Method and apparatus for cooperative usage of multiple distance meters
11255663 · 2022-02-22
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
G01S2013/468
PHYSICS
G01B11/26
PHYSICS
G01S15/42
PHYSICS
G01S13/878
PHYSICS
International classification
G01B11/26
PHYSICS
G01B15/00
PHYSICS
G01S15/42
PHYSICS
Abstract
A method and apparatus for an angle meter cooperatively using two or more non-contact distance meters for measuring distances to a surface along substantially parallel lines. The measured distances are used for estimating or calculating the angle to the surface and the distance to the surface. The distance meters may use optical means, where a visible or non-visible light or laser beam is emitted and received, acoustical means, where an audible or ultrasound sound is emitted and received, or an electromagnetic scheme, where radar beam is transmitted and received. The distances may be estimated using a Time-of-Flight (TOF), homodyne or heterodyne phase detection schemes. The distance meters may share the same correlator, signal conditioning circuits, or the same sensor. Two or more angle meters may be used defining parallel or perpendicular measurement planes, for measuring angles between surfaces, and for estimating physical dimensions such as length, area or volume.
Claims
1. A device for estimating a first angle (α) between a reference line defined by first and second points and a first surface or a first object, the device comprising: a first distance meter for measuring a first distance (d1) along a first line from the first point to the first surface or the first object; a second distance meter for measuring a second distance (d2) along a second line from the second point to the first surface or the first object; software and a processor for executing the software, the processor being coupled to receive representations of the first and second distances, respectively, from the first and second distance meters; a display coupled to the processor for visually displaying data from the processor; and a single enclosure housing the first and second distance meters, the processor, and the display, wherein the first and second distance meters are fixedly mounted in the enclosure so that the first and second lines are substantially parallel to one another, and the device is operative to calculate, by the processor, the estimated first angle (α) based on the first distance (d1) and the second distance (d2), and to display the estimated first angle (α) or a function thereof by the display, and wherein the device is operative to calculate, by the processor, a distance (d), and to send the calculated distance (d), or a function thereof, to the wireless network by the wireless transceiver via the antenna, where d=(d1+d2)*cos(α)/2, d=(d1+d2)*sin(α)/2, d=(d1+d2)*cos.sup.2(α)/(2*sin(α)), or d=(d1+d2)/(2*tg(α)).
2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: an antenna for transmitting and receiving first Radio-Frequency (RF) signals over the air; and a wireless transceiver coupled to the antenna for wirelessly transmitting and receiving first data over the air using a wireless network, the wireless transceiver being coupled to be controlled by the processor, wherein the device is operative to send to the wireless network by the wireless transceiver via the antenna the representations of the first distance (d1) or any function thereof, the second distance (d2) or any function thereof, or the estimated first angle (α) or any function thereof.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the first and the second lines is less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first line or the second line is at least substantially perpendicular to the reference line.
5. The device according to claim 4, wherein an angle formed between the first line or the second line and the reference line deviates from 90° by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°.
6. An apparatus comprising first and second devices, each according to claim 1.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further operative to output or display a representation of an angle that is based on, or a function of, the first angle (α) estimated by the first device and the first angle (α) estimated by the second device.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6, further operative to output or display a representation of a distance that is based on, or a function of, the first and second distances measured by the first device and the first and second distances measured by the second device.
9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second device is identical to the first device.
10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second device is different from the first device.
11. The apparatus according to claim 6, further operative to concurrently measure the first angle of the first device by the first device and the first angle of the second device by the second device.
12. The apparatus according to claim 6, further operative to be in a first state or a second state, wherein in the first state the first angle of the first device is measured by the first device and in the second state the first angle of the second device is measured by the second device.
13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the single enclosure is a hand-held enclosure or a portable enclosure.
14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the single enclosure is a surface mountable enclosure.
15. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a bipod or tripod.
16. The device according to claim 15, further integrated with at least one of a wireless device, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a media player, a Digital Still Camera (DSC), a Digital video Camera (DVC or digital camcorder), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a digital camera, a video recorder, or a smartphone.
17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the device is integrated with a smartphone that comprises, or is based on, an Apple iPhone 6 or a Samsung Galaxy S6.
18. The device according to claim 1, wherein the software comprises an operating system.
19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the operating system is a mobile operating system.
20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the mobile operating system comprises Android version 2.2 (Froyo), Android version 2.3 (Gingerbread), Android version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Android Version 4.2 (Jelly Bean), Android version 4.4 (KitKat), Apple iOS version 3, Apple iOS version 4, Apple iOS version 5, Apple iOS version 6, Apple iOS version 7, Microsoft Windows® Phone version 7, Microsoft Windows® Phone version 8, Microsoft Windows® Phone version 9, or Blackberry® operating system.
21. The device according to claim 1, further comprising, in the single enclosure, a first laser pointer for emitting a first visible laser beam substantially parallel to the first line.
22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first laser beam angular deviation from being parallel to the first line is less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°.
23. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first laser beam illuminates the first point.
24. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first laser beam illuminates a location having a distance to the first point of less than 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.005%, 0.008%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.05%, 0.08%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 8%, 10%, or 15%, of the first distance.
25. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first laser pointer comprises a visible light laser diode for generating the first laser beam and a collimator for focusing the generated first laser beam.
26. The device according to claim 21, wherein the first visible laser beam has a red, red-orange, blue, green, yellow, or violet color.
27. The device according to claim 21, further comprising, in the single enclosure, a second laser pointer for emitting a second visible laser beam substantially parallel to the second line.
28. The device according to claim 27, wherein the second laser beam angular deviation from being parallel to the second line less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°.
29. The device according to claim 27, wherein the second laser beam illuminates the second point.
30. The device according to claim 27, wherein the second laser beam illuminates a location having a distance to the second point of less than 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.005%, 0.008%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.05%, 0.08%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 8%, 10%, or 15%, of the second distance.
31. The device according to claim 27, wherein the second laser pointer comprises a visible light laser diode for generating the second laser beam and a collimator for focusing the generated second laser beam.
32. The device according to claim 27, wherein the second visible laser beam has a red, red-orange, blue, green, yellow, or violet color.
33. The device according to claim 1, further comprising, in the single enclosure, a laser pointer for emitting a visible laser beam, and wherein the laser pointer is movable or rotatable for illuminating a point on the first surface or object.
34. The device according to claim 33, further comprising, in the single enclosure, a motion actuator that causes linear or rotary motion mechanically coupled or attached to the laser pointer for moving or rotating the visible laser beam.
35. The device according to claim 34, wherein the motion actuator consists of, or comprises, an electrical motor.
36. The device according to claim 35, wherein the electrical motor is a brushed motor, a brushless motor, or an uncommutated DC motor.
37. The device according to claim 35, wherein the electrical motor is a DC stepper motor that is a Permanent Magnet (PM) motor, a Variable reluctance (VR) motor, or a hybrid synchronous stepper motor, and wherein the device further comprising a stepper motor driver coupled between the stepper motor and the processor for rotating or moving the visible laser beam by the processor.
38. The device according to claim 35, wherein the electrical motor is a servo motor, and wherein the device further comprising a servo motor driver coupled between the servo motor and the processor for rotating or moving the visible laser beam by the processor.
39. The device according to claim 33, wherein the visible laser beam is movable or rotatable in a plane.
40. The device according to claim 39, wherein the first line or the second line is part of the plane.
41. The device according to claim 39, wherein the plane is parallel or substantially parallel to the first line or to the second line.
42. The device according to claim 41, wherein an angular deviation of the plane from being parallel to the first or second line is less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°.
43. The device according to claim 39, wherein the visible laser beam is rotatable to be in a second angle (ϕ) relative to the first line or to the second line.
44. The device according to claim 43, wherein the second angle (ϕ) is based on, or is according to, the estimated first angle (α), the first distance (d1), the second distance (d2), or any combination or function thereof.
45. The device according to claim 44, wherein the second angle (ϕ) is equal to, is based on, or is according to, the estimated first angle (α).
46. The device according to claim 45, wherein an angular deviation between estimated first angle (α) and the second angle (ϕ) is less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°.
47. The device according to claim 1, further operative to estimate or calculate a first estimated point (x1, y1) relative to the device and a first extrapolated line (x′, y′) relative to the device that includes the first estimated point, wherein the first estimated point is estimated based on, or using, the first distance (d1), the second distance (d2), a result of an expression (d1+d2)/2, or any combination thereof, and wherein the slope or the direction (m1) of the first extrapolated line is estimated based on, or using, the estimated first angle (α).
48. The device according to claim 47, for use with a two-axis coordinate system and a reference direction, wherein the first line or the second line is angularly deviated from the reference direction by a first deviation angle (ϕ1), and wherein the first estimated point (x1, y1) is estimated or calculated according to, or based on, x1=R1*cos(ϕ1) and y1=R1*sin(ϕ1), where R1 is calculated or estimated based on, or using, the first distance (d1), the second distance (d2), a result of the expression (d1+d2)/2, or any combination thereof, and wherein the slope or the direction of the first extrapolated line is calculated based on, or according to, m1=−tg(α+ϕ1), and wherein the first extrapolated line is defined as y′−y1=m1*(x′−x1).
49. The device according to claim 48, further operative for estimating a second angle (α2) between an additional reference line defined by third and fourth points and a second surface or a second object, the device is further operative for measuring a third distance (d3) by the first distance meter along a third line that is distinct from the first line from the third point to the second surface or the second object; and for measuring a fourth distance (d4) by the second distance meter along a fourth line that is distinct from the second line from the fourth point to the second surface or the second object; and wherein the device is operative to calculate, by the processor, the estimated second angle (α2) based on the third distance (d3) and the fourth distance (d4), and to display the estimated second angle (α2) or a function thereof by the display.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The invention is herein described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements. Understanding that these drawings only provide information concerning typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting in scope:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(145) The principles and operation of an apparatus according to the present invention may be understood with reference to the figures and the accompanying description wherein similar components appearing in different figures are denoted by identical reference numerals. The drawings and descriptions are conceptual only. In actual practice, a single component can implement one or more functions; alternatively or in addition, each function can be implemented by a plurality of components and devices. In the figures and descriptions, identical reference numerals indicate those components that are common to different embodiments or configurations. Identical numerical references (even in the case of using different suffix, such as 5, 5a, 5b and 5c) refer to functions or actual devices that are either identical, substantially similar, or having similar functionality. It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method of the present invention, as represented in the figures herein, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely the representative embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” herein include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces. By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.
(146) Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
(147) Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “right,” left,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,”, “front”, “rear” “left”, “right” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
(148) An example of an angle meter #1 55 is shown in an arrangement 50 in
(149) As shown in an arrangement 50a in
(150) In one example, the distance ‘c’ between the measurement lines 51a and 51b may be less than 1 millimeter, 2 millimeters, 3 millimeters, 5 millimeters, 1 centimeter, 2 centimeters, 3 centimeters, 5 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 20 centimeters, 30 centimeters, 50 centimeters, 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, 5 meters, or 10 meters. Alternatively or in addition, the distance ‘c’ between the measurement lines 51a and 51b may be more than 1 millimeter, 2 millimeters, 3 millimeters, 5 millimeters, 1 centimeter, 2 centimeters, 3 centimeters, 5 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 20 centimeters, 30 centimeters, 50 centimeters, 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, 5 meters, or 10 meters.
(151) Each of the measured distances d1 (along the line 51a) and d2 (along the line 51b) may be less than 1 millimeter, 2 millimeters, 3 millimeters, 5 millimeters, 1 centimeter, 2 centimeters, 3 centimeters, 5 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 20 centimeters, 30 centimeters, 50 centimeters, 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, 5 meters, 10 meters, 20 meters, 30 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters, 500 meters, 1 kilometer, 2 kilometers, 3 kilometers, 5 kilometers, or 10 kilometers. Alternatively or in addition, each of the measured distances d1 (along the line 51a) and d2 (along the line 51b) may be more than 1 millimeter, 2 millimeters, 3 millimeters, 5 millimeters, 1 centimeter, 2 centimeters, 3 centimeters, 5 centimeters, 10 centimeters, 20 centimeters, 30 centimeters, 50 centimeters, 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters, 5 meters, 10 meters, 20 meters, 30 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters, 200 meters, 300 meters, 500 meters, 1 kilometer, 2 kilometers, 3 kilometers, 5 kilometers, or 10 kilometers.
(152) Preferably, the measuring lines 51a and 51b are parallel, providing best accuracy for measuring the angle α 56b, the distance dact and the distance ds 52. Practically, the measuring lines 51a and 51b may be substantially parallel, such as forming an angle of less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°. The term ‘perpendicular’ or ‘substantially perpendicular’ herein includes a deviation from a right angle (90°) by a deviation of less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, or 0.1°. For example, a deviation of 5° reflects an angle in the rage of 85°-95°.
(153) One advantage of using the angle meter #1 55 is the capability to measure a distance to a surface even when an obstacle is blocking or avoiding direct measurement as explained regarding the arrangement 45a in
(154) In one example, the angle meter #1 55 is used for measuring height of an object, such as a pole or a tree. An example for measuring the height of a tree 57 is illustrated in an arrangement 50c shown in
(155) In one example, the distance between two point on a line, surface or plane M 41a may be estimated or calculated without directly measuring the distance to the surface, such as when the obstacle 45 is present and blocking the direct measurement as described in the view 50b shown in
(156) A schematic block diagram of the angle meter #1 55 is shown in
(157) In one example, the angle meter #1 55a, as shown in
(158) The distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the mechanical enclosure, the structure, the power source, and the functionalities (or circuits) of the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. The type of propagated waves used for measuring the distance by the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both distance meters A 40a and B 40b use light waves, acoustic waves, or radar waves for distance measuring. Alternatively or in addition, the distance meter A 40a may use light waves while the distance meter B 40b may use acoustic or radar waves. Similarly, the distance meter A 40a may use acoustic waves while the distance meter B 40b may use light or radar waves. Further, the type of correlation schemes used for measuring the distance by the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both distance meters A 40a and B 40b use TOF, Heterodyne-based phase detection, or Homodyne-based phase detection. Alternatively or in addition, the distance meter A 40a may use TOF while the distance meter B 40b may use Heterodyne or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the distance meter A 40a may use Heterodyne-based phase detection while the distance meter B 40b may use TOF or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the emitters 11 in the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the sensors 13 in the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6 in the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6′ in the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, and the correlators 19 in the distance meters A 40a and B 40b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. Similarly, the connections 66a and 66b, respectively connecting the distance meters A 40a and B 40b to the base unit 60, may be identical, similar, or different from each other.
(159) In one example, the same measuring technology is used by both distance meters A 40a and B 40b, such as optics using visible or non-visible light beams, acoustics using audible or non-audible sound waves, or electromagnetic using radar waves. The parameters of characteristics of the emitted waves, such as the frequency or the spectrum, or the modulation scheme may be identical, similar, or different from each other. In one example, different frequency (or non-overlapping spectrum), or different modulation schemes are used, in order to avoid or minimize interference between the two distance meters A 40a and B 40b operation. For example, the emitter 11 of the distance meter A 40a may emit a wave propagating in one carrier (or center) frequency and the emitter 11 of the distance meter B 40b may emit a wave propagating in a second carrier (or center) frequency distinct from the first one, where the mating sensor 13 of the distance meter A 40a is adapted to optimally sense the first carrier frequency and to ignore the second frequency, while the mating sensor 13 of the distance meter B 40b is adapted to optimally sense the second carrier frequency and to ignore the first frequency. Hence, even if the two emitters 11 transmit simultaneously and the two sensors 13 are positioned to receive both propagating waves from the two emitters 11, there will be no interference between the two meters A 40a and B 40b operation.
(160) Any connection or bus, either parallel or serial, and either synchronous or asynchronous, that may be used for connecting between ICs or components, such as connections between ICs or components mounted on the same PCB, may be used as the connection 66a or the connection 66b (or both). Preferably, the connection 66a or the connection 66b (or both) uses, is compatible with, or is based on, a serial point-to-point bus such as SPI or I.sup.2C. Preferably, the connection 66a or the connection 66b (or both) uses, is compatible with, or is based on, a serial point-to-point bus such as SPI or I.sup.2C. Alternatively or in addition, the connection 66a or the connection 66b (or both) may be using, may be compatible with, or may be based on, and industry standard bus such as Universal Standard Bus (USB) version 2.0 or 3.0, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), Serial ATA (SATA), InfiniBand, PCI, PCI-X, AGP, Thunderbolt, IEEE 1394, FireWire, or Fibre-Channel.
(161) Alternatively or in addition, the units that are part of an angle meter 55b may communicate over a network 68, as shown in
(162) The network 68 (or the network 68a) may be a vehicle network, such as a vehicle bus or any other in-vehicle network. A connected element comprises a transceiver for transmitting to, and receiving from, the network. The physical connection typically involves a connector coupled to the transceiver. The vehicle bus may consist of, may comprise, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, specification, network, or system. The bus medium may consist of, or comprise, a single wire, or a two-wire such as an UTP or a STP. The vehicle bus may employ, may use, may be compatible with, or may be based on, a multi-master, serial protocol using acknowledgement, arbitration, and error-detection schemes, and may further use synchronous, frame-based protocol.
(163) The network data link and physical layer signaling may be according to, compatible with, based on, or use, ISO 11898-1:2015. The medium access may be according to, compatible with, based on, or use, ISO 11898-2:2003. The vehicle bus communication may further be according to, compatible with, based on, or use, any one of, or all of, ISO 11898-3:2006, ISO 11898-2:2004, ISO 11898-5:2007, ISO 11898-6:2013, ISO 11992-1:2003, ISO 11783-2:2012, SAE J1939/11_201209, SAE J1939/15_201508, or SAE J2411_200002 standards. The CAN bus may consist of, may be according to, compatible with, may be based on, compatible with, or may use a CAN with Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) protocol, specification, network, or system.
(164) Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle bus may consist of, may comprise, may be based on, may be compatible with, or may use a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) protocol, network, or system, and may be according to, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use any one of, or all of, ISO 9141-2:1994, ISO 9141:1989, ISO 17987-1, ISO 17987-2, ISO 17987-3, ISO 17987-4, ISO 17987-5, ISO 17987-6, or ISO 17987-7 standards. The battery power-lines or a single wire may serve as the network medium, and may use a serial protocol where a single master controls the network, while all other connected elements serve as slaves.
(165) Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle bus may consist of, may comprise, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use a FlexRay protocol, specification, network or system, and may be according to, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use any one of, or all of, ISO 17458-1:2013, ISO 17458-2:2013, ISO 17458-3:2013, ISO 17458-4:2013, or ISO 17458-5:2013 standards. The vehicle bus may support a nominal data rate of 10 Mb/s, and may support two independent redundant data channels, as well as independent clock for each connected element.
(166) Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle bus may consist of, may comprise, may be based on, may be compatible with, or may use a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) protocol, network or system, and may be according to, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use any one of, or all of, MOST25, MOST50, or MOST150. The vehicle bus may employ a ring topology, where one connected element is the timing master that continuously transmit frames where each comprises a preamble used for synchronization of the other connected elements. The vehicle bus may support both synchronous streaming data as well as asynchronous data transfer. The network medium may be wires (such as UTP or STP), or may be an optical medium such as Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) connected via an optical connector.
(167) Alternatively or in addition, the network 68 may be a wireless network 68b, as illustrated for an angle meter 55d shown in
(168) The wireless network 68b may be a control network (such as ZigBee or Z-Wave), a home network, a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network), a WLAN (wireless Local Area Network), a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network), or a cellular network. An example of a Bluetooth-based wireless controller that may be included in the wireless transceiver 67b is SPBT2632C1A Bluetooth module available from STMicroelectronics NV and described in the data sheet DoclD022930 Rev. 6 dated April 2015 entitled: “SPBT2632C1A—Bluetooth® technology class-1 module”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(169) Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one or more types of wireless communication signals and/or systems, for example, Radio Frequency (RF), Infra-Red (IR), Frequency-Division Multiplexing (FDM), Orthogonal FDM (OFDM), Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM), Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Extended TDMA (E-TDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), extended GPRS, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 2000, single-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, Multi-Carrier Modulation (MDM), Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT), Bluetooth®, Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee™, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), or the like. Further, a wireless communication may be based on, or may be compatible with, wireless technologies that are described in Chapter 20: “Wireless Technologies” of the publication number 1-587005-001-3 by Cisco Systems, Inc. (July 1999) entitled: “Internetworking Technologies Handbook”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(170) While the angle meters 55a and 55b were exampled regarding the two distance meters A 40a and B 40b separated from the respective base units 60 and 60a, one of the distance meters (or both) may equally be integrated with the base unit. Such an exemplary angle meter 55e that comprises a base unit 60d is shown in
(171) Preferably, a single enclosure may house all the functionalities (such as circuits) of the angle meter #1 55, as exampled regarding an angle meter 55c in
(172) The distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the mechanical arrangement, the structure, the power source, and the functionalities of the distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. The type of propagated waves used for measuring the distance by the distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b use light waves, acoustic waves, or radar waves for distance measuring. Alternatively or in addition, the distance meter module A 71a may use light waves while the distance meter module B 71b may use acoustic or radar waves. Similarly, the distance meter module A 71a may use acoustic waves while the distance meter module B 71b may use light or radar waves. Further, the type of correlation schemes used for measuring the distance by the distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b use TOF, Heterodyne-based phase detection, or Homodyne-based phase detection. Alternatively or in addition, the distance meter module A 71a may use TOF while the distance meter module B 71b may use Heterodyne or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the distance meter module A 71a may use Heterodyne-based phase detection while the distance meter module B 71b may use TOF or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the emitters 11a and 11b in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the sensors 13a and 13b in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6a and 6b in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6′a and 6′b in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other, and the correlators 19a and 19b in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other.
(173) In one example, a single component—a transducer 78 that may be the same as, similar to, or distinct from, the transducer 31 shown in
(174) In one example shown as an angle meter 55d in
(175) A Double-Pole-Double-Throw (DPDT) switch SW1 78a may be used for switching the shared set to either the ‘A’ meter functionality 72a or to the ‘B’ meter functionality 72b. The two poles of the switch SW1 78a are connected to the output of the transmitting path signal conditioner 6a and to the input of the receiving path signal conditioner 6′a. The switch SW1 78a has two states, designated as ‘1’ and ‘2’. In the state ‘1’, the switch SW1 78a connects to the ‘A’ meter functionality 72a, so that the output of transmitting path signal conditioner 6a is connected to the emitter 11a and the input of the receiving path signal conditioner 6′a is connected to the sensor 13a, hence providing full distance measuring functionality by emulating or forming the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a. In the state ‘2’, the switch SW1 78a connects to the ‘B’ meter functionality 72b, so that the output of transmitting path signal conditioner 6a is connected to the emitter 11b and the input of the receiving path signal conditioner 6′a is connected to the sensor 13b, hence providing full distance measuring functionality by emulating or forming the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b. The switch SW1 78a state is controlled by the control block 61, using a control line 79 commanding the switch SW1 78a to be is a specific state, thus commanding the distance measuring using the ‘A’ meter functionality 72a along the measuring line 51a or using the ‘B’ meter functionality 72b along the measuring line 51b.
(176) Any component that is designed to open (breaking, interrupting), close (making), or change one or more electrical circuits, may serve as the switch SW1 78a, preferably under some type of external control. Preferably, the switch SW1 78a is an electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts having two or more states. The switch SW1 78a may be a ‘normally open’ type, requiring actuation for closing the contacts, may be ‘normally closed’ type where actuation affects breaking the circuit, or may be a changeover switch having both types of contacts arrangements. A changeover switch may be either a ‘make-before-break’ or ‘break-before-make’ types. The switch contacts may have one or more poles and one or more throws. The Double-Pole-Double-Throw (DPDT) SW1 78a may be formed or comprise two or more switches having common switches contacts arrangements such as Single-Pole-Single-Throw (SPST), Single-Pole-Double-Throw (SPDT), Double-Pole-Single-Throw (DPST), and Single-Pole-Changeover (SPCO). The switch SW1 78a may be electrically or mechanically actuated.
(177) The switch SW1 78a may use, comprise, or consist of, a relay. A relay is a non-limiting example of an electrically operated switch. A relay may be a latching relay, that has two relaxed states (bistable), and when the current is switched off, the relay remains in its last state. This is achieved with a solenoid operating a ratchet and cam mechanism, or by having two opposing coils with an over-center spring or permanent magnet to hold the armature and contacts in position while the coil is relaxed, or with a permanent core. A relay may be an electromagnetic relay, that typically consists of a coil of wire wrapped around a soft iron core, an iron yoke which provides a low reluctance path for magnetic flux, a movable iron armature, and one or more sets of contacts. The armature is hinged to the yoke and mechanically linked to one or more sets of moving contacts. It is held in place by a spring so that when the relay is de-energized there is an air gap in the magnetic circuit. In this condition, one of the two sets of contacts in the relay pictured is closed, and the other set is open. A reed relay is a reed switch enclosed in a solenoid, and the switch has a set of contacts inside an evacuated or inert gas-filled glass tube, which protects the contacts against atmospheric corrosion.
(178) Alternatively or in addition, a relay may be a Solid State Relay (SSR), where a solid-state based component functioning as a relay, without having any moving parts. Alternatively or in addition, a switch may be implemented using an electrical circuit. For example, an open collector (or open drain) based circuit may be used. Further, an opto-isolator (a.k.a. optocoupler, photocoupler, or optical isolator) may be used to provide isolated switched signal transfer. Further, a thyristor such as a Triode for Alternating Current (TRIAC) may be used for analog switching.
(179) Alternatively or in addition, the switch SW1 78a may use, comprise, be based on, or consist of an analog switching. An analogue (or analog) switch, also referred to as a bilateral switch, is an electronic component that behaves in a similar way to a relay, but has no moving parts. The switching element is normally a pair MOSFET transistors, one an N-channel device, the other a P-channel device. The device can conduct analog or digital signals in either direction when on and isolates the switched terminals when off Analog switches are described in a tutorial by Analog Devices, Inc. 2009 publication MT-088 Tutorial (Rev. 0, October 2008, WK) entitled: “Analog Switches and Multiplexers Basics”, and in Texas Instruments Incorporated 2012 publication SLYB125D entitled: “Analog Switch Guide”, which are both incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. An example of an analog switch provided as an integrated circuit in a package containing multiple switches is model 74HC4066 available from NXP Semiconductors N.V. headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and described in a product data sheet Rev. 8-3 December 2015 entitled: “74HC4066; 74HCT4066—Quad single-Pole single-throw analog switch”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. The control input to an analog switch may be a signal that switches between the positive and negative supply voltages, with the more positive voltage switching the device on and the more negative switching the device off. Other circuits are designed to communicate through a serial port with a host controller in order to set switches on or off. The signal being switched must remain within the bounds of the positive and negative supply rails, which are connected to the P-MOS and N-MOS body terminals. An analog switch generally provides good isolation between the control signal and the input/output signals.
(180) Alternatively or in addition, only the correlator 19a is shared between the two meters functionalities, while dedicated and separated (in whole or in part) signal conditioners are used. Such an angle meter 55e is shown in
(181) A Double-Pole-Double-Throw (DPDT) switch SW1 78a may be used for switching the shared correlator 19a either to the ‘A’ meter functionality 73a or to the ‘B’ meter functionality 73b. The two poles of the switch SW1 78a are connected to the correlator 19a. The switch SW1 78a has two states, designated as ‘1’ and ‘2’. In the state ‘1’, the switch SW1 78a connects to the ‘A’ meter functionality 73a, so that the correlator 19a is connected only to the ‘A’ meter functionality 73a, hence providing full distance measuring functionality by emulating or forming the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a. In the state ‘2’, the switch SW1 78a connects to the ‘B’ meter functionality 72b, so that the correlator 19a is connected only to the ‘B’ meter functionality 73b, hence providing full distance measuring functionality by emulating or forming the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b. The switch SW1 78a state is controlled by the control block 61, using a control line 79a commanding the switch SW1 78a to be is a specific state, thus commanding the distance measuring using the ‘A’ meter functionality 73a along the measuring line 51a or using the ‘B’ meter functionality 73b along the measuring line 51b.
(182) Alternatively or in addition, each distance meter functionality includes a separated and dedicated correlator, and an angle meter 55f shown in
(183) A Single-Pole-Double-Throw (SPDT) switch SW2 75 may be used for switching either to the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a or to the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b. The pole of the switch SW2 75 is connected to the control block 61. The switch SW2 75 has two states, designated as ‘1’ and ‘2’. In the state ‘1’, the switch SW2 75 connects to control, and to receive the measured distance by the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a, while in the state ‘2’, the switch SW2 75 connects to control, and to receive the measured distance by the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b. The switch SW2 75 state is controlled by the control block 61, using a control line 79b commanding the switch SW2 75 to be is a specific state, thus commanding the distance measuring using the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a along the measuring line 51a or using the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b along the measuring line 51b. The switch SW2 75 may be identical, similar, or may be based on, the SW1 78a described above, and may be an analog switch or a relay. Alternatively or in addition, the switch SW2 75 may be a digital switch or digital multiplexer. Digital switches/multiplexers are described in a guide Texas Instruments Incorporated 2004 publication SCDB006A entitled: “Digital Bus Switch Selection Guide”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. An example of a digital switch provided as an integrated circuit in a package containing multiple switches is model 74HC4157 available from NXP Semiconductors N.V. headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and described in a product data sheet Rev. 7-21 January 2015 entitled: “74HC157; 74HCT157—Quad 2-input multiplexer”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(184) Alternatively or in addition, the two distance meters may share a single sensor, as described for an angle meter 55g shown in
(185) An angle meter 55h shown in
(186) The operation of the angle meter #1 55 may follow a flow chart 80 shown in
(187) The accuracy of calculating the angle α may be estimated by estimating the accuracy of the measurements d1 and d2, and in particular, in the error of |d2−d1|, designated as Δd. The error in calculating the error in the estimated angle α, noted as Δa, may be expressed as Δα=arc tan(tg(α)+Δd/c)−α. For example, assuming a length ‘c’ value of 5 cm (centimeter), and Δd=5 mm, then Δα=5.71 for α=0° (0 degrees), Δα=5.44° for α=10°, Δα=4.52 for α=25°, and Δα=2.73° for α=45°. Similarly for a length ‘c’ value of 10 cm (centimeter) and Δd=5 mm, then Δα=2.86 for α=0° (0 degrees), Δα=2.75° for α=10°, Δα=2.31° for α=25°, and Δα=1.40° for α=45°, and for a length ‘c’ value of 30 cm (centimeter), and Δd=5 mm, then Δα=0.95° for α=0° (0 degrees), Δα=0.92° for α=10°, Δα=0.78° for α=25°, and Δα=0.47° for α=45°, Hence, higher spatial distance ‘c’ between the two measuring lines 51a and 51b improves the insensitivity to distance errors in d1 and d2.
(188) A distance measurement by a distance meter (such as the distance meter A 40a) or by a distance meter functionality (such as the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a, 72a, or 73a) involves activation of a distance measurement cycle (or measurement interval or period) initiating in the starting of emitting an energy by an emitter 11, and ending after a set time interval. Preferably, the time interval is set so that the received reflection (echo) from an object or surface by a sensor 13 is not detectable, such as when the returned energy in the signal versus the noise (S/N) is too low to be reliably detected or distinguished. Based on the velocity of the propagation of the waves over the medium, the set time interval inherently defines a maximum detectable range. In one example, the maximum detectable range may be above than 1 cm (centimeter), 2 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, 8 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 50 cm, 80 cm, 1 m (meter), 2 m, 3 m, 5 m, 8 m, 10 m, 20 m, 30 m, 50 m, 80 m, 100 m, 200 m, 300 m, 500 m, 800 m, 1 Km (kilometer), 2 Km, 3 Km, 5 Km, 8 Km, 10 Km, 20 Km, 30 Km, 50 Km, 80 Km, or 100 Km. Alternatively or in addition, the maximum detectable range may be less than 1 cm (centimeter), 2 cm, 3 cm, 5 cm, 8 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 50 cm, 80 cm, 1 m (meter), 2 m, 3 m, 5 m, 8 m, 10 m, 20 m, 30 m, 50 m, 80 m, 100 m, 200 m, 300 m, 500 m, 800 m, 1 Km (kilometer), 2 Km, 3 Km, 5 Km, 8 Km, 10 Km, 20 Km, 30 Km, 50 Km, 80 Km, or 100 Km.
(189) In one example, a single distance measurement cycle is performed each time a distance measurement is activated, such as part of the “Measure Distance B” step 82b or as part of the “Measure Distance A” step 82a, in response to a user request via the user interface 62, or otherwise under the control of the control block 61. Alternatively or in addition, multiple distance measurement cycles are consecutively performed in response to a single distance measurement activation or request. The various range results of the multiple distance measurement cycles may be manipulated to provide a single measurement output, such as averaging the results to provide a more accurate output. In one example, the number of consecutive measurement cycles performed in response to the measurement request may be above than 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000 measurement cycles. The average rate of the multiple measurement cycles may be higher than 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000 cycles per seconds. The distance measurement cycles may be sequential so that the next cycle starts immediately (or soon after) the completion of a previous one. Alternatively or in addition, the time period between the start of a cycle and the start of the next one may be lower than 1 μs (micro-second), 2 μs, 3 μs, 5 μs, 8 μs, 10 μs, 20 μs, 30 μs, 50 μs, 80 μs, 100 μs, 200 μs, 300 μs, 500 μs, 800 μs, 1 ms (milli-second), 2 ms, 3 ms, 5 ms, 8 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 30 ms, 50 ms, 80 ms, 100 ma, 200 ma, 300 ms, 500 ma, 800 ma, 1 s (second), 2 s, 3 s, 5 s, 8 s, or 10 s. Alternatively or in addition, the time period between the start of a cycle and the start of the next one may be higher than 1 μs (micro-second), 2 μs, 3 μs, 5 μs, 8 μs, 10 μs, 20 μs, 30 μs, 50 μs, 80 μs, 100 μs, 200 μs, 300 μs, 500 μs, 800 μs, 1 ms (milli-second), 2 ms, 3 ms, 5 ms, 8 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 30 ms, 50 ms, 80 ms, 100 ms, 200 ms, 300 ms, 500 ms, 800 ms, 1 s (second), 2 s, 3 s, 5 s, 8 s, or 10 s.
(190) An angle meter 55 uses two distance meters (such as the distance meters A 40a and B 40b) or two distance meter functionalities such as the ‘A’ meter functionality (71a, 72a, or 73a) and respective ‘B’ meter functionality (71b, 72b, or 73b). In one example, only one distance measurement cycle of one of the distance meters or one of meter functionalities is operational at a time. By avoiding activating simultaneously both measurement cycles of the two distance meters (or meter functionalities), lower instantaneous power consumption is obtained, potential interference between the two meters or functionalities is minimized, and lower crosstalk between the distinct respective electrical circuits is guaranteed. In one example, a single measurement cycle by one of the meters (or functionalities) is followed immediately, or after a set delay, by a single distance measurement cycle of the other meter (or functionality). In the case where multiple measurement cycles are used, such as N cycles per single measurement request, the measurements may be performed sequentially, where one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the distance meter ‘A’ 40a (or the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a) is executing N distance measurement cycles to obtain a first manipulated single range result (such as the distance d1 51a), followed immediately (or after a set delay) by the other one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the distance meter ‘B’ 40b (or the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b) is executing N measurement cycles to obtain a second manipulated single range result (such as the distance d2 51b). Alternatively or in addition, the two distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b (or the respective meter functionalities ‘A’ 71a and ‘B’ 71b) are used alternately, using a ‘super-cycle’ including for example, a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘A’ 40a (or the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a) followed by a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘B’ 40b (or the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b). The ‘super-cycle’ is repeated N times, hence resulting total of 2*N cycles.
(191) Alternatively or in addition, the two distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b (or the respective meter functionalities ‘A’ 71a and ‘B’ 71b) are concurrently activated, for example as part of parallel executing the “Measure Distance B” step 82b and the “Measure Distance A” step 82a, so that there is a time overlap between the distance measurement cycles of the two meters or meter functionalities. Such approach allows for faster measuring, which offers a more accurate results in a changing environment, such as when the angle meter 55 or the reflecting object or surface are moving. In one example, the distance measurement cycles may be independent from each other, and the overlapping is random and there is not any mechanism to synchronize them. Alternatively or in addition, a synchronization is applied in order to synchronize or otherwise correspond the two distance measurement cycles. In one example, the same activating control signal is sent to both meters and functionalities, so that the two measurement cycles start at the same time, or substantially together. For example, the energy emitting start may be designed to concurrently occur. For example, the modulated signals emitted by the emitter 11, such as a pulse in a TOF scheme, may be emitted together at the same time or at negligible delay. Two distance measurement cycles may be considered as overlapping if the non-overlapping time period is less than 20%, 18%, 15%, 13%, 10%, 8%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.2% of the total measurement cycle time interval.
(192) Alternatively or in addition, there may be a fixed delay between the distance measurement cycles. Assuming the distance measurement cycles both having the time interval of T (such as 100 milliseconds), there may be a delay of ½*T (50 milliseconds in the example) between the distance measurement cycles starting times (phase difference of 180°). Alternatively or in addition, a delay of ⅓*T, ¼*T, or any other time period may be equally used. Such a phase difference between the various distance measurement cycles may be useful to reduce interference or crosstalk between the two measurements and the two circuits. Further, since there is a large power-consumption during the energy emitting part of the measurement cycle, such delay may cause the transmitting periods to be non-overlapping, thus reducing the peak power consumption of the angle meter 55.
(193) In addition (or as an alternative) to measuring a distance to an object (such as a surface or a plane), an angle meter 55 may include a frequency discrimination circuit or functionality for measuring a frequency shift between the propagated wave 16a emitted by the emitter 11 and the reflected wave 16b received by the sensor 13. Such frequency difference may be a Doppler (frequency) shift, resulting from the relative speed between the angle meter 55 and the reflecting object 18 at the location (or point) 9, that may be a speed component of a moving angle meter 55 or a moving object 18. A simplified block diagram of an angle meter 55k is shown in
(194) While two frequency discriminators 92a and 92b are shown, an angle meter 55 may include only one, such as only comprising the frequency discriminator 92a, allowing for measuring the Doppler shift and for calculating the resulting relative velocity component along the ‘A’ measurement line 51a. In the case where the two frequency discriminators 92a and 92b are both used, the two Doppler shifts or the two estimated velocities (assuming the same object is sensed by both meter functionalities) may be averaged resulting more accurate result of a Doppler shift or estimated velocity component. The frequency discriminator 92a may be identical, similar, or distinct from the frequency discriminator 92b. Any circuit or functionality for measuring the frequency difference between two signals may be used for frequency discriminator as part of each of the frequency discriminators 92a or 92b.
(195) Any Doppler-shift detection or measurement circuit or functionality may be used in each of the frequency discriminators 92a and 92b. For example, a frequency discriminator may use a mixer for mixing the emitted and the received signals (or replicas thereof) for obtaining a signal that after filtering, have a frequency that is the difference of the input signal frequencies. In one example, a frequency discriminator may be used that is based on an IC model AD9901 available from Analog Devices, Inc., headquartered in Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. and described in Analog Devices, Inc. Data Sheet Rev. B (C1272b-0-1/99) dated 1999 entitled: “Ultrahigh Speed Phase/Frequency Discriminator”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(196) Since both the correlator 19a and the frequency discriminator 92a functionalities and circuits are involved in both the transmit and receive paths, and both connect mainly to the same circuits and functionalities, and since in some cases, the same components or circuits may be shared by both, both circuits may be integrated into a single \circuit or block, designated as Correlator/Frequency discriminator 93a and serving as part of the functionality 91a in the angle meter 55l shown in
(197) The wave's propagation in an arrangement 100 using the angle meter 55c for measuring an angle to the line M 41a is shown in
(198) However, in the case where both emitters 11a and 11b emits the same signal type, such as in an arrangement where both emitters 11a and 11b emits light, electromagnetic radiation, or light, and accordingly both sensors 13a and 13b are suitable to sense the appropriate reflections, a sensor may sense a signal that is a reflection of a non-mating emitter signal. For example, the sensor 13a may detect or sense a wave or beam propagating along a reflection path 101e that is a reflection of the signal emitted along the path 101b by the emitter 11b. Similarly, the sensor 13b may detect or sense a wave or beam propagating along a reflection path 101d that is a reflection of the signal emitted along the path 101a by the emitter 11a. In such a case, there may be an ambiguity caused by the reception of multiple echoes, which may lead to confusion and inaccuracy in the distance (or Doppler) measurements.
(199) In one example, a time separation may be used (also known as Time-Division Multiplexing—TDM). In this method, the two distance meters 40a and 40b (or the two functionalities 71a and 71b) are synchronized so that the signals emitted by the emitters 11a and 11b are separated in time in an alternate manner, so that a received echo may be unambiguously identified as being originated by the last activated emitter. For example, a pulse may be emitted only by the emitter 11a, and only echoes received afterwards by the mating sensor 13a are considered and analyzed, while echoes received by the non-mating sensor 13b are ignored. After a specified time period from the pulse was emitted by the emitter 11a (typically corresponding to the maximum detectable distance), a pulse may be emitted only by the emitter 11b, and only echoes received afterwards by the mating sensor 13b are considered and analyzed, while echoes received by the non-mating sensor 13a are ignored. In such a case, each distance meter functionality is operative only a fraction of the time in an alternating pattern.
(200) In some scenarios, it may be preferable that the distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b, to (or the two functionalities 71a and 71b) to be independently activated, so that the energy emitting may not be synchronized. Alternatively or in addition, it may be preferable that the distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b, to (or the two functionalities 71a and 71b) are synchronized so that the energy emitting by the emitters 11a and 11b is simultaneous or overlapping, or the synchronization is such that there is a time overlapping in echo receiving time intervals, and echoes generated by a non-mating emitter may be received by a sensor. In such a scenario, a spatial separation may be used. An example of beam width based separation using angular separation is shown in an arrangement 100a in
(201) Alternatively or in addition, the waves emitted by the emitters 11a and 11b may involve distinct or different parameters, characteristics or features, so that these distinctions or differences may be used to identify the relevant echo as part of the reception path. In one example, different amplitude or power levels may be used when transmitting. For example, the pulse emitted by the emitter 11a may be 10 or 100 times stronger than the pulse emitted by the emitter 11b. Hence, upon receiving two or more echoes, the stronger echo may be associated to be transmitted by the stronger emitter 11a, and weaker echoes may be associated to be transmitted by the weaker emitter 11b. For example, the power or the amplitude of the signal emitted by the emitter 11a may be higher than the signal emitted by the emitter 11b by at least 1 dB, 2 dB, 3 dB, 5 dB, 8 dB, 10 dB, 15 dB, 18 dB, 20 dB, 25 dB, 30 dB, 35 dB, 40 dB, 45 dB, or 50 dB. Similarly, the emitted signals may be differently shaped or modulated. Alternatively or in addition, a phase separation may be used. In such a scheme, both emitters 11a and 11b emit periodical signal that may have distinct, similar, or same signal power level, and may use distinct, similar, or same center or carrier frequency. In one example, the same (or similar) frequency is used, however the signal emitted by the emitter 11b is phase shifted by 180° from the signal emitted by the emitter 11a. The received echoes that are phase shifted by 0° to 179° from the signal emitted by the emitter 11a may be associated with the emitter 11a, and thus may be used when received by the mating sensor 13a as part of the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a, and ignored by the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b, while echoes received that are phase shifted by 180° to 359° from the signal emitted by the emitter 11a may be associated with the emitter 11b, and thus may be used when received by the mating sensor 13b as part of the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b and ignored by the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a. Such phase filtering may be implemented as a separate circuit, or may be integrated with the respective correlator functionality. Similarly, the signal emitted by the emitter 11b may consist of, may comprises, or may be based on, the signal emitted by the emitter 11a being phase shifted by at least than, or no more than, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 180°, 210°, 240°, 270°, 300°, or 330°.
(202) Alternatively or in addition, a frequency separation may be used, where the echoes are identified according to their center or carrier frequency. An example of an angle meter 55c1 employing frequency separation is shown as part of an arrangement 100b in
(203) For example, the sensor 13a may be optimized to receive the waves having the frequency fa, and to reject or attenuate waves having the frequency fb. Similarly, the sensor 13b may be optimized to receive the waves having the frequency fb, and to reject or attenuate waves having the frequency fa. Preferably, the sensors are further capable to receive a frequency band around the specified mating emitter frequency in order to properly receive Doppler-shifted frequencies in a set range. In one example, a sensor may attenuate waves having the frequency of the non-mating emitter versus the output associated with waves having the frequency of the mating emitter. For example, the sensor 13a may attenuate received waves having a frequency fb (resulting from a reflection of the emitted signal by the non-mating emitter 11b) versus received waves having a frequency fa (resulting from a reflection of the emitted signal by the mating emitter 11a) by at least 3 dB, 5 dB, 8 dB, 10 dB, 15 dB, 18 dB, 20 dB, 25 dB, 30 dB, 35 dB, 40 dB, 45 dB, or 50 dB.
(204) In one example, the sensors are wide-band and designed to be equally sensitive to both frequencies fa and fb. For example, the sensors 13a and 13b may be identical or similar to each other. In such a case, filtering may be used for isolating the relevant echoes, as shown in the arrangement 100b in
(205) In one example, the frequency fb is higher than the frequency fa, as shown in an example of an angle meter 55c2 described as part of an arrangement 100c in
(206) The angle meter 55g described in
(207) Alternatively or in addition, the separation may be based on polarization. When the distance meters are based on light or electromagnetic waves (such as microwave radar), one emitter may use one type of polarization, while the other one may use another type of polarization. Typically, a sensor adapted for the polarization of the mating emitter is used, thus the other type of polarization is ignored. For example, the emitter 11a may be an antenna radiating electromagnetic waves having horizontal polarization, while the emitter 11b may be an antenna radiating electromagnetic waves having vertical polarization. Respectively, the sensor 13a may be an antenna receiving electromagnetic waves having horizontal polarization (or may be the same antenna used for the emitter 11a) while the sensor 13b may be an antenna receiving electromagnetic waves having vertical polarization (or may be the same antenna used for the emitter 11b). In the case of using light, polarizers may be added in front of the sensors, where a polarizer filtering and passing only one type of light (that is emitted by the light emitter 11a) may be used to filter light entering the sensor 13a, while a polarizer filtering and passing only another distinct type of light (that is emitted by the light emitter 11b) may be used to filter light entering the sensor 13b.
(208) In the case where a transducer is used for distance metering, such as the transducer 31 as part of the distance meter 15″ shown in
(209) An arrangement 120 describing the usage of the angle meter 55c to measure the angle to the plane or line M 41a is shown in
(210) In order to assist a user to visualize the points on the surface or line (such as point 9 on the line or surface M 41a shown in the arrangement 50 in
(211) Preferably, the visible laser beam 16ca may deviate from the ideal parallel to the measurement line 51a (or from the center of the wave propagation line of the waves emitted by the emitter 11a) by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°. Further, the visible laser beam 16cb may preferably deviate from the ideal parallel to the measurement line 51b (or from the center of the wave propagation line of the waves emitted by the emitter 11b) by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°. Further, the laser beam 16ca preferably illuminates a location having a distance to the distance-measured point of ‘A’ meter functionality 71a′ of less than 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.005%, 0.008%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.05%, 0.08%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 15%, of the measured distance. Similarly, the laser beam 16cb preferably illuminates a location having a distance to the distance-measured point of ‘B’ meter functionality 71b′ of less than 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.005%, 0.008%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.05%, 0.08%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 8%, 10%, 15%, of the measured distance.
(212) Alternatively or in addition, a single laser pointer may be used, as exampled in an angle meter 55q shown in
(213) In one example, the embedded laser pointer functionality may be mounted or fixed in position, and may be mechanically attached to the angle meter enclosure. For example, the laser pointers 3a and 3b of the angle meter 55p shown in
(214) An example of a rotatable laser pointer 3a is shown as part of an angle meter 55t shown in
(215) At a reference position (e.g., 0°), the emitted visible laser beam 16ca may be similar or identical to the direction described above for the angle meter 55q shown in
(216) Some of the angle meters exampled above used two distinct emitters, such as the angle meter 55c shown in
(217) Some of the angle meters exampled above used two distinct sensors, such as the angle meter 55c shown in
(218) Preferably, the wave signal attenuation is equal in the two paths from the respective openings 144a and 144b through the respective two waveguides 143a and 143b, and the combiner 142a to the sensor 13a. Alternatively or in addition, the difference between the attenuation of the two paths may be higher than 20%, 18%, 15%, 13%, 10%, 8%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.2% of the energy, intensity, or amplitude of the wave signal received by the sensor 13a. Alternatively or in addition, the difference between the attenuation of the two paths may be lower than 20%, 18%, 15%, 13%, 10%, 8%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.2% of the energy, intensity, or amplitude of the wave signal received by the sensor 13a.
(219) In the case of using light wave, the splitter 142 may consist of, comprise, or be based on, an optical beam splitter. Such an optical beam splitter may consist of, comprise, or be based on, two triangular glass prisms which are glued together at their base, a half-silvered mirror using a sheet of glass or plastic with a transparently thin coating of metal, a diffractive beam splitter, or a dichroic mirrored prism assembly which uses dichroic optical coatings. A polarizing beam splitter may consist of, comprise, or be based on Wollaston prism that use birefringent materials for splitting light into beams of differing polarization.
(220) In the case of using electromagnetic (e.g., radar) wave, the splitter 142 may consist of, comprise, or be based on, a power divider or a directional coupler, that may be passive or active. A directional coupler may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a pair of coupled transmission lines, a branch-line coupler that consist of two parallel transmission lines physically coupled together with two or more branch lines between them, or a Lange coupler that is similar to the interdigital filter with paralleled lines interleaved to achieve the coupling. A power divider may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a T-junction or a Wilkinson power divider that consists of two parallel uncoupled λ/4 transmission lines. A coupled line directional coupler where the coupling is designed to be 3 dB is referred to as hybrid coupler. A hybrid ring coupler, also called the rat-race coupler, is a four-port 3 dB directional coupler consisting of a 3λ/2 ring of transmission line with four lines at the intervals. A directional coupler may be consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a waveguide directional coupler such as branch-line coupler, Bethe-hole directional coupler, a Riblet short-slot coupler that is two waveguides side-by-side with the side-wall in common instead of the long side as in the Bethe-hole coupler, or a Moreno crossed-guide coupler that has two waveguides stacked one on top of the other like the Bethe-hole coupler but at right angles to each other instead of parallel. A waveguide power divider may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a hybrid ring or a Magic tee.
(221) In the case where the wave signal used is sound, each of the waveguides 143a and 143b may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, an acoustic waveguide.
(222) In the case where the wave signal used is light, each of the waveguides 143a and 143b may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, an optical waveguide, that may be planar, strip, or fiber waveguide structure, may be associated with step or gradient index as refractive index distribution, and may be made of glass, polymer, semiconductor. The optical waveguide may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, two-dimensional waveguide, such as a strip waveguide that is basically a strip of the layer confined between cladding layers, a rib waveguide that is a waveguide in which the guiding layer basically consists of the slab with a strip (or several strips) superimposed onto it, a Laser-inscribed waveguide, a photonic crystal waveguide, a segmented waveguide, or an optical fiber.
(223) In the case where the wave signal used is electromagnetic wave (e.g., RF or radar), each of the waveguides 143a and 143b may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, an electromagnetic waveguide, that may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a transmission line, a dielectric waveguide, or a hollow metallic waveguide. A dielectric waveguide typically employs a solid dielectric rod rather than a hollow pipe. A transmission lines may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a microstrip, a coplanar waveguide, a stripline or a coaxial cable. A hollow metallic waveguide may be circular or rectangular shaped, and may consist of, comprise, use, or be based on, a slotted waveguide, or a closed waveguide that is an electromagnetic waveguide (a) that is tubular, usually with a circular or rectangular cross section, (b) that has electrically conducting walls, (c) that may be hollow or filled with a dielectric material, (d) that can support a large number of discrete propagating modes, (e) in which each discrete mode defines the propagation constant for that mode, (f) in which the field at any point is describable in terms of the supported modes, (g) in which there is no radiation field, and (h) in which discontinuities and bends cause mode conversion but not radiation.
(224) A Cartesian coordinate system is shown as part of an arrangement 150 shown in
(225) In one example, an angle meter is located for measuring distances and angles relating to the origin point (0, 0) 152. The angle meter is oriented to measure distance and angle to the point (x1, y1) 152a, angularly deviating from the ‘X’ axis 151a by a first deviation angle β1 153a. In this position, the angle meter measures a distance R1 to the point (x1, y1) 152a along a first measurement line 51e1, which may correspond to the measurement day 51e in the arrangement 50 shown in
(226) The angle meter may further be rotated to a second position oriented to measure distance and angle to the point (x2, y2) 152b, angularly deviating from the ‘X’ axis 151a by a first deviation angle β2 153b. In this position, the angle meter measures a distance R2 to the point (x2, y2) 152b along a second measurement line 51e2, which may correspond to the measurement day 51e in the arrangement 50 shown in
(227) Based on the two measurements by the angle meter, the two lines M1 154a and M2 154b parameters may be calculated or estimated, and these parameters may be used to estimate the intersection point (x3, y3) 152c, according to x3=[(m2*x2−m1*x1)−(y2−y1)]/(m2−m1) and y3=[m1*m2*(x1−x2)+m1*y2−m2*y1]/(m1−m2), where m1=−tg(α1+β1), m2=−tg(α2+β2), x1=R1*cos(β1), y1=R1*sin(β1), x2=R2*cos(β2), and y2=R2*sin(β2). The angle meter located at the origin point (0, 0) 152 may then interpolate and estimate the contour between and points (x1, y1) 152a and (x2, y2) 152b, to include a first straight line segment between the points (x1, y1) 152a and (x3, y3) 152c (as part of the line M1 154a) and a second straight line segment between the points (x3, y3) 152c and (x2, y2) 152b (as part of the line M2 154b). For example, the angle meter may measure as part of a horizontal plane and the lines M1 154a and M2 154b that represent vertical boundaries or walls. For example, lines M1 154a and M2 154b may represent walls in a room, allowing an angle meter located in the room to estimate the walls contour and location.
(228) While the arrangement 150 in
(229) Preferably, few of, or all of, the measured points 152a to 152l are part of, or are parallel to, a single plane, such as an horizontal or a vertical plane. Alternatively or in addition, part of, or all of, the measurement lines 51e1 to 51e12 are part of, or are parallel to, a single plane, such as an horizontal or a vertical plane. Practically, each one or more of the measurement lines 51e1 to 51e12 may angularly deviate from the single plane by less than, or above than, 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°. Similarly, the line from the origin point 152 to each one or more of the measured points 152a to 152l may angularly deviate from the single plane by less than, or above than, 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°. Further, the single plane may angularly deviate from being ideally horizontal or ideally vertical by less than, or above than, 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°.
(230) Each measured point may be associated with a corresponding line, such as the line M1 154a derived from the measured point 152a as exampled in the arrangement 150 shown in
(231) The intersection point of each two neighboring estimated or calculated derived lines may be calculated, such as the intersection point (x3, y3) 152c that was derived from the lines M1 154a and M2 154b as exampled in the arrangement 150 shown in
(232) As illustrated in an arrangement 150e shown in
(233) The angular deviation between adjacent measurement pairs may be arbitrary, similar, or equal. For example, as shown in the arrangement 150a shown in
(234) Alternatively or in addition for measuring or estimating parameters, positions or other characteristics associated with stationary objects, such as points, lines, surfaces or planes, moving objects may be equally detected or measured. An arrangement 160 shown in
(235) Before starting the measurement session, the object 161 is assumed to be located (in the measurement plane) outside the measuring lines 51a and 51b, and thus not sensed by the angle meter #1 55. At time point t1 169a, the front edge 162a of the object 161 is intercepting the distance meter B 40b measurement line 51b as shown by the dashed-line location 164a, and thus the distance d2a 168b is measured as the distance to the object 161. As the object 161 continues to move, it arrives to a location 164b and then to a location 164c at a time point t2 169b, in which it reaches the measurement line 51a and thus is sensed by the distance meter A 40a, resulting a measured distance of d1a 168a. The continued motion of the object 161 causes it to arrive later to a location 164d along the motion direction. At a time point t3 169c the rear edge 162b reaches the measurement line 51b, and at a time point t4 169d the rear edge 162b reaches the measurement line 51a, after which the object 161 is no longer sensed by the angle meter #1 55.
(236) A chart 165 shown in
(237) As described above, the angle ε 163 may be calculated as ε=arc tan((d2a−d1a)/c). The time difference Δt=t2−t1 may be used to calculate the length (dist) of the travel of the object between the time point t1 169a and the time point t2 169b according to dist=c/cos(ε)=c/(cos(arc tan((d2a−d1a)/c))). The average velocity of the object 161 (during the time period from t1 169a to t2 169b) may be calculated as Va=dist/Δt=c/[cos(arc tan((d2a−d1a)/c))*(t2−t1)]. The length (L) of the object 161 may be calculated using the time the object is sensed by one of the distance meters, such as by the distance meter B 40b, where the sensing time is dt=t3−t1, and the length may be calculated as L=Va*dt/cos(ε)=c*dt/(Δt*cos.sup.2(ε)). Similarly, the distance until the object 161 front end 162a reaches the reference line (or plane) N 41b may be calculated as d1a/cos(ε), and the time until such reaching may be calculated as d1a/(Va*cos(ε)).
(238) The angle meter #1 55 usage illustrated in the arrangement 160 may be used with for traffic management, for example, where the object 161 is a land vehicle, and the arrangement allows for estimating the vehicle direction of moving, the vehicle location or distance, and the vehicle velocity in the direction of movement. For example, the angle meter 55 may be located so that the measuring plane is horizontal or substantially horizontal near a road or highway in order to accurately estimate the vehicles speed or direction. Such an arrangement may allow for easy and optimal traffic flow control, in particular in the case of specific situations such as hot pursuits and bad weather. The traffic management may be in the form of variable speed limits, adaptable traffic lights, traffic intersection control, and accommodating emergency vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks and police cars. The arrangement may further be used to assist the drivers, such as helping with parking a vehicle, cruise control, lane keeping, and road sign recognition. Similarly, better policing and enforcement may be obtained by using the system for surveillance, speed limit warning, restricted entries, and pull-over commands. Further, the scheme may further be used for navigation and route optimization, as well as providing travel-related information such as maps, business location, gas stations, and car service locations.
(239) Alternatively or in addition, the angle meter #1 55 may be used vertically, such as an alternative to an inclinometer. An exemplary arrangement 170 shown in
(240) Similarly, the angle meter #1 55 may be mounted or installed in a land vehicle, such as the automobile 185 shown in an arrangement 180 in
(241) While the arrangement 160-180 above described measuring an angle between a moving object and a stationary object, the method and apparatus described herein may be equally used for measuring angles between two moving objects. Such an example is shown in an arrangement 180a in
(242) In the arrangement 180a shown in
(243) In an arrangement 190 shown in
(244) The velocity of an object may be calculated based on the distance measurement to the object (such as to an object surface). For example, the change in the distance to the object may be used to calculate or estimate the object speed. Alternatively or in addition, as described in the arrangement 160 and the corresponding time chart 165, as well as in the arrangement 180a, a detection of the object by the distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b may be used to estimate or calculate the object speed or a component thereof. In the above examples, the length of the time interval between the detections of the object (such as the elongated object 161 or the land vehicle 185a) may be used for estimating or calculating the object velocity.
(245) Alternatively or in addition, the Doppler-effect may be used to estimate or calculate an object speed, as illustrated in an arrangement 190a shown in
(246) By estimating or calculating the distance, the angle, and the speed of an object, and assuming an object continues in the same direction and in a constant speed, a future point of the object may be estimated or calculated. In an arrangement 190b shown in
(247) By using the cosine formula, the distance df 194 may be calculated based on df.sup.2=dv.sup.2+dav.sup.2−2*dv*dav*sin(ε), where dav=½*(d1+d2), and hence df=sqrt(dv.sup.2+dav.sup.2−2*df*dav*sin(ε)). By using the sine formula, the angle φ 193 may be calculated according to, or based on, sin(φ)=dv*cos(ε)/df, hence φ=arc sin(dv*cos(ε)/df). It is noted that the vehicle 185a is at the closest point to the angle meter 55 when df=dact, and in this point φ=ε. In one example, it may be required to estimate the time Δt when the vehicle 185a reaches the point F2 192b as defined by the distance df 194 or by the angle φ 193. The distance dv 195 may be calculated or estimated according to dv=2*df.sup.2*sin.sup.2(ε)+sqrt(df.sup.2*(1+sin.sup.2(ε))−dav.sup.2), and since dv=Δt*V2, then Δt=[2*df.sup.2*sin.sup.2(ε)+sqrt(df.sup.2*(1+sin.sup.2(ε))−dav.sup.2)]/V2. Further, by using the sine formula it can be shown that dv=dav*sin(φ)/cos(φ−ε), and since dv=Δt*V2, then Δt=dav*sin(φ)/(V2*cos(φ−ε)).
(248) The analysis above regarding the arrangement 50 shown in
(249) In such a scheme, the angle α 56a may be estimated or calculated taking into account the deviation angle ρ1 58a according to: tg(α)=(d2−d1m*cos(ρ1))/(c+d1m*sin(ρ1). Further, the ideal distance d1 according to the imaginary ideal measurement line 51a may be estimated or calculated according to d1=d1m*(cos(ρ1)+sin(ρ1)*tg(α)). The various calculations herein may use the measured distance d1m along the measurement line 51am, or preferably may use the calculated ideal d1 along the ideal measurement line 51a instead of the actually measured one.
(250) Similarly, an arrangement 190d shown in
(251) Similarly, an arrangement 190e shown in
(252) An arrangement 200 for measuring an angle between a line or plane M 41a and a line or plane O 41c using a planes meter 201 is shown in
(253) The angle meter #1 55 that is part of the planes meter 201 may consist of, may comprise part or whole of, or may be based on, any of the angle meters described herein, such as the angle meter 55 shown in
(254) The angle α 202a is measured versus the angle meter #1 55 reference line or plane (designated as reference line N 41b in the arrangement 50) connecting the measurement points of the distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b at the measurement plane defined by respectively the two measurement lines 51a and 51b. Similarly, the angle β 202b is measured versus the angle meter #2 55a reference line or plane (designated as N 41b in the arrangement 50) connecting the measurement points of the distance meters ‘C’ 40c and ‘D’ 40d at the measurement plane defined by respectively the two measurement lines 51c and 51d. Preferably, the reference lines or planes versus which the planes are measured are parallel (or substantially parallel), separated by a distance c1. Practically, these reference lines may deviate from being ideally parallel by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°.
(255) Preferably, the measurement plane defined by the measurement lines 51a and 51b is the same measurement plane defined by the 51c and 51d. Alternatively, the measurement plane defined by the measurement lines 51a and 51b is parallel, or substantially parallel, to the measurement plane defined by the 51c and 51d. In one example, the measurement planes are tilted from each other by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°.
(256) Preferably, the measurement line 51a is unified with the measurement line 51c, so that the measurement directions of these measurement lines, or the emitted waves or beams from the emitter 11 in the distance meter ‘A’ 40a and the emitter 11 in the distance meter ‘C’ 40c are opposite to each other and form an angle of 180°. However, the angle formed between these beams (or waves) may deviate from 180° by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°. Preferably, the measurement line 51b is unified with the measurement line 51d, so that the measurement directions of these measurement lines, or the emitted waves or beams from the emitter 11 in the distance meter ‘B’ 40b and the emitter 11 in the distance meter ‘D’ 40d are opposite to each other and form an angle of 180°. However, the angle formed between these beams (or waves) may deviate from 180° by less than 20°, 18°, 15°, 13°, 10°, 8°, 5°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0.8°, 0.5°, 0.3°, 0.2°, 0.1°, 0.08°, 0.05°, 0.03°, 0.02°, or 0.01°.
(257) The difference between the angles α 202a and β 202b is the angle between the lines or planes M 41a and O 41c. Hence, by calculating the value (α−β) (or |α−β|) this angle may be estimated. For example, the value of 0° when α=β indicates parallel lines of planes, and any non-zero value indicates the deviation from ideal parallelism of the lines or planes M 41a and O 41c. In the case the reference line of the two angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a is known to be δ, then it may be taken into account and the tilting angle between the lines or planes M 41a and O 41c may be calculated or estimated according to the value (α−β±δ) (or |α−β±δ|), where the sign of the error angle δ is determined by the tilting direction relative to the calculated or measured angles α 202a and β 202b.
(258) In the case wherein the planes or lines M 41a and O 41c are ideally in parallel (α=β, κ=0°), the distance between them noted as dpar and shown as a dashed line 203 in the arrangement 200, may be estimated or calculated by adding the two actual calculated or estimated distances dact #1 51f and dact #2 51h and the planes meter width c1, according to dpar=dact #1+dact #2+c1. In the case wherein the planes are not in parallel, this length may still be estimated by dpar=dact #1+dact #2+c1. Alternatively or in addition, the tilting angles may be taken into consideration, for example according to dpar=dact #1+dact #2+c1/cos(α), according to dpar=dact #1+dact #2+c1/cos(β), or preferably according to dpar=dact #1+dact #2+c1/cos((α+β)/2).
(259) One advantage of using the planes meter 200 is that the angle between the planes or lines M 41a and O 41c and the distance between them is not sensitive to the relative position of the planes meter 201 versus the measured planes. Assuming that planes M 41a and O 41c are vertical and the planes meter 201 is activated horizontally, so that the measurement plane is horizontal, the same results may be obtained regarding the angular position of the planes meter 201 relative to the measured planes.
(260) While the planes meter 201 is suited to measure the parallelism of planes, the scheme may be used for measuring deviation from any angle. A planes meter 201a is shown as part of an arrangement 200a in
(261) Referring to
(262) A distance dactmo1 207a is defined between the point D2 206d and the point MO1 205b, and a distance davmo1 207d is defined between the point D1 206c and the point MO1 205b. Similarly, a distance dactmo2 207f is defined between the point M2 206a and the point MO1 205b, and a distance davmo2 207e is defined between the point M1 206b and the point MO1 205b. Further, a distance dcmo1 may be defined as the distance between the imaginary inner central point C 205a and the intersection point MO1 205b. Each of the various distances such as the dcmo1, dactmo1 207a, davmo1 207d, davmo2 207e, dactmo2 207f, may be estimated or calculated based on the measured distances d1 51a, d2 51b, d3 51c, and d4 51d, as well as the planes meter 201a characteristic lengths c, dint #1 207a, and dint #2 207b. In case where an object is at the point M1 206b and moving at speed V1 (either known, or as detected according to measured Doppler shift or being consecutively detected as described above) along the line M 41a, and assuming a constant speed and direction, the object is expected to reach the intersection point MO1 205b after the time davmo2/V1. Similarly, in case where an object is at the point D1 206c and moving at speed V2 (either known, or as detected according to measured Doppler shift or being consecutively detected as described above) along the line O1 41c1, and assuming a constant speed and direction, the object is expected to reach the intersection point MO1 205b after the time davmo1/V2.
(263) The angle ψ
(264) A schematic block diagram of the general planes meter 201 is shown in
(265) In one example, the planes meter 201 may comprise three distinct modules: The angle meter #1 module A 55, the angle meter #2 module 55a, and a Base Unit module. Each of the modules may be self-contained, housed in a separate enclosure, and power fed from a distinct power source. For example, each of the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be self-contained, may be housed in a separate enclosure, and may be power fed from a distinct power source. Electrical connections (or communication links) connects the modules allowing for cooperative operation. One connection may connect the angle meter #1 55 to the base unit, and another connection may connect the angle meter #2 55a to the base unit. In the base unit, one communication interface (such as the interface 64a above) may handle the connection with the angle meter #1 55 over the first connection, and a second communication interface (such as the interface 64b above) may handle the connection with the angle meter #2 55a over the other connection. The angle meter #1 55 may comprise a mating communication interface to the corresponding communication interface, and the angle meter #2 55a may comprise a mating communication interface to the other communication interface. Preferably the connections are digital and bi-directional, employing either half-duplex or full-duplex communication scheme. A communication to the angle meter #1 55 may comprise an activation command, instructing the angle meter #1 55 to start a distance measurement operation cycle, and upon determining a distance value, the value is transmitted to the base unit over the corresponding connection. Similarly, a communication to the angle meter #2 55a may comprise an activation command, instructing the angle meter #2 55a to start a distance measurement operation cycle, and upon determining a distance value, the value is transmitted to the base unit over the proper connection.
(266) The angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the mechanical enclosure, the structure, the power source, and the functionalities (or circuits) of the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other. The type of propagated waves used for measuring the distance by the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a use light waves, acoustic waves, or radar waves for distance measuring. Alternatively or in addition, the angle meter #1 55 may use light waves while the angle meter #2 55a may use acoustic or radar waves. Similarly, the angle meter #1 55 may use acoustic waves while the angle meter #2 55a may use light or radar waves. Further, the type of correlation schemes used for measuring the distance by the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a use TOF, Heterodyne-based phase detection, or Homodyne-based phase detection. Alternatively or in addition, the angle meter #1 55 may use TOF while the angle meter #2 55a may use Heterodyne or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the angle meter #1 55 may use Heterodyne-based phase detection while the angle meter #2 55a may use TOF or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the emitters 11 in the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the sensors 13 in the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6 in the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6′ in the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other, and the correlators 19 in the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a may be identical, similar, or different from each other. Similarly, the connections respectively connecting the angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a to the base unit, may be identical, similar, or different from each other.
(267) In one example, the same measuring technology is used by both angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a, such as optics using visible or non-visible light beams, acoustics using audible or non-audible sound waves, or electromagnetic using radar waves. The parameters of characteristics of the emitted waves, such as the frequency or the spectrum, or the modulation scheme may be identical, similar, or different from each other. In one example, different frequency (or non-overlapping spectrum), or different modulation schemes are used, in order to avoid or minimize interference between the two angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a operation. For example, the emitter 11 of the angle meter #1 55 may emit a wave propagating in one carrier (or center) frequency and the emitter 11 of the angle meter #2 55a may emit a wave propagating in a second carrier (or center) frequency different from the first one, where the mating sensor 13 of the angle meter #1 55 is adapted to optimally sense the first carrier frequency and to ignore the second frequency, while the mating sensor 13 of the angle meter #2 55a is adapted to optimally sense the second carrier frequency and to ignore the first frequency. Hence, even if each of the two emitters 11 transmits simultaneously and the two sensors 13 are positioned to receive both propagating waves from the two emitters 11, there will be no interference between the two angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a operation.
(268) An angle measurement by an angle meter (such as the angle meter #1 55) or by an angle meter functionality (such as a set comprising the ‘A’ distance meter functionality 71a, 72a, or 73a and the ‘B’ distance meter functionality 71b, 72b, or 73b) involves activation of an angle measurement cycle (or measurement interval or period) initiating in the starting of emitting an energy by the first emitter 11 to emit, and ending after the end of the last distance measurement cycle of the last distance meter (or functionality) to operate. Preferably, the angle measurement cycle time interval is set so that the received reflection (echo) from an object or surface of a wave or beam emitted by the last emitter 11 to emit by a sensor 13 is not detectable, such as when the returned energy in the signal versus the noise (S/N) is too low to be reliably detected or distinguished. Based on the velocity of the propagation of the waves over the medium, the set time interval inherently defines a maximum detectable range.
(269) In one example, a single angle measurement cycle is performed each time an angle measurement is activated, such as executing the flow chart 80 shown in
(270) A planes meter 201 uses two angle meters (such as the angle meters #1 55 and B 55a) or two angle meter functionalities, where each includes both the ‘A’ meter functionality (71a, 72a, or 73a) and the respective ‘B’ meter functionality (71b, 72b, or 73b). In one example, only one angle measurement cycle of one of the angle meters or one of the angle meter functionalities is operational at a time. By avoiding activating simultaneously both measurement cycles of the two angle meters (or angle meter functionalities), lower instantaneous power consumption is obtained, potential interference between the two meters or functionalities is minimized, and lower crosstalk between the distinct respective electrical circuits is provided. In one example, a single angle measurement cycle by one of the angle meters (or angle meter functionalities) is followed, immediately or after a set delay, by a single angle measurement cycle of the other meter (or angle meter functionality). In the case where multiple measurement cycles are used, such as N cycles per single angle measurement request, the angle measurements may be performed sequentially, where one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the angle meter #1 55 (or the angle meter functionality) is executing N measurement cycles to obtain a first manipulated single angle result (such as the angle α 202a), followed immediately (or after a set delay) by the other one of the angle meters (or functionalities) such as the angle meter #2 55a (or the angle meter functionality) is executing N measurement cycles to obtain a second manipulated single range result (such as the angle β1 202c). Alternatively or in addition, the two angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a (or the respective angle meter functionalities) are used alternately, using a ‘super-cycle’ including for example a measurement cycle by the angle meter #1 55 (or one of the meter functionalities) followed by a measurement cycle by the angle meter #2 55a (or the other one of the angle meter functionalities). The ‘super-cycle’ is repeated N times, hence resulting total of 2*N cycles.
(271) Alternatively or in addition, the two angle meters #1 55 and #2 55a (or the respective angle meter functionalities) are concurrently activated, for example as part of parallel executing the “Measure Angle #1” step 80a and the “Measure Angle #2” step 80b, so that there is a time overlap between the angle measurement cycles of the two angle meters or angle meter functionalities. Such approach allows for faster measuring, which offers a more accurate results in a changing environment, such as when the planes meter 201 or the reflecting object or surface are moving. In one example, the angle measurement cycles may be independent from each other, and the overlapping is random and there is not any mechanism to synchronize them. Alternatively or in addition, a synchronization is applied in order to synchronize or otherwise correspond the two measurement cycles. In one example, the same activating control signal is sent to both angle meters (or functionalities), so that the two measurement cycles start at the same time, or substantially together. For example, the energy emitting start may be designed to concurrently occur. For example, the modulated signals emitted by the emitter 11, such as a pulse in a TOF scheme, may be emitted together at the same time or at negligible delay. Two measurement cycles may be considered as overlapping if the non=overlapping time period is less than 20%, 18%, 15%, 13%, 10%, 8%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.2% of the total measurement cycle time interval.
(272) Alternatively or in addition, there may be a fixed delay between the angle measurement cycles. Assuming the angle measurement cycles both having the time interval of T (such as 100 milliseconds), there may be a delay of ½*T (50 milliseconds in the example) between the measurement cycles starting times (phase difference of) 180°). Alternatively or in addition, a delay of ⅓*T, ¼*T, or any other time period may be equally used. Such a phase difference between the various angle measurement cycles may be useful to reduce interference or crosstalk between the two angle measurements and the two circuits. Further, since there is a large power-consumption during the energy emitting part of the measurement cycle, such delay may cause the transmitting periods to be non-overlapping, thus reducing the peak power consumption of the planes meter 201.
(273) The operation of the planes meter 201 may follow a flow chart 210 shown in
(274) Alternatively or in addition, the operation of the planes meter 201 may involve individually activating and operating each of the four distance meters ‘A’ 40a, ‘B’ 40b, ‘C’ 40c, and ‘D’ 40d, as described in a flow chart 210a shown in
(275) The distance meters may be independently operated, may be synchronized with each other, or any combination thereof. In one example, a single distance measurement cycle is performed each time a distance measurement is activated, such as part of the “Measure Distance A” step 82a, as part of the “Measure Distance B” step 82b, as part of the “Measure Distance C” step 82c, as part of the “Measure Distance D” step 82d, or any combination thereof, in response to a user request via the user interface 62, or otherwise under the control of the control block 61. Alternatively or in addition, multiple distance measurement cycles are consecutively performed in response to a single distance measurement activation or request. The various range results of the multiple distance measurement cycles may be manipulated to provide a single distance measurement output, such as averaging the results to provide output that is more accurate. In one example, the number of consecutive measurement cycles performed in response to the measurement request may be above than 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000 measurement cycles. The average rate of the multiple measurement cycles may be higher than 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 200, 300, 500, 800, 1000 cycles per seconds. The distance measurement cycles may be sequential so that the next cycle starts immediately (or soon after) the completion of a previous one. Alternatively or in addition, the time period between the start of a cycle and the start of the next one may be lower than 1 μs (micro-second), 2 μs, 3 μs, 5 μs, 8 μs, 10 μs, 20 μs, 30 μs, 50 μs, 80 μs, 100 μs, 200 μs, 300 μs, 500 μs, 800 μs, 1 ms (milli-second), 2 ms, 3 ms, 5 ms, 8 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 30 ms, 50 ms, 80 ms, 100 ma, 200 ma, 300 ms, 500 ma, 800 ma, 1 s (second), 2 s, 3 s, 5 s, 8 s, or 10 s. Alternatively or in addition, the time period between the start of a cycle and the start of the next one may be higher than 1 μs (micro-second), 2 μs, 3 μs, 5 μs, 8 μs, 10 μs, 20 μs, 30 μs, 50 μs, 80 μs, 100 μs, 200 μs, 300 μs, 500 μs, 800 μs, 1 ms (milli-second), 2 ms, 3 ms, 5 ms, 8 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms, 30 ms, 50 ms, 80 ms, 100 ms, 200 ms, 300 ms, 500 ms, 800 ms, 1 s (second), 2 s, 3 s, 5 s, 8 s, or 10 s.
(276) A planes meter 201 uses four distance meters (such as the distance meters A 40a, B 40b, C 40c, and D 40d)) or two distance meter functionalities such as the ‘A’ meter functionality (71a, 72a, or 73a), the respective ‘B’ meter functionality (71b, 72b, or 73b), the respective ‘C’ meter functionality (71c, 72c, or 73c), or the respective ‘D’ meter functionality (71d, 72d, or 73d). In one example, only one distance measurement cycle of one of the distance meters or one of meter functionalities is operational at a time. By avoiding activating simultaneously both measurement cycles of the two distance meters (or meter functionalities), lower instantaneous power consumption is obtained, potential interference between the two meters or functionalities is minimized, and lower crosstalk between the distinct respective electrical circuits is guaranteed. In one example, a single measurement cycle by one of the meters (or functionalities) is followed, immediately or after a set delay, by a single distance measurement cycle of the other meter (or functionality). In the case where multiple measurement cycles are used, such as N cycles per single measurement request, the measurements may be performed sequentially, where one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the distance meter ‘A’ 40a (or the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a) is executing N distance measurement cycles to obtain a first manipulated single range result (such as the distance d1 51a), followed immediately (or after a set delay) by the other one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the distance meter ‘B’ 40b (or the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b) is executing N measurement cycles to obtain a second manipulated single range result (such as the distance d2 51b), followed immediately (or after a set delay) by another one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the distance meter ‘C’ 40c (or the ‘C’ meter functionality 71c) is executing N measurement cycles to obtain a second manipulated single range result (such as the distance d3 51c), followed immediately (or after a set delay) by another one of the meters (or functionalities) such as the distance meter ‘D’ 40d (or the ‘D’ meter functionality 71d) is executing N measurement cycles to obtain a second manipulated single range result (such as the distance d4 51d).
(277) Alternatively or in addition, the two distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘B’ 40b (or the respective meter functionalities ‘A’ 71a and ‘B’ 71b) are used alternately, using a ‘super-cycle’ including for example a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘A’ 40a (or the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a) followed by a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘B’ 40b (or the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b). The ‘super-cycle’ is repeated N times, hence resulting total of 2*N cycles. These measurements are ij parallel to, or followed by, the two distance meters ‘C’ 40c and ‘D’ 40d (or the respective meter functionalities ‘C’ 71c and ‘D’ 71d) are used alternately, using a ‘super-cycle’ including for example, a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘C’ 40c (or the ‘C’ meter functionality 71c) followed by a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘D’ 40d (or the ‘D’ meter functionality 71d). The ‘super-cycle’ is repeated N times, hence resulting 2*N cycles. In case of sequential operation, 4*n cycles are performed.
(278) Alternatively or in addition, the two distance meters ‘A’ 40a and ‘C’ 40c (or the respective meter functionalities ‘A’ 71a and ‘C’ 71c) are used alternately, using a ‘super-cycle’ including for example, a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘A’ 40a (or the ‘A’ meter functionality 71a) followed by a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘C’ 40c (or the ‘C’ meter functionality 71c). The ‘super-cycle’ is repeated N times, hence resulting total of 2*N cycles. These measurements are ij parallel to, or followed by, the two distance meters ‘B’ 40b and ‘D’ 40d (or the respective meter functionalities ‘B’ 71b and ‘D’ 71d) are used alternately, using a ‘super-cycle’ including for example, a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘B’ 40b (or the ‘B’ meter functionality 71b) followed by a distance measurement cycle by the distance meter ‘D’ 40d (or the ‘D’ meter functionality 71d). The ‘super-cycle’ is repeated N times, hence resulting 2*N cycles. In case of sequential operation, 4*n cycles are performed.
(279) Alternatively or in addition, the four distance meters are concurrently activated, for example as part of parallel executing the “Measure Distance A” step 82a, the “Measure Distance B” step 82b, the “Measure Distance C” step 82c and the “Measure Distance D” step 82d, so that there is a time overlap between the distance measurement cycles of the two meters or meter functionalities. Such approach allows for faster measuring, which offers a more accurate results in a changing environment, such as when the planes meter 201 or one of the reflecting objects or surfaces (or both) are moving. In one example, the distance measurement cycles may be independent from each other, and the overlapping is random and there is not any mechanism to synchronize them. Alternatively or in addition, a synchronization is applied in order to synchronize or otherwise correspond the two distance measurement cycles. In one example, the same activating control signal is sent to both meters (or functionalities), so that the two measurement cycles start at the same time, or substantially together. For example, the energy emitting start may be designed to concurrently occur. For example, the modulated signals emitted by the emitter 11, such as a pulse in a TOF scheme, may be emitted together at the same time or at negligible delay. Two distance measurement cycles may be considered as overlapping if the non-overlapping time period is less than 20%, 18%, 15%, 13%, 10%, 8%, 5%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, or 0.2% of the total measurement cycle time interval.
(280) Alternatively or in addition, there may be a fixed delay between the distance measurement cycles. Assuming the distance measurement cycles both having the time interval of T (such as 100 milliseconds), there may be a delay of ½*T (50 milliseconds in the example) between the distance measurement cycles starting times (phase difference of 180°). Alternatively or in addition, a delay of ⅓*T, ¼*T, or any other time period may be equally used. Such a phase difference between the various distance measurement cycles may be useful to reduce interference or crosstalk between the two measurements and the two circuits. Further, since there is a large power-consumption during the energy emitting part of the measurement cycle, such delay may cause the transmitting periods to be non-overlapping, thus reducing the peak power consumption of the planes meter 201.
(281) Preferably, a single enclosure may house all the functionalities (such as circuits) of the planes meter 201, as exampled regarding a planes meter 155c shown in
(282) The shared components may comprise the control block 61, connected to activate and control the ‘A’ module 71a, the ‘B’ module 71b, the ‘C’ module 71c, and the ‘D’ module 71d, and to receive the measured distance therefrom, the display 63, the user interface block 62, a power source, and an enclosure.
(283) Each two of, or all of, the distance meter modules A 71a, B 71b, C 71c, and D 71d, may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the mechanical arrangement, the structure, the power source, and the functionalities of any two of the distance meter functionalities, such as the distance meter modules B 71b and C 71c may be identical, similar, or different from each other. The type of propagated waves used for measuring the distance by any two of the distance meter modules, such as by A 71a and D 71d may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both distance meter modules A 71a and D 71d use light waves, acoustic waves, or radar waves for distance measuring. Alternatively or in addition, the distance meter module A 71a may use light waves while the distance meter module D 71d may use acoustic or radar waves. Similarly, the distance meter module A 71a may use acoustic waves while the distance meter module D 71d may use light or radar waves. Further, the type of correlation schemes used for measuring the distance by any two of the distance meter modules, such as modules A 71a and C 71c may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the same technology may be used, such that both distance meter modules A 71a and C 71c use TOF, Heterodyne-based phase detection, or Homodyne-based phase detection. Alternatively or in addition, the distance meter module A 71a may use TOF while the distance meter module C 71c may use Heterodyne or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the distance meter module A 71a may use Heterodyne-based phase detection while the distance meter module C 71c may use TOF or Homodyne-based phase detection. Similarly, the emitters of any two of the distance meter modules may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the emitters 11c and 11b in the respective distance meter modules C 71c and B 71b may be identical, similar, or different from each other. Similarly, the sensors of any two of the distance meter modules may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the sensors 13a and 13d in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and D 71d may be identical, similar, or different from each other. Further, the signal conditioner of any two of the distance meter modules may be identical, similar, or different from each other. For example, the signal conditioners 6a and 6d in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and D 71d may be identical, similar, or different from each other, the signal conditioners 6′a and 6′d in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and D 71d may be identical, similar, or different from each other, and the correlators 19a and 19d in the respective distance meter modules A 71a and D 71d may be identical, similar, or different from each other.
(284) Similar to the angle meters 55d to 55j respectively shown in
(285) The planes meter 155c shown in
(286) The planes meter 155c shown in
(287) An example of a planes meter is pictorially shown in
(288) An emitting aperture 1c and a sensing aperture 2c, as well as an emitting aperture 1d and a sensing aperture 2d are shown on the rear side of the planes meter 230 (when held by the handle 232), For example, the emitting aperture 1c and the sensing aperture 2c may respectively correspond to the emitting path and the sensing path of the distance meter ‘C’ 71c that is part of the planes meter 155c, and the emitting aperture 1d and the sensing aperture 2d may respectively correspond to the emitting path and the sensing path of the distance meter ‘D’ 71d that is part of the planes meter 155c. An emitting aperture 1a and a sensing aperture 2a, as well as an emitting aperture 1b and a sensing aperture 2b are shown on the front side of the planes meter 230 (when held by the handle 232), For example, the emitting aperture 1a and the sensing aperture 2a may respectively correspond to the emitting path and the sensing path of the distance meter ‘A’ 71a that is part of the planes meter 155c, and the emitting aperture 1b and the sensing aperture 2b may respectively correspond to the emitting path and the sensing path of the distance meter ‘B’ 71b that is part of the planes meter 155c.
(289) While the planes meter 230 is exampled where the measurement lines are along the longitudinal axis of the enclosure, a planes meter may be designed so that the measurement lines may be directed to any direction, such as a planes meter 230a shown in
(290) The apparatuses (such as devices, systems, modules, or any other arrangement) described herein may be used in a residential environment, such as in a residential building. Alternatively or in addition, the devices, systems, modules, or any apparatuses described herein may be used in a vehicle or in a vehicular environment, and may be part of, integrated with, or connect to, automotive electronics in the vehicle. A vehicle is typically a mobile unit designed or used to transport passengers or cargo between locations, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, aircrafts, boats, and spacecrafts. The vehicle may be travelling on land, over or in liquid such as water, or may be airborne. The devices, systems, modules, or any apparatuses described herein may be used to measure, detect, or sense distance, angle, area, volume, speeds, or any functions or combinations thereof, of objects or surfaces in the vehicle, external to the vehicle, or in the surroundings around the vehicle.
(291) The vehicle may be a land vehicle typically moving on the ground, using wheels, tracks, rails, or skies. The vehicle may be locomotion-based where the vehicle is towed by another vehicle or an animal. Propellers (as well as screws, fans, nozzles, or rotors) are used to move on or through a fluid or air, such as in watercrafts and aircrafts. The apparatuses described herein may be used to control, monitor or otherwise be part of, or communicate with, the vehicle motion system. Similarly, any apparatus described herein may be used to control, monitor or otherwise be part of, or communicate with, the vehicle steering system. Commonly, wheeled vehicles steer by angling their front or rear (or both) wheels, while ships, boats, submarines, dirigibles, airplanes and other vehicles moving in or on fluid or air usually have a rudder for steering. The vehicle may be an automobile, defined as a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor, and primarily designed to run on roads, and have seating for one to six people. Typically, automobiles have four wheels, and are constructed to principally transport people.
(292) Human power may be used as a source of energy for the vehicle, such as in non-motorized bicycles. Further, energy may be extracted from the surrounding environment, such as solar powered car or aircraft, a street car, as well as by sailboats and land yachts using the wind energy. Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle may include energy storage, and the energy is converted to generate the vehicle motion. A common type of energy source is a fuel, and external or internal combustion engines are used to burn the fuel (such as gasoline, diesel, or ethanol) and create a pressure that is converted to a motion. Another common medium for storing energy are batteries or fuel cells, which store chemical energy used to power an electric motor, such as in motor vehicles, electric bicycles, electric scooters, small boats, subways, trains, trolleybuses, and trams.
(293) The apparatuses (such as devices, systems, modules, or any other arrangement) described herein may consist of, be integrated with, be connected to, or be communicating with, an ECU, which may be an Electronic/engine Control Module (ECM) or Engine Control Unit (ECU), Powertrain Control Module (PCM), Transmission Control Module (TCM), Brake Control Module (BCM or EBCM), Central Control Module (CCM), Central Timing Module (CTM), General Electronic Module (GEM), Body Control Module (BCM), Suspension Control Module (SCM), Door Control Unit (DCU), Electric Power Steering Control Unit (PSCU), Seat Control Unit, Speed control unit (SCU), Telematic Control Unit (TCU), Transmission Control Unit (TCU), Brake Control Module (BCM; ABS or ESC), Battery management system, control unit, or control module.
(294) Any ECU herein may comprise a software, such as an operating system or middleware that may use, may comprise, or may be according to, a part or whole of the OSEK/VDX, ISO 17356-1, ISO 17356-2, ISO 17356-3, ISO 17356-4, ISO 17356-5, or AUTOSAR standards, or any combination thereof.
(295) Any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be part of, integrated or communicating with, or connected or coupled to, an ADAS system or functionality. In one example, the apparatus may be used for measuring, sensing, or detecting distance, angle, speed, timing, or any other function or combination thereof, of an object, that may be another vehicle, a road, a curb, an obstacle, or a person (such as a pedestrian). For example, any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be part of, integrated or communicating with, or connected or coupled to, the ADAS system, application, or functionality that may be Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Adaptive High Beam, Glare-free high beam and pixel light, Adaptive light control such as swiveling curve lights, Automatic parking, Automotive navigation system with typically GPS and TMC for providing up-to-date traffic information, Automotive night vision, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Backup assist, Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM), Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Brake light or traffic signal recognition, Collision avoidance system (such as Pre-crash system), Collision Imminent Braking (CIB), Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC), Crosswind stabilization, Driver drowsiness detection, Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS), Do-Not-Pass Warning (DNPW), Electric vehicle warning sounds used in hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles, Emergency driver assistant, Emergency Electronic Brake Light (EEBL), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Heads-Up Display (HUD), Intersection assistant, Hill descent control, Intelligent speed adaptation or Intelligent Speed Advice (ISA), Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), Intersection Movement Assist (IMA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) (a.k.a. Line Change Warning—LCW), Lane change assistance, Left Turn Assist (LTA), Night Vision System (NVS), Parking Assistance (PA), Pedestrian Detection System (PDS), Pedestrian protection system, Pedestrian Detection (PED), Road Sign Recognition (RSR), Surround View Cameras (SVC), Traffic sign recognition, Traffic jam assist, Turning assistant, Vehicular communication systems, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Adaptive Front Lights (AFL), or Wrong-way driving warning. Alternatively or in addition, the output (or any manipulation of function thereof) of any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be notified to a person that may be a vehicle driver or operator (such as a car driver, an airplane pilot, or a remote controller or operator of an unmanned vehicle), such as by displaying a value or a warning, such as by using the display 63, or otherwise as part of the ‘Output Values’ step 84. In one example, the person is notified by activating or operating an actuator that provides visual, audible, or haptic indication or notification. For example, a driver may be alerted to pay an extra attention when the vehicle is getting too close to another vehicle or an obstacle, or when a close proximity is predicted in a near future, such as by ‘beeping’ or flashing light.
(296) An example of a vehicle may be a passenger car 241 that is shown as part of an arrangement 240 in
(297) The network 68b may be a vehicle bus or any other in-vehicle network. A connected element comprises a transceiver for transmitting to, and receiving from, the network. The physical connection typically involves a connector coupled to the transceiver. The vehicle bus 68b may consist of, may comprise, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use a Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol, specification, network, or system. The bus medium may consist of, or comprise, a single wire, or a two-wire such as an UTP or a STP. The vehicle bus may employ, may use, may be compatible with, or may be based on, a multi-master, serial protocol using acknowledgement, arbitration, and error-detection schemes, and may further use synchronous, frame-based protocol.
(298) The network data link and physical layer signaling may be according to, compatible with, based on, or use, ISO 11898-1:2015. The medium access may be according to, compatible with, based on, or use, ISO 11898-2:2003. The vehicle bus communication may further be according to, compatible with, based on, or use, any one of, or all of, ISO 11898-3:2006, ISO 11898-2:2004, ISO 11898-5:2007, ISO 11898-6:2013, ISO 11992-1:2003, ISO 11783-2:2012, SAE J1939/11_201209, SAE J1939/15_201508, or SAE J2411_200002 standards. The CAN bus may consist of, may be according to, compatible with, may be based on, compatible with, or may use a CAN with Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) protocol, specification, network, or system.
(299) Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle bus 68b may consist of, may comprise, may be based on, may be compatible with, or may use a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) protocol, network, or system, and may be according to, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use any one of, or all of, ISO 9141-2:1994, ISO 9141:1989, ISO 17987-1, ISO 17987-2, ISO 17987-3, ISO 17987-4, ISO 17987-5, ISO 17987-6, or ISO 17987-7 standards. The battery power-lines or a single wire may serve as the network medium, and may use a serial protocol where a single master controls the network, while all other connected elements serve as slaves.
(300) Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle bus 68b may consist of, may comprise, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use a FlexRay protocol, specification, network or system, and may be according to, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use any one of, or all of, ISO 17458-1:2013, ISO 17458-2:2013, ISO 17458-3:2013, ISO 17458-4:2013, or ISO 17458-5:2013 standards. The vehicle bus may support a nominal data rate of 10 Mb/s, and may support two independent redundant data channels, as well as independent clock for each connected element.
(301) Alternatively or in addition, the vehicle bus 68b may consist of, may comprise, may be based on, may be compatible with, or may use a Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) protocol, network or system, and may be according to, may be compatible with, may be based on, or may use any one of, or all of, MOST25, MOST50, or MOST150. The vehicle bus may employ a ring topology, where one connected element is the timing master that continuously transmit frames where each comprises a preamble used for synchronization of the other connected elements. The vehicle bus may support both synchronous streaming data as well as asynchronous data transfer. The network medium may be wires (such as UTP or STP), or may be an optical medium such as Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) connected via an optical connector.
(302) Similar to the arrangement 55c shown in
(303) While in the arrangements 240 and 240a in the respective
(304) While in the arrangement 240b in the
(305) Angle meters may be used to sense, detect, or measure object in the surroundings of a vehicle, such as objects located in front of, or in rear of, the vehicle. In one example, an angle meter such as the angle meter #3 55b shown as part of the arrangement 240b in
(306) Alternatively or in addition, angle meters may be used to sense, detect, or measure object in the surroundings of a vehicle, such as objects located at the sides of the vehicle, such as to the right of, or to the left of, the vehicle. In one example, an angle meter such as the angle meter #1 55 shown as part of the arrangement 240b in
(307) Any one of the angle meters, distance meters, emitters or sensors in the distance meters, or any part thereof, may be attached to, mounted onto, be part of, or integrated with any part of the vehicle, such as a rear or front view camera, chassis, lighting system, headlamp, door, car glass, windscreen, side or rear window, glass panel roof, hood, bumper, cowling, dashboard, fender, quarter panel, rocker, or spoiler. For example, the angle meter #3 55b, the distance meter ‘F’ 40f, the distance meter ‘E’ 40e, the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘F’ 40f, or the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘E’ 40e, may be attached to, or mounted on, the front bumper. Alternatively or in addition, the angle meter #3 55b, the distance meter ‘F’ 40f, the distance meter ‘E’ 40e, the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘F’ 40f, or the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘E’ 40e, may be attached to, or mounted on, the front headlights or their housings. Similarly, the angle meter #4 55c, the distance meter ‘G’ 40g, the distance meter ‘H’ 40h, the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘G’ 40g, or the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘H’ 40h, may be attached to, or mounted on, the rear lights or their housings. In addition, the angle meter #4 55c, the distance meter ‘G’ 40g, the distance meter ‘H’ 40h, the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘G’ 40g, or the emitter or sensor in the distance meter ‘H’ 40h, may be attached to, or mounted on, the rear bumper.
(308) A pictorial perspective front view of a passenger car 251 employing angle meters, which may correspond to the vehicle 240b shown in
(309) The angle meters may be used to sense another vehicle such as another passenger car. For example, the passenger car 241 may sense, detect, and measure distance, angle, or other parameters to another similar passenger car 251a, as pictorially illustrated in an arrangement 250 shown in
(310) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with a digital camera (still or video). The integration may be by being enclosed in the same housing, sharing a power source (such as a battery), using the same processor, or any other integration functionality. In one example, the functionality of any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described here, is used to improve, to control, or otherwise be used by the digital camera. In one example, a measured or calculated value by any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, is output to the digital camera device or functionality to be used therein. Alternatively or in addition, any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein is used as a sensor for the digital camera device or functionality. In one example, any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein is used as a sensor to the auto-focus system or functionality of the camera, and thus used for controlling or affecting a motor that shifts or moves the lens for optimal focus location.
(311) An integrated digital camera and angle meter functionality or device 270 is exampled in
(312) An example of an integrated digital camera and angle meter device 270a is shown in
(313) While the integrated devices 270 and 270a in the respective
(314) In one example, any one of the measured or calculated values herein may be used by the digital camera functionality or device. For example, an actuator may be activated or controlled in response to a measured or calculated parameter, affecting the digital camera operation. For example, the digital camera may comprise an auto-focus mechanism, that may include an electric motor for shifting the lenses to an optimal position, and the motor may be actuated or controlled based on a measured or calculated parameter provided from the integrated angle meter.
(315) A pictorial view of an integrated digital camera and angle meter 280 is shown in
(316) The digital camera 280 captures images along the optical axis 284a shown in
(317) A top view of the integrated digital camera 280 is shown in
(318) While the integrated digital camera and angle meter 280 is described with the measurement plane formed by the measurement lines 287a and 287a is horizontal when image are captured by using the digital camera functionality, the angle meter may be mounted in the enclosure to form a vertical measurement plane. For example, the angle meter 55a shown as part of the integrated digital camera 270b may be mounted to form a vertical measurement plane. Such an integrated digital camera and angle meter device 280a, having a vertically measuring positioned single angle meter 55a, is shown in
(319) A pictorial front view of the digital camera 280a is shown in
(320) The digital camera 280a captures images along the optical axis 284a shown in
(321) An example of displaying a captured image in the display 288 is shown in
(322) Alternatively or in addition, an integrated digital camera may include two angle meters, allowing for measurement in two distinct measurement planes, and may correspond to the integrated digital camera 270b shown in
(323) In one example, the angle meter in the integrated digital camera is used to control the image capturing activation of the digital camera functionality. For example, the operation of a shutter button in a still camera or the starting or the stopping of operation of a digital video camera may be controlled by an output from the angle meter, such as measured or calculated distance, angle, speed, or timing. In one example, a threshold mechanism may be used, and the measured or calculated value is compared to the set threshold, that may be a maximum or minimum threshold). In the case of a still camera, only when the measured or calculated value is above the minimum threshold, or alternatively or in addition below the maximum threshold, the image capturing is enabled, so when a user presses the shutter button an image is captured, while when the measured or calculated value is below the minimum threshold, or alternatively or in addition above the maximum threshold, the shutter operation may not be enabled even upon user shutter operation. Alternatively or in addition, the angle meter value may be used for automatic operation (for example for remote or unmanned digital camera), wherein an image is automatically captured when the measured or calculated value is cross the minimum or maximum threshold. Alternatively or in addition, both minimum and maximum thresholds are defined, and image capturing is activated or enabled only when the value is between the minimum and maximum thresholds.
(324) Similarly in digital video camera scheme, only when the measured or calculated value is above the minimum threshold, or alternatively or in addition below the maximum threshold, the image capturing is enabled, so when a user presses the shutter button or another switch to start capturing the video data when the measured or calculated value is below the minimum threshold, or alternatively or in addition above the maximum threshold, the shutter operation may not be enabled even upon user shutter operation, and video capturing may not initiate. Alternatively or in addition, the angle meter value may be used for automatic video recording or capturing (for example for remote or unmanned digital camera), wherein the video data is recorded or captured upon only when the measured or calculated value is above a minimum threshold, or as long as the value is below a maximum threshold.
(325) In one example, the measured distances (or any function or manipulation thereof) may be used to control the image capturing. Hence, image capturing by a digital camera is enabled or activated only when the distance value is proper (above minimum threshold, below maximum threshold, or both). For example, the measured distance d1 along the measurement line 51a, the measured distance d2 along the measurement line 51b, the average distance day along the measurement line 51e, the actual distance dact along the measurement line 51f, or any combination or function thereof, may be used, for example to enable image capturing or to start or stop image capturing based on minimum or maximum distance threshold, for ensuring taking images only of objects that are closer than a defined range, of objects that are distant than a defined range, or objects that are between a minimum and maximum defined distance.
(326) Alternatively or in addition, the calculated angles (or any function or manipulation thereof) may be used to control the image capturing. Hence, image capturing by a digital camera is enabled or activated only when the angle value is proper (above minimum threshold, below maximum threshold, or both). For example, the angle α 56a, or any combination or function thereof, may be used, for example to enable image capturing or to start or stop image capturing based on minimum or maximum angle threshold, for ensuring taking images only of objects that are tilted or parallel. For example, when capturing an image of a surface such as a wall, the image capturing may be enabled or activated when the angle α 56a is less than a defined threshold, for ensuring optimal capturing of the surface.
(327) The measured or calculated values or characteristics by any one of the apparatuses herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be used in order to improve the integrated digital camera operation, functionality, or may be used in order to improve or process the captured image. In one example, the measured or calculated values (or any manipulation or combination thereof) may be used to improve the perspective distortion of a captured image.
(328) A perspective distortion is exampled in an arrangement 300 shown in
(329) The geometry of the arrangement 300 shown in
(330) Referring now to
(331) Regarding the digital camera 280, a pinhole camera model is assumed, where the image is captured by projection onto an image plane of an ideal pinhole camera, where the digital camera 280 aperture is described as a point at location 304b and no lenses are used to focus light. The captured image is captured by the digital camera 280 on an image plane M′ 41′a, as shown in an arrangement 300b in
(332) The geometry involved in the arrangement 300b provides that X′1=f*X1/R 309a, or conversely that X1=R*X′1/f 309b. While exampled in the arrangements 300a and 300b regarding horizontal plane, the calculation equally applies to a vertical plane (or to any other plane), where displacement is designated as Y1 in the captured plane and Y′1 in the image plane, thus resulting that Y′1=f*Y1/R 309c, or conversely that Y1=R*Y′1/f 309d. In general 2D representation both X1 and Y1 may be calculated as (X′1, Y′1)=f*(X1, Y1)/R 309e and conversely (X1, Y1)=R*(X′1, Y′1)/f 309f. These set of equation allows for 2D conversion of locations between a captured plane and an image plane.
(333) In an arrangement 300c shown in
(334) The tilting of the digital camera 280 versus the positioning shown in the arrangement 300a results in tilting of the image plane M″ 41″a by the angle α 305a versus the plane or line M 41a, as shown in an arrangement 300d in
(335) Hence, an image captured by a digital camera 280 that is positioned 307b tilted from a reference position 307a, may be corrected by applying the above equation and updating the locations of the captured points. In one example, such correction may be used for correcting a perspective distortion, as depicted in a view 290 shown in
(336) While the arrangement 300c exampled an angular deviation 307b of the digital camera 280 around the focal point 304b, a distal deviation may be equally applied, as described in an arrangement 300e shown in
(337) The image plane M′″ 41′″a is similarly displaced by the distance D 302r as shown in an arrangement 300f in
(338) While the perspective distortion was described for tilted digital camera 280 shown in the arrangement 300c relative to the reference arrangement 300a shown in
(339) In one example, immediately or as part of capturing an image by the integrated angle meter/digital camera 280, the distance meters (such as the distance meters 40a and 40b shown as part of the angle meter 55 in
(340) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described here, may include a wireless communication capability. For example, any of the meters herein, such as any of the distance meters, the angle meters, or the planes meters may be capable of sending and receiving information over a wireless ad-hoc or infrastructure-based network.
(341) In one example, the apparatus may be remotely commanded over the wireless network. For example, a meter (such as a distance, angle, or planes meter) may be commanded over the wireless network to be activated or to start any measurement. For example, an angle meter may start the flow chart 80 shown in
(342) In addition to receiving data such as commands or settings, the wireless network connectivity may be used to send any of the measured, estimated, or calculated parameters, such as calculated or estimated distances, angles, speeds, or time periods. These measured, estimated, or calculated parameters may be wirelessly sent over the wireless network to another apparatus, such as for notifying a remote user, as an alternative or in addition to notifying a local user such as by displaying the information on the display 63.
(343) An example of a wirelessly controlled distance meter 401, which is based on the generic distance meter 15 shown in
(344) An example of a wirelessly capable angle meter 404, which is based on the generic angle meter 55 shown in
(345) An example of a wirelessly capable planes meter 405, which is based on the generic planes meter 201 shown in
(346) A wireless ad-hoc network, also known as Independent Basic Service Set (IBSS), is a computer network in which the communication links are wireless. The network is ad-hoc because each node is willing to forward data for other nodes, and so the determination of which nodes forward data is made dynamically based on the network connectivity. In one configuration, the wireless communication by an apparatus, such as a meter herein, is based on ad-hoc (decentralized) networking, where messages are directly communicated between the wireless transceiver and a mating wireless transceiver in another unit, without using or relying on any pre-existing infrastructure such as a router or an access-point. Such an ad-hoc networking scheme is exampled for an angle meter 404b shown in an arrangement 430 in
(347) Alternatively or in addition, the wireless communication may use an infrastructure supporting centralized management or routing, where a router, access-point, switch, hub, or firewall performs the task of central management, and the routing or forwarding of the data. Such an arrangement 430a is shown in
(348) The networking or the communication with the wireless-capable meter (such as the distance meter 401 shown in
(349) Alternatively or in addition, the networking or the communication with the wireless-capable meter may be using, may be according to, may be compatible with, or may be based on, a Personal Area Network (PAN) that may be according to, may be compatible with, or based on, Bluetooth™ or IEEE 802.15.1-2005 standards, and the wireless transceiver 403 may be a PAN modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a PAN antenna. Alternatively or in addition, the networking or the communication with the wireless-capable meter may be using, may be according to, may be compatible with, or may be based on, a Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) that may be according to, may be compatible with, or based on, Bluetooth™ or IEEE 802.15.1-2005 standards, and the wireless transceiver 403 may be a WPAN modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a WPAN antenna. The WPAN may be a wireless control network according to, may be compatible with, or based on, ZigBee™ or Z-Wave™ standards, such as IEEE 802.15.4-2003.
(350) Alternatively or in addition, the networking or the communication with the wireless-capable meter may be using, may be according to, may be compatible with, or may be based on, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) that may be according to, may be compatible with, or based on, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, or IEEE 802.11ac standards, and the wireless transceiver 403 may be a WLAN modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a WLAN antenna. Alternatively or in addition, the networking or the communication with the wireless-capable meter may be using, may be according to, may be compatible with, or may be based on, a wireless broadband network or a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), the wireless transceiver 403 may be a WWAN modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a WWAN antenna. The WWAN may be a WiMAX network such as according to, may be compatible with, or based on, IEEE 802.16-2009, the wireless transceiver 403 may be a WiMAX modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a WiMAX antenna. Alternatively or in addition, the WWAN may be a cellular telephone network and the wireless transceiver 403 may be a cellular modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a cellular antenna. The WWAN may be a Third Generation (3G) network and may use UMTS W-CDMA, UMTS HSPA, UMTS TDD, CDMA2000 1×RTT, CDMA2000 EV-DO, or GSM EDGE-Evolution. The cellular telephone network may be a Fourth Generation (4G) network and may use HSPA+, Mobile WiMAX, LTE, LTE-Advanced, MBWA, or may be based on, or may be compatible with, IEEE 802.20-2008. Alternatively or in addition, the WWAN may be a satellite network, the wireless transceiver 403 may be a satellite modem, and the respective antenna 402 may be a satellite antenna.
(351) Alternatively or in addition, the networking or the communication with the wireless-capable meter may be using licensed or an unlicensed radio frequency band, such as the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) radio band. For example, an unlicensed radio frequency band may be used that may be about 60 GHz, may be based on beamforming, and may support a data rate of above 7 Gb/s, such as according to, may be compatible with, or based on, WiGig™, IEEE 802.11ad, WirelessHD™ or IEEE 802.15.3c-2009, and may be operative to carry uncompressed video data, and may be according to, may be compatible with, or based on, WHDI™. Alternatively or in addition, the wireless network may use a white space spectrum that may be an analog television channel consisting of a 6 MHz, 7 MHz or 8 MHz frequency band, and allocated in the 54-806 MHz band. The wireless network may be operative for channel bonding, may use two or more analog television channels, and may be based on Wireless Regional Area Network (WRAN) standard using OFDMA modulation. Further, the wireless communication may be based on geographically based cognitive radio, and may be according to, may be compatible with, or based on, IEEE 802.22 or IEEE 802.11af standards.
(352) The wireless functionality was exampled in the
(353) The notification to the user device may be text based, such as an electronic mail (e-mail), website content, fax, or a Short Message Service (SMS). Alternatively or in addition, the notification or alert to the user device may be voice based, such as a voicemail, a voice message to a telephone device. Alternatively or in addition, the notification or the alert to the user device may activate a vibrator, causing vibrations that are felt by human body touching, may be based on, or may be compatible with a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) or Instant Messaging (IM). The messaging, alerting, and notifications may be based on, include part of, or may be according to U.S. Patent Application No. 2009/0024759 to McKibben et al. entitled: “System and Method for Providing Alerting Services”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,653,573 to Hayes, Jr. et al. entitled: “Customer Messaging Service”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,316 to Langseth. et al. entitled: “System and Method for a Subject-Based Channel Distribution of Automatic, Real-Time Delivery of Personalized Informational and Transactional Data”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,001 to Eichstaedt et al. entitled: “Method and System for Data Collection for Alert Delivery”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,136,482 to Wille entitled: “Progressive Alert Indications in a Communication Device”, U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0214095 to Adams et al. entitled: “Monitoring and Notification System and Method”, U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0258913 to Busey entitled: “Electronic Personal Alert System”, or U.S. Pat. No. 7,557,689 to Seddigh et al. entitled: “Customer Messaging Service”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(354) The wireless network may be a control network (such as ZigBee or Z-Wave), a home network, a WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network), a WLAN (wireless Local Area Network), a WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network), or a cellular network. An example of a Bluetooth-based wireless controller that may be included in the wireless transceiver 403 is SPBT2632C1A Bluetooth module available from STMicroelectronics NV and described in the data sheet DoclD022930 Rev. 6 dated April 2015 entitled: “SPBT2632C1A—Bluetooth® technology class-1 module”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Similarly, other network may be used to cover another geographical scale or coverage, such as NFC, PAN, LAN, MAN, or WAN type. The network may use any type of modulation, such as Amplitude Modulation (AM), a Frequency Modulation (FM), or a Phase Modulation (PM).
(355) Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one or more types of wireless communication signals and/or systems, for example, Radio Frequency (RF), Infra-Red (IR), Frequency-Division Multiplexing (FDM), Orthogonal FDM (OFDM), Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM), Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Extended TDMA (E-TDMA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), extended GPRS, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 2000, single-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, Multi-Carrier Modulation (MDM), Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT), Bluetooth®, Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee™, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile communication (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), or the like. Further, a wireless communication may be based on, or may be compatible with, wireless technologies that are described in Chapter 20: “Wireless Technologies” of the publication number 1-587005-001-3 by Cisco Systems, Inc. (July 1999) entitled: “Internetworking Technologies Handbook”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(356) Any device, component, or apparatus herein, may be structured as, may be shaped or configured to serve as, or may be integrated with, a wearable device. Any system, device, component, or apparatus herein may further be operative to estimate or calculate the person body orientation, such as the person head pose.
(357) Any apparatus or device herein may be wearable on an organ such as on the person head, and the organ may be eye, ear, face, cheek, nose, mouth, lip, forehead, or chin. Alternatively or in addition, any apparatus or device herein may be constructed to have a form substantially similar to, may be constructed to have a shape allowing mounting or wearing identical or similar to, or may be constructed to have a form to at least in part substitute for, headwear, eyewear, or earpiece. Any headwear herein may consist of, may be structured as, or may comprise, a bonnet, a headband, a cap, a crown, a fillet, a hair cover, a hat, a helmet, a hood, a mask, a turban, a veil, or a wig. Any eyewear herein may consist of, may be structured as, or may comprise, glasses, sunglasses, a contact lens, a blindfold, or a goggle. Any earpiece herein may consist of, may be structured as, or may comprise, a hearing aid, a headphone, a headset, or an earplug. Alternatively or in addition, any enclosure herein may be permanently or releasably attachable to, or may be part of, a clothing piece of a person. The attaching may use taping, gluing, pinning, enclosing, encapsulating, a pin, or a latch and hook clip, and the clothing piece may be a top, bottom, or full-body underwear, or a headwear, a footwear, an accessory, an outwear, a suit, a dress, a skirt, or a top.
(358) In one example, any device or apparatus herein, such as any angle meter or planes meter herein, may serve as a sensor for a wearable device. Alternatively or in addition, any estimated or calculated value herein may be used as an input to a wearable device.
(359) A pictorial view of an integrated wearable eyepiece device and angle meter 440 is shown in
(360) A pictorial view of an integrated headphones and angle meter 450 is shown in
(361) Similarly, a pictorial view of an integrated VR head-work device (such as HMD) and angle meter 460 is shown in
(362) While the wearable devices 440, 450, and 460 were shown as structured to measure an angle in a substantially horizontal plane, measuring a vertical angle may equally be applied. Such an HMD shaped angle meter 460b in shown in
(363) An angle meter housed in, or integrated with, head-wearable enclosures, such as the eyewear 440, the headset 450, or the HMD 460, may be used for estimating or measuring the head gaze (or eyes gaze) to an object, a surface, or a plane.
(364) The measured, estimated, or calculated values or characteristics, such as distance, angle, speed, or timing, by any one of the apparatuses herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be used to affect an actuator operation. For example, the ‘Output Values’ step 84 that is part of the flow chart 80 shown in
(365) An arrangement 500 for operating an actuator 501 is shown in
(366) The actuator interface 505 of its functionality may be integrated, in part or in whole, with the actuator 501, with the control block 61, or any combination thereof. Preferably, the actuator 501, the actuator interface 502, or both, may be fully integrated with any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein. For example, the same enclosure, the same power source, other functionalities or circuits, or any combination thereof, may be used by both the actuator 501, the actuator interface 502, and the control block 61. However, alternatively or in addition, each of the actuator 501, the actuator interface 502, and the control block 61, may use its own enclosure, its own power source, or its own circuits.
(367) In one example, the actuator interface 502 consists of, comprises, or uses a signal conditioner 502a, shown as part of an arrangement 500a in
(368) Any device, component, or element designed for, or capable of, directly or indirectly affecting, changing, producing, or creating a physical phenomenon under an electric signal control may be used as the actuator 501. An appropriate actuator may be adapted for a specific physical phenomenon, such as an actuator affecting temperature, humidity, pressure, audio, vibration, light, motion, sound, proximity, flow rate, electrical voltage, and electrical current. An actuator unit 501 may include one or more actuators, each affecting or generating a physical phenomenon in response to an electrical command, which can be an electrical signal (such as voltage or current), or by changing a characteristic (such as resistance or impedance) of an element. The actuators may be identical, similar or different from each other, and may affect or generate the same or different phenomena. Two or more actuators may be connected in series or in parallel.
(369) The actuator 501 may be an analog actuator having an analog signal input such as analog voltage or current, or may have continuously variable impedance. Alternatively on in addition, the actuator 501 may have a digital signal input. The actuator 501 may affect time-dependent or space-dependent parameters of a phenomenon. Alternatively on in addition, the actuator 501 may affect time-dependencies or a phenomenon such as the rate of change, time-integrated or time-average, duty-cycle, frequency or time period between events. The actuator 501 may be semiconductor-based, and may be based on MEMS technology.
(370) The actuator 501 may affect the amount of a property or of a physical quantity or the magnitude relating to a physical phenomenon, body or substance. Alternatively or in addition, the actuator 501 may be used to affect the time derivative thereof, such as the rate of change of the amount, the quantity or the magnitude. In the case of space related quantity or magnitude, an actuator may affect the linear density, surface density, or volume density, relating to the amount of property per volume. Alternatively or in addition, the actuator 501 may affect the flux (or flow) of a property through a cross-section or surface boundary, the flux density, or the current. In the case of a scalar field, an actuator may affect the quantity gradient. Alternatively on in addition, the actuator 501 may affect the amount of property per unit mass or per mole of substance. A single actuator 501 may be used to affect two or more phenomena.
(371) In one example, the actuator 501 may be operative in a single operating state, and may be activated to be in the single state by powering it. In such a scheme, the actuator interface 502 (or the signal conditioner 502a) may consist of, may comprise, or may use a controlled switch SW1 503 as shown in an arrangement 500b in
(372) The controlled switch SW1 503 may have a control port 505 (that may be a digital level or digital interface) that is controlled by a control or command signal received via a connection 504 to the control block 61. In an actuator 501 ‘off’ state, a command from the control block 61 is sent over the control connection 504, and the controlled switches SW1 503 is controlled by the respective control signal to be in an ‘open’ state, thus no current is flowing from a power source 506 to the actuator 501. The actuator 501 may be switched to the ‘on’ state by the control signals controlling the switch SW1 503 control port 505 to be in a ‘close’ state, allowing an electrical power to flow from the power source 506 to the actuator 501. For example, the actuator 501 may be a lamp that may be in a not-illuminated state when no power is flowing there-through, or may illuminate as a response to a current flow. Similarly, the actuator 501 may be an electric motor that rotates upon being powered when the switch SW1 503 is closed, or may be static when no current is flowing when the switch SW1 503 is controlled to be in the ‘open’ state.
(373) The power source 506 may be a power source (or a connection to a power source) that is dedicated for powering the actuator. Alternatively or in addition, the power source 506 may be the same power source that powers the control block 61, or the all of, or part of, electrical circuits that are part of any one of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein.
(374) In one example, the power source 506 is housed in the apparatus or device enclosure, and may be a battery. The battery may be a primary battery or cell, in which an irreversible chemical reaction generates the electricity, and thus the cell is disposable and cannot be recharged, and need to be replaced after the battery is drained. Such battery replacement may be expensive and cumbersome. Alternatively or in addition, a rechargeable (secondary) battery may be used, such as a nickel-cadmium based battery. In such a case, a battery charger is employed for charging the battery while it is in use or not in use. Various types of such battery chargers are known in the art, such as trickle chargers, pulse chargers and the like. The battery charger may be integrated with the field unit or be external to it. The battery may be a primary or a rechargeable (secondary) type, may include a single or few batteries, and may use various chemicals for the electro-chemical cells, such as lithium, alkaline and nickel-cadmium. Common batteries are manufactured in pre-defined standard output voltages (1.5, 3, 4.5, 9 Volts, for example), as well as defined standard mechanical enclosures (usually defined by letters such as “A”, “AA”, “B”, “C” sizes), and ‘coin’ type. In one embodiment, the battery (or batteries) is held in a battery holder or compartment, and thus can be easily replaced.
(375) Alternatively or in addition, the electrical power for powering the actuator 501 (and/or the control block 61) may be provided from a power source external to the apparatus or device enclosure. In one example, the AC power (mains) grid commonly used in a building, such as in a domestic, commercial, or industrial environment, may be used. The AC power grid typically provides Alternating-Current (AC, a.k.a. Line power, AC power, grid power, and household electricity) that is 120 VAC/60 Hz in North America (or 115 VAC) and 230 VAC/50 Hz (or 220 VAC) in most of Europe. The AC power typically consists of a sine wave (or sinusoid) waveform, where the voltage relates to an RMS amplitude value (120 or 230), and having a frequency measured in Hertz, relating to the number of cycles (or oscillations) per second. Commonly single-phase infrastructure exists, and a wiring in the building commonly uses three wires, known as a line wire (also known as phase, hot, or active) that carry the alternating current, a neutral wire (also known as zero or return) which completes the electrical circuit by providing a return current path, and an earth or ground wire, typically connected to the chassis of any AC-powered equipment that serves as a safety means against electric shocks.
(376) An example of an AC-powered arrangement 500c is shown in
(377) AC/DC Power Supply. A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load, where the primary function of a power supply is to convert one form of electrical energy to another and, as a result, power supplies are sometimes referred to as electric power converters. Some power supplies are discrete, stand-alone devices, whereas others are built into larger devices along with their loads. Examples of the latter include power supplies found in desktop computers and consumer electronics devices. Every power supply must obtain the energy it supplies to its load, as well as any energy it consumes while performing that task, from an energy source. Depending on its design, a power supply may obtain energy from various types of energy sources, including electrical energy transmission systems, energy storage devices such as a batteries and fuel cells, electromechanical systems such as generators and alternators, solar power converters, or another power supply. All power supplies have a power input, which receives energy from the energy source, and a power output that delivers energy to the load. In most power supplies, the power input and the power output consist of electrical connectors or hardwired circuit connections, though some power supplies employ wireless energy transfer in lieu of galvanic connections for the power input or output.
(378) Some power supplies have other types of inputs and outputs as well, for functions such as external monitoring and control. Power supplies are categorized in various ways, including by functional features. For example, a regulated power supply is one that maintains constant output voltage or current despite variations in load current or input voltage. Conversely, the output of an unregulated power supply can change significantly when its input voltage or load current changes. Adjustable power supplies allow the output voltage or current to be programmed by mechanical controls (e.g., knobs on the power supply front panel), or by means of a control input, or both. An adjustable regulated power supply is one that is both adjustable and regulated. An isolated power supply has a power output that is electrically independent of its power input; this is in contrast to other power supplies that share a common connection between power input and output.
(379) AC-to-DC (AC/DC) power supply uses AC mains electricity as an energy source, and typically employs a transformer to convert the input voltage to a higher, or commonly lower AC voltage. A rectifier is used to convert the transformer output voltage to a varying DC voltage, which in turn is passed through an electronic filter to convert it to an unregulated DC voltage. The filter removes most, but not all of the AC voltage variations; the remaining voltage variations are known as a ripple. The electric load tolerance of ripple dictates the minimum amount of filtering that must be provided by a power supply. In some applications, high ripple is tolerated and therefore no filtering is required. For example, in some battery charging applications, it is possible to implement a mains-powered DC power supply with nothing more than a transformer and a single rectifier diode, with a resistor in series with the output to limit charging current.
(380) The function of a linear voltage regulator is to convert a varying AC or DC voltage to a constant, often specific, lower DC voltage. In addition, they often provide a current limiting function to protect the power supply and load from overcurrent (excessive, potentially destructive current). A constant output voltage is required in many power supply applications, but the voltage provided by many energy sources will vary with changes in load impedance. Furthermore, when an unregulated DC power supply is the energy source, its output voltage will also vary with changing input voltage. To circumvent this, some power supplies use a linear voltage regulator to maintain the output voltage at a steady value, independent of fluctuations in input voltage and load impedance. Linear regulators can also reduce the magnitude of ripple and noise present appearing on the output voltage.
(381) In a Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS), the AC mains input is directly rectified and then filtered to obtain a DC voltage, which is then switched “on” and “off” at a high frequency by electronic switching circuitry, thus producing an AC current that will pass through a high-frequency transformer or inductor. Switching occurs at a very high frequency (typically 10 kHz-1 MHz), thereby enabling the use of transformers and filter capacitors that are much smaller, lighter, and less expensive than those found in linear power supplies operating at mains frequency. After the inductor or transformer secondary, the high frequency AC is rectified and filtered to produce the DC output voltage. If the SMPS uses an adequately insulated high-frequency transformer, the output will be electrically isolated from the mains; this feature is often essential for safety. Switched-mode power supplies are usually regulated, and to keep the output voltage constant, the power supply employs a feedback controller that monitors current drawn by the load. SMPSs often include safety features such as current limiting or a crowbar circuit to help protect the device and the user from harm. In the event that an abnormally high-current power draw is detected, the switched-mode supply can assume this is a direct short and will shut itself down before damage is done. PC power supplies often provide a power good signal to the motherboard; the absence of this signal prevents operation when abnormal supply voltages are present.
(382) Power supplies are described in Agilent Technologies Application Note 90B dated Oct. 1, 2000 (5925-4020) entitled: “DC Power Supply Handbook” and in Application Note 1554 dated Feb. 4, 2005 (5989-2291EN) entitled: “Understanding Linear Power Supply Operation”, and in On Semiconductor® Reference Manual Rev. 4 dated April 2014 (SMPSRM/D) entitled: “Switch-Mode Power Supply”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(383) Alternatively or in addition, an AC-powered actuator 501a is used, which is adapted to be directly powered by the AC power from the AC power grid, and thus the need for the power supply 506a may be obviated, as shown in an arrangement 500d in
(384) The actuator 501a, or any appliance or device herein, may be integrated, in part or in whole, in an appliance such as a home appliance. In such a case, the actuator of the appliance, may serve as the actuator 501a, and handled as described herein. Home appliances are electrical and mechanical devices using technology for household use, such as food handling, cleaning, clothes handling, or environmental control. Appliances are commonly used in household, institutional, commercial or industrial setting, for accomplishing routine housekeeping tasks, and are typically electrically powered. The appliance may be a major appliance, also known as “White Goods”, which is commonly large, difficult to move, and generally to some extent, fixed in place (usually on the floor or mounted on a wall or ceiling), and is electrically powered from the AC power (mains) grid. Non-limiting examples of major appliances are washing machines, clothes dryers, dehumidifiers, conventional ovens, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, air-conditioners, trash compactors, furnaces, dishwasher, water heaters, microwave ovens and induction cookers. The appliance may be a small appliance, also known as “Brown Goods”, which is commonly a small home appliance that is portable or semi-portable, and is typically a tabletop or a countertop type. Examples of small appliances are television sets, CD and DVD players, HiFi and home cinema systems, telephone sets and answering machines, and beverage making devices such as coffee-makers and iced-tea makers.
(385) Some appliances' main function is food storage, commonly refrigeration related appliances such as refrigerators and freezers. Other appliances' main function is food preparation, such as conventional ovens (stoves) or microwave ovens, electric mixers, food processors, and electric food blenders, as well as beverage makers such as coffee-makers and iced-tea makers. Clothes cleaning appliances examples are washing/laundry machines and clothes dryers. A vacuum cleaner is an appliance used to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors and other surfaces. Some appliances' main function relates to temperature control, such as heating and cooling. Air conditioners and heaters, as well as HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems, are commonly used for climate control, usually for thermal comfort for occupants of buildings or other enclosures. Similarly, water heaters are used for heating water.
(386) Any component that is designed to open (breaking, interrupting), close (making), or change one or more electrical circuits may serve as, or replace, the controlled switch SW1 503a. In one example, the switch is an electromechanical device with one or more sets of electrical contacts having two or more states. The switch may be a ‘normally open’ type, requiring actuation for closing the contacts, may be ‘normally closed’ type, where actuation affects breaking the circuit, or may be a changeover switch, having both types of contacts arrangements. A changeover switch may be either a ‘make-before-break’ or a ‘break-before-make’ type. The switch contacts may have one or more poles and one or more throws. Common switch contacts arrangements include Single-Pole-Single-Throw (SPST), Single-Pole-Double-Throw (SPDT), Double-Pole-Double-Throw (DPDT), Double-Pole-Single-Throw (DPST), and Single-Pole-Changeover (SPCO). A switch may be electrically or mechanically actuated.
(387) A relay is a non-limiting example of an electrically operated switch. A relay may be a latching relay, that has two relaxed states (bi-stable), and when the current is switched off, the relay remains in its last state. This is achieved with a solenoid operating a ratchet and cam mechanism, or by having two opposing coils with an over-center spring or permanent magnet to hold the armature and contacts in position while the coil is relaxed, or with a permanent core. A relay may be an electromagnetic relay, that typically consists of a coil of wire wrapped around a soft iron core, an iron yoke which provides a low reluctance path for magnetic flux, a movable iron armature, and one or more sets of contacts. The armature is hinged to the yoke and mechanically linked to one or more sets of moving contacts. It is held in place by a spring so that when the relay is de-energized there is an air gap in the magnetic circuit. In this condition, one of the two sets of contacts in the relay pictured is closed, and the other set is open. A reed relay is a reed switch enclosed in a solenoid, and the switch has a set of contacts inside an evacuated or inert gas-filled glass tube, which protects the contacts against atmospheric corrosion.
(388) Alternatively or in addition, a relay may be a Solid State Relay (SSR), where a solid-state based component functioning as a relay, without having any moving parts. In one example, the SSR may be controlled by an optocoupler, such as a CPC1965Y AC Solid State Relay, available from IXYS Integrated Circuits Division (Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., U.S.A.) which is an AC Solid State Relay (SSR) using waveguide coupling with dual power SCR outputs to produce an alternative to optocoupler and Triac circuits. The switches are robust enough to provide a blocking voltage of up to 600VP, and are tightly controlled zero-cross circuitry ensures switching of AC loads without the generation of transients. The input and output circuits are optically coupled to provide 3750Vrms of isolation and noise immunity between control and load circuits. The CPC1965Y AC Solid State Relay is described in an IXYS Integrated Circuits Division specification DS-CPC1965Y-R07 entitled: “CPC1965Y AC Solid State Relay”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(389) Alternatively or in addition, a switch may be implemented using an electrical circuit or component. For example, an open collector (or open drain) based circuit may be used. Further, an opto-isolator (a.k.a. optocoupler, photocoupler, or optical isolator) may be used to provide isolated power transfer. Further, a thyristor such as a Triode for Alternating Current (TRIAC) may be used for triggering the power. In one example, a switch such as the switch 503 or 503a may be based on, or consists of, a TRIAC Part Number BTA06 available from SGS-Thomson Microelectronics is used, described in the data sheet “BTA06 T/D/S/A BTB06 T/D/S/A—Sensitive Gate Triacs” published by SGS-Thomson Microelectronics march 1995, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(390) In addition, the switch 503a may be based on a transistor. The transistor may be a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET), commonly used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. The MOSFET transistor is a four-terminal component with source (S), gate (G), drain (D), and body (B) terminals, where the body (or substrate) of the MOSFET is often connected to the source terminal, making it a three-terminal component like other field-effect transistors. In an enhancement mode MOSFETs, a voltage drop across the oxide induces a conducting channel between the source and drain contacts via the field effect. The term “enhancement mode” refers to the increase of conductivity with an increase in oxide field that adds carriers to the channel, also referred to as the inversion layer. The channel can contain electrons (called an nMOSFET or nMOS), or holes (called a pMOSFET or pMOS), opposite in type to the substrate, so nMOS is made with a p-type substrate, and pMOS with an n-type substrate. In one example, a switch may be based on an N-channel enhancement mode standard level field-effect transistor that features very low on-state resistance. Such a transistor may be based on, or consists of, TrenchMOS transistor Part Number BUK7524-55 from Philips Semiconductors, described in the Product Specifications from Philips Semiconductors “TrenchMOS™ transistor Standard level FET BUK7524-55” Rev 1.000 dated January 1997, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(391) The actuator 501 may affect, create, or change a phenomenon associated with an object, and the object may be gas, air, liquid, or solid. The actuator 501 may be controlled by a digital input, and may be electrical actuator powered by an electrical energy. A signal conditioning circuit 502a may be coupled to the actuator 501 input, the signal conditioning circuit 502a may comprise an amplifier, a voltage or current limiter, an attenuator, a delay line or circuit, a level translator, a galvanic isolator, an impedance transformer, a linearization circuit, a calibrator, a passive filter, an active filter, an adaptive filter, an integrator, a deviator, an equalizer, a spectrum analyzer, a compressor or a de-compressor, a coder, a decoder, a modulator, a demodulator, a pattern recognizer, a smoother, a noise remover, an average circuit, or an RMS circuit. The actuator 501 may be operative to affect time-dependent characteristic such as a time-integrated, an average, an RMS (Root Mean Square) value, a frequency, a period, a duty-cycle, a time-integrated, or a time-derivative, of the affected or produced phenomenon. The actuator 501 may be operative to affect or change space-dependent characteristic of the phenomenon, such as a pattern, a linear density, a surface density, a volume density, a flux density, a current, a direction, a rate of change in a direction, or a flow, of the sensed phenomenon.
(392) The actuator 501 may be a light source used to emit light by converting electrical energy into light, and where the luminous intensity may be fixed or may be controlled, commonly for illumination or indication purposes. The actuator 501 may be used to activate or control the light emitted by a light source, being based on converting electrical energy or another energy to a light. The light emitted may be a visible light, or invisible light such as infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray or gamma rays. A shade, reflector, enclosing globe, housing, lens, and other accessories may be used, typically as part of a light fixture, in order to control the illumination intensity, shape or direction. Electrical sources of illumination commonly use a gas, a plasma (such as in arc and fluorescent lamps), an electrical filament, or Solid-State Lighting (SSL), where semiconductors are used. An SSL may be a Light-Emitting Diode (LED), an Organic LED (OLED), Polymer LED (PLED), or a laser diode.
(393) A light source may consist of, or may comprise, a lamp which may be an arc lamp, a fluorescent lamp, a gas-discharge lamp (such as a fluorescent lamp), or an incandescent light (such as a halogen lamp). An arc lamp is the general term for a class of lamps that produce light by an electric arc voltaic arc. Such a lamp consists of two electrodes, first made from carbon but typically made today of tungsten, which are separated by a noble gas.
(394) The actuator 501 may comprise, or may consist of, a motion actuator that may be a rotary actuator that produces a rotary motion or torque, commonly to a shaft or axle. The motion produced by a rotary motion actuator may be either continuous rotation, such as in common electric motors, or movement to a fixed angular position as for servos and stepper motors. A motion actuator may be a linear actuator that creates motion in a straight line. A linear actuator may be based on an intrinsically rotary actuator, by converting from a rotary motion created by a rotary actuator, using a screw, a wheel and axle, or a cam. A screw actuator may be a leadscrew, a screw jack, a ball screw or roller screw. A wheel-and-axle actuator operates on the principle of the wheel and axle, and may be hoist, winch, rack and pinion, chain drive, belt drive, rigid chain, or rigid belt actuator. Similarly, a rotary actuator may be based on an intrinsically linear actuator, by converting from a linear motion to a rotary motion, using the above or other mechanisms. Motion actuators may include a wide variety of mechanical elements and/or prime movers to change the nature of the motion such as provided by the actuating/transducing elements, such as levers, ramps, screws, cams, crankshafts, gears, pulleys, constant-velocity joints, or ratchets. A motion actuator may be part of a servomotor system.
(395) A motion actuator may be a pneumatic actuator that converts compressed air into rotary or linear motion, and may comprises a piston, a cylinder, valves, or ports. Motion actuators are commonly controlled by an input pressure to a control valve, and may be based on moving a piston in a cylinder. A motion actuator may be a hydraulic actuator using a pressure of the liquid in a hydraulic cylinder to provide force or motion. A hydraulic actuator may be a hydraulic pump, such as a vane pump, a gear pump, or a piston pump. A motion actuator may be an electric actuator where electrical energy may be converted into motion, such as an electric motor. A motion actuator may be a vacuum actuator producing a motion based on vacuum pressure.
(396) An electric motor may be a DC motor, which may be a brushed, brushless, or uncommutated type. An electric motor may be a stepper motor, and may be a Permanent Magnet (PM) motor, a Variable reluctance (VR) motor, or a hybrid synchronous stepper. An electric motor may be an AC motor, which may be an induction motor, a synchronous motor, or an eddy current motors. An AC motor may be a two-phase AC servo motor, a three-phase AC synchronous motor, or a single-phase AC induction motor, such as a split-phase motor, a capacitor start motor, or a Permanent-Split Capacitor (PSC) motor. Alternatively or in addition, an electric motor may be an electrostatic motor, and may be MEMS based.
(397) A rotary actuator may be a fluid power actuator, and a linear actuator may be a linear hydraulic actuator or a pneumatic actuator. A linear actuator may be a piezoelectric actuator, based on the piezoelectric effect, may be a wax motor, or may be a linear electrical motor, which may be a DC brush, a DC brushless, a stepper, or an induction motor type. A linear actuator may be a telescoping linear actuator. A linear actuator may be a linear electric motor, such as a linear induction motor (LIM), or a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM).
(398) A motion actuator may be a linear or rotary piezoelectric motor based on acoustic or ultrasonic vibrations. A piezoelectric motor may use piezoelectric ceramics such as Inchworm or PiezoWalk motors, may use Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) to generate the linear or the rotary motion, or may be a Squiggle motor. Alternatively or in addition, an electric motor may be an ultrasonic motor. A linear actuator may be a micro- or nanometer comb-drive capacitive actuator. Alternatively or in addition, a motion actuator may be a Dielectric or Ionic based Electroactive Polymers (EAPs) actuator. A motion actuator may also be a solenoid, thermal bimorph, or a piezoelectric unimorph actuator.
(399) An actuator may be a pump, typically used to move (or compress) fluids or liquids, gasses, or slurries, commonly by pressure or suction actions, and the activating mechanism is often reciprocating or rotary. A pump may be a direct lift, impulse, displacement, valveless, velocity, centrifugal, vacuum pump, or gravity pump. A pump may be a positive displacement pump, such as a rotary-type positive displacement type such as internal gear, screw, shuttle block, flexible vane or sliding vane, circumferential piston, helical twisted roots or liquid ring vacuum pumps, a reciprocating-type positive displacement type, such as piston or diaphragm pumps, and a linear-type positive displacement type, such as rope pumps and chain pumps, a rotary lobe pump, a progressive cavity pump, a rotary gear pump, a piston pump, a diaphragm pump, a screw pump, a gear pump, a hydraulic pump, and a vane pump. A rotary positive displacement pumps may be a gear pump, a screw pump, or a rotary vane pumps. Reciprocating positive displacement pumps may be plunger pumps type, diaphragm pumps type, diaphragm valves type, or radial piston pumps type.
(400) A pump may be an impulse pump such as hydraulic ram pumps type, pulser pumps type, or airlift pumps type. A pump may be a rotodynamic pump such as a velocity pump or a centrifugal pump. A centrifugal pump may be a radial flow pump type, an axial flow pump type, or a mixed flow pump.
(401) The actuator 501 may be an electrochemical or chemical actuator, used to produce, change, or otherwise affect a matter structure, properties, composition, process, or reactions, such as oxidation/reduction or an electrolysis process.
(402) The actuator 501 may be a sounder, which converts electrical energy to sound waves transmitted through the air, an elastic solid material, or a liquid, usually by means of a vibrating or moving ribbon or diaphragm. The sound may be audible or inaudible (or both), and may be omnidirectional, unidirectional, bidirectional, or provide other directionality or polar patterns. A sounder may be an electromagnetic loudspeaker, a piezoelectric speaker, an electrostatic loudspeaker (ESL), a ribbon or planar magnetic loudspeaker, or a bending wave loudspeaker.
(403) A sounder may be an electromechanical type, such as an electric bell, a buzzer (or beeper), a chime, a whistle or a ringer and may be either electromechanical or ceramic-based piezoelectric sounders. The sounder may emit a single or multiple tones, and can be in continuous or intermittent operation.
(404) The sounder may be used to play digital audio content, either stored in, or received by, the sounder, the actuator unit, the router, the control server, or any combination thereof. The audio content stored may be either pre-recorded or using a synthesizer. Few digital audio files may be stored, selected by a control logic. Alternatively or in addition, the source of the digital audio may be a microphone serving as a sensor. In another example, the system uses the sounder for simulating the voice of a human being or generates music. The music produced, can emulate the sounds of a conventional acoustical music instrument, such as a piano, tuba, harp, violin, flute, guitar and so forth. A talking human voice may be played by the sounder, either pre-recorded or using human voice synthesizer, and the sound may be a syllable, a word, a phrase, a sentence, a short story or a long story, and can be based on speech synthesis or pre-recorded, using male or female voice.
(405) A human speech may be produced using a hardware, software (or both) speech synthesizer, which may be Text-To-Speech (TTS) based. The speech synthesizer may be a concatenative type, using unit selection, diphone synthesis, or domain-specific synthesis. Alternatively or in addition, the speech synthesizer may be a formant type, and may be based on articulatory synthesis or hidden Markov models (HMM) based.
(406) The actuator 501 may be used to generate an electric or magnetic field, and may be an electromagnetic coil or an electromagnet.
(407) The actuator 501, or the display 63, may be a display for presentation of visual data or information, commonly on a screen, and may consist of an array (e.g., matrix) of light emitters or light reflectors, and may present text, graphics, image or video. A display may be a monochrome, gray-scale, or color type, and may be a video display. The display may be a projector (commonly by using multiple reflectors), or alternatively (or in addition) have the screen integrated. A projector may be based on an Eidophor, Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS or LCOS), or LCD, or may use Digital Light Processing (DLP™) technology, and may be MEMS based or be a virtual retinal display. A video display may support Standard-Definition (SD) or High-Definition (HD) standards, and may support 3D. The display may present the information as scrolling, static, bold or flashing. The display may be an analog display, such as having NTSC, PAL or SECAM formats. Similarly, analog RGB, VGA (Video Graphics Array), SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array), SCART or S-video interface, or may be a digital display, such as having IEEE1394 interface (a.k.a. FireWire™), may be used. Other digital interfaces that can be used are USB, SDI (Serial Digital Interface), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), UDI (Unified Display Interface), DisplayPort, Digital Component Video or DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) interface. Various user controls may include an on/off switch, a reset button and others. Other exemplary controls involve display associated settings such as contrast, brightness and zoom.
(408) A display may be a Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) display, or a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display. The LCD display may be passive (such as CSTN or DSTN based) or active matrix, and may be Thin Film Transistor (TFT) or LED-backlit LCD display. A display may be a Field Emission Display (FED), Electroluminescent Display (ELD), Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD), or may be an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, based on passive-matrix (PMOLED) or active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLED).
(409) A display may be based on an Electronic Paper Display (EPD), and be based on Gyricon technology, Electro-Wetting Display (EWD), or Electrofluidic display technology. A display may be a laser video display or a laser video projector, and may be based on a Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting-Laser (VECSEL) or a Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL).
(410) A display may be a segment display, such as a numerical or an alphanumerical display that can show only digits or alphanumeric characters, words, characters, arrows, symbols, ASCII and non-ASCII characters. Examples are Seven-segment display (digits only), Fourteen-segment display, and Sixteen-segment display, and a dot matrix display.
(411) The actuator 501 may be a thermoelectric actuator such as a cooler or a heater for changing the temperature of a solid, liquid or gas object, and may use conduction, convection, thermal radiation, or by the transfer of energy by phase changes. A heater may be a radiator using radiative heating, a convector using convection, or a forced convection heater. A thermoelectric actuator may be a heating or cooling heat pump, and may be electrically powered, compression-based cooler using an electric motor to drive a refrigeration cycle. A thermoelectric actuator may be an electric heater, converting electrical energy into heat, using resistance, or a dielectric heater. A thermoelectric actuator may be a solid-state active heat pump device based on the Peltier effect. A thermoelectric actuator may be an air cooler, using a compressor-based refrigeration cycle of a heat pump. An electric heater may be an induction heater.
(412) The actuator 501 may include a signal generator serving as an actuator for providing an electrical signal (such as a voltage or current), or may be coupled between the processor and the actuator for controlling the actuator. A signal generator may be an analog or digital signal generator, and may be based on software (or firmware) or may be a separated circuit or component. A signal may generate repeating or non-repeating electronic signals, and may include a digital to analog converter (DAC) to produce an analog output. Common waveforms are a sine wave, a saw-tooth, a step (pulse), a square, and a triangular waveforms. The generator may include some sort of modulation functionality such as Amplitude Modulation (AM), Frequency Modulation (FM), or Phase Modulation (PM). A signal generator may be an Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) or a logic signal generator.
(413) The actuator 501 may be a light source that emits visible or non-visible light (infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, or gamma rays) such as for illumination or indication. The actuator may comprise a shade, a reflector, an enclosing globe, or a lens, for manipulating the emitted light. The light source may be an electric light source for converting electrical energy into light, and may consist of, or comprise, a lamp, such as an incandescent, a fluorescent, or a gas discharge lamp. The electric light source may be based on Solid-State Lighting (SSL) such as a Light Emitting Diode (LED), which may be Organic LED (OLED), a polymer LED (PLED), or a laser diode. The actuator may be a chemical or electrochemical actuator, and may be operative for producing, changing, or affecting a matter structure, properties, composition, process, or reactions, such as producing, changing, or affecting an oxidation/reduction or an electrolysis reaction.
(414) The actuator 501 may be a motion actuator and may cause linear or rotary motion or may comprise a conversion mechanism (may be based on a screw, a wheel and axle, or a cam) for converting to rotary or linear motion. The conversion mechanism may be based on a screw, and the system may include a leadscrew, a screw jack, a ball screw or a roller screw, or may be based on a wheel and axle, and the system may include a hoist, a winch, a rack and pinion, a chain drive, a belt drive, a rigid chain, or a rigid belt. The motion actuator may comprise a lever, a ramp, a screw, a cam, a crankshaft, a gear, a pulley, a constant-velocity joint, or a ratchet, for affecting the produced motion. The motion actuator may be a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, or an electrical actuator. The motion actuator may be an electrical motor such as brushed, a brushless, or an uncommutated DC motor, or a Permanent Magnet (PM) motor, a Variable reluctance (VR) motor, or a hybrid synchronous stepper DC motor. The electrical motor may be an induction motor, a synchronous motor, or an eddy current AC motor. The AC motor may be a single-phase AC induction motor, a two-phase AC servo motor, or a three-phase AC synchronous motor, and may be a split-phase motor, a capacitor-start motor, or a Permanent-Split Capacitor (PSC) motor. The electrical motor may be an electrostatic motor, a piezoelectric actuator, or a MEMS-based motor.
(415) The motion actuator may be a linear hydraulic actuator, a linear pneumatic actuator, or a linear electric motor such as linear induction motor (LIM) or a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM). The motion actuator may be a piezoelectric motor, a Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) motor, a Squiggle motor, an ultrasonic motor, or a micro- or nanometer comb-drive capacitive actuator, a Dielectric or Ionic based Electroactive Polymers (EAPs) actuator, a solenoid, a thermal bimorph, or a piezoelectric unimorph actuator.
(416) The actuator 501 may be operative to move, force, or compress a liquid, a gas or a slurry, and may be a compressor or a pump. The pump may be a direct lift, an impulse, a displacement, a valveless, a velocity, a centrifugal, a vacuum, or a gravity pump. The pump may be a positive displacement pump such as a rotary lobe, a progressive cavity, a rotary gear, a piston, a diaphragm, a screw, a gear, a hydraulic, or a vane pump. The positive displacement pump may be a rotary-type positive displacement pump such as an internal gear, a screw, a shuttle block, a flexible vane, a sliding vane, a rotary vane, a circumferential piston, a helical twisted roots, or a liquid ring vacuum pump. The positive displacement pump may be a reciprocating-type positive displacement type such as a piston, a diaphragm, a plunger, a diaphragm valve, or a radial piston pump. The positive displacement pump may be a linear-type positive displacement type such as rope-and-chain pump. The pump may be an impulse pump such as a hydraulic ram, a pulser, or an airlift pump. The pump may be a rotodynamic pump, such as a velocity pump or a centrifugal pump, that may be a radial flow, an axial flow, or a mixed flow pump.
(417) The actuator 501 may be a sounder for converting an electrical energy to emitted audible or inaudible sound waves, emitted as omnidirectional, unidirectional, or bidirectional pattern. The sound may be audible, and the sounder may be an electromagnetic loudspeaker, a piezoelectric speaker, an electrostatic loudspeaker (ESL), a ribbon or planar magnetic loudspeaker, or a bending wave loudspeaker. The sounder may be electromechanical or ceramic based, and may be operative to emit a single or multiple tones, and may be operative to continuous or intermittent operation. The sounder may be an electric bell, a buzzer (or beeper), a chime, a whistle or a ringer. The sounder may be a loudspeaker, and the system may be operative to play one or more digital audio content files (which may include a pre-recorded audio) stored entirely or in part in the second device, the router, or the control server. The system may comprise a synthesizer for producing the digital audio content. The sensor may be a microphone for capturing the digital audio content to play by the sounder. The control logic or the system may be operative to select one of the digital audio content files, and may be operative for playing the selected file by the sounder. The digital audio content may be music, and may include the sound of an acoustical musical instrument such as a piano, a tuba, a harp, a violin, a flute, or a guitar. The digital audio content may be a male or female human voice saying a syllable, a word, a phrase, a sentence, a short story or a long story. The system may comprise a speech synthesizer (such as a Text-To-Speech (TTS) based) for producing a human speech, being part of the second device, the router, the control server, or any combination thereof. The speech synthesizer may be a concatenative type, and may use unit selection, diphone synthesis, or domain-specific synthesis. Alternatively or in addition, the speech synthesizer may be a formant type, articulatory synthesis based, or hidden Markov models (HMM) based.
(418) The actuator 501 may be a monochrome, grayscale or color display for visually presenting information, and may consist of an array of light emitters or light reflectors. Alternatively or in addition, the display may be a visual retinal display or a projector based on an Eidophor, Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS or LCOS), LCD, MEMS or Digital Light Processing (DLP™) technology. The display may be a video display that may support Standard-Definition (SD) or High-Definition (HD) standards, and may be 3D video display. The display may be capable of scrolling, static, bold or flashing the presented information. The display may be an analog display having an analog input interface such as NTSC, PAL or SECAM formats, or analog input interface such as RGB, VGA (Video Graphics Array), SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array), SCART or S-video interface. Alternatively or in addition, the display may be a digital display having a digital input interface such as IEEE1394, FireWire™, USB, SDI (Serial Digital Interface), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), UDI (Unified Display Interface), DisplayPort, Digital Component Video, or DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) interface. The display may be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display, a Thin Film Transistor (TFT), or an LED-backlit LCD display, and may be based on a passive or an active matrix. The display may be a Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT), a Field Emission Display (FED), Electronic Paper Display (EPD) display (based on Gyricon technology, Electro-Wetting Display (EWD), or Electrofluidic display technology), a laser video display (based on a Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting-Laser (VECSEL) or a Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL)), an Electroluminescent Display (ELD), a Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD), or a passive-matrix (PMOLED) or active-matrix OLEDs (AMOLED) Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display. The display may be a segment display (such as Seven-segment display, a fourteen-segment display, a sixteen-segment display, or a dot matrix display), and may be operative to only display digits, alphanumeric characters, words, characters, arrows, symbols, ASCII, non-ASCII characters, or any combination thereof.
(419) The actuator 501 may be a thermoelectric actuator (such as an electric thermoelectric actuator) and may be a heater or a cooler, and may be operative for affecting or changing the temperature of a solid, a liquid, or a gas object. The thermoelectric actuator may be coupled to the object by conduction, convection, force convention, thermal radiation, or by the transfer of energy by phase changes. The thermoelectric actuator may include a heat pump, or may be a cooler based on an electric motor based compressor for driving a refrigeration cycle. The thermoelectric actuator may be an induction heater, may be an electric heater such as a resistance heater or a dielectric heater, or may be solid-state based such as an active heat pump device based on the Peltier effect. The actuator may be an electromagnetic coil or an electromagnet and may be operative for generating a magnetic or electric field.
(420) The apparatus may produce actuator commands in response to the sensor data according to control logic, and may deliver the actuator commands to the actuator over the internal network. The control logic may affect a control loop for controlling the condition, and the control loop may be a closed linear control loop where the sensor data serve as a feedback to command the actuator based on the loop deviation from a setpoint or a reference value that may be fixed, set by a user, or may be time dependent. The closed control loop may be a proportional-based, an integral-based, a derivative-based, or a Proportional, Integral, and Derivative (PID) based control loop, and the control loop may use feed-forward, Bistable, Bang-Bang, Hysteretic, or fuzzy logic based control. The control loop may be based on, or associated with, randomness based on random numbers; and the apparatus may comprise a random number generator for generating random numbers that may be hardware-based using thermal noise, shot noise, nuclear decaying radiation, photoelectric effect, or quantum phenomena. Alternatively or in addition, the random number generator may be software-based and may execute an algorithm for generating pseudo-random numbers. The apparatus may couple to, or comprise in the single enclosure, an additional sensor responsive to a third condition distinct from the first or second conditions, and the setpoint may be dependent upon the output of the additional sensor.
(421) The actuator 501 may be any mechanism, system, or device that creates, produces, changes, stimulates, or affects a phenomenon, in response to an electrical signal or an electrical power. The actuator 501 may affect a physical, chemical, biological or any other phenomenon, serving as a stimulus to the sensor. Alternatively or in addition, the actuator may affect the magnitude of the phenomenon, or any parameter or quantity thereof. For example, the actuator may be used to affect or change pressure, flow, force or other mechanical quantities. The actuator may be an electrical actuator, where electrical energy is supplied to affect the phenomenon, or may be controlled by an electrical signal (e.g., voltage or current). A signal conditioning may be used in order to adapt the actuator operation, or in order to improve the handling of the actuator input or adapting it to the former stage or manipulating, such as attenuation, delay, current or voltage limiting, level translation, galvanic isolation, impedance transformation, linearization, calibration, filtering, amplifying, digitizing, integration, derivation, and any other signal manipulation. Further, in the case of conditioning, the conditioning circuit may involve time related manipulation, such as filter or equalizer for frequency related manipulation such as filtering, spectrum analysis or noise removal, smoothing or de-blurring in case of image enhancement, a compressor (or de-compressor) or coder (or decoder) in the case of a compression or a coding/decoding schemes, modulator or demodulator in case of modulation, and extractor for extracting or detecting a feature or parameter such as pattern recognition or correlation analysis. In case of filtering, passive, active or adaptive (such as Wiener or Kalman) filters may be used. The conditioning circuits may apply linear or non-linear manipulations. Further, the manipulation may be time-related such as using analog or digital delay-lines or integrators, or any rate-based manipulation. The actuator 501 may have an analog input, requiring a D/A to be connected thereto, or may have a digital input.
(422) The actuator 501 may directly or indirectly create, change or otherwise affect the rate of change of the physical quantity (gradient) versus the direction around a particular location, or between different locations. For example, a temperature gradient may describe the differences in the temperature between different locations. Further, an actuator may affect time-dependent or time-manipulated values of the phenomenon, such as time-integrated, average or Root Mean Square (RMS or rms), relating to the square root of the mean of the squares of a series of discrete values (or the equivalent square root of the integral in a continuously varying value). Further, a parameter relating to the time dependency of a repeating phenomenon may be affected, such as the duty-cycle, the frequency (commonly measured in Hertz—Hz) or the period. An actuator may be based on the Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems—MEMS (a.k.a. Micro-mechanical electrical systems) technology. An actuator may affect environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, noise, vibration, fumes, odors, toxic conditions, dust, and ventilation.
(423) The actuator 501 may change, increase, reduce, or otherwise affect the amount of a property or of a physical quantity or the magnitude relating to a physical phenomenon, body or substance. Alternatively or in addition, the actuator 501 may be used to affect the time derivative thereof, such as the rate of change of the amount, the quantity or the magnitude. In the case of space related quantity or magnitude, an actuator may affect the linear density, relating to the amount of property per length, an actuator may affect the surface density, relating to the amount of property per area, or an actuator may affect the volume density, relating to the amount of property per volume. In the case of a scalar field, an actuator may further affect the quantity gradient, relating to the rate of change of property with respect to position. Alternatively or in addition, an actuator may affect the flux (or flow) of a property through a cross-section or surface boundary. Alternatively or in addition, an actuator may affect the flux density, relating to the flow of property through a cross-section per unit of the cross-section, or through a surface boundary per unit of the surface area. Alternatively or in addition, an actuator may affect the current, relating to the rate of flow of property through a cross-section or a surface boundary, or the current density, relating to the rate of flow of property per unit through a cross-section or a surface boundary. An actuator may include or consists of a transducer, defined herein as a device for converting energy from one form to another for the purpose of measurement of a physical quantity or for information transfer. Further, a single actuator may be used to affect two or more phenomena. For example, two characteristics of the same element may be affected, each characteristic corresponding to a different phenomenon. An actuator may have multiple states, where the actuator state is depending upon the control signal input. An actuator may have a two state operation such as ‘on’ (active) and ‘off’ (non active), based on a binary input such as ‘0’ or ‘1’, or ‘true’ and ‘false’. In such a case, it can be activated by controlling an electrical power supplied or switched to it, such as by an electric switch.
(424) The actuator 501 may be a light source used to emit light by converting electrical energy into light, and where the luminous intensity is fixed or may be controlled, commonly for illumination or indicating purposes. Further, an actuator may be used to activate or control the light emitted by a light source, being based on converting electrical energy or other energy to a light. The light emitted may be a visible light, or invisible light such as infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray or gamma rays. A shade, reflector, enclosing globe, housing, lens, and other accessories may be used, typically as part of a light fixture, in order to control the illumination intensity, shape or direction. The illumination (or the indication) may be steady, blinking or flashing. Further, the illumination can be directed for lighting a surface, such as a surface including an image or a picture. Further, a single-state visual indicator may be used to provide multiple indications, for example by using different colors (of the same visual indicator), different intensity levels, variable duty-cycle and so forth.
(425) Electrical sources of illumination commonly use a gas, a plasma (such as in an arc and fluorescent lamps), an electrical filament, or Solid-State Lighting (SSL), where semiconductors are used. An SSL may be a Light-Emitting Diode (LED), an Organic LED (OLED), or Polymer LED (PLED). Further, an SSL may be a laser diode, which is a laser whose active medium is a semiconductor, commonly based on a diode formed from a p-n junction and powered by the injected electric current.
(426) A light source may consist of, or comprise, a lamp, which is typically replaceable and is commonly radiating a visible light. A lamp, sometimes referred to as ‘bulb’, may be an arc lamp, a Fluorescent lamp, a gas-discharge lamp, or an incandescent light. An arc lamp (a.k.a. arc light) is the general term for a class of lamps that produce light by an electric arc (also called a voltaic arc). Such a lamp consists of two electrodes, first made from carbon but typically made today of tungsten, which are separated by a gas. The type of lamp is often named by the gas contained in the bulb; including Neon, Argon, Xenon, Krypton, Sodium, metal Halide, and Mercury, or by the type of electrode as in carbon-arc lamps. The common fluorescent lamp may be regarded as a low-pressure mercury arc lamp.
(427) Gas-discharge lamps are a family of artificial light sources that generate light by sending an electrical discharge through an ionized gas (plasma). Typically, such lamps use a noble gas (argon, neon, krypton and xenon) or a mixture of these gases and most lamps are filled with additional materials, like mercury, sodium, and metal halides. In operation the gas is ionized, and free electrons, accelerated by the electrical field in the tube, collide with gas and metal atoms. Some electrons in the atomic orbitals of these atoms are excited by these collisions to a higher energy state. When the excited atom falls back to a lower energy state, it emits a photon of a characteristic energy, resulting in infrared, visible light, or ultraviolet radiation. Some lamps convert the ultraviolet radiation to visible light with a fluorescent coating on the inside of the lamp's glass surface. The fluorescent lamp is perhaps the best known gas-discharge lamp.
(428) A fluorescent lamp (a.k.a. fluorescent tube) is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor, and is commonly constructed as a tube coated with phosphor containing low pressure mercury vapor that produces white light. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful light more efficiently than an incandescent lamp. Lower energy cost typically offsets the higher initial cost of the lamp. A neon lamp (a.k.a. Neon glow lamp) is a gas discharge lamp that typically contains neon gas at a low pressure in a glass capsule. Only a thin region adjacent to the electrodes glows in these lamps, which distinguishes them from the much longer and brighter neon tubes used for public signage.
(429) An incandescent light bulb (a.k.a. incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe) produces light by heating a filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from oxidation in the air commonly with a glass enclosure that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, filament evaporation is prevented by a chemical process that redeposits metal vapor onto the filament, extending its life. The light bulb is supplied with electrical current by feed-through terminals or wires embedded in the glass. Most bulbs are used in a socket, which provides mechanical support and electrical connections. A halogen lamp (a.k.a. Tungsten halogen lamp or quartz iodine lamp) is an incandescent lamp that has a small amount of a halogen such as iodine or bromine added. The combination of the halogen gas and the tungsten filament produces a halogen cycle chemical reaction, which redeposits evaporated tungsten back to the filament, increasing its life and maintaining the clarity of the envelope. Because of this, a halogen lamp can be operated at a higher temperature than a standard gas-filled lamp of similar power and operating life, producing light of a higher luminous efficacy and color temperature. The small size of halogen lamps permits their use in compact optical systems for projectors and illumination.
(430) A Light-Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source, based on the principle that when a diode is forward-biased (switched on), electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. Conventional LEDs are made from a variety of inorganic semiconductor materials, such as Aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs), Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) Aluminium gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP), Gallium (III) phosphide (GaP), Zinc selenide (ZnSe), Indium gallium nitride (InGaN), and Silicon carbide (SiC) as substrate.
(431) In an Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) the electroluminescent material comprising the emissive layer of the diode, is an organic compound. The organic material is electrically conductive due to the delocalization of pi electrons caused by conjugation over all or part of the molecule, and the material therefore functions as an organic semiconductor. The organic materials can be small organic molecules in a crystalline phase, or polymers.
(432) High-power LEDs (HPLED) can be driven at currents from hundreds of mAs to more than an ampere, compared with the tens of mAs for other LEDs. Some can emit over a thousand Lumens. Since overheating is destructive, the HPLEDs are commonly mounted on a heat sink to allow for heat dissipation.
(433) LEDs are efficient, and emit more light per watt than incandescent light bulbs. They can emit light of an intended color without using any color filters as traditional lighting methods need. LEDs can be very small (smaller than 2 mm.sup.2) and are easily populated onto printed circuit boards. LEDs light up very quickly. A typical red indicator LED will achieve full brightness in under a microsecond. LEDs are ideal for uses subject to frequent on-off cycling, unlike fluorescent lamps that fail faster when cycled often, or HID lamps that require a long time before restarting and can very easily be dimmed either by pulse-width modulation or lowering the forward current. Further, in contrast to most light sources, LEDs radiate very little heat in the form of IR that can cause damage to sensitive objects or fabrics, and typically have a relatively long useful life.
(434) The actuator 501 may be a thermoelectric actuator such as a cooler or a heater for changing the temperature of an object, that may be solid, liquid or gas (such as the air temperature), using conduction, convection, thermal radiation, or by the transfer of energy by phase changes. Radiative heaters contain a heating element that reaches a high temperature. The element is usually packaged inside a glass envelope resembling a light bulb and with a reflector to direct the energy output away from the body of the heater. The element emits infrared radiation that travels through air or space until it hits an absorbing surface, where it is partially converted to heat and partially reflected. In a convection heater, the heating element heats the air next to it by convection. Hot air is less dense than cool air, so it rises due to buoyancy, allowing more cool air to flow in to take its place. This sets up a constant current of hot air that leaves the appliance through vent holes and heats up the surrounding space. These are generally filled with oil, in an oil heater, due to oil functioning as an effective heat reservoir. They are ideally suited for heating a closed space. They operate silently and have a lower risk of ignition hazard in the event that they make unintended contact with furnishings compared to radiant electric heaters. This is a good choice for long periods of time, or if left unattended. A fan heater, also called a forced convection heater, is a variety of convection heater that includes an electric fan to speed up the airflow. This reduces the thermal resistance between the heating element and the surroundings faster than passive convection, allowing heat to be transferred more quickly.
(435) A thermoelectric actuator may be a heat pump, which is a machine or device that transfers thermal energy from one location, called the “source,” which is at a lower temperature, to another location called the “sink” or “heat sink”, which is at a higher temperature. Heat pumps may be used for cooling or for heating. Thus, heat pumps move thermal energy opposite to the direction that it normally flows, and may be electrically driven such as compressor-driven air conditioners and freezers. A heat pump may use an electric motor to drive a refrigeration cycle, drawing energy from a source such as the ground or outside air and directing it into the space to be warmed. Some systems can be reversed so that the interior space is cooled and the warm air is discharged outside or into the ground.
(436) A thermoelectric actuator may be an electric heater, converting electrical energy into heat, such as for space heating, cooking, water heating, and industrial processes. Commonly, the heating element inside every electric heater is simply an electrical resistor, and works on the principle of Joule heating: an electric current through a resistor converts electrical energy into heat energy. In a dielectric heater, high-frequency alternating electric field, or radio wave or microwave electromagnetic radiation heats a dielectric material, and is based on heating caused by molecular dipole rotation within the dielectric. Microwave heaters, as distinct from RF heating, is a sub-category of dielectric heating at frequencies above 100 MHz, where an electromagnetic wave can be launched from a small dimension emitter and conveyed through space to the target. Modern microwave ovens make use of electromagnetic waves (microwaves) with electric fields of much higher frequency and shorter wavelength than RF heaters. Typical domestic microwave ovens operate at 2.45 GHz, but 0.915 GHz ovens also exist, thus the wavelengths employed in microwave heating are 12 or 33 cm, providing for highly efficient, but less penetrative, dielectric heating.
(437) A thermoelectric actuator may be a thermoelectric cooler or a heater (or a heat pump) based on the Peltier effect, where heat flux in the junction of two different types of materials is created. When direct current is supplied to this solid-state active heat pump device (a.k.a. Peltier device, Peltier heat pump, solid state refrigerator, or ThermoElectric Cooler—TEC), heat is moved from one side to the other, building up a difference in temperature between the two sides, and hence can be used for either heating or cooling. A Peltier cooler can also be used as a thermoelectric generator, such that when one side of the device is heated to a temperature greater than the other side, a difference in voltage will build up between the two sides.
(438) A thermoelectric actuator may be an air cooler, sometimes referred to as an air conditioner. Common air coolers, such as in refrigerators, are based on a refrigeration cycle of a heat pump. This cycle takes advantage of the way phase changes work, where latent heat is released at a constant temperature during a liquid/gas phase change, and where varying the pressure of a pure substance also varies its condensation/boiling point. The most common refrigeration cycle uses an electric motor to drive a compressor.
(439) An electric heater may be an induction heater, producing the process of heating an electrically conducting object (usually a metal) by electromagnetic induction, where eddy currents (also called Foucault currents) are generated within the metal and resistance leads to Joule heating of the metal. An induction heater (for any process) consists of an electromagnet, through which a high-frequency Alternating Current (AC) is passed. Heat may also be generated by magnetic hysteresis losses in materials that have significant relative permeability.
(440) The actuator 501 may use pneumatics, involving the application of pressurized gas to affect mechanical motion. A motion actuator may be a pneumatic actuator that converts energy (typically in the form of compressed air) into rotary or linear motion. In some arrangements, a motion actuator may be used to provide force or torque. Similarly, force or torque actuators may be used as motion actuators. A pneumatic actuator mainly consists of a piston, a cylinder, and valves or ports. The piston is covered by a diaphragm, or seal, which keeps the air in the upper portion of the cylinder, allowing air pressure to force the diaphragm downward, moving the piston underneath, which in turn moves the valve stem, which is linked to the internal parts of the actuator. Pneumatic actuators may only have one spot for a signal input, top or bottom, depending on the action required. Valves input pressure is the “control signal”, where each different pressure is a different set point for a valve. Valves typically require little pressure to operate and usually double or triple the input force. The larger the size of the piston, the larger the output pressure can be. Having a larger piston can also be good if air supply is low, allowing the same forces with less input.
(441) The actuator 501 may use hydraulics, involving the application of a fluid to affect mechanical motion. Common hydraulics systems are based on Pascal's famous theory, which states that the pressure of the liquid produced in an enclosed structure has the capacity of releasing a force up to ten times the pressure that was produced earlier. A hydraulic actuator may be a hydraulic cylinder, where pressure is applied to the fluids (oil), to get the desired force. The force acquired is used to power the hydraulic machine. These cylinders typically include the pistons of different sizes, used to push down the fluids in the other cylinder, which in turn exerts the pressure and pushes it back again. A hydraulic actuator may be a hydraulic pump, is responsible for supplying the fluids to the other essential parts of the hydraulic system. The power generated by a hydraulic pump is about ten times more than the capacity of an electrical motor. There are different types of hydraulic pumps such as the vane pumps, gear pumps, piston pumps, etc. Among them, the piston pumps are relatively more costly, but they have a guaranteed long life and are even able to pump thick, difficult fluids. Further, a hydraulic actuator may be a hydraulic motor, where the power is achieved with the help of exerting pressure on the hydraulic fluids, which is normally oil. The benefit of using hydraulic motors is that when the power source is mechanical, the motor develops a tendency to rotate in the opposite direction, thus acting like a hydraulic pump.
(442) A motion actuator may further be a vacuum actuator, producing a motion based on vacuum pressure, commonly controlled by a Vacuum Switching Valve (VSV), which controls the vacuum supply to the actuator. A motion actuator may be a rotary actuator that produces a rotary motion or torque, commonly to a shaft or axle. The simplest rotary actuator is a purely mechanical linear actuator, where linear motion in one direction is converted to a rotation. A rotary actuator may be electrically powered, or may be powered by pneumatic or hydraulic power, or may use energy stored internally by springs. The motion produced by a rotary motion actuator may be either continuous rotation, such as in common electric motors, or movement to a fixed angular position as for servos and stepper motors. A further form, the torque motor, does not necessarily produce any rotation but merely generates a precise torque, which then either cause rotation, or is balanced by some opposing torque. Some motion actuators may be intrinsically linear, such as those using linear motors. Motion actuators may include, or coupled with, a wide variety of mechanical elements to change the nature of the motion such as provided by the actuating/transducing elements, such as levers, ramps, limit switches, screws, cams, crankshafts, gears, pulleys, wheels, constant-velocity joints, shock absorbers or dampers, or ratchets.
(443) A stepper motor (a.k.a. step motor) is a brushless DC electric motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps, commonly of a fixed size. The motor position can then be commanded to move and hold on one of these steps without any feedback sensor (an open-loop controller), or may be combined with either a position encoder or at least a single datum sensor at the zero position. The stepper motor may be a switched reluctance motor, which is a very large stepping motor with a reduced pole count, and generally is closed-loop commutated. A stepper motor may be a permanent magnet stepper type, using a Permanent Magnet (PM) in the rotor and operate on the attraction or repulsion between the rotor PM and the stator electromagnets. Further, a stepper motor may be a variable reluctance stepper using a Variable Reluctance (VR) motor that has a plain iron rotor and operate based on the principle that minimum reluctance occurs with minimum gap, hence the rotor points are attracted toward the stator magnet poles. Further, a stepper motor may be a hybrid synchronous stepper, where a combination of the PM and VR techniques are used to achieve maximum power in a small package size. Furthermore, a stepper motor may be a Lavet type stepping motor using a single-phase stepping motor, where the rotor is a permanent magnet and the motor is built with a strong magnet and large stator to deliver high torque.
(444) A rotary actuator may be a servomotor (a.k.a. servo), which is a packaged combination of a motor (usually electric, although fluid power motors may also be used), a gear train to reduce the many rotations of the motor to a higher torque rotation, and a position encoder that identifies the position of the output shaft and an inbuilt control system. The input control signal to the servo indicates the desired output position. Any difference between the position commanded and the position of the encoder gives rise to an error signal that causes the motor and geartrain to rotate until the encoder reflects a position matching that commanded. Further, a rotary actuator may be a memory wire type, which uses applying current such that the wire is heated above its transition temperature and so changes shape, applying a torque to the output shaft. When power is removed, the wire cools and returns to its earlier shape.
(445) A rotary actuator may be a fluid power actuator, where hydraulic or pneumatic power may be used to drive a shaft or an axle. Such fluid power actuators may be based on driving a linear piston, to where a cylinder mechanism is geared to produce rotation, or may be based on a rotating asymmetrical vane that swings through a cylinder of two different radii. The differential pressure between the two sides of the vane gives rise to an unbalanced force and thus a torque on the output shaft. Such vane actuators require a number of sliding seals and the joins between these seals have tended to cause more problems with leakage than for the piston and cylinder type.
(446) Alternatively or in addition, a motion actuator may be a linear actuator that creates motion in a straight line. Such linear actuator may use hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, which inherently produce linear motion, or may provide a linear motion by converting from a rotary motion created by a rotary actuator, such as electric motors. Rotary-based linear actuators may be a screw, a wheel and axle, or a cam type. A screw actuator operates on the screw machine principle, whereby rotating the actuator nut, the screw shaft moves in a line, such as a lead-screw, a screw jack, a ball screw or roller screw. A wheel-and-axle actuator operates on the principle of the wheel and axle, where a rotating wheel moves a cable, rack, chain or belt to produce linear motion. Examples are hoist, winch, rack and pinion, chain drive, belt drive, rigid chain, and rigid belt actuators. Cam actuator includes a wheel-like cam, which upon rotation, provides thrust at the base of a shaft due to its eccentric shape. Mechanical linear actuators may only pull, such as hoists, chain drive and belt drives, while others only push (such as a cam actuator). Some pneumatic and hydraulic cylinder based actuators may provide force in both directions.
(447) A linear hydraulic actuator (a.k.a. hydraulic cylinder) commonly involves a hollow cylinder having a piston inserted in it. An unbalanced pressure applied to the piston provides a force that can move an external object, and since liquids are nearly incompressible, a hydraulic cylinder can provide controlled precise linear displacement of the piston. The displacement is only along the axis of the piston. Pneumatic actuators, or pneumatic cylinders, are similar to hydraulic actuators except they use compressed gas to provide pressure instead of a liquid. A linear pneumatic actuator (a.k.a. pneumatic cylinder) is similar to hydraulic actuator, except that it uses compressed gas to provide pressure instead of a liquid.
(448) A linear actuator may be a piezoelectric actuator, based on the piezoelectric effect in which application of a voltage to the piezoelectric material causes it to expand. Very high voltages correspond to only tiny expansions. As a result, piezoelectric actuators can achieve extremely fine positioning resolution, but also have a very short range of motion.
(449) A linear actuator may be a linear electrical motor. Such a motor may be based on a conventional rotary electrical motor, connected to rotate a lead screw, that has a continuous helical thread machined on its circumference running along the length (similar to the thread on a bolt). Threaded onto the lead screw is a lead nut or ball nut with corresponding helical threads, used for preventing from rotating with the lead screw (typically, the nut interlocks with a non-rotating part of the actuator body). The electrical motor may be a DC brush, a DC brushless, a stepper, or an induction motor type.
(450) Telescoping linear actuators are specialized linear actuators used where space restrictions or other requirements require, where their range of motion is many times greater than the unextended length of the actuating member. A common form is made of concentric tubes of approximately equal length that extend and retract like sleeves, one inside the other, such as the telescopic cylinder. Other more specialized telescoping actuators use actuating members that act as rigid linear shafts when extended, but break that line by folding, separating into pieces and/or uncoiling when retracted. Examples of telescoping linear actuators include a helical band actuator, a rigid belt actuator, a rigid chain actuator, and a segmented spindle.
(451) A linear actuator may be a linear electric motor, that has had its stator and rotor “unrolled” so that instead of producing a torque (rotation) it produces a linear force along its length. The most common mode of operation is as a Lorentz-type actuator, in which the applied force is linearly proportional to the current and the magnetic field. A linear electric motor may be a Linear Induction Motor (LIM), which is an AC (commonly 3-phase) asynchronous linear motor that works with the same general principles as other induction motors but which has been designed to directly produce motion in a straight line. In such motor type, the force is produced by a moving linear magnetic field acting on conductors in the field, such that any conductor, be it a loop, a coil or simply a piece of plate metal, that is placed in this field, will have eddy currents induced in it thus creating an opposing magnetic field, in accordance with Lenz's law. The two opposing fields will repel each other, thus creating motion as the magnetic field sweeps through the metal. The primary of a linear electric motor typically consists of a flat magnetic core (generally laminated) with transverse slots which are often straight cut with coils laid into the slots, while the secondary is frequently a sheet of aluminum, often with an iron backing plate. Some LIMs are double sided, with one primary either side of the secondary, and in this case, no iron backing is needed. A LIM may be based on a synchronous motor, where the rate of movement of the magnetic field is controlled, usually electronically, to track the motion of the rotor. A linear electric motor may be a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), in which the rate of movement of the magnetic field is controlled, usually electronically, to track the motion of the rotor. Synchronous linear motors may use commutators, or preferably, the rotor may contain permanent magnets, or soft iron.
(452) A motion actuator may be a piezoelectric motor (a.k.a. piezo motor), which is based upon the change in shape of a piezoelectric material when an electric field is applied. Piezoelectric motors make use of the converse piezoelectric effect whereby the material produces acoustic or ultrasonic vibrations in order to produce a linear or rotary motion. In one mechanism, the elongation in a single plane is used to make a series stretches and position holds, similar to the way a caterpillar moves. Piezoelectric motors may be made in both linear and rotary types.
(453) One drive technique is to use piezoelectric ceramics to push a stator. Commonly known as Inchworm or PiezoWalk motors, these piezoelectric motors use three groups of crystals: two of which are Locking and one Motive, permanently connected to either the motor's casing or stator (not both) and sandwiched between the other two, which provides the motion. These piezoelectric motors are fundamentally stepping motors, with each step comprising either two or three actions, based on the locking type. Another mechanism employs the use of Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) to generate linear or rotary motion. An alternative drive technique is known as Squiggle motor, in which piezoelectric elements are bonded orthogonally to a nut and their ultrasonic vibrations rotate and translate a central lead screw, providing a direct drive mechanism. The piezoelectric motor may be according to, or based on, the motor described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,842 to Maropis, entitled: “Method and Apparatus for Delivering Vibratory Energy”, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,073 to Vishnevsky et al., entitled: “Piezoelectric Motor Structures”, or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,837 to Vasiliev et al., entitled: “Piezoelectrically Driven Torsional Vibration Motor”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(454) A linear actuator may be a comb-drive capacitive actuator utilizing electrostatic forces that act between two electrically conductive combs. The attractive electrostatic forces are created when a voltage is applied between the static and moving combs causing them to be drawn together. The force developed by the actuator is proportional to the change in capacitance between the two combs, increasing with driving voltage, the number of comb teeth, and the gap between the teeth. The combs are arranged so that they never touch (because then there would be no voltage difference). Typically, the teeth are arranged so that they can slide past one another until each tooth occupies the slot in the opposite comb. Comb drive actuators typically operate at the micro- or nanometer scale and are generally manufactured by bulk micromachining or surface micromachining a silicon wafer substrate.
(455) An electric motor may be an ultrasonic motor, which is powered by the ultrasonic vibration of a component, the stator, placed against another component, the rotor or slider depending on the scheme of operation (rotation or linear translation). Ultrasonic motors and piezoelectric actuators typically use some form of piezoelectric material, most often lead zirconate titanate and occasionally lithium niobate or other single-crystal materials. In ultrasonic motors, resonance is commonly used in order to amplify the vibration of the stator in contact with the rotor.
(456) A motion actuator may consist of, or based on, Electroactive Polymers (EAPs), which are polymers that exhibit a change in size or shape when stimulated by an electric field, and may use as actuators and sensors. A typical characteristic property of an EAP is that they will undergo a large amount of deformation while sustaining large forces. EAPs are generally divided into two principal classes: Dielectric and Ionic. Dielectric EAPs, are materials in which actuation is caused by electrostatic forces between two electrodes which squeeze the polymer. Dielectric elastomers are capable of very high strains and are fundamentally a capacitor that changes its capacitance when a voltage is applied, by allowing the polymer to compress in thickness and expand in the area due to the electric field. This type of EAP typically requires a large actuation voltage to produce high electric fields (hundreds to thousands of volts), but very low electrical power consumption. Dielectric EAPs require no power to keep the actuator at a given position. Examples are electrostrictive polymers and dielectric elastomers. In Ionic EAPs, actuation is caused by the displacement of ions inside the polymer. Only a few volts are needed for actuation, but the ionic flow implies a higher electrical power needed for actuation, and energy is needed to keep the actuator at a given position. Examples of ionic EAPS are conductive polymers, ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs), and responsive gels.
(457) A linear motion actuator may be a wax motor, typically providing smooth and gentle motion. Such a motor comprises a heater that when energized, heats a block of wax causing it to expand and to drive a plunger outwards. When the electric current is removed, the wax block cools and contracts, causing the plunger to withdraw, usually by spring force applied externally or by a spring incorporated directly into the wax motor.
(458) A motion actuator may be a thermal bimorph, which is a cantilever that consists of two active layers: piezoelectric and metal. These layers produce a displacement via thermal activation where a temperature change causes one layer to expand more than the other does. A piezoelectric unimorph is a cantilever that consists of one active layer and one inactive layer. In the case where active layer is piezoelectric, deformation in that layer may be induced by the application of an electric field. This deformation induces a bending displacement in the cantilever. The inactive layer may be fabricated from a non-piezoelectric material.
(459) An electric motor may be an electrostatic motor (a.k.a. capacitor motor) which is based on the attraction and repulsion of electric charge. Often, electrostatic motors are the dual of conventional coil-based motors. They typically require a high voltage power supply, although very small motors employ lower voltages. The electrostatic motor may be used in micro-mechanical (MEMS) systems where their drive voltages are below 100 volts, and where moving charged plates are far easier to fabricate than coils and iron cores. An alternative type of electrostatic motor is the spacecraft electrostatic ion drive thruster where forces and motion are created by electrostatically accelerating ions. The electrostatic motor may be according to, or based on, the motor described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,981 to Bollee, entitled: “Electrostatic Motor”, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,630 to Bollee, entitled: “Electrostatic Motor”, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,968 to Robert et al. entitled: “Electrostatic Motor”, or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,654 to Konno et al., entitled: “Electrostatic actuator”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(460) An electric motor may be an AC motor, which is driven by an Alternating Current (AC). Such a motor commonly consists of two basic parts, an outside stationary stator having coils supplied with alternating current to produce a rotating magnetic field, and an inside rotor attached to the output shaft that is given a torque by the rotating field. An AC motor may be an induction motor, which runs slightly slower than the supply frequency, where the magnetic field on the rotor of this motor is created by an induced current. Alternatively, an AC motor may be a synchronous motor, which does not rely on induction and as a result, can rotate exactly at the supply frequency or a sub-multiple of the supply frequency. The magnetic field on the rotor is either generated by current delivered through slip rings or by a permanent magnet. Other types of AC motors include eddy current motors and AC/DC mechanically commutated machines, in which speed is dependent on voltage and winding connection.
(461) An AC motor may be a two-phase AC servo motor, typically having a squirrel cage rotor and a field consisting of two windings: a constant-voltage (AC) main winding and a control-voltage (AC) winding in quadrature (i.e., 90 degrees phase shifted) with the main winding, to produce a rotating magnetic field. Reversing phase makes the motor reverse. The control winding is commonly controlled and fed from an AC servo amplifier and a linear power amplifier.
(462) An AC motor may be a single-phase AC induction motor; where the rotating magnetic field must be produced using other means, such as shaded-pole motor, commonly including a small single-turn copper “shading coil” creates the moving magnetic field. Part of each pole is encircled by a copper coil or strap; the induced current in the strap opposes the change of flux through the coil. Another type is a split-phase motor, having a startup winding separate from the main winding. When the motor is started, the startup winding is connected to the power source via a centrifugal switch, which is closed at low speed. Another type is a capacitor start motor, including a split-phase induction motor with a starting capacitor inserted in series with the startup winding, creating an LC circuit, which is capable of a much greater phase shift (and so, a much greater starting torque). The capacitor naturally adds expense to such motors. Similarly, a resistance-start motor is a split-phase induction motor with a starter inserted in series with the startup winding, creating a reactance. This added starter provides assistance in the starting and the initial direction of rotation. Another variation is the Permanent-Split Capacitor (PSC) motor (also known as a capacitor start and run motor), which operates similarly to the capacitor-start motor described above, but there is no centrifugal starting switch, and what correspond to the start windings (second windings) are permanently connected to the power source (through a capacitor), along with the run windings. PSC motors are frequently used in air handlers, blowers, and fans (including ceiling fans) and other cases where a variable speed is desired.
(463) An AC motor may be a three-phase AC synchronous motor, where the connections to the rotor coils of a three-phase motor are taken out on slip-rings and fed a separate field current to create a continuous magnetic field (or if the rotor consists of a permanent magnet), the result is called a synchronous motor because the rotor will rotate synchronously with the rotating magnetic field produced by the polyphase electrical supply.
(464) An electric motor may be a DC motor, which is driven by a Direct Current (DC), and is, similarly based on a torque that is produced by the principle of Lorentz force. Such a motor may be a brushed, a brushless, or an uncommutated type. A brushed DC electric motor generates torque directly from DC power supplied to the motor by using internal commutation, stationary magnets (permanent or electromagnets), and rotating electrical magnets. Brushless DC motors use a rotating permanent magnet or soft magnetic core in the rotor, and stationary electrical magnets on the motor housing, and use a motor controller that converts DC to AC. Other types of DC motors require no commutation, such as a homopolar motor that has a magnetic field along the axis of rotation and an electric current that at some point is not parallel to the magnetic field, and a ball bearing motor that consists of two ball bearing-type bearings, with the inner races mounted on a common conductive shaft, and the outer races connected to a high current, low voltage power supply. An alternative construction fits the outer races inside a metal tube, while the inner races are mounted on a shaft with a non-conductive section (e.g., two sleeves on an insulating rod). This method has the advantage that the tube will act as a flywheel. The direction of rotation is determined by the initial spin, which is usually required to get it going.
(465) An actuator may be a pump, typically used to move (or compress) fluids or liquids, gasses, or slurries, commonly by pressure or suction actions. Pumps commonly consume energy to perform mechanical work by moving the fluid or the gas, where the activating mechanism is often reciprocating or rotary. Pumps may be operated in many ways, including manual operation, electricity, a combustion engine of some type, and wind action. An air pump moves air either into, or out of, something, and a sump pump used for the removal of liquid from a sump or sump pit. A fuel pump is commonly used to move transport the fuel through a pipe, and a vacuum pump is a device that removes gas molecules from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume. A pump may be a valveless pump, where no valves are present to regulate the flow direction, and are commonly used in biomedical and engineering systems. Pumps can be classified into many major groups, for example according to their energy source or according to the method they use to move the fluid, such as direct lift, impulse, displacement, velocity, centrifugal, and gravity pumps.
(466) A positive displacement pump causes a fluid to move by trapping a fixed amount of it and then forcing (displacing) that trapped volume into the discharge pipe. Some positive displacement pumps work using an expanding cavity on the suction side and a decreasing cavity on the discharge side. The liquid flows into the pump as the cavity on the suction side expands, and the liquid flows out of the discharge as the cavity collapses. The volume is constant given each cycle of operation. A positive displacement pump can be further classified according to the mechanism used to move the fluid: A rotary-type positive displacement type such as internal gear, screw, shuttle block, flexible vane or sliding vane, circumferential piston, helical twisted roots (e.g., Wendelkolben pump) or liquid ring vacuum pumps, a reciprocating-type positive displacement type, such as a piston or diaphragm pumps, and a linear-type positive displacement type, such as rope pumps and chain pumps. The positive displacement principle applies also to a rotary lobe pump, a progressive cavity pump, a rotary gear pump, a piston pump, a diaphragm pump, a screw pump, a gear pump, a hydraulic pump, and a vane pump.
(467) A rotary positive displacement pumps can be grouped into three main types: Gear pumps where the liquid is pushed between two gears, Screw pumps where the shape of the pump internals usually two screws turning against each other pump the liquid, and Rotary vane pumps, which are similar to scroll compressors, and are consisting of a cylindrical rotor enclosed in a similarly shaped housing. As the rotor turns, the vanes trap fluid between the rotor and the casing, drawing the fluid through the pump.
(468) Reciprocating positive displacement pumps cause the fluid to move using one or more oscillating pistons, plungers or membranes (diaphragms). Typical reciprocating pumps include plunger pumps type, which are based on a reciprocating plunger that pushes the fluid through one or two open valves, closed by suction on the way back, diaphragm pumps type which are similar to plunger pumps, where the plunger pressurizes hydraulic oil which is used to flex a diaphragm in the pumping cylinder, diaphragm valves type that are used to pump hazardous and toxic fluids, piston displacement pumps type that are usually simple devices for pumping small amounts of liquid or gel manually, and radial piston pumps type.
(469) A pump may be an impulse pump, which uses pressure created by gas (usually air). In some impulse pumps the gas trapped in the liquid (usually water), is released and accumulated somewhere in the pump, creating a pressure which can push part of the liquid upwards. Impulse pump types include: a hydraulic ram pump type, which use a pressure built up internally from a released gas in a liquid flow; a pulser pump type which runs with natural resources by kinetic energy only; and an airlift pump type which runs on air inserted into a pipe, pushing up the water, when bubbles move upward, or on a pressure inside the pipe pushing the water up.
(470) A velocity pump may be a rotodynamic pump (a.k.a. dynamic pump), which is a type of velocity pump in which kinetic energy is added to the fluid by increasing the flow velocity. This increase in energy is converted to a gain in potential energy (pressure) when the velocity is reduced prior to or as the flow exits the pump into the discharge pipe. This conversion of kinetic energy to pressure is based on the First law of thermodynamics or more specifically by Bernoulli's principle.
(471) A pump may be a centrifugal pump, which is a rotodynamic pump that uses a rotating impeller to increase the pressure and flow rate of a fluid. Centrifugal pumps are the most common type of pump used to move liquids through a piping system. The fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward or axially into a diffuser or volute chamber, from where it exits into the downstream piping system. A centrifugal pump may be a radial flow pump type, where the fluid exits at right angles to the shaft, an axial flow pump type where the fluid enters and exits along the same direction parallel to the rotating shaft, or may be a mixed flow pump, where the fluid experiences both radial acceleration and lift and exits the impeller somewhere between 0-90 degrees from the axial direction.
(472) The actuator 501 may be an electrochemical or chemical actuator, used to produce, change, or otherwise affect a matter structure, properties, composition, process, or reactions. An electrochemical actuator may affect or generate a chemical reaction or an oxidation/reduction (redox) reaction, such as an electrolysis process.
(473) An actuator may be an electroacoustic actuator, such as a sounder, which converts electrical energy to sound waves transmitted through the air, an elastic solid material, or a liquid, usually by means of a vibrating or moving ribbon or diaphragm. The sound may be audio or audible, having frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing. Alternatively or in addition, the sounder may be used to emit inaudible frequencies, such as ultrasonic (a.k.a. ultrasound) acoustic frequencies that are above the range audible to the human ear, or above approximately 20,000 Hz. A sounder may be omnidirectional, unidirectional, bidirectional, or provide other directionality or polar patterns.
(474) A loudspeaker (a.k.a. speaker) is a sounder that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input, typically audible sound. The most common form of loudspeaker is the electromagnetic (or dynamic) type, uses a paper cone supporting a moving voice coil electromagnet acting on a permanent magnet. Where accurate reproduction of sound is required, multiple loudspeakers may be used, each reproducing a part of the audible frequency range. A loudspeaker is commonly optimized for middle frequencies; tweeters for high frequencies; and sometimes supertweeter is used which is optimized for the highest audible frequencies.
(475) A loudspeaker may be a piezo (or piezoelectric) speaker contains a piezoelectric crystal coupled to a mechanical diaphragm and is based on the piezoelectric effect. An audio signal is applied to the crystal, which responds by flexing in proportion to the voltage applied across the crystal surfaces, thus converting electrical energy into mechanical. Piezoelectric speakers are frequently used as beepers in watches and other electronic devices, and are sometimes used as tweeters in less-expensive speaker systems, such as computer speakers and portable radios. A loudspeaker may be a magnetostrictive transducers, based on magnetostriction, have been predominantly used as sonar ultrasonic sound wave radiators, but their usage has spread also to audio speaker systems.
(476) A loudspeaker may be an electrostatic loudspeaker (ESL), in which sound is generated by the force exerted on a membrane suspended in an electrostatic field. Such speakers use a thin flat diaphragm usually consisting of a plastic sheet coated with a conductive material such as graphite sandwiched between two electrically conductive grids, with a small air gap between the diaphragm and grids. The diaphragm is usually made from a polyester film (thickness 2-20 μm) with exceptional mechanical properties, such as PET film. By means of the conductive coating and an external high voltage supply, the diaphragm is held at a DC potential of several kilovolts with respect to the grids. The grids are driven by the audio signal; and the front and rear grids are driven in antiphase. As a result, a uniform electrostatic field proportional to the audio signal is produced between both grids. This causes a force to be exerted on the charged diaphragm, and its resulting movement drives the air on either side of it.
(477) A loudspeaker may be a magnetic loudspeaker, and may be a ribbon or planar type, is based on a magnetic field. A ribbon speaker consists of a thin metal-film ribbon suspended in a magnetic field. The electrical signal is applied to the ribbon, which moves with it to create the sound. Planar magnetic speakers are speakers with roughly rectangular flat surfaces that radiate in a bipolar (i.e., front and back) manner, and may be having printed or embedded conductors on a flat diaphragm. Planar magnetic speakers consist of a flexible membrane with a voice coil printed or mounted on it. The current flowing through the coil interacts with the magnetic field of carefully placed magnets on either side of the diaphragm, causing the membrane to vibrate more uniformly and without much bending or wrinkling. A loudspeaker may be a bending wave loudspeaker, which uses a diaphragm that is intentionally flexible.
(478) A sounder may be an electromechanical type, such as an electric bell, which may be based on an electromagnet, causing a metal ball to clap on cup or half-sphere bell. A sounder may be a buzzer (or beeper), a chime, a whistle or a ringer. Buzzers may be either electromechanical or ceramic-based piezoelectric sounders, which make a high-pitch noise, and may be used for alerting. The sounder may emit a single or multiple tones, and can be in continuous or intermittent operation.
(479) In one example, the sounder is used to play a stored digital audio. The digital audio content can be stored in the sounder. Further, few files may be stored (e.g., representing different announcements or songs), selected by the control logic. Alternatively or in addition, the digital audio data may be received by the sounder from external sources via any of the above networks. Furthermore, the source of the digital audio may be a microphone serving as a sensor, after either processing, storing, delaying, or any other manipulation, or as originally received resulting ‘doorphone’ or ‘intercom’ functionality between a microphone and a sounder in the building.
(480) In another example, the sounder simulates the voice of a human being or generates music, typically by using an electronic circuit having a memory for storing the sounds (e.g., music, song, voice message, etc.), a digital to analog converter 62 to reconstruct the electrical representation of the sound, and a driver for driving a loudspeaker, which is an electro-acoustic transducer that converts an electrical signal to sound. An example of a greeting card providing music and mechanical movement is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0256337 to Segan entitled: “User Interactive Greeting Card”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(481) In one example, the system is used for sound or music generation. For example, the sound produced can emulate the sounds of a conventional acoustical music instrument, such as a piano, tuba, harp, violin, flute, guitar and so forth. In one example, the sounder is an audible signaling device, emitting audible sounds that can be heard (having frequency components in the 20-20,000 Hz band). In one example the sound generated is music or song. The elements of the music such as pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture, may be associated with the shape theme. For example, if a musical instrument shown in the picture, the music generated by that instrument will be played, e.g., drumming sound of drums and playing of a flute or guitar. In one example, a talking human voice is played by the sounder. The sound may be a syllable, a word, a phrase, a sentence, a short story or a long story, and can be based on speech synthesis or pre-recorded. Male or female voice can be used, further being young or old.
(482) Some examples of toys that include generation of an audio signal such as music are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,149 to Schwartzberg entitled: “Game Apparatus Utilizing Controllable Audio Signals”, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,260 to Breedlove et al. entitled: “Electronic Learning Aid or Game having Synthesized Speech”, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,414,186 to Scarpa et al. entitled: “System and Method for Teaching Musical Notes”, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,255 to Lee et al., entitled: “Electronic Instructional Apparatus”, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,123 to Bunger et al., entitled: “Electronic Piano” and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,891 to Milner entitled: “Musical Puzzle Using Sliding Tiles”, and toys with means for synthesizing human voice are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,611 to Cummings entitled: “Place and Find Toy”, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,602 to Rose entitled: “Talking Doll Responsive to External Signal”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. A music toy kit combining music toy instrument with a set of construction toy blocks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,281 to Klitsner et al. entitled: “Music Toy Kit” and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,129 to Wisniewski et al. entitled: “Electronic Sound Generating Toy”, which are incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(483) A speech synthesizer used to produce natural and intelligible artificial human speech may be implemented in hardware, in software, or combination thereof. A speech synthesizer may be Text-To-Speech (TTS) based, that converts normal language text to speech, or alternatively (or in addition) may be based on rendering symbolic linguistic representation like phonetic transcription. A TTS typically involves two steps, the front-end where the raw input text is pre-processed to fully write-out words replacing numbers and abbreviations, followed by assigning phonetic transcriptions to each word (text-to-phoneme), and the back-end (or synthesizer) where the symbolic linguistic representation is converted to output sound.
(484) The generating of synthetic speech waveform typically uses a concatenative or formant synthesis. The concatenative synthesis commonly produces the most natural-sounding synthesized speech, and is based on the concatenation (or stringing together) of segments of recorded speech. There are three main types of concatenative synthesis: Unit selection, diphone synthesis, and domain-specific synthesis. Unit selection synthesis is based on large databases of recorded speech including individual phones, diphones, half-phones, syllables, morphemes, words, phrases, and sentences, indexed based on the segmentation and acoustic parameters like the fundamental frequency (pitch), duration, position in the syllable, and neighboring phones. At run time, the desired target utterance is created by determining (typically using a specially weighted decision tree) the best chain of candidate units from the database (unit selection). Diphone synthesis uses a minimal speech database containing all the diphones (sound-to-sound transitions) occurring in a language, and at runtime, the target prosody of a sentence is superimposed on these minimal units by means of digital signal processing techniques such as linear predictive coding. Domain-specific synthesis is used where the output is limited to a particular domain, using concatenated prerecorded words and phrases to create complete utterances. In formant synthesis the synthesized speech output is created using additive synthesis and an acoustic model (physical modeling synthesis), rather than on using human speech samples. Parameters such as fundamental frequency, voicing, and noise levels are varied over time to create a waveform of artificial speech. The synthesis may further be based on articulatory synthesis where computational techniques for synthesizing speech are based on models of the human vocal tract and the articulation processes occurring there, or may be HMM-based synthesis which is based on hidden Markov models, where the frequency spectrum (vocal tract), fundamental frequency (vocal source), and duration (prosody) of speech are modeled simultaneously by HMMs and generated based on the maximum likelihood criterion. The speech synthesizer may further be based on the book entitled: “Development in Speech Synthesis”, by Mark Tatham and Katherine Morton, published 2005 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd., ISBN: 0-470-85538-X, and on the book entitled: “Speech Synthesis and Recognition” by John Holmes and Wendy Holmes, 2.sup.nd Edition, published 2001 ISBN: 0-7484-0856-8, which are both incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(485) A speech synthesizer may be software based such as Apple VoiceOver utility, which uses speech synthesis for accessibility, and is part of the Apple iOS operating system used on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Similarly, Microsoft uses SAPI 4.0 and SAPI 5.0 as part of Windows operating system. Similarly, hardware may be used, and may be based on an IC. A tone, voice, melody, or song hardware-based sounder typically contains a memory storing a digital representation of the pre-recorder or synthesized voice or music, a Digital to Analog (D/A) converter for creating an analog signal, a speaker and a driver for feeding the speaker. A sounder may be based on Holtek HT3834 CMOS VLSI Integrated Circuit (IC) named ‘36 Melody Music Generator’ available from Holtek Semiconductor Inc., headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and described with application circuits in a data sheet Rev. 1.00 dated Nov. 2, 2006, on EPSON 7910 series ‘Multi-Melody IC’ available from Seiko-Epson Corporation, Electronic Devices Marketing Division located in Tokyo, Japan, and described with application circuits in a data sheet PF226-04 dated 1998, on Magnevation SpeakJet chip available from Magnevation LLC and described in ‘Natural Speech & Complex Sound Synthesizer’, described in User's Manual Revision 1.0 Jul. 27, 2004, on Sensory Inc. NLP-5× described in the Data sheet “Natural Language Processor with Motor, Sensor and Display Control”, P/N 80-0317-K, published 2010 by Sensory, Inc. of Santa-Clara, Calif., U.S.A., or on OPTi 82C931 ‘Plug and Play Integrated Audio Controller’ described in Data Book 912-3000-035 Revision: 2.1 published on Aug. 1, 1997, which are all incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Similarly, a music synthesizer may be based on YMF721 OPL4-ML2 FM+Wavetable Synthesizer LSI available from Yamaha Corporation described in YMF721 Catalog No. LSI-4MF721A20, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(486) The actuator 501 may be used to generate an electric or magnetic field. An electromagnetic coil (sometimes referred to simply as a “coil”) is formed when a conductor (usually an insulated solid copper wire) is wound around a core or form, to create an inductor or electromagnet. One loop of wire is usually referred to as a turn, and a coil consists of one or more turns. Coils are often coated with varnish or wrapped with insulating tape to provide additional insulation and secure them in place. A completed coil assembly with taps is often called a winding. An electromagnet is a type of magnet in which the magnetic field is produced by the flow of electric current, and disappears when the current is turned off. A simple electromagnet consisting of a coil of insulated wire wrapped around an iron core. The strength of the magnetic field generated is proportional to the amount of current.
(487) An actuator may be a display for presentation of visual data or information, commonly on a screen. A display is typically consists of an array of light emitters (typically in a matrix form), and commonly provides a visual depiction of a single, integrated, or organized set of information, such as text, graphics, image or video. A display may be a monochrome (a.k.a. black-and-white) type, which typically displays two colors, one for the background and one for the foreground. Old computer monitor displays commonly use black and white, green and black, or amber and black. A display may be a gray-scale type, which is capable of displaying different shades of gray, or may be a color type, capable of displaying multiple colors, anywhere from 16 to over many millions different colors, and may be based on Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) separate signals. A video display is designed for presenting video content. The screen is the actual location where the information is actually optically visualized by humans. The screen may be an integral part of the display. Alternatively or in addition, the display may be an image or video projector, that projects an image (or a video consisting of moving images) onto a screen surface, which is a separate component and is not mechanically enclosed with the display housing. Most projectors create an image by shining a light through a small transparent image, but some newer types of projectors can project the image directly, by using lasers. A projector may be based on an Eidophor, Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS or LCOS), or LCD, or may use Digital Light Processing (DLP™) technology, and may further be MEMS based. A virtual retinal display, or retinal projector, is a projector that projects an image directly on the retina instead of using an external projection screen. Common display resolutions used today include SVGA (800×600 pixels), XGA (1024×768 pixels), 720p (1280×720 pixels), and 1080p (1920×1080 pixels). Standard-Definition (SD) standards, such as used in SD Television (SDTV), are referred to as 576i, derived from the European-developed PAL and SECAM systems with 576 interlaced lines of resolution; and 480i, based on the American National Television System Committee (ANTSC) NTSC system. High-Definition (HD) video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD) video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels (720p) or 1,920×1,080 pixels (1080i/1080p). A display may be a 3D (3-Dimensions) display, which is the display device capable of conveying a stereoscopic perception of 3-D depth to the viewer. The basic technique is to present offset images that are displayed separately to the left and right eye. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth. The display may present the information as scrolling, static, bold or flashing.
(488) The display may be an analog display having an analog signal input. Analog displays are commonly using interfaces such as composite video such as NTSC, PAL or SECAM formats. Similarly, analog RGB, VGA (Video Graphics Array), SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array), SCART, S-video and other standard analog interfaces can be used. Alternatively or in addition, a display may be a digital display, having a digital input interface. Standard digital interfaces such as an IEEE1394 interface (a.k.a. FireWire™), may be used. Other digital interfaces that can be used are USB, SDI (Serial Digital Interface), HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), UDI (Unified Display Interface), DisplayPort, Digital Component Video and DVB (Digital Video Broadcast). In some cases, an adaptor is required in order to connect an analog display to the digital data. For example, the adaptor may convert between composite video (PAL, NTSC) or S-Video and DVI or HDTV signal. Various user controls can be available to allow the user to control and effect the display operations, such as an on/off switch, a reset button and others. Other exemplary controls involve display-associated settings such as contrast, brightness and zoom.
(489) A display may be a Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) display, which is based on moving an electron beam back and forth across the back of the screen. Such a display commonly comprises a vacuum tube containing an electron gun (a source of electrons), and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It further has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. Each time the beam makes a pass across the screen, it lights up phosphor dots on the inside of the glass tube, thereby illuminating the active portions of the screen. By drawing many such lines from the top to the bottom of the screen, it creates an entire image. A CRT display may be a shadow mask or an aperture grille type.
(490) A display may be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display, which utilize two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them. An electric current passed through the liquid causes the crystals to align so that light cannot pass through them. Each crystal, therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing a backlit light to pass through or blocking the light. In monochrome LCD, images usually appear as blue or dark gray images on top of a grayish-white background. Color LCD displays commonly use passive matrix and Thin Film Transistor (TFT) (or active-matrix) for producing color. Recent passive-matrix displays are using new CSTN and DSTN technologies to produce sharp colors rivaling active-matrix displays.
(491) Some LCD displays use Cold-Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) for backlight illumination. An LED-backlit LCD is a flat panel display that uses LED backlighting instead of the cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) backlighting, allowing for a thinner panel, lower power consumption, better heat dissipation, a brighter display, and better contrast levels. Three forms of LED may be used: White edge-LEDs around the rim of the screen, using a special diffusion panel to spread the light evenly behind the screen (the most usual form currently), an array of LEDs arranged behind the screen whose brightness are not controlled individually, and a dynamic “local dimming” array of LEDs that are controlled individually or in clusters to achieve a modulated backlight light pattern. A Blue Phase Mode LCD is an LCD technology that uses highly twisted cholesteric phases in a blue phase, in order to improve the temporal response of liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
(492) A Field Emission Display (FED) is a display technology that uses large-area field electron emission sources to provide the electrons that strike colored phosphor, to produce a color image as an electronic visual display. In a general sense, a FED consists of a matrix of cathode ray tubes, each tube producing a single sub-pixel, grouped in threes to form red-green-blue (RGB) pixels. FEDs combine the advantages of CRTs, namely their high contrast levels and very fast response times, with the packaging advantages of LCD and other flat panel technologies. They also offer the possibility of requiring less power, about half that of an LCD system. FED display operates like a conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) with an electron gun that uses high voltage (10 kV) to accelerate electrons, which in turn excite the phosphors, but instead of a single electron gun, a FED display contains a grid of individual nanoscopic electron guns. A FED screen is constructed by laying down a series of metal stripes onto a glass plate to form a series of cathode lines.
(493) A display may be an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display, a display device that sandwiches carbon-based films between two charged electrodes, one a metallic cathode and one a transparent anode, usually being glass. The organic films consist of a hole-injection layer, a hole-transport layer, an emissive layer and an electron-transport layer. When voltage is applied to the OLED cell, the injected positive and negative charges recombine in the emissive layer and create electro luminescent light. Unlike LCDs, which require backlighting, OLED displays are emissive devices—they emit light rather than modulate transmitted or reflected light. There are two main families of OLEDs: those based on small molecules and those employing polymers. Adding mobile ions to an OLED creates a light-emitting electrochemical cell or LEC, which has a slightly different mode of operation. OLED displays can use either Passive-Matrix (PMOLED) or active-matrix addressing schemes. Active-Matrix OLEDs (AMOLED) require a thin-film transistor backplane to switch each individual pixel on or off, but allow for higher resolution and larger display sizes.
(494) A display may be an Electroluminescent Displays (ELDs) type, which is a flat panel display created by sandwiching a layer of electroluminescent material such as GaAs between two layers of conductors. When current flows, the layer of material emits radiation in the form of visible light. Electroluminescence (EL) is an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material emits light in response to an electric current passed through it, or to a strong electric field.
(495) A display may be based on an Electronic Paper Display (EPD) (a.k.a. e-paper and electronic ink) display technology which is designed to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper. Unlike conventional backlit flat panel displays that emit light, electronic paper displays reflect light like ordinary paper. Many of the technologies can hold static text and images indefinitely without using electricity, while allowing images to be changed later. Flexible electronic paper uses plastic substrates and plastic electronics for the display backplane.
(496) An EPD may be based on Gyricon technology, using polyethylene spheres between 75 and 106 micrometers across. Each sphere is a janus particle composed of negatively charged black plastic on one side and positively charged white plastic on the other (each bead is thus a dipole). The spheres are embedded in a transparent silicone sheet, with each sphere suspended in a bubble of oil so that they can rotate freely. The polarity of the voltage applied to each pair of electrodes then determines whether the white or black side is face-up, thus giving the pixel a white or black appearance. Alternatively or in addition, an EPD may be based on an electrophoretic display, where titanium dioxide (Titania) particles approximately one micrometer in diameter are dispersed in hydrocarbon oil. A dark-colored dye is also added to the oil, along with surfactants and charging agents that cause the particles to take on an electric charge. This mixture is placed between two parallel, conductive plates separated by a gap of 10 to 100 micrometers. When a voltage is applied across the two plates, the particles will migrate electrophoretically to the plate bearing the opposite charge from that on the particles.
(497) Further, an EPD may be based on Electro-Wetting Display (EWD), which is based on controlling the shape of a confined water/oil interface by an applied voltage. With no voltage applied, the (colored) oil forms a flat film between the water and a hydrophobic (water-repellent) insulating coating of an electrode, resulting in a colored pixel. When a voltage is applied between the electrode and the water, it changes the interfacial tension between the water and the coating. As a result, the stacked state is no longer stable, causing the water to move the oil aside. Electrofluidic displays are a variation of an electrowetting display, involving the placing of aqueous pigment dispersion inside a tiny reservoir. Voltage is used to electromechanically pull the pigment out of the reservoir and spread it as a film directly behind the viewing substrate. As a result, the display takes on color and brightness similar to that of conventional pigments printed on paper. When voltage is removed, liquid surface tension causes the pigment dispersion to rapidly recoil into the reservoir.
(498) A display may be a Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) that emits a very bright light with high contrast and can support display elements of various colors. VFDs can display seven-segment numerals, multi-segment alphanumeric characters or can be made in a dot-matrix to display different alphanumeric characters and symbols.
(499) A display may be a laser video display or a laser video projector. A Laser display requires lasers in three distinct wavelengths—red, green, and blue. Frequency doubling can be used to provide the green wavelengths, and a small semiconductor laser such as Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting-Laser (VECSEL) or a Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) may be used. Several types of lasers can be used as the frequency doubled sources: fiber lasers, inter cavity doubled lasers, external cavity doubled lasers, eVCSELs, and OPSLs (Optically Pumped Semiconductor Lasers). Among the inter-cavity doubled lasers, VCSELs have shown much promise and potential to be the basis for a mass produced frequency doubled laser. A VECSEL is a vertical cavity, and is composed of two mirrors. On top of one of them is a diode as the active medium. These lasers combine high overall efficiency with good beam quality. The light from the high power IR-laser diodes is converted into visible light by means of extra-cavity waveguided second harmonic generation. Laser-pulses with about 10 KHz repetition rate and various lengths are sent to a Digital Micromirror Device where each mirror directs the pulse either onto the screen or into the dump.
(500) A display may be a segment display, such as a numerical or an alphanumerical display that can show only digits or alphanumeric characters, commonly composed of several segments that switch on and off to give the appearance of desired glyph, The segments are usually single LEDs or liquid crystals, and may further display visual display material beyond words and characters, such as arrows, symbols, ASCII and non-ASCII characters. Non-limiting examples are Seven-segment display (digits only), Fourteen-segment display, and Sixteen-segment display. A display may be a dot matrix display, used to display information on machines, clocks, railway departure indicators and many other devices requiring a simple display device of limited resolution. The display consists of a matrix of lights or mechanical indicators arranged in a rectangular configuration (other shapes are also possible, although not common) such that by switching on or off selected lights, text or graphics can be displayed. A dot matrix controller converts instructions from a processor into signals which turns on or off the lights in the matrix so that the required display is produced.
(501) In one non-limiting example, the display is a video display used to play a stored digital video, or an image display used to present stored digital images, such as photos. The digital video (or image) content can be stored in the display, the actuator unit, the router, the control server, or any combination thereof. Further, few video (or still image) files may be stored (e.g., representing different announcements or songs), selected by the control logic. Alternatively or in addition, the digital video data may be received by the display, the actuator unit, the router, the control server, or any combination thereof, from external sources via any one of the networks. Furthermore, the source of the digital video or image may be an image sensor (or video camera) serving as a sensor, either after processing, storing, delaying, or any other manipulation, or as originally received, resulting Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) functionality between an image sensor or camera and a display in the building, which may be used for surveillance in areas that may need monitoring such as banks, casinos, airports, military installations, and convenience stores.
(502) In one non-limiting example, an actuator unit further includes a signal generator coupled between the processor and the actuator. The signal generator may be used to control the actuator, for example, by providing an electrical signal affecting the actuator operation, such as changing the magnitude of the actuator affect or operation. Such a signal generator may be a digital signal generator, or may be an analog signal generator, having an analog electrical signal output. Analog signal generator may be a digital signal generator, which digital output is converted to analog signal using a digital to analog converter, as shown in actuator unit 60 shown in
(503) A signal generator (a.k.a. frequency generator) is an electronic device or circuit devices that can generate repeating or non-repeating electronic signals (typically voltage or current), having an analog output (analog signal generator) or a digital output (digital signal generator). The output signal may be based on an electrical circuit, or may be based on a generated or stored digital data. A function generator is typically a signal generator, which produces simple repetitive waveforms. Such devices contain an electronic oscillator, a circuit that is capable of creating a repetitive waveform, or may use digital signal processing to synthesize waveforms, followed by a digital to analog converter, or DAC, to produce an analog output. Common waveforms are a sine wave, a saw-tooth, a step (pulse), a square, and a triangular waveforms. The generator may include some sort of modulation functionality such as Amplitude Modulation (AM), Frequency Modulation (FM), or Phase Modulation (PM). An Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) are sophisticated signal generators which allow the user to generate arbitrary waveforms, within published limits of frequency range, accuracy, and output level. Unlike function generators, which are limited to a simple set of waveforms; an AWG allows the user to specify a source waveform in a variety of different ways. Logic signal generator (a.k.a. data pattern generator and digital pattern generator) is a digital signal generator that produces logic types of signals—that is logic 1's and 0's in the form of conventional voltage levels. The usual voltage standards are LVTTL and LVCMOS.
(504) The actuator 501 may produce a physical, chemical, or biological action, stimulation or phenomenon, such as a changing or generating temperature, humidity, pressure, audio, vibration, light, motion, sound, proximity, flow rate, electrical voltage, and electrical current, in response to the electrical input (current or voltage). For example, an actuator may provide visual or audible signaling, or physical movement. An actuator may include motors, winches, fans, reciprocating elements, extending or retracting, and energy conversion elements, as well as a heater or a cooler
(505) The actuator 501 may be or may include a visual or audible signaling device, or any other device that indicates a status to the person. In one example, the device illuminates a visible light, such as a Light-Emitting-Diode (LED). However, any type of visible electric light emitter such as a flashlight, an incandescent lamp and compact fluorescent lamps can be used. Multiple light emitters may be used, and the illumination may be steady, blinking or flashing. Further, the illumination can be directed for lighting a surface, such as a surface including an image or a picture. Further, a single single-state visual indicator may be used to provide multiple indications, for example, by using different colors (of the same visual indicator), different intensity levels, variable duty-cycle and so forth.
(506) In one example, the actuator 501 includes a solenoid, which is typically a coil wound into a packed helix, and used to convert electrical energy into a magnetic field. Commonly, an electromechanical solenoid is used to convert energy into linear motion. Such electromagnetic solenoid commonly consists of an electromagnetically inductive coil, wound around a movable steel or iron slug (the armature), and shaped such that the armature can be moved along the coil center. In one example, the actuator 501 may include a solenoid valve, used to actuate a pneumatic valve, where the air is routed to a pneumatic device, or a hydraulic valve, used to control the flow of a hydraulic fluid. In another example, the electromechanical solenoid is used to operate an electrical switch. Similarly, a rotary solenoid may be used, where the solenoid is used to rotate a ratcheting mechanism when power is applied.
(507) In one example, the actuator 501 is used for effecting or changing magnetic or electrical quantities such as voltage, current, resistance, conductance, reactance, magnetic flux, electrical charge, magnetic field, electric field, electric power, S-matrix, power spectrum, inductance, capacitance, impedance, phase, noise (amplitude or phase), trans-conductance, trans-impedance, and frequency.
(508) Any relay herein may be a Solid State Relay (SSR), where a solid-state based component functioning as a relay, without having any moving parts. In one example, the SSR may be controlled by an optocoupler, such as a CPC1965Y AC Solid State Relay, available from IXYS Integrated Circuits Division (Headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., U.S.A.) which is an AC Solid State Relay (SSR) using waveguide coupling with dual power SCR outputs to produce an alternative to optocoupler and Triac circuits. The switches are robust enough to provide a blocking voltage of up to 600VP, and are tightly controlled zero-cross circuitry ensures switching of AC loads without the generation of transients. The input and output circuits are optically coupled to provide 3750Vrms of isolation and noise immunity between control and load circuits. The CPC1965Y AC Solid State Relay is described in an IXYS Integrated Circuits Division specification DS-CPC1965Y-R07 entitled: “CPC1965Y AC Solid State Relay”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(509) Any switch herein may be implemented using an electrical circuit or component. For example, an open collector (or open drain) based circuit may be used. Further, an opto-isolator (a.k.a. optocoupler, photocoupler, or optical isolator) may be used to provide isolated power transfer. Further, a thyristor such as a Triode for Alternating Current (TRIAC) may be used for triggering the power. In one example, a switch may be based on, or consists of, a TRIAC Part Number BTA06 available from SGS-Thomson Microelectronics is used, described in the data sheet “BTA06 T/D/S/A BTB06 T/D/S/A—Sensitive Gate Triacs” published by SGS-Thomson Microelectronics march 1995, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(510) In addition, any switch unit herein may be based on a transistor. The transistor may be a Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET), commonly used for amplifying or switching electronic signals. The MOSFET transistor is a four-terminal component with source (S), gate (G), drain (D), and body (B) terminals, where the body (or substrate) of the MOSFET is often connected to the source terminal, making it a three-terminal component like other field-effect transistors. In an enhancement mode MOSFETs, a voltage drop across the oxide induces a conducting channel between the source and drain contacts via the field effect. The term “enhancement mode” refers to the increase of conductivity with an increase in oxide field that adds carriers to the channel, also referred to as the inversion layer. The channel can contain electrons (called an nMOSFET or nMOS), or holes (called a pMOSFET or pMOS), opposite in type to the substrate, so nMOS is made with a p-type substrate, and pMOS with an n-type substrate. In one example, a switch may be based on an N-channel enhancement mode standard level field-effect transistor that features very low on-state resistance. Such a transistor may be based on, or consists of, TrenchMOS transistor Part Number BUK7524-55 from Philips Semiconductors, described in the Product Specifications from Philips Semiconductors “TrenchMOS™ transistor Standard level FET BUK7524-55” Rev 1.000 dated January 1997, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(511) The measurements herein may be quick, accurate, safe, reliable, versatile, and convenient. The devices, systems, and methods described may be used in the construction industry, by contractors, civil engineers, estimators, real-estate brokers, and dwellers. In particular, the devices, systems, and methods described herein may be used for measuring distance, area, volume, angle, or speed indoors, such as in various interior rooms distances, areas, and volumes, or outdoors, such as in sport (e.g., golf), hunting, automotive, or forestry. For example, a planes meter that measures distances in opposite directions may be used in a center of a room for measuring a distance between opposite walls of the room. The devices, systems, and methods described herein may be used in the transportation industry, such as for measuring altitude, pitch, or any other height related characteristics in aircrafts and other vehicles. Similarly, the devices, systems, and methods described may be used in land vehicles, such as for measuring distances, tilting, angles, and speeds of vehicles. For example, such a device may be located in a room interior to simply and conveniently measure the length of a transverse wall, the room area, the room volume, in a matter of seconds so that measurements of numerous interior wall lengths or rooms can be accomplished within a few seconds or minutes. The devices, systems, and methods described herein may allow for easy and accurate measurement of distances, angles, areas, volumes, or speeds, and may be used or operated automatically or by a single person. Further, the measurements may be quick, easy to use, versatile, and may require the use of one hand. Further, the requirement for accurate calibration or manual aiming may be obviated or relaxed. Further, a distance (such as height), an angle, an area, a volume, an angle, or a speed may be measured or estimated remotely or without contact, and where there is no direct line-of-sight to the measured object, being a point, line, surface, plane, or any object shape or structure.
(512) The devices, systems, and methods described herein may be integrated with, or may be part of, surveying apparatuses such as theodolites or tachymeters, or observation apparatuses such as telescopes, monoculars, binoculars, or night vision apparatuses. Further, the devices, systems, and methods described herein may be employed in a vehicle to provide parking assistance, collision detection, auto-parking, or any other kind of obstruction avoidance capabilities.
(513) The modules, devices, and systems described herein may be housed in a portable or hand-held enclosure. Alternatively or in addition, the modules, devices, and systems described herein may be housed in a surface mountable enclosure. Further, the enclosure may comprise, or may be attachable to, a bipod or tripod.
(514) Any actuator herein may include one or more actuators, each affecting or generating a physical phenomenon in response to an electrical command, which can be an electrical signal (such as voltage or current), or by changing a characteristic (such as resistance or impedance) of a device. The actuators may be identical, similar or different from each other, and may affect or generate the same or different phenomena. Two or more actuators may be connected in series or in parallel. The actuator command signal may be conditioned by a signal conditioning circuit. The signal conditioner may involve time, frequency, or magnitude related manipulations. The signal conditioner may be linear or non-linear, and may include an amplifier, a voltage or current limiter, an attenuator, a delay line or circuit, a level translator, a galvanic isolator, an impedance transformer, a linearization circuit, a calibrator, a passive or active (or adaptive) filter, an integrator, a deviator, an equalizer, a spectrum analyzer, a compressor or a de-compressor, a coder (or decoder), a modulator (or demodulator), a pattern recognizer, a smoother, a noise remover, an average or RMS circuit, or any combination thereof. In the case of analog actuator, a digital to analog (D/A) converter may be used to convert the digital command data to analog signals for controlling the actuators.
(515) The devices, systems, and methods described herein may be integrated with, or may be part of, a smartphone, or any device having wireless functionality, and such device may consist of, be part of, or include, a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, or a cellular handset. Alternatively or in addition, such a device may consist of, be part of, or include, a handheld PDA device, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device, a vehicular device, a non-vehicular device, a mobile device, or a portable device. When integrated with a smartphone or any other wireless device, any part of, or whole of, any of the devices or systems described herein, or any part of, or whole of, any of the circuits of functionalities described herein, may be added to or integrated with the smartphone or the other wireless device, such as sharing the same enclosure, sharing the same power supply or power source (such as a battery), sharing the same user interface (such as a button, a display, or a touch-screen), or sharing the same processor.
(516) AC/DC Power Supply. Any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may further house, such as in the same enclosure, a power supply such as an AC/DC or DC/DC power supply. Further, any one of the apparatuses or electronic circuits described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be powered from a power supply such as an AC/DC or DC/DC power supply. In one example, the power source 506a may comprise, or consists of, an AC/DC power supply. A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric energy to an electrical load, where the primary function of a power supply is to convert one form of electrical energy to another and, as a result, power supplies are sometimes referred to as electric power converters. Some power supplies are discrete, stand-alone devices, whereas others are built into larger devices along with their loads. Examples of the latter include power supplies found in desktop computers and consumer electronics devices. Every power supply must obtain the energy it supplies to its load, as well as any energy it consumes while performing that task, from an energy source. Depending on its design, a power supply may obtain energy from various types of energy sources, including electrical energy transmission systems, energy storage devices such as a batteries and fuel cells, electromechanical systems such as generators and alternators, solar power converters, or another power supply. All power supplies have a power input, which receives energy from the energy source, and a power output that delivers energy to the load. In most power supplies, the power input and the power output consist of electrical connectors or hardwired circuit connections, though some power supplies employ wireless energy transfer in lieu of galvanic connections for the power input or output.
(517) Some power supplies have other types of inputs and outputs as well, for functions such as external monitoring and control. Power supplies are categorized in various ways, including by functional features. For example, a regulated power supply is one that maintains constant output voltage or current despite variations in load current or input voltage. Conversely, the output of an unregulated power supply can change significantly when its input voltage or load current changes. Adjustable power supplies allow the output voltage or current to be programmed by mechanical controls (e.g., knobs on the power supply front panel), or by means of a control input, or both. An adjustable regulated power supply is one that is both adjustable and regulated. An isolated power supply has a power output that is electrically independent of its power input; this is in contrast to other power supplies that share a common connection between power input and output.
(518) AC-to-DC (AC/DC) power supply uses AC mains electricity as an energy source, and typically employs a transformer to convert the input voltage to a higher, or commonly lower AC voltage. A rectifier is used to convert the transformer output voltage to a varying DC voltage, which in turn is passed through an electronic filter to convert it to an unregulated DC voltage. The filter removes most, but not all of the AC voltage variations; the remaining voltage variations are known as a ripple. The electric load tolerance of ripple dictates the minimum amount of filtering that must be provided by a power supply. In some applications, high ripple is tolerated and therefore no filtering is required. For example, in some battery charging applications, it is possible to implement a mains-powered DC power supply with nothing more than a transformer and a single rectifier diode, with a resistor in series with the output to limit charging current.
(519) The function of a linear voltage regulator is to convert a varying AC or DC voltage to a constant, often specific, lower DC voltage. In addition, they often provide a current limiting function to protect the power supply and load from overcurrent (excessive, potentially destructive current). A constant output voltage is required in many power supply applications, but the voltage provided by many energy sources will vary with changes in load impedance. Furthermore, when an unregulated DC power supply is the energy source, its output voltage will also vary with changing input voltage. To circumvent this, some power supplies use a linear voltage regulator to maintain the output voltage at a steady value, independent of fluctuations in input voltage and load impedance. Linear regulators can also reduce the magnitude of ripple and noise present appearing on the output voltage.
(520) In a Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS), the AC mains input is directly rectified and then filtered to obtain a DC voltage, which is then switched “on” and “off” at a high frequency by electronic switching circuitry, thus producing an AC current that will pass through a high-frequency transformer or inductor. Switching occurs at a very high frequency (typically 10 kHz-1 MHz), thereby enabling the use of transformers and filter capacitors that are much smaller, lighter, and less expensive than those found in linear power supplies operating at mains frequency. After the inductor or transformer secondary, the high frequency AC is rectified and filtered to produce the DC output voltage. If the SMPS uses an adequately insulated high-frequency transformer, the output will be electrically isolated from the mains; this feature is often essential for safety. Switched-mode power supplies are usually regulated, and to keep the output voltage constant, the power supply employs a feedback controller that monitors current drawn by the load. SMPSs often include safety features such as current limiting or a crowbar circuit to help protect the device and the user from harm. In the event that an abnormally high-current power draw is detected, the switched-mode supply can assume this is a direct short and will shut itself down before damage is done. PC power supplies often provide a power good signal to the motherboard; the absence of this signal prevents operation when abnormal supply voltages are present.
(521) Power supplies are described in Agilent Technologies Application Note 90B dated Oct. 1, 2000 (5925-4020) entitled: “DC Power Supply Handbook” and in Application Note 1554 dated Feb. 4, 2005 (5989-2291EN) entitled: “Understanding Linear Power Supply Operation”, and in On Semiconductor® Reference Manual Rev. 4 dated April 2014 (SMPSRM/D) entitled: “Switch-Mode Power Supply”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(522) Battery. Any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may further house, such as in the same enclosure, a battery. Further, any one of the apparatuses or electronic circuits described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be powered from a battery. In one example, the power source 506 may comprise, or consists of, a battery. A battery may be a primary battery or cell, in which an irreversible chemical reaction generates the electricity, and thus the cell is disposable and cannot be recharged, and need to be replaced after the battery is drained. Such battery replacement may be expensive and cumbersome. Alternatively or in addition, a rechargeable (secondary) battery may be used, such as a nickel-cadmium based battery. In such a case, a battery charger is employed for charging the battery while it is in use or not in use. Various types of such battery chargers are known in the art, such as trickle chargers, pulse chargers and the like. The battery charger may be integrated with the field unit or be external to it. The battery may be a primary or a rechargeable (secondary) type, may include a single or few batteries, and may use various chemicals for the electro-chemical cells, such as lithium, alkaline and nickel-cadmium. Common batteries are manufactured in pre-defined standard output voltages (1.5, 3, 4.5, 9 Volts, for example), as well as defined standard mechanical enclosures (usually defined by letters such as “A”, “AA”, “B”, “C” sizes), and ‘coin’ or ‘button’ type. In one embodiment, the battery (or batteries) is held in a battery holder or compartment, and thus can be easily replaced.
(523) A battery may be a ‘watch battery’ (a.k.a. ‘coin cell’ or ‘button cell’), which is a small single cell battery shaped as a squat cylinder typically 5 to 25 mm in diameter and 1 to 6 mm high. Button cells are typically used to power small portable electronics devices such as wrist watches, pocket calculators, artificial cardiac pacemakers, implantable cardiac defibrillators, and hearing aids. Most button cells have low self-discharge and hold their charge for a long time if not used. Higher-power devices such as hearing aids may use zinc-air cells that have much higher capacity for a given size, but discharge over a few weeks even if not used. Button cells are single cells, usually disposable primary cells. Common anode materials are zinc or lithium, and common cathode materials are manganese dioxide, silver oxide, carbon monofluoride, cupric oxide or oxygen from the air. A metal can forms the bottom body and positive terminal of the cell, where the insulated top cap is the negative terminal.
(524) An example of a ‘coin cell’ is designated by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the IEC 60086-3 standard (Primary batteries, part 3 Watch batteries) as LR44 type, which is an alkaline 1.5 volt button cell. The letter ‘L’ indicates the electrochemical system used: a zinc negative electrode, manganese dioxide depolarizer and positive electrode, and an alkaline electrolyte. R44 indicates a round cell 11.4±0.2 mm diameter and 5.2±0.2 mm height as defined by the IEC standard 60086. An example of LR44 type battery is Energizer A76 battery, available from Energizer Holdings, Inc., and described in a product datasheet Form No. EBC—4407cp-Z (downloaded from the Internet March 2016) entitled: “Energizer A76 ZEROMERCURY Miniature Alkaline”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Another example of a ‘coin cell’ is a CR2032 battery, which is a button cell lithium battery rated at 3.0 volts. Nominal diameter is 20 mm (millimeters); nominal height is 3.2 mm. CR2032 indicates a round cell 19.7-20 mm diameter and 2.9-3.2 mm height as defined by the IEC standard 60086. The battery weight typically ranges from 2.8 g to 3.9 g. The BR2032 battery has the same dimensions, a slightly lower nominal voltage and capacity, and an extended temperature range compared with the CR2032. It is rated for a temperature range of −30° C. to 85° C., while the CR2032 is specified over the range −20° C. to 70° C. BR2032 also has a much lower self-discharge rate. An example of CR2032 type battery is Energizer CR2032 Lithium Coin battery, available from Energizer Holdings, Inc., and described in a product datasheet Form No. EBC—4120M (downloaded from the Internet March 2016) entitled: “Energizer CR2032—Lithium Coin”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(525) Timing information may use timers that may be implemented as a monostable circuit, producing a pulse of set length when triggered. In one example, the timers are based on RC based popular timers such as 555 and 556, such as ICM7555 available from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., U.S.A., described in the data sheet “General Purpose Timers” publication number 19-0481 Rev. 2 November 1992, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Examples of general timing diagrams as well as monostable circuits are described in Application Note AN170 “NE555 and NE556 Applications” from Philips semiconductors dated December 1988, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Alternatively, a passive or active delay line may be used. Further, a processor based delay line can be used, wherein the delay is set by its firmware.
(526) Any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be integrated or communicating with, or connected to, the vehicle self-diagnostics and reporting capability, commonly referred to as On-Board Diagnostics (OBD), to a Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL), or to any other vehicle network, sensors, or actuators that may provide the vehicle owner or a repair technician access to health or state information of the various vehicle sub-systems and to the various computers in the vehicle. Common OBD systems, such as the OBD-II and the EOBD (European On-Board Diagnostics), employ a diagnostic connector, allowing for access to a list of vehicle parameters, commonly including Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and Parameters IDentification numbers (PIDs). The OBD-II is described in the presentation entitled: “Introduction to On Board Diagnostics (II)” downloaded on November 2012 from: http://groups.engin.umd.umich.edu/vi/w2_workshops/OBD_ganesan_w2.pdf, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. The diagnostic connector commonly includes pins that provide power for the scan tool from the vehicle battery, thus eliminating the need to connect a scan tool to a power source separately. The status and faults of the various sub-systems accessed via the diagnostic connector may include fuel and air metering, ignition system, misfire, auxiliary emission control, vehicle speed and idle control, transmission, and the on-board computer. The diagnostics system may provide access and information about the fuel level, relative throttle position, ambient air temperature, accelerator pedal position, air flow rate, fuel type, oxygen level, fuel rail pressure, engine oil temperature, fuel injection timing, engine torque, engine coolant temperature, intake air temperature, exhaust gas temperature, fuel pressure, injection pressure, turbocharger pressure, boost pressure, exhaust pressure, exhaust gas temperature, engine run time, NOx sensor, manifold surface temperature, and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The OBD-II specifications defines the interface and the physical diagnostic connector to be according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1962 standard, the protocol may use SAE J1850 and may be based on, or may be compatible with, SAE J1939 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Recommended Practice for a Serial Control and Communication Vehicle Network” or SAE J1939-01 Surface Vehicle Standard entitled: “Recommended Practice for Control and Communication Network for On-Highway Equipment”, and the PIDs are defined in SAE International Surface Vehicle Standard J1979 entitled: “E/E Diagnostic Test Modes”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Vehicle diagnostics systems are also described in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9141 standard entitled: “Road vehicles—Diagnostic systems”, and the ISO 15765 standard entitled: “Road vehicles—Diagnostics on Controller Area Networks (CAN)”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(527) The physical layer of the in-vehicle network may be based on, compatible with, or according to, J1939-11 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Physical Layer, 250K bits/s, Twisted Shielded Pair” or J1939-15 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Reduced Physical Layer, 250K bits/s, Un-Shielded Twisted Pair (UTP)”, the data link may be based on, compatible with, or according to, J1939-21 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Data Link Layer”, the network layer may be based on, compatible with, or according to, J1939-31 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Network Layer”, the network management may be based on, compatible with, or according to, J1939-81 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Network Management”, and the application layer may be based on, compatible with, or according to, J1939-71 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Vehicle Application Layer (through December 2004)”, J1939-73 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Application Layer—Diagnostics”, J1939-74 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Application—Configurable Messaging”, or J1939-75 Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice entitled: “Application Layer—Generator Sets and Industrial”, which are all incorporated in their entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.
(528) Any device herein may serve as a client device in the meaning of client/server architecture, commonly initiating requests for receiving services, functionalities, and resources, from other devices (servers or clients). Each of the these devices may further employ, store, integrate, or operate a client-oriented (or end-point dedicated) operating system, such as Microsoft Windows® (including the variants: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, available from Microsoft Corporation, headquartered in Redmond, Wash., U.S.A.), Linux, and Google Chrome OS available from Google Inc. headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., U.S.A. Further, each of the these devices may further employ, store, integrate, or operate a mobile operating system such as Android (available from Google Inc. and includes variants such as version 2.2 (Froyo), version 2.3 (Gingerbread), version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), Version 4.2 (Jelly Bean), and version 4.4 (KitKat)), iOS (available from Apple Inc., and includes variants such as versions 3-7), Windows® Phone (available from Microsoft Corporation and includes variants such as version 7, version 8, or version 9), or Blackberry® operating system (available from BlackBerry Ltd., headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada). Alternatively or in addition, each of the devices that are not denoted herein as servers may equally function as a server in the meaning of client/server architecture. Any one of the servers herein may be a web server using Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) that responds to HTTP requests via the Internet, and any request herein may be an HTTP request.
(529) Examples of web browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer (available from Microsoft Corporation, headquartered in Redmond, Wash., U.S.A.), Google Chrome that is a freeware web browser (developed by Google, headquartered in Googleplex, Mountain View, Calif., U.S.A.), Opera™ (developed by Opera Software ASA, headquartered in Oslo, Norway), and Mozilla Firefox® (developed by Mozilla Corporation headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., U.S.A.). The web-browser may be a mobile browser, such as Safari (developed by Apple Inc. headquartered in Apple Campus, Cupertino, Calif., U.S.A), Opera Mini™ (developed by Opera Software ASA, headquartered in Oslo, Norway), and Android web browser.
(530) Any one of the apparatuses described herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may further house, such as in the same enclosure, an appliance. Alternatively or in addition, any apparatus or functionality herein, such as a meter, device, module, or system, may be integrated with part or an entire appliance. The appliance primary function may be associated with food storage, handling, or preparation, such as microwave oven, an electric mixer, a stove, an oven, or an induction cooker for heating food, or the appliance may be a refrigerator, a freezer, a food processor, a dishwashers, a food blender, a beverage maker, a coffeemaker, or an iced-tea maker. The appliance primary function may be associated with environmental control such as temperature control, and the appliance may consist of, or may be part of, an HVAC system, an air conditioner or a heater. The appliance primary function may be associated with cleaning, such as a washing machine, a clothes dryer for cleaning clothes, or a vacuum cleaner. The appliance primary function may be associated with water control or water heating. The appliance may be an answering machine, a telephone set, a home cinema system, a HiFi system, a CD or DVD player, an electric furnace, a trash compactor, a smoke detector, a light fixture, or a dehumidifier. The appliance may be a handheld computing device or a battery-operated portable electronic device, such as a notebook or laptop computer, a media player, a cellular phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), an image processing device, a digital camera, or a video recorder. The integration with the appliance may involve sharing a component such as housing in the same enclosure, sharing the same connector such as sharing a power connector for connecting to a power source, where the integration involves sharing the same connector for being powered from the same power source. The integration with the appliance may involve sharing the same power supply, sharing the same processor, or mounting onto the same surface.
(531) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with a digital camera (still or video). The integration may be by being enclosed in the same housing, sharing a power source (such as a battery), using the same processor, or any other integration functionality. In one example, the functionality of any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described here, is used to improve, to control, or otherwise be used by the digital camera. In one example, a measured or calculated value by any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, is output to the digital camera device or functionality to be used therein. Alternatively or in addition, any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein is used as a sensor for the digital camera device or functionality.
(532) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with a smartphone. The integration may be by being enclosed in the same housing, sharing a power source (such as a battery), using the same processor, or any other integration functionality. In one example, the functionality of any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described here, is used to improve, to control, or otherwise be used by the smartphone. In one example, a measured or calculated value by any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, is output to the smartphone device or functionality to be used therein. Alternatively or in addition, any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein is used as a sensor for the smartphone device or functionality.
(533) SLR. Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) a global network of observation stations measures the round trip time of flight of ultrashort pulses of light to satellites equipped with retroreflectors. This provides instantaneous range measurements of millimeter level precision, which can be accumulated to provide accurate measurement of orbits and a host of important scientific data. Satellite laser ranging is a proven geodetic technique with significant potential for important contributions to scientific studies of the earth/atmosphere/ocean system. It is the most accurate technique currently available to determine the geocentric position of an Earth satellite, allowing for the precise calibration of radar altimeters and separation of long-term instrumentation drift from secular changes in ocean topography. Its ability to measure the variations over time in Earth's gravity field and to monitor motion of the station network with respect to the geocenter, together with the capability to monitor vertical motion in an absolute system, makes it unique for modeling and evaluating long-term climate change by providing a reference system for post-glacial rebound, sea level and ice volume change, determining the temporal mass redistribution of the solid earth, ocean, and atmosphere system, and monitoring the response of the atmosphere to seasonal variations in solar heating. SLR may be used for satellite orbit determination or tracking, solid-earth physics studies, polar motion and length of day determinations, precise geodetic positioning over long ranges and monitoring of crustal motion.
(534) SLR provides a unique capability for verification of the predictions of the theory of general relativity, such as the frame-dragging effect. SLR stations form an important part of the international network of space geodetic observatories, which include VLBI, GPS, DORIS and PRARE systems. On several critical missions, SLR has provided failsafe redundancy when other radiometric tracking systems have failed. SLR data has provided the standard, highly accurate, long wavelength gravity field reference model, which supports all precision orbit determination and provides the basis for studying temporal gravitational variations due to mass redistribution. The height of the geoid has been determined to less than ten centimeters at long wavelengths less than 1500 km. SLR provides mm/year accurate determinations of tectonic drift station motion on a global scale in a geocentric reference frame. Combined with gravity models and decadal changes in Earth rotation, these results contribute to modeling of convection in the Earth's mantle by providing constraints on related Earth interior processes. The velocity of the fiducial station in Hawaii is 70 mm/year and closely matches the rate of the background geophysical model.
(535) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with SLR apparatus, or used for SLR.
(536) LLR. Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) experiment measures the distance between Earth and the Moon using laser ranging. Lasers on Earth are aimed at retroreflectors planted on the Moon during the Apollo program (11, 14, and 15) and the two Lunokhod missions. The time for the reflected light to return is measured. In actuality, the round-trip time of about 2.5 seconds is affected by the location of the Moon in the sky, the relative motion of Earth and the Moon, Earth's rotation, lunar libration, weather, polar motion, propagation delay through Earth's atmosphere, the motion of the observing station due to crustal motion and tides, velocity of light in various parts of air and relativistic effects. Nonetheless, the Earth—Moon distance has been measured with increasing accuracy for more than 35 years. The distance continually changes for a number of reasons, but averages 385,000.6 km (239,228.3 mi). LLR may be used for measuring or determination of the moon's shape, structure, and orbit.
(537) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with LLR apparatus, or used for LLR.
(538) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with military apparatus, or used for military purposes, and may be binocular-shaped for handheld use, tripod-based or attached to sighting periscopes of vehicles.
(539) Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) is an aircraft-based hydrographic surveying system used by the Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS). The system uses the difference between the sea surface and the sea floor as calculated from the aircraft's altitude to generate hydrographic data. LADS may be used to measure water depths from 2 to 30 meters for charting purposes on the continental shelf.
(540) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with, or used for, Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS).
(541) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with Airborne Laser Terrain Profiler system, or used for Airborne Laser Terrain Profiling. Typical Airborne Laser Terrain Profiler (such as Helicopter-mounted systems) are used for the determination of longitudinal profiles in the design of roads and transmission lines, typically in connection with inertial surveying systems. The system may allow for mapping terrain as well as ground cover heights.
(542) DME. Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) is a transponder-based radio navigation technology that measures slant range distance by timing the propagation delay of VHF or UHF radio signals. DME is similar to secondary radar, except in reverse, and is typically part of a short-range navigation system for aircraft. Aircraft use DME to determine their distance from a land-based transponder by sending and receiving pulse pairs—two pulses of fixed duration and separation. Together with VHF Omni-Range beacons (VOR), it provides bearing and distance (rho-theta) information. The ground stations are typically collocated with VORs. A typical DME ground transponder system for en-route or terminal navigation will have a 1 kW peak pulse output on the assigned UHF channel. A low-power DME can be collocated with an ILS glide slope antenna installation where it provides an accurate distance to touchdown function, similar to that otherwise provided by ILS marker beacons.
(543) A radio signal takes approximately 12.36 microseconds to travel 1 nautical mile (1,852 m) to the target and back—also referred to as a radar-mile. The time difference between interrogation and reply, minus the 50 microsecond ground transponder delay, is measured by the interrogator's timing circuitry and converted to a distance measurement (slant range), in nautical miles, then displayed on the cockpit DME display. The distance formula, distance=rate*time, is used by the DME receiver to calculate its distance from the DME ground station. The rate in the calculation is the velocity of the radio pulse, which is the speed of light (roughly 300,000,000 m/s or 186,000 mi/s). The time in the calculation is (total time−50 μs)/2. A typical DME transponder can provide distance information to 100 to 200 aircraft at a time. Above this limit, the transponder avoids overload by limiting the sensitivity of the receiver. Replies to weaker more distant interrogations are ignored to lower the transponder load.
(544) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with, or used for, Distance Measuring Equipment (DME).
(545) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with, or used for, Satellite Radar Altimetry or Airborne Radar Altimetry, for measuring continuously the distance between satellites or aircrafts and the surface of the sea (or the ground). Such altimetry may be used for ocean geoid determinations and for detailed determinations of the sea surface topography.
(546) LORAN. LOng RAnge Navigation for aircraft (LORAN), such as LORAN-C, is a hyperbolic radio navigation system that allows a receiver to determine its position by listening to low frequency radio signals transmitted by fixed land-based radio beacons. Loran-C combines two different techniques to provide a signal that was both long-range and highly accurate, traits that had formerly been at odds. Loran-C became one of the most common and widely used navigation systems for large areas of North America, Europe, Japan and the entire Atlantic and Pacific areas. The navigational method provided by LORAN is based on measuring the time difference between the receipt of signals from a pair of radio transmitters. A given constant time difference between the signals from the two stations can be represented by a hyperbolic Line Of Position (LOP).
(547) If the positions of the two synchronized stations are known, then the position of the receiver can be determined as being somewhere on a particular hyperbolic curve where the time difference between the received signals is constant. In ideal conditions, this is proportionally equivalent to the difference of the distances from the receiver to each of the two stations. So a LORAN receiver that only receives two LORAN stations cannot fully fix its position—it only narrows it down to being somewhere on a curved line. Therefore, the receiver must receive and calculate the time difference between a second pair of stations. This allows to be calculated a second hyperbolic line on which the receiver is located. Where these two lines cross is the location of the receiver. In practice, one of the stations in the second pair also may be—and frequently is—in the first pair. This means signals must be received from at least three LORAN transmitters to pinpoint the receiver's location. By determining the intersection of the two hyperbolic curves identified by this method, a geographic fix can be determined.
(548) In the case of LORAN, one station remains constant in each application of the principle, the primary, being paired up separately with two other secondary stations. Given two secondary stations, the time difference (TD) between the primary and first secondary identifies one curve, and the time difference between the primary and second secondary identifies another curve, the intersections of which will determine a geographic point in relation to the position of the three stations. These curves are referred to as TD lines. In practice, LORAN is implemented in integrated regional arrays, or chains, consisting of one primary station and at least two (but often more) secondary stations, with a uniform Group Repetition Interval (GM) defined in microseconds. The amount of time before transmitting the next set of pulses is defined by the distance between the start of transmission of primary to the next start of transmission of primary signal. The secondary stations receive this pulse signal from the primary, then wait a preset number of milliseconds, known as the secondary coding delay, to transmit a response signal. In a given chain, each secondary's coding delay is different, allowing for separate identification of each secondary's signal. In practice, however, modern LORAN receivers do not rely on this for secondary identification.
(549) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with, or used for, LOng RAnge Navigation for aircraft (LORAN) such as LORAN-C.
(550) LIDAR. Light Detection And Ranging—LIDAR—also known as Lidar, LiDAR or LADAR (sometimes Light Imaging, Detection, And Ranging), is a surveying technology that measures distance by illuminating a target with a laser light, and was originally created as a portmanteau of “light” and “radar”. Lidar is popularly used as a technology to make high-resolution maps, with applications in geodesy, geomatics, archaeology, geography, geology, geomorphology, seismology, forestry, atmospheric physics, Airborne Laser Swath Mapping (ALSM) and laser altimetry, as well as laser scanning or 3D scanning, with terrestrial, airborne and mobile applications. Lidar typically uses ultraviolet, visible, or near infrared light to image objects. It can target a wide range of materials, including non-metallic objects, rocks, rain, chemical compounds, aerosols, clouds and even single molecules. A narrow laser-beam can map physical features with very high resolutions; for example, an aircraft can map terrain at 30 cm resolution or better. Wavelengths vary to suit the target: from about 10 micrometers to the UV (approximately 250 nm). Typically, light is reflected via backscattering. Different types of scattering are used for different LIDAR applications: most commonly Rayleigh scattering, Mie scattering, Raman scattering, and fluorescence. Based on different kinds of backscattering, the LIDAR can be accordingly called Rayleigh Lidar, Mie Lidar, Raman Lidar, Na/Fe/K Fluorescence Lidar, and so on. Suitable combinations of wavelengths can allow for remote mapping of atmospheric contents by identifying wavelength-dependent changes in the intensity of the returned signal. Lidar has a wide range of applications, which can be divided into airborne and terrestrial types. These different types of applications require scanners with varying specifications based on the data's purpose, the size of the area to be captured, the range of measurement desired, the cost of equipment, and more.
(551) Airborne LIDAR (also airborne laser scanning) is when a laser scanner, while attached to a plane during flight, creates a 3D point cloud model of the landscape. This is currently the most detailed and accurate method of creating digital elevation models, replacing photogrammetry. One major advantage in comparison with photogrammetry is the ability to filter out vegetation from the point cloud model to create a digital surface model where areas covered by vegetation can be visualized, including rivers, paths, cultural heritage sites, etc. Within the category of airborne LIDAR, there is sometimes a distinction made between high-altitude and low-altitude applications, but the main difference is a reduction in both accuracy and point density of data acquired at higher altitudes. Airborne LIDAR may also be used to create bathymetric models in shallow water.
(552) Drones are being used with laser scanners, as well as other remote sensors, as a more economical method to scan smaller areas. The possibility of drone remote sensing also eliminates any danger that crews of a manned aircraft may be subjected to in difficult terrain or remote areas.
(553) Terrestrial applications of LIDAR (also terrestrial laser scanning) happen on the Earth's surface and can be both stationary or mobile. Stationary terrestrial scanning is most common as a survey method, for example in conventional topography, monitoring, cultural heritage documentation and forensics.[17] The 3D point clouds acquired from these types of scanners can be matched with digital images taken of the scanned area from the scanner's location to create realistic looking 3D models in a relatively short time when compared to other technologies. Each point in the point cloud is given the colour of the pixel from the image taken located at the same angle αs the laser beam that created the point.
(554) Mobile LIDAR (also mobile laser scanning) is when two or more scanners are attached to a moving vehicle to collect data along a path. These scanners are usually paired with other kinds of equipment, including GNSS receivers and IMUs. One example application is surveying streets, where power lines, exact bridge heights, bordering trees, etc. all need to be taken into account. Instead of collecting each of these measurements individually in the field with a tachymeter, a 3D model from a point cloud can be created where all of the measurements needed can be made, depending on the quality of the data collected. This eliminates the problem of forgetting to take a measurement, so long as the model is available, reliable and has an appropriate level of accuracy.
(555) Autonomous vehicles use LIDAR for obstacle detection and avoidance to navigate safely through environments. Cost map or point cloud outputs from the LIDAR sensor provide the necessary data for robot software to determine where potential obstacles exist in the environment and where the robot is in relation to those potential obstacles. LIDAR sensors are commonly used in robotics or vehicle automation. The very first generations of automotive adaptive cruise control systems used only LIDAR sensors.
(556) LIDAR technology is being used in robotics for the perception of the environment as well as object classification. The ability of LIDAR technology to provide three-dimensional elevation maps of the terrain, high precision distance to the ground, and approach velocity can enable safe landing of robotic and manned vehicles with a high degree of precision.
(557) Airborne LIDAR sensors are used by companies in the remote sensing field. They can be used to create a DTM (Digital Terrain Model) or DEM (Digital Elevation Model); this is quite a common practice for larger areas as a plane can acquire 3-4 km wide swaths in a single flyover. Greater vertical accuracy of below 50 mm may be achieved with a lower flyover, even in forests, where it is able to give the height of the canopy as well as the ground elevation. Typically, a GNSS receiver configured over a georeferenced control point is needed to link the data in with the WGS (World Geodetic System).
(558) LiDAR has been used in the railroad industry to generate asset health reports for asset management and by departments of transportation to assess their road conditions. LIDAR is used in Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems for automobiles. Systems use a LIDAR device mounted on the front of the vehicle, such as the bumper, to monitor the distance between the vehicle and any vehicle in front of it. In the event the vehicle in front slows down or is too close, the ACC applies the brakes to slow the vehicle. When the road ahead is clear, the ACC allows the vehicle to accelerate to a speed preset by the driver.
(559) Any apparatus herein, which may be any of the systems, devices, modules, or functionalities described herein, may be integrated with, or used for, Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR), such as airborne, terrestrial, automotive, or mobile LIDAR.
(560) A ‘nominal’ value herein refers to a designed, expected, or target value. In practice, a real or actual value is used, obtained, or exists, which varies within a tolerance from the nominal value, typically without significantly affecting functioning. Common tolerances are 20%, 15%, 10%, 5%, or 1% around the nominal value.
(561) Discussions herein utilizing terms such as, for example, “processing,” “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “establishing”, “analyzing”, “checking”, or the like, may refer to operation(s) and/or process(es) of a computer, a computing platform, a computing system, or other electronic computing device, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer's registers and/or memories or other information storage medium that may store instructions to perform operations and/or processes.
(562) Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “couple” and variations of that word such as “coupling”, “coupled”, and “couplable”, refers to an electrical connection (such as a copper wire or soldered connection), a logical connection (such as through logical devices of a semiconductor device), a virtual connection (such as through randomly assigned memory locations of a memory device) or any other suitable direct or indirect connections (including combination or series of connections), for example, for allowing the transfer of power, signal, or data, as well as connections formed through intervening devices or elements.
(563) The arrangements and methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination of both. The term “integration” or “software integration” or any other reference to the integration of two programs or processes herein refers to software components (e.g., programs, modules, functions, processes etc.) that are (directly or via another component) combined, working or functioning together or form a whole, commonly for sharing a common purpose or a set of objectives. Such software integration can take the form of sharing the same program code, exchanging data, being managed by the same manager program, executed by the same processor, stored on the same medium, sharing the same GUI or other user interface, sharing peripheral hardware (such as a monitor, printer, keyboard and memory), sharing data or a database, or being part of a single package. The term “integration” or “hardware integration” or integration of hardware components herein refers to hardware components that are (directly or via another component) combined, working or functioning together or form a whole, commonly for sharing a common purpose or set of objectives. Such hardware integration can take the form of sharing the same power source (or power supply) or sharing other resources, exchanging data or control (e.g., by communicating), being managed by the same manager, physically connected or attached, sharing peripheral hardware connection (such as a monitor, printer, keyboard and memory), being part of a single package or mounted in a single enclosure (or any other physical collocating), sharing a communication port, or used or controlled with the same software or hardware. The term “integration” herein refers (as applicable) to a software integration, a hardware integration, or any combination thereof.
(564) The term “port” refers to a place of access to a device, electrical circuit or network, where energy or signal may be supplied or withdrawn. The term “interface” of a networked device refers to a physical interface, a logical interface (e.g., a portion of a physical interface or sometimes referred to in the industry as a sub-interface—for example, such as, but not limited to a particular VLAN associated with a network interface), and/or a virtual interface (e.g., traffic grouped together based on some characteristic—for example, such as, but not limited to, a tunnel interface). As used herein, the term “independent” relating to two (or more) elements, processes, or functionalities, refers to a scenario where one does not affect nor preclude the other. For example, independent communication such as over a pair of independent data routes means that communication over one data route does not affect nor preclude the communication over the other data routes.
(565) As used herein, the term “portable” herein refers to physically configured to be easily carried or moved by a person of ordinary strength using one or two hands, without the need for any special carriers.
(566) Any mechanical attachment of joining two parts herein refers to attaching the parts with sufficient rigidity to prevent unwanted movement between the attached parts. Any type of fastening means may be used for the attachments, including chemical material such as an adhesive or a glue, or mechanical means such as screw or bolt. An adhesive (used interchangeably with glue, cement, mucilage, or paste) is any substance applied to one surface, or both surfaces, of two separate items that binds them together and resists their separation. Adhesive materials may be reactive and non-reactive adhesives, which refers to whether the adhesive chemically reacts in order to harden, and their raw stock may be of natural or synthetic origin.
(567) The term “processor” is meant to include any integrated circuit or other electronic device (or collection of devices) capable of performing an operation on at least one instruction including, without limitation, Reduced Instruction Set Core (RISC) processors, CISC microprocessors, Microcontroller Units (MCUs), CISC-based Central Processing Units (CPUs), and Digital Signal Processors (DSPs). The hardware of such devices may be integrated onto a single substrate (e.g., silicon “die”), or distributed among two or more substrates. Furthermore, various functional aspects of the processor may be implemented solely as software or firmware associated with the processor.
(568) A non-limiting example of a processor may be 80186 or 80188 available from Intel Corporation located at Santa-Clara, Calif., USA. The 80186 and its detailed memory connections are described in the manual “80186/80188 High-Integration 16-Bit Microprocessors” by Intel Corporation, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. Other non-limiting example of a processor may be MC68360 available from Motorola Inc. located at Schaumburg, Ill., USA. The MC68360 and its detailed memory connections are described in the manual “MC68360 Quad Integrated Communications Controller—User's Manual” by Motorola, Inc., which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. While exampled above regarding an address bus having an 8-bit width, other widths of address buses are commonly used, such as the 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit. Similarly, while exampled above regarding a data bus having an 8-bit width, other widths of data buses are commonly used, such as 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit width. In one example, the processor consists of, comprises, or is part of, Tiva™ TM4C123GH6PM Microcontroller available from Texas Instruments Incorporated (Headquartered in Dallas, Tex., U.S.A.), described in a data sheet published 2015 by Texas Instruments Incorporated [DS-TM4C123GH6PM-15842.2741, SPMS376E, Revision 15842.2741 June 2014], entitled: “Tiva™ TM4C123GH6PM Microcontroller—Data Sheet”, which is incorporated in its entirety for all purposes as if fully set forth herein, and is part of Texas Instrument's Tiva™ C Series microcontrollers family that provides designers a high-performance ARM® Cortex™-M-based architecture with a broad set of integration capabilities and a strong ecosystem of software and development tools. Targeting performance and flexibility, the Tiva™ C Series architecture offers an 80 MHz Cortex-M with FPU, a variety of integrated memories and multiple programmable GPIO. Tiva™ C Series devices offer consumers compelling cost-effective solutions by integrating application-specific peripherals and providing a comprehensive library of software tools that minimize board costs and design-cycle time. Offering quicker time-to-market and cost savings, the Tiva™ C Series microcontrollers are the leading choice in high-performance 32-bit applications. Targeting performance and flexibility, the Tiva™ C Series architecture offers an 80 MHz Cortex-M with FPU, a variety of integrated memories and multiple programmable GPIO. Tiva™ C Series devices offer consumers compelling cost-effective solutions.
(569) As used herein, the term “Integrated Circuit” (IC) shall include any type of integrated device of any function where the electronic circuit is manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material (e.g., Silicon), whether single or multiple die, or small or large scale of integration, and irrespective of process or base materials (including, without limitation Si, SiGe, CMOS and GAs) including, without limitation, applications specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital processors (e.g., DSPs, CISC microprocessors, or RISC processors), so-called “system-on-a-chip” (SoC) devices, memory (e.g., DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, ROM), mixed-signal devices, and analog ICs.
(570) The circuits in an IC are typically contained in a silicon piece or in a semiconductor wafer, and commonly packaged as a unit. The solid-state circuits commonly include interconnected active and passive devices, diffused into a single silicon chip. Integrated circuits can be classified into analog, digital and mixed signal (both analog and digital on the same chip). Digital integrated circuits commonly contain many of logic gates, flip-flops, multiplexers, and other circuits in a few square millimeters. The small size of these circuits allows high speed, low power dissipation, and reduced manufacturing cost compared with board-level integration. Further, a multi-chip module (MCM) may be used, where multiple integrated circuits (ICs), the semiconductor dies, or other discrete components are packaged onto a unifying substrate, facilitating their use as a single component (as though a larger IC).
(571) The term “computer-readable medium” (or “machine-readable medium”) as used herein is an extensible term that refers to any non-transitory computer readable medium or any memory, that participates in providing instructions to a processor, (such as processor 71) for execution, or any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer). Such a medium may store computer-executable instructions to be executed by a processing element and/or software, and data that is manipulated by a processing element and/or software, and may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile medium, volatile medium, and transmission medium. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infrared data communications, or other form of propagating signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch-cards, paper-tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read.
(572) Any process descriptions or blocks in any logic flowchart herein should be understood as representing modules, segments, portions of code, or steps that include one or more instructions for implementing specific logical functions in the process, and alternative implementations are included within the scope of the present invention in which functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed, including substantially concurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the art of the present invention.
(573) Each of the methods or steps herein, may consist of, include, be part of, be integrated with, or be based on, a part of, or the whole of, the steps, functionalities, or structure (such as software) described in the publications that are incorporated in their entirety herein. Further, each of the components, devices, or elements herein may consist of, integrated with, include, be part of, or be based on, a part of, or the whole of, the components, systems, devices or elements described in the publications that are incorporated in their entirety herein.
(574) Any part of, or the whole of, any of the methods described herein may be provided as part of, or used as, an Application Programming Interface (API), defined as an intermediary software serving as the interface allowing the interaction and data sharing between an application software and the application platform, across which few or all services are provided, and commonly used to expose or use a specific software functionality, while protecting the rest of the application. The API may be based on, or according to, Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) standard, defining the API along with command line shells and utility interfaces for software compatibility with variants of Unix and other operating systems, such as POSIX.1-2008 that is simultaneously IEEE STD. 1003.1™-2008 entitled: “Standard for Information Technology—Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX®) Description”, and The Open Group Technical Standard Base Specifications, Issue 7, IEEE STD. 1003.1™, 2013 Edition.
(575) The term “computer” is used generically herein to describe any number of computers, including, but not limited to personal computers, embedded processing elements and systems, software, ASICs, chips, workstations, mainframes, etc. Any computer herein may consist of, or be part of, a handheld computer, including any portable computer that is small enough to be held and operated while holding in one hand or fit into a pocket. Such a device, also referred to as a mobile device, typically has a display screen with touch input and/or miniature keyboard. Non-limiting examples of such devices include a Digital Still Camera (DSC), a Digital video Camera (DVC or digital camcorder), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and mobile phones and Smartphones. The mobile devices may combine video, audio and advanced communication capabilities, such as PAN and WLAN. A mobile phone (also known as a cellular phone, cell phone and a hand phone) is a device that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area, by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator. The calls are to and from the public telephone network, which includes other mobiles and fixed-line phones across the world. The Smartphones may combine the functions of a personal digital assistant (PDA), and may serve as portable media players and camera phones with high-resolution touch-screens, web browsers that can access, and properly display, standard web pages rather than just mobile-optimized sites, GPS navigation, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband access. In addition to telephony, the Smartphones may support a wide variety of other services such as text messaging, MIMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography.
(576) Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various devices and systems, for example, a Personal Computer (PC), a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a server computer, a handheld computer, a handheld device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a cellular handset, a handheld PDA device, an on-board device, an off-board device, a hybrid device, a vehicular device, a non-vehicular device, a mobile or portable device, a non-mobile or non-portable device, a wireless communication station, a wireless communication device, a wireless Access Point (AP), a wired or wireless router, a wired or wireless modem, a wired or wireless network, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wireless LAN (WLAN), a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), a Wireless MAN (WMAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Wireless WAN (WWAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless PAN (WPAN), devices and/or networks operating substantially in accordance with existing IEEE 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11k, 802.11n, 802.11r, 802.16, 802.16d, 802.16e, 802.20, 802.21 standards and/or future versions and/or derivatives of the above standards, units and/or devices that are part of the above networks, one way and/or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, a cellular telephone, a wireless telephone, a Personal Communication Systems (PCS) device, a PDA device that incorporates a wireless communication device, a mobile or portable Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a device that incorporates a GPS receiver or transceiver or chip, a device that incorporates an RFID element or chip, a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transceiver or device, a Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) transceiver or device, a Multiple Input Single Output (MISO) transceiver or device, a device having one or more internal antennas and/or external antennas, Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, a wired or wireless handheld device (e.g., BlackBerry, Palm Treo), a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) device, or the like.
(577) As used herein, the terms “program”, “programmable”, and “computer program” are meant to include any sequence or human or machine cognizable steps, which perform a function. Such programs are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus, and may be rendered in virtually any programming language or environment, including, for example, C/C++, Fortran, COBOL, PASCAL, Assembly language, markup languages (e.g., HTML, SGML, XML, VoXML), and the like, as well as object-oriented environments, such as the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), Java™ (including J2ME, Java Beans, etc.) and the like, as well as in firmware or other implementations. Generally, program modules include routines, subroutines, procedures, definitional statements and macros, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. A compiler may be used to create an executable code, or a code may be written using interpreted languages such as PERL, Python, or Ruby.
(578) The terms “task” and “process” are used generically herein to describe any type of running programs, including, but not limited to a computer process, task, thread, executing application, operating system, user process, device driver, native code, machine or other language, etc., and can be interactive and/or non-interactive, executing locally and/or remotely, executing in foreground and/or background, executing in the user and/or operating system address spaces, a routine of a library and/or standalone application, and is not limited to any particular memory partitioning technique. The steps, connections, and processing of signals and information illustrated in the figures, including, but not limited to, any block and flow diagrams and message sequence charts, may typically be performed in the same or in a different serial or parallel ordering and/or by different components and/or processes, threads, etc., and/or over different connections and be combined with other functions in other embodiments, unless this disables the embodiment or a sequence is explicitly or implicitly required (e.g., for a sequence of reading the value, processing the value: the value must be obtained prior to processing it, although some of the associated processing may be performed prior to, concurrently with, and/or after the read operation). Where certain process steps are described in a particular order or where alphabetic and/or alphanumeric labels are used to identify certain steps, the embodiments of the invention are not limited to any particular order of carrying out such steps. In particular, the labels are used merely for convenient identification of steps, and are not intended to imply, specify or require a particular order for carrying out such steps. Furthermore, other embodiments may use more or less steps than those discussed herein. The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
(579) As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. As used in this application, the term “substantially” means that the actual value is within about 10% of the actual desired value, particularly within about 5% of the actual desired value and especially within about 1% of the actual desired value of any variable, element or limit set forth herein.
(580) Any steps described herein may be sequential, and performed in the described order. For example, in a case where a step is performed in response to another step, or upon completion of another step, the steps are executed one after the other. However, in case where two or more steps are not explicitly described as being sequentially executed, these steps may be executed in any order or may be simultaneously performed. Two or more steps may be executed by two different network elements, or in the same network element, and may be executed in parallel using multiprocessing or multitasking.
(581) The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, or material, for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. The present invention should not be considered limited to the particular embodiments described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present disclosure.
(582) All publications, standards, patents, and patent applications cited in this specification are incorporated herein by reference as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein.