Sonar object detection system
View Patent ↗An airborne sonar collision avoidance system is disclosed. The system compensates for changes in temperature in real time to provide more accurate sonar detection. In addition, the sensors are arranged in a communications network that allows for the sensors to be programmed at run time, thus providing the ability to relocate the sensors without having to pre-program the sensors before the sensors are installed onto a different location.
1. An ultrasonic sensor, comprising:
a transducer for transmitting and receiving sound waves;
a drive circuit connected to the transducer for driving the transducer to produce sound waves according to predetermined sound pressure level; and
a microcontroller connected to the drive circuit for directing the drive circuit to produce a predetermined amount of voltage, the amount of voltage determined as a function of environment temperature and the predetermined amount of voltage directly related to the predetermined sound pressure level.
2. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the amount of voltage increases as the environment temperature increases.
3. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dynamic temperature model that allows gain on the received sound waves to be adjusted, the gain being adjusted as a function of temperature.
4. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 3 , wherein the gain increases as the temperature increases.
5. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 3 , wherein the dynamic temperature model includes an air density model and a gain model.
6. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 3 , further comprising:
an amplifier for adjusting the gain according to the dynamic temperature model.
7. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 1 , wherein the drive circuit comprises:
a logic level field effect transistor; and
a step up transformer connected to the logic level field effect transistor that steps up voltage applied to the logic level field effect transistor and applies the voltage to the transducer.
8. The ultrasonic sensor of claim 3 , further comprising:
a controller, connected to the microcontroller, for receiving information from the microcontroller about detected objects and alerting a user.
9. An ultrasonic sensor, comprising:
a transducer for transmitting and receiving sound waves;
a drive circuit connected to the transducer for driving the transducer to produce sound waves; and
a dynamic temperature model that allows gain on received sound waves to be adjusted, the gain being adjusted as a function of temperature; and
a microcontroller connected to the drive circuit for directing the drive circuit to produce a predetermined amount of voltage, the amount of voltage determined as a function of environment temperature and the predetermined amount of voltage directly related to a predetermined sound pressure level.