Sensor chip, probe, control chip and positioning system

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a sensor chip, a probe, a control chip and a positioning system. The sensor chip comprises a carrier signal receiving unit and a signal identification unit. The carrier signal receiving unit is configured to receive an echo signal; the signal identification unit comprises a first frequency identification channel and a second frequency identification channel, and the first frequency identification channel is used for performing frequency conversion on the echo signal to obtain a first frequency conversion signal; the second frequency identification channel is used for performing frequency conversion on the echo signals to obtain second frequency conversion signals, and the signal identification unit is configured to generate indication information for indicating whether the first echo signals exist in the echo signals or not based on the first frequency conversion signals; and generating indication information for indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signals based on the second frequency conversion signal. The chip realizes information source identification, so that carrier signals with various frequencies can be simultaneously transmitted, and the efficiency of a positioning function is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of electronic technology, and in particular to a sensor chip, a probe, a control chip and a positioning system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In application scenarios such as automobiles (e.g., traditional fuel vehicles, new energy vehicles), self-navigating robots (e.g., sweeping robots, logistics robots), unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., consumer unmanned aerial vehicles, performance array unmanned aerial vehicles), and the like, ultrasonic sensors or ultrasonic radars (hereinafter collectively referred to as ultrasonic sensors) are often used. The ultrasonic sensor is, for example, an ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic transducer transmits a signal of a certain frequency and receives a return signal of the signal of the certain frequency. Then, based on a Time of Flight (ToF) measurement principle and using ultrasonic waves as a measurement medium, a sensor chip coupled to the ultrasonic sensor can perform ranging or positioning.

[0003] When using the ultrasonic sensor and the sensor chip to perform ranging, the current sensor chip can only identify a return signal of one frequency, which makes it difficult to implement a positioning function. SUMMARY

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure enable the sensor chip to identify return signals of multiple frequencies by performing appropriate frequency conversion processing on received signals, so that carrier signals of multiple frequencies can be transmitted simultaneously, thereby improving the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0005] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a sensor chip, comprising: a carrier signal receiving unit configured to receive a return signal; a signal identification unit comprising a first frequency identification channel and a second frequency identification channel, the first frequency identification channel being configured to perform frequency conversion on the return signal to obtain a first frequency-converted signal; the second frequency identification channel being configured to perform frequency conversion on the return signal to obtain a second frequency-converted signal, the signal identification unit being configured to: generate, based on the first frequency-converted signal, indication information indicating whether a first return signal exists in the return signal; and generate, based on the second frequency-converted signal, indication information indicating whether a second return signal exists in the return signal, the first return signal being generated by reflecting a first carrier signal of a first frequency by a target object, the second return signal being generated by reflecting a second carrier signal of a second frequency by the target object, the first frequency being different from the second frequency.

[0006] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first frequency identification channel comprises a first frequency converter, and the first frequency identification channel is configured to convert the echo signal based on a first reference signal by the first frequency converter to obtain the first frequency signal; and the second frequency identification channel comprises a second frequency converter, and the second frequency identification channel is configured to convert the echo signal based on a second reference signal by the second frequency converter to obtain the second frequency signal. This embodiment realizes frequency identification of the echo signal by setting a frequency converter in different frequency identification channels, and has a simple hardware structure and is easy to implement.

[0007] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first frequency identification channel further comprises an echo signal processing unit, and the echo signal processing unit is configured to convert the echo signal based on a reference signal of a reference frequency to obtain a third frequency signal of a third frequency, the third frequency signal has a frequency greater than 0, and the first frequency converter is configured to convert the third frequency signal based on the first reference signal to obtain the first frequency signal. This embodiment first adjusts the frequency of the echo signal to the third frequency, and then converts the third frequency signal, which saves the frequency conversion cost and power consumption compared with directly converting the echo signal.

[0008] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the second frequency identification channel further comprises the echo signal processing unit, and the echo signal processing unit is configured to convert the echo signal based on the reference signal of the reference frequency to obtain a third frequency signal of a third frequency, the third frequency signal has a frequency greater than 0, and the second frequency converter is configured to convert the third frequency signal based on the second reference signal to obtain the second frequency signal. In this embodiment, the second frequency identification channel and the first frequency identification channel share the echo signal processing unit, thereby simplifying the circuit and saving the cost.

[0009] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal identification unit further comprises a signal generator, and the signal generator is configured to generate the first reference signal of a first reference frequency and the second reference signal of a second reference frequency.

[0010] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first reference frequency is obtained based on the first frequency and the reference frequency, and the second reference frequency is obtained based on the second frequency and the reference frequency. This embodiment can reduce the difficulty of processing the first frequency signal and the second frequency signal to identify the frequency of the echo signal.

[0011] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal identification unit is configured to generate a first envelope based on the first frequency conversion signal, the first envelope including indication information indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; and generate a second envelope based on the second frequency conversion signal, the second envelope including indication information indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal. This embodiment indicates the information of the echo signal by the envelope, and the method is simple and easy to implement.

[0012] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first frequency identification channel includes a filter configured to filter the first frequency conversion signal to generate the first envelope, and the second frequency identification channel includes a second filter configured to filter the second frequency conversion signal to generate the second envelope, and each of the first frequency conversion signal and the second frequency conversion signal includes a low frequency signal and a high frequency signal. Filtering the first frequency conversion signal and the second frequency conversion signal by the filter obtains the required envelope, so that the envelope is simple and easy to implement, the cost is low, and the circuit structure is simple.

[0013] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal identification unit is further configured to process the first envelope to obtain the amplitude or frequency of the first echo signal; and process the second envelope to obtain the amplitude or frequency of the second echo signal.

[0014] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the amplitude or frequency of the first echo signal includes indication information indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; and the amplitude or frequency of the second echo signal includes indication information indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal.

[0015] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a probe including an ultrasonic transducer and a sensor chip provided by any one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic transducer being coupled to the carrier signal receiving unit, the ultrasonic transducer being configured to receive the echo signal and provide the echo signal to the carrier signal receiving unit. The probe can identify the signal source, so that multiple frequency carrier signals can be transmitted at the same time, improving the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0016] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic transducer is further used to transmit the first carrier signal of the first frequency or the second carrier signal of the second frequency. In this embodiment, the probe can not only receive the echo signal but also transmit the carrier signal, thereby enriching the functions of the probe.

[0017] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control chip, comprising: a control unit configured to configure a first probe and a second probe in at least one probe to respectively and simultaneously send first carrier signals and second carrier signals with different frequencies, wherein the first probe or the second probe is the probe provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure; a receiving unit configured to receive indication information from any probe in the at least one probe, the indication information being used to indicate whether a first echo signal or a second echo signal exists in an echo signal, the first echo signal being generated by reflecting the first carrier signal on a target object, and the second echo signal being generated by reflecting the second carrier signal on the target object; and a positioning unit configured to determine the position of the target object based on the indication information. The control chip can improve the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0018] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control chip determines the position of the target object based on the indication information, comprising: the control chip determines that the first echo signal and the second echo signal exist in the echo signal based on the indication information, and obtains the distance between the target object and the first probe and the distance between the target object and the second probe based on the first echo signal and the second echo signal; and the control chip determines the position of the target object based on the distance between the target object and the first probe and the distance between the target object and the second probe.

[0019] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a positioning system, comprising: the probe provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure and the control chip provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a signal identification method, comprising: receiving an echo signal; converting the echo signal to a first converted signal through a first frequency identification channel, and converting the echo signal to a second converted signal through a second frequency identification channel; generating indication information based on the first converted signal, the indication information being used to indicate whether a first echo signal exists in the echo signal; and generating indication information based on the second converted signal, the indication information being used to indicate whether a second echo signal exists in the echo signal, wherein the first echo signal is generated by reflecting a first carrier signal with a first frequency on a target object, the second echo signal is generated by reflecting a second carrier signal with a second frequency on the target object, and the first frequency and the second frequency are different.

[0021] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first frequency identification channel includes a first frequency converter, and the second frequency identification channel includes a second frequency converter, and the converting the echo signal through the first frequency identification channel to obtain a first frequency converted signal and the converting the echo signal through the second frequency identification channel to obtain a second frequency converted signal include: converting the echo signal through the first frequency converter based on a first reference signal to obtain the first frequency converted signal; and converting the echo signal through the second frequency converter based on a second reference signal to obtain the second frequency converted signal.

[0022] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the converting the echo signal through the first frequency converter based on the first reference signal to obtain the first frequency converted signal includes: converting the echo signal based on a reference signal of a reference frequency to obtain a third frequency converted signal of a third frequency, the third frequency being greater than 0; and converting the third frequency converted signal based on the first reference signal to obtain the first frequency converted signal, and the converting the echo signal through the second frequency converter based on the second reference signal to obtain the second frequency converted signal includes: converting the third frequency converted signal based on the second reference signal to obtain the second frequency converted signal.

[0023] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the generating indication information for indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal based on the first frequency converted signal and the generating indication information for indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal based on the second frequency converted signal include: generating a first envelope based on the first frequency converted signal, the first envelope including the indication information for indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; and generating a second envelope based on the second frequency converted signal, the second envelope including the indication information for indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal.

[0024] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides a positioning method, including: configuring a first probe and a second probe in at least one probe to respectively and simultaneously transmit a first carrier signal and a second carrier signal with different frequencies, wherein the first probe or the second probe is the probe provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure; receiving indication information from any probe in the at least one probe for indicating whether a first echo signal or a second echo signal exists in an echo signal, the first echo signal being generated by reflecting the first carrier signal on a target object, and the second echo signal being generated by reflecting the second carrier signal on the target object; and determining a position of the target object based on the indication information.

[0025] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor; and a memory comprising one or more computer program instructions; wherein the one or more computer program instructions, when executed by the processor, perform a signal recognition method or a positioning method according to any embodiment of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only related to some embodiments of the present disclosure, and not limited to the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 1A An application scenario schematic diagram of a sensor chip provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 1B A circuit structure schematic diagram of an ultrasonic sensor chip provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0029] Figure 1C A schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic parking assistance system provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 2A An application scenario in which a sensor needs to identify ultrasonic waves of at least two frequencies is shown;

[0031] Figure 2B Another application scenario in which a sensor needs to identify ultrasonic waves of at least two frequencies is shown;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of a chip provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0033] Figure 4A A schematic block diagram of another chip provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Figure 4B A circuit structure schematic diagram of a chip provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a signal recognition unit provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0036] Figure 6 A block diagram of a probe provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0037] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a control chip 700 provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0038] Figure 8A a block diagram of an electronic device is shown according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 8B a block diagram of another electronic device is shown according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the described embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure should be understood as having the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. The terms "first", "second", and similar terms used in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms "one", "a", or "the" or similar terms do not denote a quantity of the preceding elements, but indicate the presence of at least one of the preceding elements. The terms "include", "comprise", or "contain" or similar terms mean that the elements or objects before the terms encompass the elements or objects listed after the terms and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms "connect" or "couple" or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical or magnetic connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and the like are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute positions of the described objects are changed, the relative positional relationships can also be changed accordingly.

[0042] The present disclosure will be described below through several specific embodiments. In order to keep the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure clear and concise, the present disclosure omits the detailed description of known functions and known components. When any component of the embodiments of the present disclosure appears in more than one figure, the component is denoted by the same or similar reference numeral in each figure.

[0043] For example, in the automotive field, ultrasonic sensors can be used for parking assistance, blind spot monitoring, automatic parking, and low-speed emergency braking, etc.

[0044] Figure 1A An application scenario schematic diagram of a sensor chip is shown according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] In Figure 1AA vehicle 100 and an obstacle 200 are shown. The tail of the vehicle 100 is provided with an ultrasonic transducer 11 and an ultrasonic transducer 12. The ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 are both fixed frequency, i.e., the frequency of the emitted ultrasonic waves does not change over time. For example, the ultrasonic transducer 11 emits ultrasonic wave signals with a frequency of a, and the ultrasonic transducer 12 emits ultrasonic wave signals with a frequency of b. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the vehicle can include multiple ultrasonic transducers that emit ultrasonic waves with different frequencies.

[0046] When the user (possibly in the case of automatic driving) controls the vehicle 100 to reverse (possibly in the case of any scenario of side parking, front obstacle identification), the ultrasonic transducers 11 and 12 can respectively emit ultrasonic wave signals and each receive a return signal, and then the distance between the ultrasonic transducer 11 and the obstacle 200 and the distance between the ultrasonic transducer 12 and the obstacle 200 can be calculated, and the corresponding prompt information can be provided to the user (for example, by a buzzer outputting a warning sound or by a display screen displaying the obstacle distance, etc.), to assist the user in safe driving.

[0047] Figure 1B A circuit structure schematic diagram of a sensor chip provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1B The sensor chip 100 includes a low-noise amplifier 102, an analog-to-digital converter 103, a band-pass filter 104, a mixer 105, a local oscillator 106, a low-pass filter 107, an envelope extraction unit 108, and a driving unit 109. The sensor chip 100 is coupled with an ultrasonic transducer 101. For example, the low-noise amplifier 102 and the driving unit 109 are respectively coupled with the ultrasonic transducer 101.

[0049] For example, the ultrasonic transducer 101 is used to emit and receive ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic transducer can be two independent devices containing an ultrasonic wave emitting transducer and an ultrasonic wave receiving transducer, or can be a device that simultaneously has the functions of emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. For example, the driving unit 109 drives the ultrasonic transducer 101 to emit a high-frequency carrier signal (for example, an ultrasonic wave) through an electrical signal. When the high-frequency carrier signal encounters an obstacle and is reflected (in this application, reflection is taken as an example, which can also include refraction, scattering, or diffraction, etc.), the return signal is received by the ultrasonic transducer 101, and the return signal makes the ultrasonic transducer 101 vibrate, outputting a weak electrical signal. The low-noise amplifier 102 amplifies the weak electrical signal output by the ultrasonic transducer 101 while suppressing noise. The amplified electrical signal is converted into a digital high-frequency carrier signal by the analog-to-digital converter 103, completing the transition from the analog domain to the digital domain, so that the subsequent processing (such as filtering, mixing, etc.) can be realized by digital algorithms.

[0050] The band-pass filter 104 is used to filter out the noise introduced by the sampling of the analog-to-digital converter 103, so as to avoid interfering with the subsequent mixing (Mix) link. The local oscillator 106 generates a local signal (frequency strictly matches the center frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 101, such as 40 kHz) with the same frequency as the transmitted ultrasonic wave, as a reference for mixing. If the frequency of the local signal does not match the center frequency, it may cause the measured envelope amplitude to decay, or even cause the envelope to be unable to be measured.

[0051] The mixer 105 multiplies the input signal (i.e., the output of the band-pass filter 104) with the local signal (i.e., the reference) to output a mixed signal (also referred to as a "frequency-converted signal"), which includes high-frequency signals and low-frequency signals. Therefore, the frequency-converted signal needs to be low-pass filtered by the low-pass filter 107 to obtain the required low-frequency signal (which can also be referred to as a down-converted signal). The low-frequency signal output by the low-pass filtering includes an envelope, which reflects the amplitude variation of the echo signal. The low-frequency signal can be envelope-extracted by the envelope extraction unit 108. For example, the amplitude values of the low-frequency signal at various time points are extracted, so as to obtain the amplitude values corresponding to different time points.

[0052] For example, the high-frequency carrier signal transmitted by the ultrasonic transducer 101 is . That is, the high-frequency carrier signal has an angular frequency of , , and f is the frequency of the high-frequency carrier signal . Assuming that the echo signal is , and the local signal generated by the local oscillator 106 also has an angular frequency of , then the mixed signal output by the mixer 105 is . It should be noted that this is only an example of illustrating the mixing principle using a continuous analog signal. In essence, the mixer 105 processes a digital discrete signal, and t can be replaced by "nT", where T is the sampling rate. For example, the mixer can also be referred to as a digital mixer in this application.

[0053] The mixed signal is filtered by the low-pass filter 107 to filter out the high-frequency component , and only the low-frequency component is retained. At this time, the time-domain waveform of the output signal is a scaled version of the echo envelope A(t), which has the same shape as the original envelope, and only the amplitude is attenuated by 1 / 2. Here, the gain effect of the low-noise amplifier 102 is not considered for the sake of convenience.

[0054] Therefore, in this embodiment, the frequency of the wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transducer 101 is equal to the frequency of the signal generated by the local oscillator 106, and the reference frequency used for down-converting the received echo signal is also equal to the frequency of the signal generated by the local oscillator 106. Therefore, the echo envelope can be obtained after down-conversion.

[0055] Figure 1C A schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic parking assistance system is shown.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1C , the system includes a probe C1 and an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) C2, the probe C1 includes, for example, an ultrasonic transducer and Figure 1B a sensor chip as shown.

[0057] The ultrasonic transducer is used to emit ultrasonic waves at a certain frequency, and can receive echo signals. The echo signals received by the ultrasonic transducer are provided to the sensor chip, which processes the echo signals to obtain the envelope of the echo signals. Then, the sensor chip can provide the digitized waveform (e.g., the envelope) to the ECU, which performs distance calculation and obstacle judgment analysis on the received digitized waveform, thereby realizing the parking assistance function. For example, the sensor chip can also perform distance calculation and obstacle judgment analysis on the digitized waveform, which can simplify the operation of the ECU.

[0058] For example, the ECU notifies the probe to start measurement by sending a measurement command. After receiving the measurement command, the probe controls the ultrasonic transducer to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive obstacle echo signals. After the sensor chip performs signal processing processes (refer to the description of Figure 1B ) such as amplification, analog-to-digital conversion, and digital filtering on the received echo signals, it feeds back the digitized waveform to the ECU through a communication interface. The ECU performs distance calculation and obstacle judgment analysis on the received digitized waveform, thereby realizing the parking assistance function.

[0059] Figure 1B The fixed-frequency measurement technical solution shown in Figure 1B requires a reference frequency for down-converting the received echo signals to be equal to the wave-emitting frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 101, so the ultrasonic sensor shown in

[0060] can only identify echo signals with the same frequency as the wave-emitting frequency, and cannot identify and distinguish different frequency fixed-frequency signal sources.

[0061] However, in some scenarios, the sensor needs to not only be able to identify ultrasonic waves with the same frequency as its own emission, but also to identify ultrasonic waves of other frequencies.

[0062] Figure 2A An application scenario in which a sensor needs to identify at least two frequencies of ultrasonic waves is shown.

[0063] As shown in Figure 2A , RX is a receiving sensor (for example, a superpower sensor with ultrasonic receiving function), S1 and S2 are two fixed-frequency transmitting sensors (for example, superpower sensors with ultrasonic transmitting function), wherein the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 works at the frequency f1, and the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 works at the frequency f2. In the related technical solution, RX cannot distinguish whether the received echo comes from the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 or the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2, that is, cannot perform source identification.

[0064] Figure 2B Another application scenario in which a sensor needs to identify at least two frequencies of ultrasonic waves is shown.

[0065] As shown in Figure 2B , for example, in a car including a fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 and a fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2, and the environment in which the car is located includes an obstacle S.

[0066] The fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 and the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 respectively transmit ultrasonic waves, and then the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 and the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 can measure the distance d1 from the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 to the obstacle S and the distance d2 from the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 to the obstacle S according to the respective echoes. Since the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 and the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 can only identify ultrasonic waves of their own frequencies, it is difficult to identify the frequencies and sources of echo signals of other frequencies, resulting in that the sensor can only determine the distance from the sensor to the obstacle, but cannot determine the specific position of the obstacle, that is, cannot locate the obstacle.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, if the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 can not only identify ultrasonic waves of its own frequency, but also perform source identification on ultrasonic waves of other frequencies, then the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 can locate the obstacle S according to the identified echo signals of itself and the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2.

[0068] For example, the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 and the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 simultaneously transmit ultrasonic waves, the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 receives echo of frequency f1 and echo of frequency f2, the distance d1 from the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 to the obstacle S can be obtained according to the time of the echo of frequency f1, the distance d2 from the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 to the obstacle S can be obtained according to the time of the echo of frequency f2 and the sum of d1, and thus the distance d2 from the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 to the obstacle S is obtained.

[0069] After the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 identifies the echo of the frequency f2, according to the known distance T between the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S1 and the fixed-frequency transmitting sensor S2 d , d1 and d2 and the cosine theorem, the calculation results are cosA=(T d + d1- d2) / 2T d d1, cosB=(T d + d2- d1) / 2T d ×d2, C=180°-A-B, thereby realizing the positioning of the obstacle S.

[0070] As in the above example, the sensor receiving the ultrasonic wave often has difficulty in distinguishing the ultrasonic waves transmitted by different sensors, i.e., it is difficult to perform source identification. This is determined by the circuit structure of the conventional fixed-frequency ultrasonic measurement circuit (chip). However, source identification plays a very key role, for example, in the above example, positioning can be performed. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a chip that can realize identification of the source. The chip can be packaged as a sensor, such as an ultrasonic ranging sensor. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of the present disclosure are described as a chip packaged as a sensor.

[0071] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of a sensor chip provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0072] As Figure 3 shown, the sensor chip 300 includes a carrier signal receiving unit 301 and a signal identification unit 302.

[0073] For example, the carrier signal receiving unit 301 and the signal identification unit 302 can be hardware, software, firmware, and any feasible combination thereof. For example, the carrier signal receiving unit 301 and the signal identification unit 302 can be special-purpose or general-purpose circuits, chips, or devices, etc. The embodiments of the present disclosure do not limit the specific implementation forms of the above-mentioned units.

[0074] The carrier signal receiving unit 301 is configured to receive an echo signal.

[0075] The signal identification unit 302 includes a first frequency identification channel and a second frequency identification channel, the first frequency identification channel being configured to frequency-convert the echo signal to obtain a first frequency-converted signal; and the second frequency identification channel being configured to frequency-convert the echo signal to obtain a second frequency-converted signal.

[0076] The signal identification unit 302 is configured to generate, based on the first frequency conversion signal, indication information indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal, and generate, based on the second frequency conversion signal, indication information indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal, the first echo signal being generated by reflection of the first carrier signal at the first frequency on the target object, and the second echo signal being generated by reflection of the second carrier signal at the second frequency on the target object, the first frequency and the second frequency being different.

[0077] The chip identifies carrier signals at different frequencies through multiple frequency identification channels, thereby achieving identification of multiple signal sources transmitting carrier signals at different frequencies, enabling carrier signals at multiple frequencies to be transmitted simultaneously, and improving the efficiency of the positioning function. In addition, some embodiments of the present disclosure can identify echoes at different frequencies transmitted by different probes on the receiving side of a single probe, thereby being applicable to a multi-transmit-single-receive scenario. In this scenario, only one sensor chip disclosed in the present application can be used, and other sensors can still use sensor chips in the prior art. That is, the sensor chip provided by the present disclosure and the conventional sensor chip can be mixed (for example, the conventional chip does not need a frequency identification channel, and the cost is lower), thereby reducing the cost of positioning implementation. In addition, some embodiments of the present disclosure can distribute part of the processing capability to the sensor chip, thereby reducing the processing burden of the ECU / MCU / CPU. Therefore, the embodiments enable the sensor chip to identify echo signals at multiple frequencies by performing appropriate frequency conversion on the received signals, thereby enabling carrier signals at multiple frequencies to be transmitted simultaneously and improving the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0078] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the carrier signal receiving unit 301 is configured to receive an echo signal, which can be an echo signal of a carrier signal transmitted by any chip. In the present disclosure, the carrier signal can be an ultrasonic signal or an electromagnetic wave signal, and the echo signal can be an ultrasonic signal or an electromagnetic wave signal. The ultrasonic signal in the specific embodiments is only an example.

[0079] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal identification unit 302 can include multiple frequency identification channels, and is not limited to the first frequency identification channel and the second frequency identification channel. It should be noted that the "first" and "second" in the present disclosure are only named for the convenience of description, and do not limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the signal identification unit 302 can include 3, 4, or the like frequency identification channels.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the multiple frequency identification channels each convert the echo signal based on a different reference frequency. For example, the frequency identification channel can include a frequency converter, thereby converting the echo signal based on the reference frequency through the frequency converter. The frequency converter is, for example, the frequency mixer described above.

[0081] For example, the first frequency identification channel includes a first frequency converter, and the first frequency identification channel is configured to convert the echo signal based on the first reference frequency through the first frequency converter to obtain a first frequency conversion signal; the second frequency identification channel includes a second frequency converter, and the second frequency identification channel is configured to convert the echo signal based on the second reference frequency to obtain a second frequency conversion signal.

[0082] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, in addition to each including a frequency converter, the plurality of frequency identification channels further includes an echo signal processing unit. The echo signal processing unit is shared by the plurality of frequency identification channels. For example, the first frequency identification channel also includes the echo signal processing unit, and the second frequency identification channel also includes the echo signal processing unit. That is, the echo signal processing unit is shared by the first frequency identification channel and the second frequency identification channel. In this embodiment, the second frequency identification channel and the first frequency identification channel share the echo signal processing unit, thereby simplifying the circuit and saving costs.

[0083] The echo signal processing unit is configured to convert the echo signal based on the reference signal of the reference frequency to obtain a third frequency conversion signal of a third frequency, and the frequency of the third frequency conversion signal is greater than 0. This embodiment first adjusts the frequency of the echo signal to the third frequency, and then converts the third frequency conversion signal. Compared with directly converting the echo signal, the conversion cost and power consumption are saved.

[0084] For example, the reference frequency is different from the frequency (hereinafter referred to as “first frequency”) of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic transducer corresponding to the sensor chip. For example, the reference frequency is less than the first frequency or greater than the first frequency, so that the third frequency conversion signal is a low-frequency signal rather than a zero-frequency signal. For example, the reference signal of the reference frequency is obtained by dividing the carrier signal of the first frequency.

[0085] For another example, the echo signal provided by a plurality of ultrasonic transducers is processed by one sensor chip, and the reference frequency is different from the frequency of the plurality of ultrasonic waves emitted by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, or the reference frequency is the same as one of the frequencies of the plurality of ultrasonic waves emitted by the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

[0086] The first frequency converter is configured to convert the third frequency conversion signal based on the first reference signal to obtain the first frequency conversion signal; and the second frequency converter is configured to convert the third frequency conversion signal based on the second reference signal to obtain the second frequency conversion signal. This embodiment realizes the frequency identification of the echo signal by setting the frequency converter in different frequency identification channels, and the hardware structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0087] For example, the signal identification unit 302 processes the first frequency conversion signal to obtain indication information. This indication information indicates whether the echo signal is generated by the reflection of a first carrier signal of a first frequency by a target object; that is, the indication information indicates whether the echo signal has a first frequency. The signal identification unit 302 processes the second frequency conversion signal to obtain indication information. This indication information indicates whether the echo signal is generated by the reflection of a second carrier signal of a second frequency by a target object; that is, the indication information indicates whether the echo signal has a second frequency.

[0088] For example, the target object is Figure 1A Obstacles 200 in the middle.

[0089] For example, the signal recognition unit extracts the envelope of the frequency conversion signal (i.e., the first frequency conversion signal or the second frequency conversion signal) to obtain the amplitude of the frequency conversion signal, and the amplitude is used as indication information; or the frequency conversion signal is filtered, and the filtering result is used as indication information.

[0090] Figure 4A This illustration shows a schematic block diagram of another chip provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, which is provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of the sensor chip 300.

[0091] like Figure 4A As shown, the sensor chip 300 includes a carrier signal receiving unit 301 and a signal identification unit 302. The signal identification unit 302 includes an echo signal processing unit 312 and multiple frequency identification channels 322. The multiple frequency identification channels 322 include, for example, a first frequency identification channel and a second frequency identification channel.

[0092] The echo signal processing unit 312 includes, for example, the mixer 105 and low-pass filter 107 described above. The carrier signal receiving unit 301 includes, for example, the low-noise amplifier 102, analog-to-digital converter 103 and band-pass filter 104 described above.

[0093] and Figure 1B The example is different, in Figure 3 Alternatively, in embodiment 4A, the frequency of the local oscillator signal generated by the local oscillator 106 can be a reference frequency different from the frequency of the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic transducer 101. Therefore, the third frequency-converted signal obtained after the mixer 105 and the low-pass filter 107 is not a zero-frequency signal (also known as a "zero intermediate frequency signal") but a low-frequency signal (also known as a "low intermediate frequency signal").

[0094] For example, in Figure 2B In the example, the car includes sensor S1 and sensor S2, and sensor S1 transmits a carrier signal S. S1=cos(w1t), the frequency of the carrier signal is f1=w1 / 2π (example of the first frequency), then the carrier signal S S1 The echo signal reflected by the target (e.g., an obstacle) is S. RX1 =A(t)cos(w1t); the carrier signal S emitted by sensor S2 S2 =cos(w2t), the frequency of the carrier signal is f2=w2 / 2π (example of the second frequency), then the carrier signal S S2 The echo signal after reflection from the target object is S RX2 =A(t)·cos(w²t). The echo signal received by the sensor (also known as the "signal to be identified") can be a carrier signal S. S1 and carrier signal S S2 The echo signal of any one of them. For example, for sensor S1, the signal to be identified might be the echo signal S. RX1 It could also be that the echo signal is S RX2 .

[0095] For example, the reference frequency of the local oscillator signal is f0, and the reference angular frequency is ω. 0， f0 = w0 / 2π, assuming the signal to be identified is S RX =A(t)·cos(wt), then based on the reference frequency f0, the signal S to be identified... RX The first mixing signal obtained after downconversion is MIX. RX =A(t)cos(wt)cos(w0t), which can be obtained using the product-to-sum formula:

[0096] MIX RX =A(t)cos[(w-w0)t] / 2+A(t)cos[(w+w0)t] / 2.

[0097] Then, a low-pass filter is used to mix the frequency signal. RX Filtering is performed to obtain the signal. =A(t)cos[(w-w0)t] / 2, this signal MIX' RX The frequency is (w-w0) / 2π.

[0098] If the signal to be identified is an echo signal S RX1 ,but , The frequency is (w1-w0) / 2π. If the signal to be identified is an echo signal S... RX2 ,but The signal The frequency is (w2-w0) / 2π.

[0099] For example, the multiple frequency identification channels respectively frequency-convert the third frequency-converted signal based on multiple reference frequencies to obtain multiple frequency-converted signals; and obtain the indication information based on the multiple frequency-converted signals.

[0100] For example, N sensors in the automobile emit ultrasonic waves of N frequencies, and the ultrasonic waves of the N frequencies are taken as N preset carrier signals. The signal identification unit 302 can include N frequency identification channels, the N frequency identification channels correspond to the ultrasonic waves of the N frequencies one-to-one, and N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. That is, the multiple preset carrier signals are multiple frequency carrier signals (for example, ultrasonic waves) that can be emitted by the electronic device (for example, the automobile). The N frequency identification channels are all coupled with the carrier signal receiving unit 301, so that each frequency identification channel obtains the third frequency-converted signal from the carrier signal receiving unit 301.

[0101] For example, the automobile includes a sensor S1 and a sensor S2, the sensor S1 emits ultrasonic waves of frequency f1, and the sensor S2 emits ultrasonic waves of frequency f2. The signal identification unit 302 includes two frequency identification channels, which are a first frequency identification channel and a second frequency identification channel. The first frequency identification channel corresponds to the preset carrier signal of frequency f1, and is used to identify whether the to-be-identified signal is a backwave signal of the ultrasonic waves of frequency f1 emitted by the sensor S1. The second frequency identification channel corresponds to the preset carrier signal of frequency f2, and is used to identify whether the to-be-identified signal is a backwave signal of the ultrasonic waves of frequency f2 emitted by the sensor S2. For example, the multiple reference frequencies include a first reference frequency and a second reference frequency, the first frequency identification channel frequency-converts the second carrier signal based on the first reference frequency to obtain a frequency-converted signal, and the second frequency identification channel frequency-converts the second carrier signal based on the second reference frequency to obtain another frequency-converted signal.

[0102] The third frequency-converted signal is frequency-converted again by the reference frequency corresponding to each frequency identification channel, so as to obtain the correlation between the third frequency-converted signal and the reference frequency, and to determine which one (hereinafter referred to as an “object carrier signal”) of the multiple preset carrier signals the to-be-identified signal (that is, the backwave signal) is.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal identification unit 302 obtains indication information based on processing of the frequency-converted signal, and the indication information is used to identify the to-be-identified signal.

[0104] For example, the signal identification unit 302 generates, based on the frequency-converted signals, indication information indicating the amplitude or frequency of the echo signal. For example, a first envelope is generated based on the first frequency-converted signal, and the first envelope includes indication information indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; a second envelope is generated based on the second frequency-converted signal, and the second envelope includes indication information indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal. This embodiment indicates the indication information of the echo signal by the envelope, and the method is simple and easy to implement.

[0105] For example, the first frequency identification channel includes a first filter configured to filter the first frequency-converted signal to generate the first envelope; and the second frequency identification channel includes a second filter configured to filter the second frequency-converted signal to generate the second envelope. The first filter and the second filter are, for example, low-pass filters. The low-pass filter is used to filter out the high frequency in the frequency-converted signal and only keep the low frequency, that is, the output of the first filter or the second filter is the down-converted signal of the third frequency-converted signal. Filtering the first frequency-converted signal and the second frequency-converted signal by the filter obtains the required envelope, so that the envelope is simple and easy to implement, the cost is low, and the circuit structure is simple.

[0106] The first envelope is the envelope of the low-frequency signal in the first frequency-converted signal, and is used to indicate whether the echo signal of the first carrier signal exists in the echo signal; and the second envelope is the envelope of the low-frequency signal in the second frequency-converted signal, and is used to indicate whether the echo signal of the second carrier signal exists in the echo signal.

[0107] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the signal identification unit is further configured to process the first envelope to obtain the amplitude or frequency of the first echo signal, and process the second envelope to obtain the amplitude or frequency of the second echo signal. It should be noted that this embodiment can be executed on the premise that the first echo signal or the second echo signal exists.

[0108] For example, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the amplitude or frequency of the first echo signal includes indication information indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; and the amplitude or frequency of the second echo signal includes indication information indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal.

[0109] For example, the first envelope and the second envelope are envelope extracted to obtain the amplitude of the first envelope or the second envelope. For another example, it is determined according to the first envelope and the second envelope whether the frequency of the first envelope and the second envelope is 0.

[0110] For example, if the amplitude of the first envelope output by the first frequency identification channel is greater than a threshold, then the echo signal is the preset carrier signal corresponding to the first frequency identification channel. Similarly, if the amplitude of the second envelope output by the second frequency identification channel is greater than a threshold, then the echo signal is the preset carrier signal corresponding to the second frequency identification channel. Or, if the amplitude of the first envelope is much greater than the amplitude of the second envelope, then the echo signal is the preset carrier signal corresponding to the first frequency identification channel.

[0111] For example, if the frequency of the frequency conversion signal output by the second frequency identification channel is 0 (e.g., zero frequency) while the frequency of the frequency conversion signal output by the first frequency identification channel is not 0; or if the frequency of the frequency conversion signal output by the second frequency identification channel is much smaller than the frequency of the frequency conversion signal output by the first frequency identification channel, then the signal to be identified is the preset carrier signal corresponding to the second frequency identification channel, and the preset carrier signal corresponding to the second frequency identification channel is the target carrier signal.

[0112] Figure 4B A schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a sensor chip 400 provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0113] like Figure 4B As shown, the sensor chip 400 includes a carrier signal receiving unit 40 and a signal recognition unit 41. For details regarding the carrier signal receiving unit 40 and the signal recognition unit 41, please refer to the description of the carrier signal receiving unit 301 and the signal recognition unit 302 above. Figure 4B As shown, the ultrasonic transducer 401 is coupled to the sensor chip 400 and is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals. Please refer to the above text for details about the ultrasonic transducer 401. Figure 1B Description of ultrasonic transducer 101.

[0114] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the sensor chip 400 also includes an oscillator LO and a frequency divider DIV. For example... Figure 4B As shown, the oscillator LO is configured to generate a local oscillator signal of the first frequency; the frequency divider DIV is configured to divide the local oscillator signal to obtain a reference signal.

[0115] For example, if the first frequency is 50kHz, the frequency divider divides the local oscillator signal by 1 / 10 to obtain a 5kHz reference signal.

[0116] In this embodiment, a frequency divider can be directly added in the sensor to obtain the reference signal of the reference frequency, so that the oscillator does not need to be replaced, and the current fixed-frequency sensor is compatible. In addition, by directly adding a frequency divider, whether the sensor works in a fixed-frequency mode can be selected by controlling whether the frequency divider is used. For example, if the sensor works in a fixed-frequency mode, the use of the frequency divider is turned off (for example, the frequency divider is short-circuited or the frequency division ratio is 1); if the sensor works in a non-fixed-frequency mode, the use of the frequency divider is turned on. Therefore, this embodiment can also improve the flexibility of the sensor. In other embodiments of the present disclosure, an oscillator can be additionally added, which directly generates a signal of the reference frequency.

[0117] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the echo signal processing unit 405 is configured to down-convert the received echo signal based on the reference signal to obtain a third frequency conversion signal. The echo signal processing unit 405 includes a frequency mixer and a low-pass filter L. The frequency mixer is configured to mix the reference signal and the echo signal to obtain a mixed signal, the mixed signal including a first signal and a second signal, the frequency of the first signal being higher than the frequency of the second signal. Therefore, the frequency mixer needs to be coupled to the filter L (an example of a second filter) to filter the mixed signal to obtain the third frequency conversion signal. The low-pass filter L is configured to filter out the first signal in the mixed signal, i.e., only low-frequency signals are retained, thereby realizing down-conversion.

[0118] For example, as described above, the mixed signal is MIX RX = A(t)cos[(w-w0)t] / 2 + A(t)cos[(w+w0)t] / 2. The mixed signal includes a second signal A(t)cos[(w-w0)t] / 2 and a first signal A(t)cos[(w+w0)t] / 2, and the second filter filters out the first signal A(t)cos[(w+w0)t] / 2 and retains the second signal A(t)cos[(w-w0)t] / 2. For example, the cutoff frequency of the second filter is greater than (w-w0) / 2π and less than (w+w0) / 2π, so that the first signal A(t)cos[(w+w0)t] / 2 is filtered out and the second signal A(t)cos[(w-w0)t] / 2 is retained.

[0119] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, in the example of Figure 4B The frequency mixer can be a quadrature frequency mixer 405, i.e., including two independent frequency mixers for processing in-phase signals and quadrature signals, respectively. As shown in Figure 4B The in-phase frequency mixer and the quadrature frequency mixer are examples of two independent frequency mixers included in the quadrature frequency mixer.

[0120] The in-phase and quadrature mixers down-convert the input signals based on reference signals. The in-phase mixer multiplies the input signal (i.e., the output of bandpass filter 104) with a 0° phase reference signal, outputting the in-phase branch (I-path) signal. The quadrature mixer multiplies the input signal with a 90° phase reference signal, outputting the quadrature branch (Q-path) signal. Both the I-path and Q-path signals are examples of second carrier signals. After being low-pass filtered by filter L, the I-path and Q-path signals are identified by multiple frequency identification channels. For example, the I-path and Q-path signals are input together into the first frequency identification channel for identification, and the I-path and Q-path signals are input together into the second frequency identification channel for identification. The reference frequency of the first frequency identification channel is different from the reference frequency of the second frequency identification channel.

[0121] It should be noted that in some other embodiments of this disclosure, the mixer can be a non-quadrature mixer, that is, it includes only a single signal. For example, a non-quadrature mixer can be a single-ended mixer, a single-balanced mixer, a double-balanced mixer, etc.

[0122] like Figure 4B As shown, the signal identification unit 41 includes a first frequency identification channel 418 and a second frequency identification channel 428. It should be noted that this disclosure does not limit the number of frequency identification channels to two; the number can be any number. The number of frequency identification channels corresponds to the number of preset carrier signals.

[0123] For example, the carrier signal receiving unit 40 includes a low-noise amplifier 402, an analog-to-digital converter 403, and a bandpass filter 404. Please refer to the above text for details regarding the low-noise amplifier 402, analog-to-digital converter 403, bandpass filter 404, filter L, and drive unit TX. Figure 1B Description of the low-noise amplifier 102, analog-to-digital converter 103, bandpass filter 104, low-pass filter 107, and driver unit 109. The digital signal output from the analog-to-digital converter 403 is processed in parallel in two paths, forming quadrature demodulation channels (I-channel and Q-channel) to extract the amplitude and phase information of the echo. The local oscillator LO and... Figure 1B It is similar to the local oscillator 106 in the example.

[0124] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the signal identification unit further includes a signal generator configured to generate a first reference signal at a first reference frequency and a second reference signal at a second reference frequency. For example, each frequency identification channel includes a signal generator (hereinafter referred to as the first signal generator to distinguish it from the second signal generator mentioned above). The first signal generator is configured to generate a reference signal at a reference frequency.

[0125] For example, each frequency identification channel includes a first signal generator and a correlator. The correlator is coupled to the first signal generator and configured to convert the third frequency conversion signal based on the reference signal generated by the first signal generator to obtain the frequency conversion signal.

[0126] like Figure 4B As shown, frequency identification channel 418 includes a signal generator ref1 (an example of a first signal generator) and a correlator Corr1, which are coupled together; frequency identification channel 428 includes a signal generator ref2 (an example of a first signal generator) and a correlator Corr2, which are coupled together.

[0127] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first signal generator is, for example, an oscillator for generating a reference signal. The correlator, for example, implements down-conversion of the third frequency-converted signal. For instance, the correlator may include a mixer and a low-pass filter, wherein the third frequency-converted signal is mixed by the mixer to obtain a first signal and a second signal, and then the first signal is filtered out using the low-pass filter, retaining the low-frequency second signal.

[0128] In some embodiments of this disclosure, for example, the frequency of the reference signal is w3 / 2π, and the reference signal is used to adjust the signal. (Example of the third frequency conversion signal) The down-converted signal obtained by down-conversion is Env=A(t)·cos[(w-w0-w3)t] / 4. Then, envelope extraction and other operations are performed on the down-converted signal output by each frequency identification channel to identify the echo signal based on the envelope.

[0129] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the multiple reference frequencies are the differences between the frequencies of multiple preset carrier signals and a reference frequency. For example, the multiple preset carrier signals are respectively... Figure 2B In the example, with preset carrier signals at frequencies f1 and f2, the frequency of the target signal in the first frequency identification channel 418 is (w1-w0) / 2π, and the frequency of the target signal in the second frequency identification channel 428 is (w2-w0) / 2π. That is, signal generator ref1 generates a reference signal with a frequency of (w1-w0) / 2π, and signal generator ref2 generates a reference signal with a frequency of (w2-w0) / 2π.

[0130] For the first frequency identification channel 418, the frequency of the reference signal is w3=(w1-w0) / 2π. When the third frequency signal enters the first frequency identification channel 418, the third frequency signal is down-converted by the correlator based on w3, and Env=A(t)cos[(w-w0- (w1-w0))t] / 4. Therefore, if the frequency of the echo signal is w1 (i.e., w takes the value of w1), Env1=A(t) / 4; if the frequency of the echo signal is w2 (i.e., w takes the value of w2), Env2=A(t)cos[(w2-w1)t] / 4. If w2 and w1 are appropriately selected, Env1 is much greater than Env2, so that the sensor chip can determine the signal to be identified according to the amplitude of the envelope output by each frequency identification channel.

[0131] For the second frequency identification channel 428, the frequency of the reference signal is w4=(w2-w0) / 2π, i.e., the signal generator ref2 in generates the local oscillator signal with the frequency of (w2-w0) / 2π. When the third frequency signal enters the second frequency identification channel 428, the third frequency signal is down-converted by the correlator based on w4, and Env=A(t)cos[(w-w0- (w2-w0))t] / 4. Therefore, if the frequency of the echo signal is w2, Env3=A(t) / 4; if the frequency of the echo signal is w1, Env4=A(t)cos[(w1-w2)t] / 4. Figure 4B

[0132] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, in the embodiment in which the plurality of reference frequencies are the differences between the frequencies of the plurality of preset carrier signals and the reference frequency, the preset carrier signal corresponding to the target frequency identification channel in the plurality of frequency identification channels is taken as the target carrier signal, and the target frequency identification channel is the frequency identification channel corresponding to the down-converted signal with the maximum amplitude or exceeding a set threshold (the threshold can be obtained by calculation of the sensor chip, or can be preset in the memory of the sensor chip, or can be configured into the sensor chip by the control chip). This method directly takes the frequency identification channel corresponding to the down-converted signal with the maximum amplitude or exceeding the set threshold as the target frequency identification channel, which is easy to identify.

[0133] ​For example, if the amplitude of the frequency identification channel with the reference frequency of (w1-w0) / 2π is the largest among the multiple down-converted signals of the multiple frequency identification channels of the sensor S1, the frequency identification channel with the reference frequency of (w1-w0) / 2π is the object frequency identification channel, and the frequency of the to-be-identified signal is w1 / 2π, the to-be-identified signal is the echo signal of the sensor S1. If the amplitude of the frequency identification channel with the reference frequency of (w2-w0) / 2π is the largest among the output results of the multiple frequency identification channels of the sensor S1, the frequency identification channel with the reference frequency of (w2-w0) / 2π is the object frequency identification channel, and the frequency of the to-be-identified signal is w2 / 2π, the to-be-identified signal is the echo signal of the sensor S2.

[0134] In the above embodiment in which the multiple reference frequencies are the differences between the frequencies of the multiple preset carrier signals and the reference frequency, the object frequency identification channel can also be the frequency identification channel corresponding to the down-converted signal with the smallest frequency among the multiple down-converted signals. This method directly takes the frequency identification channel corresponding to the down-converted signal with the smallest frequency or zero frequency as the object frequency identification channel, and is easy to identify.

[0135] For example, for the first frequency identification channel 418, if the frequency of the to-be-identified signal is w1, Env1=A(t) / 4, that is, the frequency of the down-converted signal output by the first frequency identification channel 418 is zero frequency; if the frequency of the to-be-identified signal is w2, Env2=A(t)cos[(w2-w1)t] / 4, that is, the frequency of the down-converted signal output by the first frequency identification channel 418 is (w2-w1) / 2π, and thus the frequency of the to-be-identified signal can be identified by the frequency of the down-converted signal.

[0136] For example, if the frequency of the frequency identification channel with the reference frequency of w1-w0 among the multiple down-converted signals of the multiple frequency identification channels of the sensor S1 is zero frequency, the to-be-identified signal is the echo signal of the sensor S1. If the frequency of the frequency identification channel with the reference frequency of w2-w0 among the multiple down-converted signals of the multiple frequency identification channels of the sensor S1 is zero frequency, the frequency of the to-be-identified signal is w2 / 2π, and the to-be-identified signal is the echo signal of the sensor S2.

[0137] In some other embodiments of the present disclosure, each of the multiple frequency identification channels further comprises a channel filter. The channel filter is coupled to the correlator and is configured to filter one of the multiple down-converted signals output by the correlator based on the cutoff frequency of the channel filter, so as to take the channel with an output result (for example, the amplitude of the output signal is greater than a set threshold, or the frequency of the output signal is zero frequency) among the multiple frequency identification channels as the object frequency identification channel. This method directly determines the to-be-identified signal according to the channel with an output result, and thus does not require further identification processing by the ECU, reduces the processing pressure of the ECU, and is easy to identify.

[0138] In Figure 4B which, the correlator is further configured to extract an envelope based on the in-phase branch (I branch) signal and the quadrature branch (Q branch) signal. The in-phase branch (I branch) signal and the quadrature branch (Q branch) signal correspond to the real part and the imaginary part of a complex number respectively, and the envelope is the modulus of the complex number, reflecting the amplitude variation of the echo signal. For example, the correlator Corr1 performs modulus calculation on the in-phase branch (I branch) signal and the quadrature branch (Q branch) signal filtered by the filter L, to obtain the envelope; similarly, the correlator Corr2 performs modulus calculation on the in-phase branch (I branch) signal and the quadrature branch (Q branch) signal filtered by the filter L, to obtain the envelope. Therefore, the to-be-identified signal can be determined based on the amplitude of the echo signal.

[0139] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a signal identification unit provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0140] As Figure 5 shown, in addition to including the correlator Corr1 and the signal generator ref1, the frequency identification channel 418 also includes a filter 51 coupled with the correlator Corr1; in addition to including the correlator Corr2 and the signal generator ref2, the frequency identification channel 428 also includes a filter 52 coupled with the correlator Corr2.

[0141] The plurality of down-converted signals output by the correlator are filtered based on the cutoff frequency of the channel filter 51. The channel filter 51 is a low-pass filter, and the cutoff frequency is between 0 and a minimum frequency difference value, where the minimum frequency difference value refers to the minimum value of the difference between the frequency of each of the plurality of preset carrier signals other than the target preset carrier signal and the frequency of the target preset carrier signal, and the target preset carrier signal is the preset carrier signal corresponding to the frequency identification channel where the low-pass filter is located.

[0142] For example, the frequencies of the plurality of preset carrier signals are w1 / 2π and w2 / 2π described above, the frequency of the preset carrier signal corresponding to the frequency identification channel 418 where the low-pass filter is located is w1 / 2π, the frequency of the target preset carrier signal is w1 / 2π, and the frequencies of the other preset carrier signals are w2 / 2π, so the minimum frequency difference value is (w2- w1) / 2π.

[0143] The cutoff frequency of the channel filter 51 is between 0 and the minimum value of (w2- w1) / 2π, so the channel filter 51 can filter out the down-converted signal with a frequency of (w2- w1) / 2π, so that the signal identification unit only outputs the signal with a cutoff frequency of 0, and thus the preset carrier signal corresponding to the frequency identification channel with the output result is the object carrier signal, i.e., the to-be-identified signal is the preset carrier signal corresponding to the frequency identification channel with the output result.

[0144] If the plurality of preset carrier frequencies include w 12 / 2π, w 22 / 2π, w 23 / 2π, etc. in addition to w 12 1 / 2π and w 22 2 / 2π, then the minimum frequency difference value for the filter 51 is the minimum value of (w 23 2- w

[0145] Similarly, for the frequency identification channel 428, if the frequency of the preset carrier signal corresponding to the frequency identification channel 428 is w 12 2 / 2π, then the frequency of the target preset carrier signal is w 22 2 / 2π, and the frequencies of the other preset carrier signals are w 23 1 / 2π, then the minimum frequency difference value for the filter 52 is the minimum value of (w 12 1- w 22 2 / 2π, (w 23 1- w

[0146] In the example of Figure 4B , the mixer 405 does not directly down-convert the carrier signal to zero frequency, but down-converts it to a low frequency, and the correlator Corr1 and the correlator Corr2 perform feature frequency demodulation to correlate the low-frequency signal with different target signals, thereby identifying different signal sources.

[0147] For example, in the application scenario of Figure 2A or Figure 2B , the carrier signal transmitted by the sensor S1 is: , the echo signal of the carrier transmitted by the sensor S1 after reflection by the target is: , the carrier signal transmitted by the sensor S2 is: , and the echo signal of the carrier transmitted by the sensor S2 after reflection by the target is: At the receiving end, the signal source identification is achieved through the following two steps.

[0148] Step 1: Down-convert the echo signal to a low frequency. The reference frequency for down-conversion is set to ; after down-conversion of the echo signal of the signal transmitted by the sensor S1: ; after down-conversion of the echo signal of the signal transmitted by the sensor S2: .

[0149] Step 2: correlation detection by using a correlator. The reference frequency selected for the first frequency identification channel is / 2π, when the signal of sensor S1 enters the first frequency identification channel:

[0150] ; after filtering, the signal is ;

[0151] When the signal of sensor S2 enters the RX1 channel: ; after filtering, the signal is .

[0152] When and are properly selected (for example, the difference between and is close to or equal to π / 2), is much greater than , that is: Thus, the detection of the signal of sensor S1 is realized. The reference frequency selected for the second frequency identification channel is , and the same conclusion is obtained.

[0153] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides an electronic device comprising the chip provided by any of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device can identify a signal source.

[0154] Figure 6 A block diagram of a probe 600 is shown, which is provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0155] As shown in Figure 6 , the probe 600 comprises a sensor chip 602 and an ultrasonic transducer 601 provided by any of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0156] The probe can identify a signal source, so that carrier signals of multiple frequencies can be transmitted at the same time, improving the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0157] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic transducer is further configured to transmit a first carrier signal of a first frequency or a second carrier signal of a second frequency. In this embodiment, the probe can not only receive a return signal but also transmit a carrier signal, thereby enriching the functions of the probe.

[0158] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the number of ultrasonic transducers 601 in the probe 600 is multiple, and the multiple ultrasonic transducers 601 transmit multiple preset carrier signals, and the multiple preset carrier signals comprise signals of at least two frequencies.

[0159] In at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, the ultrasonic transducer 601 and the sensor chip 602 can be packaged in a miniature metal or high-strength engineering plastic shell to form an embedded ultrasonic ranging probe, such as a reversing radar probe, so as to be integrated on an electronic device, such as a vehicle (e.g., a sedan, a truck, a car, etc.). For example, the ultrasonic transducer 601 and the sensor chip 602 can also be packaged in a mechanical arm joint or an end effector of a mobile mechanical device, such as an industrial robot.

[0160] For example, a car can include two, three, or more probes (e.g., reversing radar, etc.), which are packaged with the sensor chip provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiple probes emit preset carrier signals of multiple frequencies, and source identification is performed according to the echo signals of the emitted preset carrier signals for positioning or other purposes.

[0161] For details of the probe, please refer to the description of the chip above.

[0162] The probe can be installed in an electronic device, which includes an input device such as a touch screen, a touchpad, a keyboard, a mouse, a camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, etc.; an output device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a speaker, a vibrator, etc.; a storage device such as a magnetic tape, a hard disk, etc.; and a communication device. The communication device can allow the electronic device to communicate with other electronic devices wirelessly or by wire to exchange data.

[0163] A block diagram of a control chip provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The control chip is coupled to the probe described above, for example, to process the indication information provided by the probe to identify the echo signals and thus locate the obstacles.

[0164] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a control chip 700 provided by at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As shown, the control chip 700 includes a control unit 701, a receiving unit 702, and a positioning unit 703. Figure 7

[0165] The control unit 701 is configured to configure a first probe and a second probe in at least one probe to simultaneously transmit first carrier signals and second carrier signals of different frequencies, respectively. One or more of the first probe and the second probe can be the probe provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0166] The receiving unit 702 is configured to receive indication information from any probe in the at least one probe, which indicates whether the first echo signal or the second echo signal exists in the echo signal, the first echo signal being generated by reflecting the first carrier signal on a target object, and the second echo signal being generated by reflecting the second carrier signal on the target object.

[0167] ​The positioning unit 703 is configured to determine the position of the target object based on the indication information.

[0168] The control chip can realize source identification, so that carrier signals of multiple frequencies can be transmitted simultaneously, improving the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0169] For example, the control chip 700 is, for example, an ECU as described in the foregoing embodiments. The control unit 701 is configured to configure the frequencies of the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal transmitted by the first probe and the second probe respectively at the same time. For example, the frequency of the carrier signal transmitted by the first probe is configured to be 55 kHz, and the frequency of the carrier signal transmitted by the second probe is configured to be 50 kHz. The first probe and the second probe each include a sensor chip provided by any of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1C The receiving unit 702 receives, for example, indication information output by the first frequency identification channel and the second frequency identification channel in the sensor chip in the first probe or the second probe. For the indication information, please refer to the foregoing description.

[0170] The positioning unit 703 positions the target object according to the positioning method described above based on the indication information, for example.

[0171] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a signal identification method. The signal identification method comprises: receiving a return signal; converting the return signal to a first converted signal through a first frequency identification channel, and converting the return signal to a second converted signal through a second frequency identification channel; generating indication information for indicating whether a first return signal exists in the return signal based on the first converted signal, the first return signal being generated by a first carrier signal of a first frequency being reflected by a target object; generating indication information for indicating whether a second return signal exists in the return signal based on the second converted signal, the second return signal being generated by a second carrier signal of a second frequency being reflected by the target object, the first frequency and the second frequency being different. The signal identification method realizes source identification, so that carrier signals of multiple frequencies can be transmitted simultaneously, improving the efficiency of the positioning function.

[0172] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first frequency identification channel includes a first frequency converter, and the second frequency identification channel includes a second frequency converter. The converting the return signal to the first converted signal through the first frequency identification channel, and the converting the return signal to the second converted signal through the second frequency identification channel, comprises: converting the return signal to the first converted signal based on a first reference signal through the first frequency converter; and converting the return signal to the second converted signal based on a second reference signal through the second frequency converter.

[0173]

[0174] ​In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first frequency converter converts the echo signal based on the first reference signal to obtain a first frequency conversion signal, including: converting the echo signal based on a reference signal of a reference frequency to obtain a third frequency conversion signal of a third frequency, the third frequency conversion signal having a frequency greater than 0; and converting the third frequency conversion signal based on the first reference signal to obtain the first frequency conversion signal. The second frequency converter converts the echo signal based on the second reference signal to obtain a second frequency conversion signal, including: converting the third frequency conversion signal based on the second reference signal to obtain the second frequency conversion signal.

[0175] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the method further includes: generating a first reference signal of a first reference frequency and a second reference signal of a second reference frequency.

[0176] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first reference frequency is obtained based on a first frequency and a reference frequency, and the second reference frequency is obtained based on a second frequency and the reference frequency.

[0177] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the indication information for indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal is generated based on the first frequency conversion signal, and the indication information for indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal is generated based on the second frequency conversion signal, including: generating a first envelope based on the first frequency conversion signal, the first envelope including the indication information for indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; and generating a second envelope based on the second frequency conversion signal, the second envelope including the indication information for indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal. It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, each step of the signal identification method corresponds to each unit of the sensor chip described above, and the specific steps of the signal identification method can be referred to the related description of each unit of the chip, which will not be described here. The components and structures of each chip described above are only exemplary and not limiting, and the chip can also include other components and structures as needed.

[0178] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a positioning method. The signal identification method includes:

[0179] The control chip configures a first probe and a second probe in the at least one probe to simultaneously transmit a first carrier signal and a second carrier signal with different frequencies, respectively, wherein the first probe or the second probe is the probe as described in any of the preceding embodiments. The control chip receives indication information from any probe in the at least one probe for indicating whether a first echo signal or a second echo signal exists in an echo signal, the first echo signal being generated by reflection of the first carrier signal on a target object, and the second echo signal being generated by reflection of the second carrier signal on the target object. The control chip determines the position of the target object based on the indication information.

[0180] At least one embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device including a processor and a memory including one or more computer program instructions. The one or more computer program instructions, when executed by the processor, perform the signal processing method or the positioning method provided by any embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0181] Figure 8A A schematic block diagram of an electronic device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. As shown, the electronic device 900 includes a processor 910 and a memory 920. The memory 920 is configured to store non-transitory computer-readable instructions (e.g., one or more computer program modules). The processor 910 is configured to execute the non-transitory computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processor 910, can perform one or more steps of the above methods. The memory 920 and the processor 910 can be interconnected by a bus system and / or other forms of connection mechanism (not shown). Figure 8A

[0182] For example, the processor 910 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or other forms of processing units having data processing and / or program executing capabilities. For example, the central processing unit (CPU) can be of X86 or ARM architecture, etc. The processor 910 can be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor, and can control other components in the electronic device 900 to perform desired functions.

[0183] For example, the memory 920 can include any combination of one or more computer program products, which can include various forms of computer-readable storage media, for example, volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. For example, the volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM), cache memory, and / or the like. The non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), USB memory, flash memory, and / or the like. One or more computer program modules can be stored on the computer-readable storage media, and the processor 910 can execute the one or more computer program modules to implement various functions of the electronic device 900. Various application programs and various data used and / or generated by the application programs can also be stored in the computer-readable storage media.

[0184] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the specific functions and technical effects of the electronic device 900 can refer to the description of the above methods, which will not be described here.

[0185] Figure 8B ​Another schematic block diagram of an electronic device is provided for some embodiments of the present disclosure. The electronic device 1000 is suitable for implementing the above-described method provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, for example. The electronic device 1000 can be a terminal device or the like. It should be noted that Figure 8B The electronic device 1000 shown is merely an example, which does not bring any limitation to the functions and usage scope of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0186] As shown in Figure 8B The electronic device 1000 can include a processing apparatus (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, or the like) 1010, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to programs stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 1020 or loaded from a storage apparatus 1080 to a random access memory (RAM) 1030. Various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 1000 are also stored in the RAM 1030. The processing apparatus 1010, the ROM 1020, and the RAM 1030 are connected to each other through a bus 1040. An input / output (I / O) interface 1050 is also connected to the bus 1040.

[0187] Generally, the following apparatuses can be connected to the I / O interface 1050: input apparatuses 1060 including, for example, a touch screen, a touch pad, a keyboard, a mouse, a camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or the like; output apparatuses 1070 including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a speaker, a vibrator, or the like; storage apparatuses 1080 including, for example, a magnetic tape, a hard disk, or the like; and communication apparatuses 1090. The communication apparatuses 1090 can allow the electronic device 1000 to perform wireless or wired communication with other electronic devices to exchange data. Although Figure 8B The electronic device 1000 is shown with various apparatuses, but it should be understood that it is not required to implement or have all of the shown apparatuses, and the electronic device 1000 can instead implement or have more or less apparatuses.

[0188] For example, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the above-described method can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure include a computer program product comprising a computer program carried on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising program code for performing the above-described method. In such embodiments, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network through the communication apparatuses 1090, or installed from the storage apparatuses 1080, or installed from the ROM 1020. When the computer program is executed by the processing apparatus 1010, the functions defined in the method provided by embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0189] For the present disclosure, the following points need to be explained:

[0190] (1) In the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure, only the structures involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are involved, and other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0191] (2) In the case of no conflict, the features in the same embodiment and different embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0192] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present disclosure without creative labor, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A sensor chip, comprising: a carrier signal receiving unit configured to receive a return signal; a signal identifying unit comprising a first frequency identifying channel and a second frequency identifying channel, wherein the first frequency identifying channel is configured to convert the return signal to a first converted signal, and the second frequency identifying channel is configured to convert the return signal to a second converted signal, the signal identifying unit is configured to: generate, based on the first converted signal, indication information indicating whether a first return signal exists in the return signal, and generate, based on the second converted signal, indication information indicating whether a second return signal exists in the return signal, wherein the first return signal is generated by a first carrier signal of a first frequency being reflected by a target object, the second return signal is generated by a second carrier signal of a second frequency being reflected by the target object, and the first frequency is different from the second frequency.

2. The sensor chip of claim 1, wherein, the first frequency identifying channel comprises a first frequency converter, and the first frequency identifying channel is configured to convert, by the first frequency converter, the return signal to the first converted signal based on a first reference signal; the second frequency identifying channel comprises a second frequency converter, and the second frequency identifying channel is configured to convert, by the second frequency converter, the return signal to the second converted signal based on a second reference signal.

3. The sensor chip of claim 2, wherein, the first frequency identifying channel further comprises a return signal processing unit, the return signal processing unit is configured to convert, based on a reference signal of a reference frequency, the return signal to a third converted signal of a third frequency, and the third frequency is greater than 0, the first frequency converter is configured to convert, based on the first reference signal, the third converted signal to the first converted signal.

4. The sensor chip of claim 3, wherein, the second frequency identifying channel further comprises the return signal processing unit, the second frequency converter is configured to convert, based on the second reference signal, the third converted signal to the second converted signal.

5. The sensor chip of claim 3, wherein, the signal identifying unit further comprises a signal generator, the signal generator is configured to generate the first reference signal of a first reference frequency and the second reference signal of a second reference frequency.

6. The sensor chip of claim 5, wherein, the first reference frequency is based on the first frequency and the reference frequency, and the second reference frequency is based on the second frequency and the reference frequency.

7. The sensor chip according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, the signal identifying unit is configured to: generate a first envelope based on the first converted signal, the first envelope comprising the indication information indicating whether the first return signal exists in the return signal; and generate a second envelope based on the second converted signal, the second envelope comprising the indication information indicating whether the second return signal exists in the return signal.

8. The sensor chip of claim 7, wherein, the first frequency identifying channel comprises a first filter configured to filter the first converted signal to generate the first envelope, the second frequency identifying channel comprises a second filter configured to filter the second converted signal to generate the second envelope.

9. The sensor chip of claim 7, wherein, the signal identifying unit is further configured to: processing the first envelope to obtain an amplitude or a frequency of the first echo signal, the amplitude or the frequency of the first echo signal comprising indication information indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; processing the second envelope to obtain an amplitude or a frequency of the second echo signal, the amplitude or the frequency of the second echo signal comprising indication information indicating whether the second echo signal exists in the echo signal.

10. A probe comprising: an ultrasonic transducer and the sensor chip of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the carrier signal receiving unit, and is configured to receive the echo signal and provide the echo signal to the carrier signal receiving unit.

11. The probe of claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is further configured to transmit a first carrier signal of the first frequency or a second carrier signal of the second frequency.

12. A control chip, comprising: a control unit configured to configure a first probe and a second probe in at least one probe to transmit a first carrier signal and a second carrier signal of different frequencies at the same time, respectively, wherein the first probe or the second probe is the probe of claim 10 or 11; a receiving unit configured to receive indication information from any one of the at least one probe, the indication information indicating whether a first echo signal or a second echo signal exists in an echo signal, the first echo signal being generated by reflection of the first carrier signal on a target object, and the second echo signal being generated by reflection of the second carrier signal on the target object; and a positioning unit configured to determine a position of the target object based on the indication information.

13. The control chip of claim 12, wherein the control chip determines the position of the target object based on the indication information, comprising: the control chip determines that the first echo signal and the second echo signal exist in the echo signal based on the indication information, and obtains a distance between the target object and the first probe and a distance between the target object and the second probe based on the first echo signal and the second echo signal; the control chip determines the position of the target object based on the distance between the target object and the first probe and the distance between the target object and the second probe.

14. A positioning system, comprising the probe of claim 10 or 11 and the control chip of claim 12 or 13.

15. A signal identification method, comprising: receiving an echo signal; converting the echo signal to a first converted signal through a first frequency identification channel, and converting the echo signal to a second converted signal through a second frequency identification channel; generating indication information indicating whether a first echo signal exists in the echo signal based on the first converted signal; generating indication information indicating whether a second echo signal exists in the echo signal based on the second converted signal, The first echo signal is generated by the reflection of a first carrier signal at a first frequency by the target object, and the second echo signal is generated by the reflection of a second carrier signal at a second frequency by the target object. The first frequency and the second frequency are different.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The first frequency identification channel includes a first frequency converter, and the second frequency identification channel includes a second frequency converter. The method includes converting the echo signal through a first frequency identification channel to obtain a first frequency-converted signal, and converting the echo signal through a second frequency identification channel to obtain a second frequency-converted signal, comprising: The first frequency-converted signal is obtained by converting the echo signal based on the first reference signal using the first frequency converter. The second frequency converter performs frequency conversion on the echo signal based on the second reference signal to obtain the second frequency conversion signal.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first frequency-converted signal is obtained by frequency conversion of the echo signal based on the first reference signal using the first frequency converter, comprising: Based on a reference signal with a reference frequency, the echo signal is frequency-converted to obtain a third frequency signal with a third frequency, wherein the frequency of the third frequency signal is greater than 0. as well as The first frequency-converted signal is obtained by converting the third frequency-converted signal based on the first reference signal. The second frequency-converted signal is obtained by converting the echo signal based on the second reference signal using the second frequency converter, including: The second frequency-converted signal is obtained by converting the third frequency-converted signal based on the second reference signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein, The method involves generating indication information based on the first frequency conversion signal to indicate whether a first echo signal exists in the echo signal, and generating indication information based on the second frequency conversion signal to indicate whether a second echo signal exists in the echo signal, including: generating a first envelope based on the first frequency conversion signal, wherein the first envelope includes indication information for indicating whether the first echo signal exists in the echo signal; A second envelope is generated based on the second frequency conversion signal, and the second envelope includes indication information for indicating whether a second echo signal exists in the echo signal.

19. A positioning method, comprising: The first probe and the second probe in at least one probe are configured to simultaneously transmit a first carrier signal and a second carrier signal with different frequencies, wherein the first probe or the second probe is the probe as described in claim 10; Receive indication information from any of the at least one probe, indicating the presence of a first echo signal or a second echo signal in the echo signal, wherein the first echo signal is generated by the reflection of the first carrier signal after passing through the target object, and the second echo signal is generated by the reflection of the second carrier signal after passing through the target object; and Based on the indicated information, the location of the target object is determined.

20. An electronic device, comprising: processor; as well as Memory, which includes one or more computer program instructions; The one or more computer program instructions are executed by the processor according to any one of claims 15 to 19.

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