This invention relates to a method of reducing error in a SODAR system adapted to locate discontinuities in the atmosphere over a range extending away from an acoustic transmitter and receiver, the method comprising the steps of: measuring wind to determine either a substantially upwind direction or a substantially downwind direction relative to the transmitter; transmitting one or more forward or reverse acoustic chirps in the substantially upwind or downwind direction; receiving one or more acoustic echoes of the transmitted chirps; and processing the acoustic echoes to provide an indication of the discontinuities in the atmosphere over the range, thereby providing a wind shear profile.

A surroundings monitoring apparatus obtains the position of an object from a captured image of a region in a heading direction of a vehicle, and obtains a position obtainment accuracy. When the distance between the object and the vehicle becomes relatively short, the position obtainment accuracy increases. However, the distance between the object and the vehicle becomes shorter, the position obtainment accuracy may decrease. Therefore, if collision avoidance control is performed for an object selected on the basis of the position obtainment accuracy, there is a possibility that the collision avoidance control is not performed for an object which is most likely to collide with the vehicle. In view of this, the apparatus obtains, for each object, a required deceleration which is the magnitude of acceleration necessary for stoppage at a position before the object, and performs the collision avoidance control for an object which is the largest in the required deceleration.

An embodiment provides a device for measuring a fluid parameter of fluid flow in a channel, including: a transmitter; at least one receiver; a processor operatively coupled to the at least one transmitter and the at least one receiver; a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to: transmit, using the transmitter, directed energy carrying a signal toward a surface of a fluid in a fluid channel, so as to produce one or more reflections from the fluid surface; detect, by the at least one receiver, one or more received signals associated with the one or more reflections so produced; determine, based upon a measurement beam comprising characteristics of the transmitted and received signals, one or more fluid parameters to be measured using a processor of the device; and associate, using a processor of the device, the one or more fluid parameters with a channel segment. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a pressure tolerant energy system. The pressure tolerant energy system may comprise a pressure tolerant cavity and an energy system enclosed in the pressure tolerant cavity configured to provide electrical power to the vehicle. The energy system may include one or more battery cells and a pressure tolerant, programmable management circuit. The pressure tolerant cavity may be filled with an electrically-inert liquid, such as mineral oil. In some embodiments, the electrically-inert liquid may be kept at a positive pressure relative to a pressure external to the pressure tolerant cavity. The energy system may further comprise a pressure venting system configured to maintain the pressure inside the pressure tolerant cavity within a range of pressures. The pressure tolerant cavity may be sealed to prevent water ingress.

The techniques and systems herein enable target-velocity estimation using position variance. Specifically, a plurality of detections of a target are received for respective times as the target moves relative to a host vehicle. Based on the detections, two-dimensional positions of the target relative to the host vehicle are determined for the respective times. Based on the positions of the target at the respective times, a first variance is determined for a first dimension of the positions, and a second variance is determined for a second dimension of the positions. Based on the first and second variances, an estimated velocity of the target is calculated. By basing the estimated velocity on the variances of the positions, more-accurate estimated velocities may be generated sooner, thus enabling better performance of downstream operations.

Sonar intended to be carried by a naval vehicle including at least one element for transmitting an acoustic signal, at least one element for receiving the acoustic signal transmitted and reflected on the sea bed and at least two phase centers (PC.sub.1, PC.sub.2) that are disposed along a first and a second axis (v.sub.1, v.sub.2), respectively, forming an interferometric antenna. The sonar includes elements for determining the speed of movement of the vehicle as a function of the computed value of the relative trim angle () formed between a straight line (d.sub.1) that is perpendicular to the axes (v.sub.1, v.sub.2) of the phase centers and a straight line (d.sub.2) that is perpendicular to the sea bed (F) and of the value determined for the angle of sight.

A sound velocity sensor for underwater use has an acoustic transmitter and receiver, a path length portion defining an acoustic path and positioned such that a generated acoustic signal propagates along the acoustic path from the acoustic transmitter to the receiver, a temperature sensor in direct contact with the path length portion, and a controller communicatively coupled to these components. The controller is configured to generate the acoustic signal using the acoustic transmitter, determine a transit time of the acoustic signal from the acoustic transmitter to the acoustic receiver, determine a temperature of the path length portion using the temperature sensor, and determine the velocity of the acoustic signal from the transit time and a length of the acoustic path. Determining the velocity includes compensating for a temperature-related change in the length of the acoustic path using the temperature of the path length portion.

A method in a driver assistance system of a vehicle for detecting an object in the surroundings of the vehicle. The method has the following steps: emission of at least one measuring pulse by a transmitter; reception of a reflection of the measuring pulse by at least one receiver; determination of a Doppler shift between the emitted measuring pulse and the received reflection in an analysis unit; and determination of a direction toward the object based on the determined Doppler shift.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a pressure tolerant energy system. The pressure tolerant energy system may comprise a pressure tolerant cavity and an energy system enclosed in the pressure tolerant cavity configured to provide electrical power to the vehicle. The energy system may include one or more battery cells and a pressure tolerant, programmable management circuit. The pressure tolerant cavity may be filled with an electrically-inert liquid, such as mineral oil. In some embodiments, the electrically-inert liquid may be kept at a positive pressure relative to a pressure external to the pressure tolerant cavity. The energy system may further comprise a pressure venting system configured to maintain the pressure inside the pressure tolerant cavity within a range of pressures. The pressure tolerant cavity may be sealed to prevent water ingress.

The disclosure relates to method of processing three-dimensional images or volumetric datasets to determine a configuration of a medium or a rate of a change of the medium, wherein the method includes tracking changes of a field related to the medium to obtain a deformation or velocity field in three dimensions. In some cases, the field is a brightness field inherent to the medium or its motion. In other embodiments, the brightness field is from a tracking agent that includes floating particles detectable in the medium during flow of the medium.