The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor device for a motor vehicle, comprising a membrane (11) for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, comprising an excitation element (12) designed for providing an electrical reception signal upon reception of the ultrasonic waves and also for exciting the membrane (11) for transmitting the ultrasonic waves, comprising a transmitter (13) for emitting electrical pulses to the excitation element (12) and comprising a receiver (16) for receiving and conditioning the electrical reception signal, wherein the ultrasonic sensor device (2) comprises a diagnosis unit (22), which is designed to carry out a diagnosis of the receiver (16) and in the process to check the receiver (16) with regard to its functionality.

A robotic device comprising a long-range sonar assembly configured to detect objects between 1000 mm to 9500 mm from the long range sonar assembly. The long-range sonar assembly comprises a flared bell housing and a transducer. The robotic device also comprises a transportation mechanism configured to move the robotic device in various directions in response to instructions from a processing device that is in communication with the ling-range sonar assembly and the transportation mechanism. The processing device may cause the long-range sonar assembly to, via the transducer transmit one or more pulses and receive the one or more pulses as echo pulses having reflected off an object in an environment. The processing device may then cause a transmitter to transmit instructions to the transportation mechanism to move the robotic device in the environment based on the received one or more pulses.

Ultrasonic ranging state management for a UAV is described. A transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal and receives an ultrasonic response thereto using a gain value. A noise floor estimation mechanism determines a noise floor estimate. A state mechanism sets an ultrasonic ranging state used by the transducer to a first ultrasonic ranging state. The transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal and responsively receive an ultrasonic response to the ultrasonic signal using a gain value according to the noise floor estimate. The state mechanism processes the ultrasonic response to determine whether to determine a new noise floor estimate, adjust the gain value used by the transducer, or change the ultrasonic ranging state of the UAV to a second ultrasonic ranging state. The configurations of the first and second ultrasonic ranging states differ as to, for example, power and gain levels used by the transducer to receive ultrasonic responses.

Ultrasonic ranging state management for a UAV is described. A transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal and receives an ultrasonic response thereto using a gain value. A noise floor estimation mechanism determines a noise floor estimate. A state mechanism sets an ultrasonic ranging state used by the transducer to a first ultrasonic ranging state. The transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal and responsively receive an ultrasonic response to the ultrasonic signal using a gain value according to the noise floor estimate. The state mechanism processes the ultrasonic response to determine whether to determine a new noise floor estimate, adjust the gain value used by the transducer, or change the ultrasonic ranging state of the UAV to a second ultrasonic ranging state. The configurations of the first and second ultrasonic ranging states differ as to, for example, power and gain levels used by the transducer to receive ultrasonic responses.

Disclose are various approaches for optimizing operation of an autonomous wireless mobile asset monitoring system. The approaches involve detecting the presence of cargo in a mobile asset. First, if energy conservation is a requirement of the system, each zone of the mobile asset is scanned until cargo is detected in one of the zones. Then, the results of the scan are transmitted to backend infrastructure. Alternatively, if energy conservation is not a requirement of the system, every zone of the mobile asset is scanned and the results of the scan are transmitted to backend infrastructure.

A long-range sonar assembly for detecting objects approximately 2.5-9.5 meters from a robotic device. The assembly includes a printed circuit board including a local controller operably connected to a processing device and configured to receive instructions from the processing device, a transmit potentiometer operably connected to the local controller and configured to produce a first transmit frequency, and a receive potentiometer operably connected to the local controller and configured to produce a first receive sensitivity; a transducer operably connected to the receive potentiometer; and a flared bell configured to house the transducer and the printed circuit board, the flared bell comprising at least a first enclosure for receiving a sub-assembly comprising the printed circuit board and the transducer.

An ultrasonic sensing system includes an ultrasonic receiver configured to receive an ultrasonic signal and a gain-adjustable amplifier operably coupled to the ultrasonic receiver. The gain-adjustable amplifier is configured to amplify the ultrasonic signal according to a variable gain determined based at least in part on a value of a timer that corresponds to a measuring distance.

An ultrasonic sensing system includes an ultrasonic receiver configured to receive an ultrasonic signal and a gain-adjustable amplifier operably coupled to the ultrasonic receiver. The gain-adjustable amplifier is configured to amplify the ultrasonic signal according to a variable gain determined based at least in part on a value of a timer that corresponds to a measuring distance.

A driving assistance device that detects an object around the own vehicle by using an ultrasonic sensor mounted on the own vehicle and performs driving assistance control of the own vehicle. The driving assistance device drives an oscillator of the ultrasonic sensor so that ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the oscillator. The driving assistance device acquires a duration and a frequency of reverberation occurring in association with driving of the oscillator. The driving assistance device determines, on a basis of the acquired duration and frequency of the reverberation, whether an oscillation characteristic of the reverberation has changed. The driving assistance device changes, on a basis of a result of determination of the oscillation characteristic of the reverberation, at least one execution mode of the driving assistance control and determination of abnormality in the driving assistance control.

Provided are an object detection apparatus and method. The object detection apparatus includes an amplifier configured to amplify a reflected ultrasonic wave signal with a variable gain, a gain controller configured to set the variable gain such that the reflected ultrasonic wave signal received in at least one predetermined time zone is amplified with a high gain, compared to in other time zones, a comparator configured to compare a signal on an envelope corresponding to the signal amplified by the amplifier with a predetermined threshold and output the signal on the envelope when the signal is greater than the threshold, a calculator configured to calculate an absolute value of a first-order differential value of the signal on the envelope, and a time at which a maximum of the absolute value of the first-order differential value is calculated, and a detector configured to detect an object using a third time, the third time being a time at which the maximum is calculated, before a second time, the second time being a time at which the signal greater than the threshold is output.