EP0733408B1 - Ultraschallsensor und Messverfahren unter Verwendung eines derartigen Sensors - Google Patents

Ultraschallsensor und Messverfahren unter Verwendung eines derartigen Sensors Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0733408B1
EP0733408B1 EP96400620A EP96400620A EP0733408B1 EP 0733408 B1 EP0733408 B1 EP 0733408B1 EP 96400620 A EP96400620 A EP 96400620A EP 96400620 A EP96400620 A EP 96400620A EP 0733408 B1 EP0733408 B1 EP 0733408B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sensor
transducers
network
transducer
emitted
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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EP96400620A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0733408A1 (de
Inventor
Pierre Bonnefoy
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IMRA Europe SAS
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IMRA Europe SAS
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B06—GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
    • B06B—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, e.g. FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL
    • B06B1/00—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency
    • B06B1/02—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy
    • B06B1/06—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction
    • B06B1/0607—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements
    • B06B1/0622—Methods or apparatus for generating mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency making use of electrical energy operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction using multiple elements on one surface

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method detection and / or recognition of objects in the air, in particular for a guidance system of a mobile robot.
  • sensors constituted by transducer arrays.
  • Liquid media are particularly suitable for use of this technique, due to the fact that the ultrasonic waves spread easily and quickly.
  • the present invention aims to provide a new method which solves in particular the problems recalled above.
  • the present invention relates to a method according to claim 1.
  • the term “set of frequencies” means a single frequency, a superposition of random frequencies forming a noise, or a superposition of fixed frequencies.
  • the sensor used in the method of the invention is suitable, because of its structure, to provide an ultrasonic wave with directivity variable.
  • the directivity of the shooting is obtained by interference, by superimposition of waves emitted simultaneously by a variable number transducers, it being understood that the number and the position of the excited transducers determine the directivity of the resulting wave issued.
  • the direction of fire can be adjusted, in the manner known, by creating a phase shift between the transducers of the sensor.
  • the network can be planar, spherical, or arranged on a tablecloth of any other shape.
  • a sensor arranged on a spherical cap could have the advantage of being more suited to an emission of acoustic waves directional.
  • the choice of a particular form of sheet on which the transducers of the sensor are arranged can be done, depending on the type of acoustic wave that we want to generate from the sensor.
  • the network regular at the nodes of which the transducers are placed is a network with square mesh.
  • the network is a network with triangular mesh.
  • the sensor can cover a field observation with a fairly low number of transducers.
  • the dimensions of the matrix of the sensor can be increased by adding a number limited transducers.
  • the senor consists of a plurality of alignments of transducers, alignments whose axes cross at the center of a common central transducer.
  • the transducers can be arranged in a cross in the case of a square mesh network, or following a six-pointed star in the case of a mesh network triangular, the nodes of the network located outside the branches do not with no transducer.
  • the large dimension of the matrix, determining to fix the directivity of the sensor, is then equal to the length of the alignments.
  • the directivity of the sensor is equivalent to that of a sensor of such large diameter but which would include a transducer at each node of its matrix.
  • the transducers making up the sensor may be of the type capable of both transmitting and receiving an acoustic wave.
  • the method according to the invention has the advantage of providing information on high level with each emission of an ultrasonic wave, which is advantageous considering the low speed of sound movement in the air.
  • the method according to the invention nevertheless makes it possible to obtain quickly information on an object to recognize, minimizing the number of shots to be taken.
  • the senor emits waves which propagate substantially in a vertical plane and scan the field of observations in a horizontal direction. So much as the ultrasonic wave bounces off the wall, the energy of the echo is important. On the other hand, as soon as the wave enters the framing of with the door open, the energy of the echo suddenly drops.
  • each the robot sees a sudden drop in echo energy during a horizontal scan of a wave emitted in a thin volume substantially vertical, it deduces the possible presence of a door in his field of observations.
  • the transducers located at the ends of the branches of the sensor to receive the echo of the wave ultrasonic.
  • the transducers are located at the nodes of a planar mesh network triangular.
  • the distance between the centers of two contiguous transducers 1 is at most equal to about the wavelength in air of the ultrasonic wave emitted.
  • the transducers are designed to operate at a frequency of approximately 40 KHz, which corresponds to a wavelength in air of around 8.5 mm.
  • the transducers are contiguous.
  • the sensor of FIG. 1 has a directivity corresponding to an opening angle of approximately 20 ° on average, owing to the fact that its overall diameter D 1 is approximately equal to three times that of a transducer.
  • the sensor of Figure 2 has an increased directivity, an average opening angle of about 8 °, because its overall diameter D 2 is about 7 cm.
  • FIG. 3 shows a sensor whose directivity is substantially the same as that of FIG. 2, owing to the fact that its overall diameter D 3 is equal to that of D 2 of the sensor of FIG. 2, but which has the advantage of having a much smaller number of transducers.
  • the sensor of FIG. 2 comprises 37 transducers, while that of Figure 3 has only 19.
  • the transducers are aligned on three axes X 1, X 2, X 3 forming in pairs an angle of 60 ° and intersecting at the center of a transducer 1 has central sensor.
  • This star arrangement also gives the sensor a ability to emit acoustic waves with side lobes weak, compared to those that would be obtained with a square mesh.
  • the directivity of the signal emitted by several aligned sensors is substantially the Fourier transform of the number sensors.
  • the transform of Fourrier therefore provides an enlarged main lobe and lobes flattened secondaries.
  • the transducer of FIG. 3 can be supplied so as to emit an ultrasonic wave from three contiguous transducers located on the same axis X 1 , identified by hatching in FIG. 4.
  • an ultrasonic wave propagating inside a thin volume is emitted, as visible in FIGS. 5 and 6 which represent the acoustic energy of the waves emitted as a function of the angle of emission.
  • the directivity is substantially equal to the directivity of a single transducer, which results in a extended envelope of ultrasonic wave energy as a function of the emission angle, the mean opening angle of the wave being approximately equal to 100 °.
  • the interference between the waves ultrasound emitted by the three transducers result in a resulting wave with finer directivity.
  • the resulting wave has a main lobe and smaller secondary lobes, which gives an angle average opening of about 20 °.
  • phase shifts between the three excited transducers of the sensor it is possible to modify the orientation of the plane 6 so as to scan a field of observation along the axis X 1 , as indicated on the double arrow in FIG. 5.
  • the envelope of the energy of the ultrasonic waves is thinned in plane 8, as shown in Figure 8, where we see that the average opening angle is around 8 °.
  • FIG. 4 shows a sensor which can be used according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, the transducers 1 of which are distributed at the nodes of a square mesh network, while being aligned on axes X 1 and X 2 perpendicular, intersecting at the center of a common central transducer 1 a .
  • Such a sensor is particularly suitable for the emission of waves ultrasound propagating inside thin enveloping volumes vertical and horizontal shots.

Claims (9)

  1. Verfahren zur Detektion und/oder zur Erkennung von Objekten in der Luft, insbesondere zum Führen eines beweglichen bzw. mobilen Roboters, mit Hilfe eines Sensors bzw. Fühlers, der eine Vielzahl von kreisförmigen Wandlern (1) umfasst, die vorgesehen sind, um bei einem gleichen Ensemble von gegebenen Frequenzen zu arbeiten, angeordnet bei Knoten eines regelmäßigen Netzes, wobei der Abstand, der die Mitten von zwei benachbarten Wandlern des Netzes trennt größer ist als die Größenordnung bzw. der Grad der Wellenlänge in der Luft der Wellen, die von den Wandlern emittiert werden, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man von vornherein die Form eines zu erkennenden Objekts bestimmt, dass man von dem Sensor eine Ultraschallwelle emittiert, die in das Innere eines Volumens wandert, das gemeinsame geometrische Charakteristiken mit der genannten von vornherein bestimmten Form darstellt, dass man das Echo der emittierten Ultraschallwelle einsammelt und dass man die Energie dieses Echos analysiert, um zu bestimmen, ob die von vornherein bestimmten, geometrischen Charakteristiken in dem zu erkennenden Objekt wieder gefunden bzw. angetroffen werden.
  2. Verfahren gemäß Anspruch 1, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man von vornherein die Form des zu erkennenden Objekts bestimmt hat, man die genannte Ultraschallwelle emittiert, wobei man den Beobachtungsbereich bzw. das Beobachtungsfeld des Sensors abtastet.
  3. Verfahren nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 und 2, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass zum Emittieren einer Ultraschallwelle, die in das Innere eines kleinen bzw. dünnen Volumens fortschreitet, das eine Zielebene bzw. Schießebene umgibt bzw. umhüllt, man eine bestimmte Anzahl von aneinandergrenzenden Wandlern einer gleichen Ausrichtung bzw. Anordnung von Wandlern des Sensors erregt, wobei sich die Achse (X1) dieser Ausrichtung bzw. Anordnung in etwa senkrecht zu der Zielebene bzw. Schießebene erstreckt.
  4. Verfahren nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 und 2, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass zum Emittieren einer Ultraschallwelle, die sich einem Rotationsvolumen, das um die Achse des Zielens bzw. Schießens zentriert ist, folgend ausbreitet, man alle Wandler erregt, die sich im Inneren einer Scheibe befinden, wobei der bestimmte Strahl über dem zentralen Wandler (1a) des Sensors zentriert ist.
  5. Verfahren nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man zum Einsammeln des Echos der emittierten Ultraschallwelle die Wandler des Sensors nutzt.
  6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 5, wobei ein Sensor verwendet wird, der durch eine Vielzahl von Ausrichtungen bzw. Anordnungen von Wandlern (1) gebildet ist, wobei die Ausrichtungen bzw. Anordnungen Achsen (X1, X2, X3) aufweisen, die sich bei der Mitte eines gemeinsamen zentralen Wandlers (1a) kreuzen, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man die Wandler, die an den äußersten Enden der Anordnungen bzw. Ausrichtungen der Wandler platziert sind, nutzt, um das Echo der emittierten Ultraschallwelle einzusammeln.
  7. Verfahren nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man einen Sensor nutzt, bei dem das Netzt der Wandler eben bzw. flächig ist.
  8. Verfahren nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man einen Sensor verwendet, bei dem das Netz der Wandler ein Netz gemäß einem dreieckigen Gitter bzw. einer dreieckigen Masche ist.
  9. Verfahren nach irgendeinem der Ansprüche 1 bis 7, gekennzeichnet durch die Tatsache, dass man einen Sensor verwendet, bei dem das Netz von Wandlern ein Netz gemäß einem vierkantigen bzw. quadratischen Gitter ist.
EP96400620A 1995-03-23 1996-03-22 Ultraschallsensor und Messverfahren unter Verwendung eines derartigen Sensors Expired - Lifetime EP0733408B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9503414 1995-03-23
FR9503414A FR2732118B1 (fr) 1995-03-23 1995-03-23 Capteur a ultrasons et procedes de detection utilisant un tel capteur

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0733408A1 EP0733408A1 (de) 1996-09-25
EP0733408B1 true EP0733408B1 (de) 2001-07-04

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US (1) US5703834A (de)
EP (1) EP0733408B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH08338869A (de)
DE (1) DE69613613D1 (de)
FR (1) FR2732118B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0890849A1 (de) * 1997-07-10 1999-01-13 Imra Europe S.A. Akustisches Nebelzipfels-Kombinationsverfahren zur Verbesserung der Abbildungsqualität
JPH11187492A (ja) * 1997-10-06 1999-07-09 Sumitomo Electric Ind Ltd 複合超音波変換器
US7586888B2 (en) 2005-02-17 2009-09-08 Mobitrum Corporation Method and system for mesh network embedded devices
US7630736B2 (en) 2005-10-11 2009-12-08 Mobitrum Corporation Method and system for spatial data input, manipulation and distribution via an adaptive wireless transceiver
US8305936B2 (en) 2006-07-27 2012-11-06 Mobitrum Corporation Method and system for dynamic information exchange on a mesh network in a vehicle
US8427979B1 (en) 2006-07-27 2013-04-23 Mobitrum Corporation Method and system for dynamic information exchange on location aware mesh network devices
US7801058B2 (en) 2006-07-27 2010-09-21 Mobitrum Corporation Method and system for dynamic information exchange on mesh network devices
US8305935B2 (en) 2006-07-27 2012-11-06 Mobitrum Corporation Method and system for dynamic information exchange on location aware mesh network devices
US8411590B2 (en) 2006-07-27 2013-04-02 Mobitrum Corporation Mesh network remote control device
USRE47894E1 (en) 2006-07-27 2020-03-03 Iii Holdings 2, Llc Method and system for dynamic information exchange on location aware mesh network devices
US7926598B2 (en) 2008-12-09 2011-04-19 Irobot Corporation Mobile robotic vehicle
CN101770139B (zh) * 2008-12-29 2012-08-29 鸿富锦精密工业（深圳）有限公司 对焦控制系统及方法
TWI492119B (zh) * 2013-07-01 2015-07-11 原相科技股份有限公司 手持式電子裝置
FR3009123B1 (fr) * 2013-07-24 2016-03-11 Renault Sas Transducteur ultrasonique et procede de controle par ultrasons d'une zone de soudure.
CN106546986A (zh) * 2016-10-31 2017-03-29 广西大学 一种基于超声波的测距仪

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US4381144A (en) * 1981-07-15 1983-04-26 Lloyd Breslau Underwater camera enclosure including sonar range finding device
DE3811479A1 (de) * 1988-04-06 1989-10-19 Bosch Gmbh Robert Verfahren zum identifizieren von objekten
US5165064A (en) * 1991-03-22 1992-11-17 Cyberotics, Inc. Mobile robot guidance and navigation system
US5426619A (en) * 1994-06-21 1995-06-20 Westinghouse Electric Corporation Matched array plate

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Publication number Publication date
FR2732118B1 (fr) 1997-04-30
US5703834A (en) 1997-12-30
JPH08338869A (ja) 1996-12-24
FR2732118A1 (fr) 1996-09-27
EP0733408A1 (de) 1996-09-25
DE69613613D1 (de) 2001-08-09

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