Ultrasonic positioning system with reverberation and flight time compensation

摘要

Compensating reverberation and flight times in an ultrasonic positioning system includes establishing maximum flight and reverberation times for ultrasonic signals within an environment. These maximum times are added to define a maximum buffer time period. Ultrasonic signals are emitted sequentially from each of a plurality of emitters, where the ultrasonic signal from each emitter is separated in time by at least one maximum buffer time period. Afterwards, a reverberation and flight time for each ultrasonic signal is determined and then the flight time of the next subsequent emitter is subtracted to define an adjusted emit time for the emitter that emitted that ultrasonic signal. An emitting time for a next subsequent emitter as adjusted to maximize the refresh rate. Emitters are scheduled to emit such that the receiver is always receiving a signal or waiting for actual reverberation.

主权项

1. A system for compensating for reverberation time and flight time in an ultrasonic positioning system, the system comprising:
a plurality of emitters each operable to emit an ultrasonic signal; a receiver operable to receive ultrasonic signals; and a backend controller communicatively coupled to the emitters and the receiver, wherein the system is operable to establish a maximum flight time and a maximum reverberation time for ultrasonic signals within an environment, wherein the maximum flight time and the maximum reverberation time are added to define a maximum buffer time period, wherein the backend controller is operable to direct each emitter to sequentially emit a respective ultrasonic signal within the environment such that the ultrasonic signal from each emitter is separated in time by at least one maximum buffer time period, and wherein the system is operable to measure a reverberation time and a flight time for each ultrasonic signal, which are added together and then the flight time of the of the next subsequent emitter is subtracted to define an adjusted buffer time period for the emitter that emitted that ultrasonic signal, and wherein the backend controller is operable to adjust the emitting time for a next subsequent emitter to be at least the adjusted buffer time period of the previous emitter, which is repeated for each emitted ultrasonic signal to correct the adjusted buffer time period for each emitter.