An ultrasonic wave circuit, an ultrasonic wave radar system, and an oscillation suppression method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an ultrasonic circuit, an ultrasonic radar system and an after-vibration suppression method. The ultrasonic circuit comprises a transmitting module configured to transmit a high-voltage pulse signal; a transducing module, an input end of the transducing module being electrically connected to an output end of the transmitting module, the transducing module being configured to convert the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal; an after-vibration suppression module, the after-vibration suppression module comprising at least a switching device, an input end of the after-vibration suppression module being electrically connected to the input end of the transducing module, an output end being grounded, the after-vibration suppression module being configured to lead the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground when the switching device is turned on; and a control module, the control module being communicatively connected to the after-vibration suppression module, the control module being configured to control the switching device to be turned on when the high-voltage pulse signal transmission ends, so that the switching device leads the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset after-vibration suppression time. The after-vibration is suppressed, the after-vibration suppression time is shortened, and the detection blind area is reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of radar, and in particular to an ultrasonic circuit, an ultrasonic radar system and a ringing suppression method. BACKGROUND

[0002] An ultrasonic radar system is a device that uses ultrasonic waves to detect targets and perform ranging, speed measurement, etc., and is widely used in the fields of automobiles, robots, drones, etc. Ringing processing is a key indicator that affects the size of the blind area of the ultrasonic radar in the ultrasonic radar system. Since the ultrasonic radar probe integrates transmission and reception, when the excitation voltage is removed, due to the inherent mechanical inertia of the piezoelectric wafer inside the probe and the energy stored in the inductance of the access amplification driver, the piezoelectric wafer will still oscillate, thereby generating ringing. Due to the interference of ringing, it is difficult for the ultrasonic radar probe to distinguish between ultrasonic echoes and ringing when receiving, and it is usually necessary to wait until the ringing ends before continuing to receive. During the waiting time, the ultrasonic radar probe cannot perform ranging and other steps, which is referred to as a detection blind area. For example, the farther the detection distance, the greater the power of the ultrasonic transmission, and the longer the ringing time, resulting in a larger detection blind area. Therefore, it is desirable to accelerate the decay of ringing, thereby reducing the detection blind area. SUMMARY

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an ultrasonic circuit is provided, comprising: a transmitting module configured to transmit a high-voltage pulse signal; a transducing module, an input end of the transducing module being electrically connected to an output end of the transmitting module, the transducing module being configured to convert the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal; a ringing suppression module, the ringing suppression module comprising at least a switching device, an input end of the ringing suppression module being electrically connected to an input end of the transducing module, an output end being grounded, the ringing suppression module being configured to conduct the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground when the switching device is turned on; and a control module, the control module being communicatively connected to the ringing suppression module, the control module being configured to control the switching device to be turned on when the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal ends, so that the switching device conducts the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset ringing suppression time.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an ultrasonic radar system is provided, comprising the ultrasonic circuit as described above.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a ringing suppression method for an ultrasonic radar is provided, applied to the ultrasonic circuit as described above, the method comprising: when the transmitting module ends the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal, controlling the switching device in the ringing suppression module to be turned on; the switching device conducts the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset ringing suppression time; and when the preset ringing suppression time ends, controlling the switching device to be turned off.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The device includes at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the device to perform the method of the third aspect.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium has stored thereon a computer program, the computer program being executable by a processor to implement the method of the third aspect.

[0008] It is to be understood that the description in the Summary section is not intended to define key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote like elements, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a conventional ultrasonic wave circuit is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 A module structural schematic diagram of an ultrasonic wave circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0012] Figure 3 A specific structural schematic diagram of an ultrasonic wave circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0013] Figure 4 A specific structural schematic diagram of an ultrasonic wave circuit according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0014] Figure 5 A waveform diagram of a high-voltage pulse signal according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 6 A waveform diagram of a high-voltage pulse signal according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 7 A flowchart of a residual vibration suppression method of an ultrasonic wave radar according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0017] Figure 8 A block diagram of a device capable of implementing a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While certain embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it is understood that the present disclosure can be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather, the embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure can be more thoroughly and completely understood. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present disclosure are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0019] It should be noted that the titles of any sections / sub-sections provided herein are not limiting. Various embodiments are described throughout, and any type of embodiment can be included under any section / sub-section. Moreover, embodiments described in any section / sub-section can be combined with any other embodiment described in the same section / sub-section and / or a different section / sub-section in any manner.

[0020] In the description of embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "includes" and its derivatives, such as "including," should be understood in an open, inclusive sense, that is, "including, but not limited to." The term "based on" should be understood as "based at least in part on." The term "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment." The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments." Other explicitly and implicitly recited definitions can also be found below. The terms "first," "second," and the like can refer to different or identical objects. Other explicitly and implicitly recited definitions can also be found below.

[0021] Data of users, acquisition and / or use of data, etc. can be involved in embodiments of the present disclosure. These aspects all comply with corresponding laws and regulations and relevant provisions. In embodiments of the present disclosure, all data collection, acquisition, processing, processing, forwarding, use, etc. are performed on the premise that the user is aware of and confirms. Accordingly, when implementing embodiments of the present disclosure, the type of data or information that can be involved, the use range, the use scenario, etc. should be informed to the user and the authorization of the user should be obtained in a proper manner according to relevant laws and regulations. The specific informing and / or authorization manner can vary according to actual situations and application scenarios, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this aspect.

[0022] As briefly mentioned above, it is desirable to speed up the decay of the residual vibrations inside an ultrasonic wave radar probe, thereby reducing the detection blind zone. Currently, a conventional ultrasonic wave radar probe can include an ultrasonic wave circuit. As an example, Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a conventional ultrasonic wave circuit is shown. As Figure 1As shown, the ultrasonic circuit mainly includes a transmitting module, a transducing module, and a receiving module. The transmitting module at least includes a transformer 111 and a triode 112. When a pulse waveform is input at a driving signal input end H1, the pulse waveform controls a conduction current in the transformer 111 through the triode 112, the conduction current generates a high-voltage pulse signal after being transformed by the transformer 111, and the transformer 111 transmits the high-voltage pulse signal to the transducing module. The transducing module converts the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal and transmits the ultrasonic signal. The receiving module is used to receive the ultrasonic signal and convert the ultrasonic signal into an electric signal for further processing such as echo detection. It should be understood that Figure 1 The conventional ultrasonic circuit shown in FIG. 1 is only an example. The internal components of the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module and the electrical connection relationship between the components can refer to the internal circuit structure of the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module in the ultrasonic circuit in the prior art, which will not be described here.

[0023] In some cases, due to the material properties of various components in the transducing module and the transmitting module, after the transmitting module stops transmitting the high-voltage pulse signal, a larger residual vibration can still be generated due to the inertial mechanical movement. For example, the transmitting module includes a transformer that can store energy and thus generate a residual vibration. Similarly, a residual vibration can also be generated in the transducing module. However, the receiving module not only receives the ultrasonic signal transmitted by the transducing module, but also receives the residual vibration generated by the transmitting module and the transducing module. If the ultrasonic signal and the residual vibration are received by the receiving module at the same time, the receiving module can be disturbed by the residual vibration when performing echo detection, which reduces the accuracy of ultrasonic radar detection. If the receiving module continues to receive the ultrasonic signal after waiting for the residual vibration to end, the ultrasonic radar probe cannot perform detection during the waiting period, which results in a detection blind area.

[0024] There are two conventional schemes for reducing residual vibration (residual vibration strength, residual vibration duration). In the first scheme, the power of the ultrasonic signal is reduced to reduce the residual vibration. However, when the detection distance increases, the power of the ultrasonic signal required is greater, and the residual vibration generated is also greater. If the power of the ultrasonic signal is reduced, the detection capability can be reduced to a certain extent, but the detection capability can also be reduced at the same time. In the second scheme, the op-amp amplification factor of the component disposed near the residual vibration is increased to reduce the residual vibration, but the detection capability is also reduced at the same time. Therefore, regardless of which scheme is used, the residual vibration and the detection blind area cannot be effectively reduced on the basis of ensuring the detection capability.

[0025] To this end, embodiments of the present disclosure propose an ultrasonic circuit scheme. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic circuit includes a transmitting module configured to transmit a high-voltage pulse signal; a transducing module, an input end of the transducing module being electrically connected to an output end of the transmitting module, the transducing module being configured to convert the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal. Further, the ultrasonic circuit also includes a residual vibration suppression module, the residual vibration suppression module at least including a switching device, an input end of the residual vibration suppression module being electrically connected to the input end of the transducing module, an output end being grounded, the residual vibration suppression module being configured to, when the switching device is turned on, guide the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground. Further, the ultrasonic circuit also includes a control module, the control module being communicatively connected to the residual vibration suppression module, the control module being configured to, when the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal ends, control the switching device to be turned on so as to guide the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset residual vibration suppression time.

[0026] In this way, when the transmitting module ends the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal, the control module controls the switching device in the residual vibration suppression module to be turned on, and the high-voltage pulse signal is accelerated to be guided to the ground through the turned-on switching device, thereby effectively reducing the residual vibration time and the detection blind area on the basis of ensuring the detection capability. In addition, the preset residual vibration suppression time can be preset according to the time required to suppress the residual vibration of the actual circuit. For example, due to the differences in the power parameters of the transformer, transducer and other components and the circuit, the time and intensity of the residual vibration may be different, and thus the required residual vibration suppression time is also different. Therefore, the preset residual vibration suppression time can be flexibly adjusted to meet the needs of different actual circuits. When the residual vibration is eliminated, the suppression of the high-voltage pulse is immediately stopped (i.e., the high-voltage pulse signal is stopped from being guided to the ground), so as to reduce the impact on other functions of the circuit as much as possible on the premise of efficiently suppressing the residual vibration. Since the preset residual vibration suppression time can be flexibly adjusted, on the one hand, the time for suppressing the residual vibration can be effectively shortened, and on the other hand, the suppression of the high-voltage pulse can be timely stopped after the residual vibration is eliminated, so as to avoid affecting the normal work of the subsequent high-voltage pulse.

[0027] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with continued reference to the drawings.

[0028] Figure 2 A module schematic diagram of an ultrasonic circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 2 The ultrasonic circuit includes a transmitting module 210, a transducing module 220, a residual vibration suppression module 230, a control module 240, and a receiving module 250.

[0029] Specifically, the transmitting module 210 is configured to transmit a high-voltage pulse signal. As an example, the transmitting module 210 transmits the high-voltage pulse signal to the transducing module 220. The input end of the transducing module 220 is electrically connected to the output end of the transmitting module 210, and the transducing module 220 is configured to convert the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal. It should be understood that the internal components of the transmitting module 210 and the transducing module 220 and the connection relationship between the components can refer to the ultrasonic circuit in the prior art. Figure 2 Only as an example, it can also be the case of other circuit structures in the prior art, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this respect. As an example, Figure 2 The internal circuit structure of the transmitting module 210 and the transducing module 220 shown in Figure 1 The internal circuit structure of the transmitting module and the transducing module shown in

[0030] The input end of the residual vibration suppression module 230 is electrically connected to the input end of the transducing module 220, and the output end of the residual vibration suppression module 230 is grounded. The residual vibration suppression module 230 at least includes a switching device 231, and the residual vibration suppression module 230 is configured to guide the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground when the switching device 231 is turned on. The residual vibration suppression module 230 can also include other components, and the specific circuit structure of the residual vibration suppression module 230 will be described in detail below.

[0031] The control module 240 is in communication connection with the residual vibration suppression module 230, and the control module 240 is configured to control the switching device 231 to be turned on when the high-voltage pulse signal transmission ends, so that the switching device 231 guides the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset residual vibration suppression time. In some embodiments, the control module 240 can send the preset residual vibration suppression time to the residual vibration suppression module 230, so that the switching device 231 guides the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within the preset residual vibration suppression time. The control module 240 can also be configured to control the switching device 231 to be turned off when the preset residual vibration suppression time ends. After the residual vibration is eliminated, the high-voltage pulse signal is stopped from being guided to the ground in time, so that the high-voltage pulse signal continues to be received by the receiving module 250, and the echo detection continues.

[0032] The control module 240 can be provided with a detection unit that can detect whether the high-voltage pulse signal of the transmitting module 210 ends by itself; the control module 240 can also receive instructions sent by other master control chips or circuits to know whether the high-voltage pulse signal of the transmitting module 210 ends. The control module 240 can also receive instructions to know the preset residual vibration suppression time.

[0033] It should be understood that the control module 240 in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be integrated inside the ultrasonic radar system, or can be independently arranged outside the ultrasonic radar system. For example, the control module 240 can be any device with computing capability, such as a server, a computer, an edge node, a computing device in a cloud environment, and the like. The present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0034] In some embodiments, due to different transduction modules and transmission modules having different circuit structures, and the power, voltage and other parameters of the circuit being different, the size of the residual vibration may be different, the length of time of the residual vibration may be different, and thus the length of time of the residual vibration suppression required may also be different. The present disclosure can pre-set the residual vibration suppression time in a specific numerical range (for example, 50us~100us) according to the specific structure of the transduction module, the transmission module and other parameters of the circuit and the like, that is, the ultrasonic radar system product containing the ultrasonic circuit of the present disclosure can eliminate most of the residual vibration within the specific numerical range. Therefore, the ultrasonic radar system product containing the ultrasonic circuit of the present disclosure can be calibrated according to this numerical range when it is shipped, and the consistency of the product residual vibration can be identified through calibration to improve the reliability of the product. Therefore, the same numerical range of residual vibration suppression time can be calibrated for different ultrasonic circuit structures (for example, the circuit structures of the transduction module and / or the transmission module are different).

[0035] In addition, it should be understood that since instruction execution, circuit start, operation and end all require a certain time, there may be some difference between the actual residual vibration suppression time used by the circuit and the pre-set residual vibration suppression time in the actual operation process.

[0036] Alternatively, the pre-set residual vibration suppression time is greater than 50us. It should be understood that the pre-set residual vibration suppression time can also be any other suitable time, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0037] Continuing to refer to Figure 2 , the input end of the receiving module 250 is electrically connected with the input end of the transduction module 220 and the input end of the residual vibration suppression module 230, and the receiving module 250 is configured to receive the ultrasonic signal, convert the ultrasonic signal into an electrical signal, and perform echo detection according to the electrical signal. It should be understood that the internal components of the receiving module 250 and the connection relationship between the components can refer to the ultrasonic circuit in the prior art. Figure 2 For example, the internal circuit structure of the receiving module 250 shown in Figure 2 may be the same as the internal circuit structure of the receiving module 250 shown in Figure 1The internal circuit structure of the receiving module is consistent.

[0038] After the switch device is turned off, the receiving module converts the ultrasonic signal emitted by the transducing module into an electrical signal, and then performs echo detection on the electrical signal. The result of the echo detection can be applied to various subsequent tasks. For example, if the result of the echo detection is applied to an intelligent driving system, the result of the echo detection can be applied to various appropriate downstream tasks. Examples of these tasks can include, but are not limited to, tasks such as perception, planning, decision-making, etc. locally in an intelligent driving vehicle, local updating of map data, reporting of change information, cloud updating and distribution of map data, etc.

[0039] The functions and connection relationships of the transmitting module, the transducing module, the residual vibration suppression module, the control module, and the receiving module in the ultrasonic circuit are described above. The switch device in the residual vibration suppression module is turned on by the control module. In response to the switch device being turned on, the residual vibration suppression module quickly directs the high-voltage pulse signal emitted by the transmitting module to the ground within a preset residual vibration suppression time, which not only effectively suppresses residual vibration but also effectively shortens the residual vibration suppression time and reduces the detection blind area.

[0040] The specific circuit structure of the ultrasonic circuit will be described in detail below. Furthermore, the internal circuit structure of the residual vibration suppression module 230 will be described in detail.

[0041] Figure 3 A specific circuit structure schematic diagram of an ultrasonic circuit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As Figure 3 shown, the ultrasonic circuit can include a transmitting module, a transducing module, a residual vibration suppression module S1, a control module C1, and a receiving module. Figure 3 The internal circuit structures of the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module shown in Figure 1 are consistent with the internal circuit structures of the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module shown in Figure 3 It should be understood that the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module in

[0042] In some embodiments, the switch device in the residual vibration suppression module S1 can include an NPN-type triode Q1. As Figure 3As shown, the residual vibration suppression module S1 can include an NPN-type transistor Q1, a first resistor R1, a first diode D1, a second resistor R2, and a second diode D2. The base of the NPN-type transistor Q1 is electrically connected to one end of the first resistor R1, the other end of the first resistor R1 is electrically connected to the output end of the first diode D1, and the input end of the first diode D1 is communicatively connected to the control module C1. The collector of the NPN-type transistor Q1 is electrically connected to one end of the second resistor R2, the other end of the second resistor R2 is electrically connected to the input end of the transduction module (i.e., the output end of the emission module). The emitter of the NPN-type transistor Q1 is electrically connected to the input end of the second diode D2, and the output end of the second diode D2 is grounded.

[0043] The first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2 in the residual vibration suppression module S1 serve as current limiting in the circuit, and the first diode D1 and the second diode D2 serve as unidirectional conduction protection in the circuit. It should be understood that Figure 3 The internal circuit structure of the residual vibration suppression module S1 is only an example, and the residual vibration suppression module S1 can also be other circuit structures that at least include the NPN-type transistor Q1, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0044] In some embodiments, the control module C1 can also be configured to control the NPN-type transistor Q1 to be turned on when the high-voltage pulse signal emission ends. For example, in response to the high-voltage pulse signal emission ending, the control module C1 can control the input end A of the first diode D1 to be high to start the NPN-type transistor Q1 to be turned on. It should be understood that the NPN-type transistor Q1 can also be started to be turned on by other control methods, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0045] In some embodiments, the control module C1 can also be configured to determine the turn-on time of the NPN-type transistor Q1 according to a preset residual vibration suppression time. For example, the preset residual vibration suppression time of the NPN-type transistor Q1 can be flexibly adjusted according to the material characteristics of the NPN-type transistor Q1, effectively shortening the residual vibration suppression time.

[0046] Conventionally, if a digital resistor is used as a switching device, the turn-on time of the digital resistor cannot be flexibly and freely controlled and adjusted due to the accuracy of the digital resistor. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the preset residual vibration suppression time of the NPN-type transistor Q1 can be flexibly adjusted according to the material characteristics of the NPN-type transistor Q1, that is, the turn-on time of the NPN-type transistor Q1 is flexibly controlled and adjusted. In addition, the cost of the NPN-type transistor Q1 is lower than that of the digital resistor, which can effectively reduce the cost of the circuit.

[0047] The following description uses Figure 3the process of suppressing the after-vibration by the ultrasonic circuit. Since the NPN type transistor Q1 absorbs the unidirectional high voltage pulse signal waveform, the after-vibration can be suppressed unidirectionally, and thus the after-vibration suppression module S1 can also be referred to as an "after-vibration half-wave damping suppression circuit". The transmitting module transmits the generated high voltage pulse signal to the transducing module. The transducing module converts the high voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal. When the control module C1 learns that the high voltage pulse signal transmission is completed, the control module C1 controls the input end A of the first diode D1 to be high level, so as to start the NPN type transistor Q1 to be turned on. The NPN type transistor Q1 leads the high voltage pulse signal to the ground within the preset after-vibration suppression time, effectively suppresses the after-vibration, and shortens the after-vibration time. When the control module C1 learns that the preset after-vibration suppression time is completed, the control module C1 controls the NPN type transistor Q1 to be turned off.

[0048] Figure 4 The specific circuit structure schematic diagram of the ultrasonic circuit according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 4 , the ultrasonic circuit can include a transmitting module, a transducing module, an after-vibration suppression module S2, a control module C2, and a receiving module. Figure 4 The internal circuit structures of the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module shown in Figure 1 are consistent with those of the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module in Figure 4 . It should be understood that the transmitting module, the transducing module, and the receiving module in

[0049] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4 , the switching device in the after-vibration suppression module S2 can include a bidirectional thyristor Q2. The after-vibration suppression module S2 includes the bidirectional thyristor Q2, a third resistor R3, a third diode D3, and a fourth resistor R4. The control electrode of the bidirectional thyristor Q2 is electrically connected with one end of the third resistor R3, the other end of the third resistor R3 is electrically connected with the output end of the third diode D3, and the input end of the third diode D3 is in communication connection with the control module C2. The first anode of the bidirectional thyristor Q2 is electrically connected with one end of the fourth resistor R4, the other end of the fourth resistor R4 is electrically connected with the input end of the transducing module (i.e. the output end of the transmitting module). The second anode of the bidirectional thyristor Q2 is grounded.

[0050] In some embodiments, the third resistor R3 and the fourth resistor R4 in the after-vibration suppression module S2 play a current limiting role in the circuit, and the third diode D3 plays a unidirectional conduction protection role in the circuit. It should be understood that Figure 4The circuit structure inside the residual vibration suppression module S2 is only an example, and the residual vibration suppression module S2 can also be other circuit structures including at least a bidirectional thyristor Q2, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0051] In some embodiments, the control module C2 is further configured to control the bidirectional thyristor Q2 to be turned on when the high-voltage pulse signal emission ends. As an example, the control module C2 can control the input end B of the third diode D3 to be high to start the bidirectional thyristor Q2 to be turned on. It should be understood that the bidirectional thyristor Q2 can also be started to be turned on by other control modes, and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0052] In some embodiments, the control module C2 can also be configured to determine the turn-on time of the bidirectional thyristor Q2 according to a preset residual vibration suppression time. As an example, the preset residual vibration suppression time of the bidirectional thyristor Q2 can be flexibly adjusted according to the material characteristics of the bidirectional thyristor, effectively shortening the residual vibration suppression time. Since the preset residual vibration suppression time of the bidirectional thyristor can be flexibly adjusted according to the material characteristics of the bidirectional thyristor Q2, that is, the turn-on time of the bidirectional thyristor Q2 is flexibly controlled and adjusted.

[0053] The following description uses the ultrasonic wave circuit shown in Figure 4 to suppress residual vibration. Since the bidirectional thyristor Q2 absorbs the bidirectional high-voltage pulse signal waveform, it can suppress residual vibration bidirectionally, so the residual vibration suppression module S2 can also be called a "residual vibration full-wave damping suppression circuit". The emission module emits the generated high-voltage pulse signal to the transduction module. The transduction module converts the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic wave signal. When the control module C2 learns that the high-voltage pulse signal emission ends, the control module C2 controls the input end B of the third diode D3 to be high to start the bidirectional thyristor Q2 to be turned on. The bidirectional thyristor Q2 conducts the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within the preset residual vibration suppression time, effectively suppresses the residual vibration, and shortens the residual vibration time. When the control module C2 learns that the preset residual vibration suppression time ends, the control module C2 controls the bidirectional thyristor Q2 to be turned off.

[0054] Figure 5 A high-voltage pulse signal waveform diagram according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 5 , the process of conducting the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground using the ultrasonic wave circuit shown in Figure 3 is shown. Specifically, in response to the high-voltage pulse signal emission ending, the control module C1 controls the NPN-type triode transistor Q1 to be turned on, and the waveform of the high-voltage pulse signal changes significantly from Figure 5It can be observed that the amplitude of the voltage pulse signal gradually decreases from time T1 until it decreases to 0 at time T2. At this time, the high voltage pulse signal is completely introduced to ground, and the residual oscillation is completely suppressed. The residual oscillation suppression time is the time length of T2-T1.

[0055] akin, Figure 6 The residual vibration waveforms according to other embodiments of this disclosure are shown. For example... Figure 6 As shown, this illustrates the use of, as Figure 4 The ultrasonic circuit shown illustrates the process of transmitting a high-voltage pulse signal to ground. Specifically, in response to the end of the high-voltage pulse signal transmission, control module C2 controls the bidirectional thyristor Q2 to turn on, resulting in a significant change in the waveform of the high-voltage pulse signal. Figure 6 It can be observed that the amplitude of the high-voltage pulse signal gradually decreases at time T3 until it decreases to 0 at time T4. At this time, the high-voltage pulse signal is completely introduced to ground, and the residual oscillation is completely suppressed. The residual oscillation suppression time is the time length of T4-T3.

[0056] By comparison Figure 5 and Figure 6 The waveform diagram shows that since bidirectional thyristors can absorb bidirectional high-voltage pulse signal waveforms and suppress residual oscillations bidirectionally, while NPN transistors can absorb unidirectional high-voltage pulse signal waveforms and suppress residual oscillations unidirectionally, bidirectional thyristors, as switching devices, can introduce high-voltage pulse signals to ground faster and suppress residual oscillations faster.

[0057] The above describes the circuit structure of the ultrasonic circuit and two embodiments of residual vibration suppression modules with different circuit structures that introduce high-voltage pulse signals to ground to quickly suppress residual vibration. This disclosure utilizes an NPN transistor or bidirectional thyristor to introduce a high-voltage pulse signal to ground within a preset residual vibration suppression time, effectively suppressing residual vibration, shortening the residual vibration suppression time, and reducing the detection blind zone.

[0058] This disclosure also discloses an ultrasonic radar system, including the ultrasonic circuit of any of the above embodiments. The ultrasonic radar system of this disclosure can be applied to the automotive field, the drone field, the robotics field, etc., to perform distance measurement, speed measurement, and other operations on objects in the surrounding environment of drones, robots, etc. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic circuit of this disclosure (e.g.) is used... Figure 3 , Figure 4 Using ultrasonic circuits for laser ranging and velocity measurement can reduce the interference of residual vibration, effectively and quickly suppress residual vibration, shorten the suppression time of residual vibration, and thus effectively improve ranging accuracy, velocity measurement accuracy, etc., and reduce the detection blind zone.

[0059] Figure 7A flowchart of a method for suppressing ringing of an ultrasonic wave radar is shown. The method is applied to an ultrasonic wave circuit as described above. For convenience of discussion, the following describes the method in conjunction with Figure 2 and Figure 7 suppressing ringing.

[0060] In block 710, when the transmitting module finishes transmitting the high-voltage pulse signal, the control starts to turn on the switching device in the ringing suppression module.

[0061] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the switching device 231 can include an NPN-type triode or a bidirectional thyristor. When the transmitting module 210 finishes transmitting the high-voltage pulse signal, the control module 240 controls to start turning on the switching device 231 in the ringing suppression module 230. For example, the control starts to turn on the NPN-type triode or the bidirectional thyristor. Figure 2

[0062] In block 720, the switching device directs the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset ringing suppression time.

[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the control module 240 can control the on-time of the switching device 231 according to the preset ringing suppression time. Alternatively and / or additionally, the control module 240 can determine the on-time of the NPN-type triode according to the preset ringing suppression time. Alternatively and / or additionally, the control module 240 can determine the on-time of the bidirectional thyristor according to the preset ringing suppression time. In this way, the on-time of the switching device 231 can be flexibly controlled and adjusted according to the preset ringing suppression time, and thus the ringing suppression time can be effectively shortened and the ringing can be effectively eliminated. Figure 2

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the control module 240 can send the preset ringing suppression time to the ringing suppression module 230, so that the switching device 231 directs the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within the preset ringing suppression time. In some embodiments, the control module 240 can send the preset ringing suppression time to the ringing suppression module 230, determine the on-time of the NPN-type triode according to the preset ringing suppression time, so that the NPN-type triode directs the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within the on-time. Alternatively, the control module 240 can send the preset ringing suppression time to the ringing suppression module 230, determine the on-time of the bidirectional thyristor according to the preset ringing suppression time, so that the bidirectional thyristor directs the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within the on-time. Figure 2 In some embodiments, the preset ringing suppression time is greater than 50 us.

[0065]

[0066] ​​​In block 730, when the preset damped oscillation suppression time ends, the switching device is controlled to be turned off. Specifically, when the preset damped oscillation suppression time ends, the control module 240 controls the switching device to be turned off. For example, when the on time of the NPN triode ends, the control module 240 controls the NPN triode to be turned off. For example, when the on time of the bidirectional thyristor ends, the control module 240 controls the bidirectional thyristor to be turned off.

[0067] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic wave signal emitted by the transducing module is converted into an electrical signal by the receiving module; and after the switching device is turned off, the electrical signal is detected for echo. Specifically, the control module 240 knows that the ultrasonic wave signal emitted by the transducing module 220 is converted into an electrical signal by the receiving module 250, and the electrical signal is detected for echo, so as to accurately measure the echo signal and reduce the damped oscillation interference. For example, the control module 240 knows that the NPN triode is turned off, and the receiving module 250 is used for echo detection. For example, the control module 240 knows that the bidirectional thyristor is turned off, and the receiving module 250 is used for echo detection.

[0068] The above describes a damped oscillation suppression method of an ultrasonic wave radar. In the ultrasonic wave circuit, the control module controls the switching device (such as an NPN triode or a bidirectional thyristor) in the damped oscillation suppression module. When the control module knows that the transmitting module ends the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal, the control module controls the switching device to be turned on, so that the switching device accelerates the introduction of the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground, thereby quickly suppressing the damped oscillation. The control module can flexibly adjust the preset damped oscillation suppression time, effectively shorten the damped oscillation suppression time, and thus improve the ranging accuracy, speed measurement accuracy, and the like of the ultrasonic wave radar, and reduce the detection blind area.

[0069] Figure 8 A block diagram of an electronic device in which one or more embodiments of the disclosure can be implemented is shown. It should be understood that Figure 8 The electronic device shown is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of the embodiments described herein. The electronic device is used to implement a damped oscillation suppression method of an ultrasonic wave radar.

[0070] As Figure 8 shown, the electronic device is in the form of a general electronic device. The components of the electronic device can include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 810, a memory 820, a storage device 830, one or more communication units 840, one or more input devices 850, and one or more output devices 860. The processing unit 810 can be an actual or virtual processor and is capable of executing various processes according to programs stored in the memory 820. In a multi-processor system, multiple processing units execute computer executable instructions in parallel to improve the parallel processing capability of the electronic device.

[0071] The electronic device typically includes multiple computer storage media. Such media can be any available media that is accessed by the electronic device, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. The memory 820 can be volatile (e.g., registers, cache, random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), or some combination thereof. The storage device 830 can be a removable or non-removable media, and can include machine-readable media, such as flash drives, disks, or any other media, which can be capable of storing information and / or data (e.g., training data for training) and which can be accessed within the electronic device.

[0072] The electronic device can further include additional removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile storage media. Although not shown in Figure 8 FIG. 8, a disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic medium (e.g., a "floppy disk"), and an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable, nonvolatile optical medium (e.g., a CD-ROM) can be provided. In such instances, each drive can be connected to the bus (not shown) by one or more data media interfaces. The memory 820 can include a computer program product 825 having one or more program modules configured to carry out the various methods or actions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0073] The communication unit 840 enables communication with other electronic devices over communication media. Additionally, the functionality of the components of the electronic device can be implemented in a single computing cluster or a plurality of computer machines capable of communicating over a communication connection. As such, the electronic device can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more other servers, network personal computers (PCs), or another network nodes in the networking environment.

[0074] The input device 850 can be one or more input devices, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a trackball, etc. The output device 860 can be one or more output devices, such as a display, a speaker, a printer, etc. The electronic device can also communicate with one or more external devices (not shown) such as a storage device, a display device, etc., one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device, or any devices (e.g., a network card, a modem, etc.) that enable the electronic device to communicate with one or more other electronic devices, through the communication unit 840, as needed. Such communication can be carried out via an input / output (I / O) interface (not shown).

[0075] According to an example implementation of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, where the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the method described above. According to an example implementation of the present disclosure, there is also provided a computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and comprising computer-executable instructions, where the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the method described above.

[0076] It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and / or block diagram illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram illustrations, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0077] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can be coupled to the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, which can be used to cause the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in the manner described in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0078] The computer-readable program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0079] The computer program product of the present disclosure can have a signal including said computer program. This signal can be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or any other suitable type of signal. Such a signal can be provided through a communication connection, such as electrical wiring, optical fiber, wireless interface, etc. Examples of computer program products include computer program implemented on a personal computer, server, or other networked device. A non-transitory computer readable medium, such as a floppy disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc, hard disk drive, or any other suitable non-transitory computer readable medium can store the computer program product.

[0080] Having described several implementations of the present disclosure, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that many modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. Many modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present disclosure can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. While the present disclosure has been described with reference to the implementation figures, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes can be made and equivalents can be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover any and all adaptations and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic circuit, comprising: a transmitting module configured to transmit a high-voltage pulse signal; a transducing module, an input end of the transducing module being electrically connected with an output end of the transmitting module, the transducing module being configured to convert the high-voltage pulse signal into an ultrasonic signal; a residual vibration suppression module, at least comprising a switching device, an input end of the residual vibration suppression module being electrically connected with an input end of the transducing module, an output end being grounded, the residual vibration suppression module being configured to lead the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground when the switching device is turned on; wherein the switching device comprises an NPN-type triode, the residual vibration suppression module further comprising a first resistor, a second resistor, a first diode, a second diode; a base of the NPN-type triode being electrically connected with one end of the first resistor, the other end of the first resistor being electrically connected with an output end of the first diode, an input end of the first diode being communicatively connected with a control module; a collector of the NPN-type triode being electrically connected with one end of the second resistor, the other end of the second resistor being electrically connected with the input end of the transducing module; and an emitter of the NPN-type triode being electrically connected with an input end of the second diode, an output end of the second diode being grounded; or wherein the switching device comprises a bidirectional thyristor, the residual vibration suppression module further comprising a third resistor, a fourth resistor, a third diode; a control electrode of the bidirectional thyristor being electrically connected with one end of the third resistor, the other end of the third resistor being electrically connected with an output end of the third diode, an input end of the third diode being communicatively connected with the control module; a first anode of the bidirectional thyristor being electrically connected with one end of the fourth resistor, the other end of the fourth resistor being electrically connected with the input end of the transducing module; and a second anode of the bidirectional thyristor being grounded; and a control module, the control module being communicatively connected with the residual vibration suppression module, the control module being configured to control the switching device to be turned on when the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal ends, so that the switching device leads the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset residual vibration suppression time. 2.The ultrasonic circuit of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to control an input end of the first diode to be set to a high level when the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal ends, so as to turn on the NPN-type triode. 3.The ultrasonic circuit of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to control an input end of the third diode to be set to a high level when the transmission of the high-voltage pulse signal ends, so as to turn on the bidirectional thyristor. 4.The ultrasonic circuit of claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to control the switching device to be turned off when the preset residual vibration suppression time ends. 5.An ultrasonic radar system, comprising the ultrasonic circuit of any one of claims 1-4. 6.A residual vibration suppression method of an ultrasonic radar, applied to the ultrasonic circuit of any one of claims 1-4, the method comprising: controlling the switch device in the over-vibration suppression module to be turned on when the transmitting module finishes transmitting the high-voltage pulse signal; the switch device conducting the high-voltage pulse signal to the ground within a preset over-vibration suppression time; and controlling the switch device to be turned off when the preset over-vibration suppression time ends.

7. The over-vibration suppression method according to claim 6, wherein the switch device comprises an NPN-type triode or a bidirectional thyristor, and the method further comprises: determining the turn-on time of the NPN-type triode according to the preset over-vibration suppression time; or determining the turn-on time of the bidirectional thyristor according to the preset over-vibration suppression time.

8. The over-vibration suppression method according to claim 7, further comprising: converting the ultrasonic wave signal emitted by the transducing module into an electric signal by a receiving module; and after the switch device is turned off, performing echo detection on the electric signal. ​

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