezo-ceramic element 600 relative to second piezo-ceramic element 610. Further, the base a has an outer wall a0 and an inner wall a 1. In this embodiment, the base a is a cylindrical structure, and the outer wall a0 and the inner wall a1 are each annular walls. In addition, the first piezoceramic assembly 600 has an annular outer periphery 603 and an annular inner periphery 602 opposite the annular outer periphery 603, the annular inner periphery 602 defining a through opening 601. Second piezoceramic component 610 (i.e., a disk structure) has a disk-shaped outer periphery 611. Second piezoceramic element 610 (i.e., a disk structure) is disposed in through opening 601 of first piezoceramic element 600 with disk-shaped outer periphery 611 spaced apart from annular inner periphery 602 of first piezoceramic element 600, and second piezoceramic element 610 is disposed substantially coaxially with first piezoceramic element 600.
Please refer to fig. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a wave field diagram of a first transducer assembly 60 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 is a wave field diagram of a second transducer assembly 61 according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first transducer assembly 60 is capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves having the wave field pattern illustrated in FIG. 3, i.e., the first transducer assembly 60 is adapted to transmit a first transmitted wave 70 (shown in FIG. 1) in a pointing direction D at a first pointing angle A0. The second transducer assembly 61 is capable of emitting ultrasonic waves having a wave field pattern as shown in FIG. 4, i.e., the second transducer assembly 61 is adapted to emit a second transmitted wave 71 (shown in FIG. 1) in the same pointing direction D at a second pointing angle A1. As previously mentioned, the pointing direction of the wave field is the same, since both the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61 are circular in shape and have the same center point or axis. However, due to the different shapes of the two transducer assemblies, pointing angles a0 and a1 are different, and pointing angle a1 is covered by pointing angle a 0.
As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the second pointing angle a1 is smaller than the first pointing angle a0, and the gain G1 of the second transmitted wave 71 in the pointing direction D is larger than the gain G0 of the first transmitted wave 70 in the pointing direction D. Since the first transducer assembly 60 is a ring-shaped structure having the through opening 601, the gain G0 produced by the central region of the first transducer assembly 60 where the through opening 601 is located is less than the gain produced by the surrounding region surrounding the through opening 601 of the ring-shaped structure (i.e., the first transducer assembly 60).
Please refer to fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a wave field pattern of the transducer unit 6 according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 3 to 5, with the coaxial arrangement of the first transducer assembly 60 and the second transducer assembly 61, the transducer unit 6 is capable of emitting ultrasound waves having a wave field pattern as shown in fig. 5, i.e. the wave field pattern of the transducer unit 6 is a superposition (integral) of the wave field pattern of the first transducer assembly 60 shown in fig. 3 and the wave field pattern of the second transducer assembly 61 shown in fig. 4. Thus, the transducer unit 6 having two transducer assemblies of different circular shapes not only has a larger detection area produced by the first transducer assembly 60, but also has a high sensitivity at the central area within a smaller detection area produced by the second transducer assembly 61. Thereby improving the lack of sensitivity of the first transducer assembly 60 in the center region and helping to make a large coverage area with high sensitivity.
Referring to fig. 6, a process flow diagram of a control method for an autonomous device having a transducer assembly according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. The autonomous device may include a processing module, a transceiver module, and a sonar module. The autonomous device may communicate with an external device in a wired or wireless manner to transmit sonar information and/or receive user instructions. In embodiments of the invention, the sonar module includes at least two transducer assemblies corresponding to different coverage areas, and the transducer assemblies may be independently configured for transmission and reception of waves.
In step S100, the transducer assembly is configured for transmission and transmission settings. The settings may be default configurations, configured according to user input received from an external device, and/or determined according to certain rules. For example, the autonomous device may apply a default configuration of the transducer assembly, and upon receiving user input to disable wave transmission or wave reception of a particular transducer assembly, the autonomous device may change the settings in accordance with the user input. Thus, in step S200, transmit waves are transmitted from the transducer assembly according to the setting. Due to the different characteristics of the transducer assembly, the coverage area of the transmitted waves may vary with the configuration set. In step 300, a reflected wave is received by a transducer assembly configured to receive the reflected wave. In embodiments of the present invention, the at least two transducer assemblies may be independently configured to transmit transmitted waves and receive reflected waves. That is, the transducer assembly need not be used for both transmission and reception of waves. The transducer assembly may be used to receive reflected waves but not to transmit transmitted waves, and vice versa.
In step S400, reflection distance information is generated from the reflected waves received by the transducer assembly. Reflected wave information may be generated from a coverage area associated with a transducer assembly configured to receive the reflected waves. In embodiments of the present invention, the reflected distance information may be generated by analyzing time intervals corresponding to the transmission and reception of waves at particular locations within the coverage area. In step S500, an operation to be performed from the master device is determined from the reflection distance information. For example, in the case where the reflected distance information indicates that there may be a large obstacle in front of the direction in which the autonomous device moves, it may be determined that the pause operation should be performed to avoid a collision with the obstacle. In yet another embodiment, if the reflected distance information indicates that there may be a small moving object under the autonomous device, it may be determined that a camera module (not shown) should be enabled to capture an image of the object below and transmit it to the external device. The operation may be predetermined and/or determined based on user input received from an external device. In other embodiments of the present invention, the determination of the operation may be performed by a step of providing the reflection distance information to a user interface of the external device, and another step of receiving a user input corresponding to the operation from a user input of the external device. In step 600, the operation is performed by an autonomous device. As previously described, the operation may be an image capturing operation performed by a camera module of the autonomous device, or a pausing operation performed by an engine or motor module of the autonomous device. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the operations are not limited to image capture or motion control of the autonomous device, and any operation that may be performed with reference to the reflection distance information falls within the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring to fig. 7, a diagram illustrating operation of an underwater drone 1000 having a sonar module 6000 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In the embodiment of fig. 7, the autonomous device is an underwater drone 1000, and the sonar module 6000 of the underwater drone 1000 includes a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly, which are disposed about the same axis and cover different search areas, one enclosing the other. The underwater drone 1000 is capable of communicating with an external device 900, and a user may utilize the external device to control the movement and operation of the underwater drone 1000. In the embodiment of fig. 7, the external device 900 is a smartphone. When the underwater drone 1000 is engaged in underwater fish finding, the user may utilize the external device 900 to select the operating mode of the sonar module 6000. For example, the user may select a first mode E in which the two transducer assemblies of the underwater drone 1000 are used to transmit waves and receive reflected waves.
In the first mode E, the transducer assembly of sonar module 6000 transmits a first transmitted wave at a first directive angle a10 and a second transmitted wave at a second directive angle a 11. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first pointing angle A10 is greater than the second pointing angle A11. It can also be observed that the first coverage area corresponding to the first pointing angle a10 is greater than the second coverage area corresponding to the second pointing angle a 11. Due to the coaxial arrangement of the transducer assembly, the first coverage area surrounds the second coverage area. Thus, the underwater drone 1000 operating in the first mode E is able to perform large area detection for fish finding purposes. As shown in the embodiment of fig. 7, an object C (i.e., a fish) may be detected at least in the coverage area corresponding to the second transducer assembly, and another object B (i.e., another fish) may be detected in the coverage area corresponding to the first transducer assembly. Further, in response to detection of objects B and C, the underwater drone 1000 may perform an image capture operation and transmit the captured image for display on the external device 900.
Note that in embodiments of the present invention, the reflected waves received by both transducer assemblies are provided to a sonar processing unit for further processing. However, in other embodiments of the invention, only reflected waves received by one of the transducer assemblies (e.g., a transducer assembly having a larger coverage area) may be provided to the sonar processing unit. Note also that in the embodiment of FIG. 7, because the coverage area of the first transducer assembly encompasses the coverage area of the second transducer assembly, the object C may be detected in both the coverage area of the first transducer assembly and the coverage area of the second transducer assembly.
In response to the user selecting the second mode F (in which only one of the transducer assemblies is provided with a transmit signal), the underwater drone 1000 performs a fish finder within a coverage area corresponding to the selected transducer assembly. In an embodiment of the present invention, a second transducer assembly is selected that has a smaller coverage area. Thus, in the second mode E the underwater drone 1000 transmits a second transmission and the underwater drone 1000 will detect fish C but not fish B. Note that in embodiments of the present invention, only the reflected waves received by the second transducer assembly are provided to the sonar processing unit, however, in other embodiments of the present invention, the reflected waves received by the first transducer assembly may also be provided to the sonar processing unit.
Although the embodiment of fig. 7 discloses only two modes of operation, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that two or more modes of operation may be implemented in embodiments of the present invention. And the transducer assembly can be used independently to transmit or receive waves, particularly the transducer assembly need not transmit or receive both waves in a single mode. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the user may configure the setting of the operation mode through a user interface provided on the external device 900. The user may, for example, add or delete modes of operation, change the wave transmission or wave reception of a particular transducer assembly in a particular mode of operation.
In embodiments of the invention, the transducer assembly of the sonar module may be used for other purposes besides fish finding. As described above, the transducer assemblies correspond to different coverage areas and may be used independently for wave transmission and wave reception. The sonar processing unit may process reflected waves corresponding to the transducer assembly to generate reflected distance information corresponding to a coverage area of the transducer assembly. And the processing module may perform various operations according to the reflection distance information. In an embodiment of the present invention, the processing module may determine a moving direction and/or a pause (suspension) of the autonomous device according to the reflection distance information. The processing module may receive the reflected distance information from the sonar processing unit, determine an operation based on the reflected distance information, and send an instruction corresponding to the operation to a module responsible for performing the operation.
For example, referring to fig. 8, a schematic diagram of an obstacle avoidance function of an autonomous device 2000 having multiple transducer assemblies is depicted in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 8, autonomous device 2000 navigates in free space and the transducer assembly transmits a first transmitted wave at pointing angle a20 and a second transmitted wave at pointing angle a 21. Meanwhile, an obstacle O, which is a large object facing the autonomous device 2000, whose surface is substantially flat, is at a certain distance in front of the autonomous device 2000. The first and second transmitted waves are reflected by the obstacle O such that first reflection distance information corresponding to a first obstacle O1 is generated and second reflection distance information corresponding to a second obstacle O2 is generated, wherein the first obstacle O1 is a portion of the substantially flat surface of the obstacle O1 and the second obstacle O2 is another portion of the substantially flat surface of the obstacle O.
Since the first obstacle O1 and the second obstacle O2 are actually on the same plane, the first reflection distance information and the second reflection distance information may indicate that the first obstacle O1 and the second obstacle O2 have the same horizontal distance to the autonomous device 1000. Accordingly, the processing module of the autonomous device 2000 controls the motor or motor module to move the autonomous device 2000 backward with respect to the planar obstacle or to drive the autonomous device 2000 around the planar obstacle to perform an obstacle avoidance function.
Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an obstacle avoidance function of an autonomous device 3000 having a plurality of transducer assemblies according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 9, the autonomous device 3000 navigates in another free space, and the transducer assembly of the autonomous device 3000 transmits and receives waves in a coverage area corresponding to pointing angles a30 and a 31. Based on the difference in the reflection distance information received by the transducer assembly, the autonomous device 3000 may determine whether there is sufficient space for the autonomous device 3000 to pass through. The autonomous device 3000 may derive the channel width L from the reflection distance information and the pointing angle, and then compare the channel width L with its own width La to determine the next moving operation. If the lane width L is large enough for the autonomous device 3000 to safely pass, the autonomous device 3000 may continue to move forward. If the lane width L is not large enough, the autonomous device 3000 may move up or down to find other paths through, pause movement, or perform other operations as specified.
In summary, the autonomous device of the present invention can utilize reflection distance information corresponding to different transducer assemblies to discover changes in the surrounding environment and determine appropriate responsive operation according to various rules for different purposes. In contrast to prior art systems, the transducer unit of the sonar module in embodiments of the present invention includes at least a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly. The first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are coaxially disposed on the base and are circular in shape. The second pointing angle of the second transducer assembly is less than the first pointing angle of the first transducer assembly, and the gain of the second transducer assembly in the pointing direction is greater than the gain of the first transducer assembly in the pointing direction. Thus, the first transducer assembly is responsible for detecting a larger region and the second transducer assembly is responsible for detecting a region centered in the large region with a larger gain to compensate for the absence of the central region detected by the first transducer assembly.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the apparatus and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the scope and metes of the following claims.
Claims (20)
1. A transducer apparatus comprising:
a first transducer assembly to transmit a first transmitted wave in a pointing direction at a first pointing angle; and
a second transducer assembly disposed substantially coaxially with the first transducer assembly, the second transducer assembly to transmit a second transmitted wave at a second pointing angle in the pointing direction;
wherein the second pointing angle is smaller than the first pointing angle, and the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are made in different circular shapes.
2. The transducer apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first transducer assembly is a ring structure having a through opening, the second transducer assembly is a disk structure, and the disk structure is disposed in the through opening.
3. The transducer apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first transducer assembly has an annular outer periphery and an annular inner periphery opposite the annular outer periphery, the annular inner periphery defining the through opening, the second transducer assembly has a disk-shaped outer periphery, and the disk-shaped outer periphery is spaced apart from the annular inner periphery.
4. The transducer device of claim 1, further comprising:
a base adapted to fix the first transducer assembly relative to the second transducer assembly.
5. The transducer device of claim 1, wherein the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are independently driven to emit the first transmit wave and the second transmit wave.
6. The transducer device of claim 1, wherein the signal strength of the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly at different pointing angles is different.
7. A sonar module adapted for use with an autonomous device, comprising:
the sonar processing unit is used for judging an operation mode and generating an original signal according to the operation mode;
a sonar control unit for generating a transmission signal from the original signal; and
a transducer unit to receive the transmit signal and transmit a transmit wave in accordance with the transmit signal, the transducer unit including a first transducer assembly and a second transducer assembly, the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly having partially overlapping coverage areas;
wherein the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly are selectively and independently driven by the sonar control unit to transmit the transmitted waves according to the operating mode.
8. The sonar module of claim 7, wherein the first and second transducer assemblies are made in different circular shapes, and the first and second transducer assemblies are disposed coaxially about the same central axis or concentrically about the same central point.
9. The sonar module of claim 7, wherein the first and second transducer assemblies are configured to transmit the transmitted waves in the same pointing direction at different pointing angles.
10. The sonar module of claim 7, wherein the operational mode is determined based on user input received from an external device.
11. The sonar module of claim 7, wherein the transducer unit is further to receive a reflected wave, and the sonar control unit further includes a receiving unit to process the reflected wave to generate a sonar signal.
12. The sonar module of claim 7, wherein the sonar control unit is further to control the first transducer assembly and the second transducer assembly to selectively and independently receive reflected waves.
13. A control method for an autonomous device having at least two transducer assemblies, comprising:
configuring settings of the at least two transducer assemblies;
transmitting transmission waves from the transducer assemblies, respectively, according to the setting;
receiving reflected waves by the transducer assemblies, respectively, according to the settings;
processing the reflected waves to generate reflected distance information corresponding to the transducer assembly;
judging the operation to be executed according to the reflection distance information; and
performing the operation by the autonomous device;
wherein the at least two transducer assemblies are coaxially arranged and have different pointing angles in the same pointing direction.
14. The control method according to claim 13, further comprising:
receiving a user input for selecting an operation mode from an external device; and
determining a setting of the transducer assembly based on the operating mode.
15. The control method according to claim 13, further comprising:
providing a user interface on an external device for receiving the user input; and
providing the reflection distance information on the user interface.
16. The control method of claim 13, wherein the configuring step further comprises selectively and independently energizing the transducer assembly to transmit the transmitted waves and receive the reflected waves, depending on the mode of operation.
17. The control method of claim 13, wherein the determining step further comprises determining the type of obstacle from a difference in reflection distance information corresponding to the transducer assembly.
18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the judging step further includes judging the operation according to the type of the obstacle.
19. The control method of claim 13, wherein the transducer assemblies are made in different circular shapes.
20. The control method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the transducer assemblies is annular in shape and another of the transducer assemblies is disc-shaped.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2018/106016 WO2020056555A1 (en) | 2018-09-17 | 2018-09-17 | Transducer device, sonar module and control method thereof |
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| CN112805593A true CN112805593A (en) | 2021-05-14 |
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| CN201880097671.0A Pending CN112805593A (en) | 2018-09-17 | 2018-09-17 | Transducer device, sonar module, and control method therefor |
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| Country | Link |
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| CN (1) | CN112805593A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2020056555A1 (en) |
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| CN111722208B (en) * | 2020-06-05 | 2021-07-20 | 中国水产科学研究院渔业机械仪器研究所 | Underwater fish school analog equalizer and equalization method thereof |
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