In one form, an acoustic signal is generated for an acoustic transducer, where the acoustic transducer transmits the acoustic signal to determine a first position of an obstacle. In response to the acoustic signal encountering the obstacle within a predetermined distance, an echo, or pulse, is detected at the acoustic transducer. At a first time, a magnitude is detected in response to a rising edge of the pulse intersecting a determined threshold. A second magnitude is detected in response to the detection of a first peak of the pulse. A time of flight of the acoustic signal, within the predetermined distance, is determined when a compensation time is extracted from a correction calculation algorithm in response to detecting the first magnitude and the second magnitude. The compensation time is subtracted from the first time, and the difference of the compensation time and the first time is the time of flight.

A system configured for vehicle communication includes a first smart apparatus associated with a first vehicle having a first horn and configured to acquire a first target information and a transmission direction information; a first horn control portion embedded in the first vehicle and configured to control the first horn in the first vehicle to send a first sound wave signal modulated by the first target information to a second vehicle based on the transmission direction information; and a second smart apparatus associated with the second vehicle and configured to receive the first sound wave signal and demodulate the first sound wave signal to obtain the first target information.

A system configured for vehicle communication includes a first smart apparatus associated with a first vehicle having a first horn and configured to acquire a first target information and a transmission direction information; a first horn control portion embedded in the first vehicle and configured to control the first horn in the first vehicle to send a first sound wave signal modulated by the first target information to a second vehicle based on the transmission direction information; and a second smart apparatus associated with the second vehicle and configured to receive the first sound wave signal and demodulate the first sound wave signal to obtain the first target information.

A robotic cleaning appliance includes a housing, surface treatment item, surface type detection sensor, and processor. The sensor emits sonic signals toward a surface being traversed and receives corresponding returned signals from the surface. The returned signals are used for surface type detection and include directly reflected primary returned signals and multi-path reflected secondary returned signals which return at a later time than the primary returned signals. The processor selects a window of time after transmission of a sonic signal such that the returned signals in the window comprise at least a portion of the secondary returned signals, wherein the window is related to round trip time-of-flight of the returned signals; processes the returned signals falling in the window to achieve a reflectivity metric; compares the reflectivity metric to a stored value; and based on the comparison, determines which surface type of a plurality of surface types has been detected.

A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. Three arrays are mounted in a housing in an X plus Line configuration with one of the arrays extending below the center of the X.

A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. Three arrays are mounted in a housing in an X plus Line configuration with one of the arrays extending below the center of the X.

Methods and systems for developing a prototype pulse in real-time. A method includes detecting, by a signal processor, a plurality of repetitive pulse signals carried in energy waves received at an antenna. The method further includes estimating time intervals corresponding to occurrences of the plurality of repetitive pulse signals and extracting a plurality of pulse signal segments detected by the signal processor during each of the time intervals over a time period. The signal processor selects a first pulse signal segment received during one of the time intervals and calculates respective time delays relative to the first pulse signal segment for each remaining pulse signal segment of the plurality of pulse signal segments. The signal processor then time-aligns the extracted pulse signal segments with the first pulse signal segment and averages the pulse signal segments to establish a prototype pulse signal.

Methods and systems for developing a prototype pulse in real-time. A method includes detecting, by a signal processor, a plurality of repetitive pulse signals carried in energy waves received at an antenna. The method further includes estimating time intervals corresponding to occurrences of the plurality of repetitive pulse signals and extracting a plurality of pulse signal segments detected by the signal processor during each of the time intervals over a time period. The signal processor selects a first pulse signal segment received during one of the time intervals and calculates respective time delays relative to the first pulse signal segment for each remaining pulse signal segment of the plurality of pulse signal segments. The signal processor then time-aligns the extracted pulse signal segments with the first pulse signal segment and averages the pulse signal segments to establish a prototype pulse signal.

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.

An underwater information visualization device, which is installed on a moving body such as a ship traveling near a water surface and visualizes and displays information about fish in the water and the seabed using an ultrasonic wave, includes circuitry that generates a pseudo noise sequence signal and a modulation circuit that modulates a carrier signal to form a transmission signal, emits a transmission signal as an ultrasonic wave into the water, receives an echo of an ultrasonic wave, determines an echo corresponding to a transmission signal by subjecting the echo to correlation processing with a pseudo noise sequence signal, displays an output signal. The display simultaneously displays multiple reception signals on a screen, and a period of transmission signals is (2D/Vu) or less when an underwater sonic wave speed is Vu and a distance to the seabed is D.