Ultrasonic ranging chip, ultrasonic ranging method, and device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an ultrasonic ranging chip, an ultrasonic ranging method and equipment. The ultrasonic ranging chip comprises an arbitrary frequency generator and a signal processing circuit. The arbitrary frequency generator is configured to store a wave emission mode, generate a wave emission driving signal based on the wave emission mode, and act the wave emission driving signal on the signal processing circuit, wherein the wave emission mode is a wave emission mode of an arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency; the signal processing circuit is configured to process the wave emission driving signal, the wave emission driving signal being used to generate an ultrasonic signal, and the signal processing circuit is further configured to receive a return signal and detect based on the return signal. The ultrasonic ranging chip improves the performance of the ultrasonic ranging chip and expands the application scenarios of the ultrasonic ranging chip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to an ultrasonic ranging chip, an ultrasonic ranging method, and an apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In automotive applications, such as traditional gasoline-powered vehicles and new energy vehicles, as well as automated guided vehicles (AGVs) like robotic vacuum cleaners and logistics robots, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like consumer drones and performance array drones, ultrasonic ranging sensors are frequently used. These typically consist of an ultrasonic ranging chip and an ultrasonic transducer. For example, in the automotive field, ultrasonic ranging sensors can be used for parking assistance, blind spot monitoring, automatic parking, and low-speed emergency braking. Summary of the Invention

[0003] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides an ultrasonic ranging chip, including an arbitrary frequency generator and a signal processing circuit. The arbitrary frequency generator is configured to store a wave emission mode, generate a wave emission drive signal based on the wave emission mode, and apply the wave emission drive signal to the signal processing circuit. The wave emission mode includes a wave emission mode with an arbitrary configurable wave emission frequency. The signal processing circuit is configured to process the wave emission drive signal, which is used to generate an ultrasonic signal. The signal processing circuit is also configured to receive an echo signal and perform detection based on the echo signal.

[0004] For example, in the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the arbitrary frequency generator includes: a storage module configured to store the wave emission mode; and a controller configured to read the wave emission mode from the storage module and generate the wave emission drive signal based on the wave emission mode.

[0005] For example, in the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the storage module includes a register and / or a memory, and in the case where the storage module includes both the register and the memory, the emission mode is stored in the memory and read from the memory into the register.

[0006] For example, at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in this disclosure further includes: a control unit configured to generate the wave emission pattern and write the wave emission pattern into the storage module.

[0007] For example, at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in this disclosure further includes: a write interface configured to receive the emission mode written externally and store the emission mode in the storage module.

[0008] For example, in the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the wave emission mode includes a wave emission sequence, wherein the wave emission sequence includes a plurality of predefined frequency control values, each of the predefined frequency control values ​​being associated with a sequence index.

[0009] For example, in the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the controller is further configured to load the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index based on a clock signal to generate the wave emission drive signal, wherein the arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency is a time-arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency.

[0010] For example, in the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the controller is further configured to load the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate the wave emission drive signal based on pulse emission, wherein the arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency is an arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency based on the pulse sequence number.

[0011] For example, in the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure, the signal processing circuit includes: a driving circuit configured to generate a power driving signal based on the wave emission driving signal and to send the power driving signal, wherein the power driving signal is used to generate the ultrasonic signal; and a signal conversion circuit configured to receive the echo signal and to perform detection based on the echo signal.

[0012] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides an ultrasonic ranging method, comprising: acquiring a stored emission pattern, wherein the emission pattern includes emission patterns with arbitrary configurable emission frequencies; generating an emission drive signal based on the emission pattern; generating an ultrasonic signal based on the emission drive signal; receiving an echo signal; and performing detection based on the echo signal.

[0013] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a device including the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in any embodiment of this disclosure.

[0014] For example, the device provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure further includes: an ultrasonic transducer configured to receive a power drive signal from the ultrasonic ranging chip to generate an ultrasonic signal, and to receive the reflected ultrasonic signal to obtain an echo signal. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1A Here are some schematic diagrams of wave generation modes;

[0017] Figure 1B A schematic diagram illustrating a wave transmission mode provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic ranging chip provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of another ultrasonic ranging chip provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4A A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of an arbitrary frequency generator provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4B A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of another arbitrary frequency generator provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic flowchart illustrating an ultrasonic ranging method provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a device provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a device provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure; and

[0025] Figure 8 A schematic block diagram of another device provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the described embodiments. Rather, it is intended to cover variations, modifications, and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. It should be noted that the method operations described herein can be implemented by any functional block or functional arrangement, and any functional block or functional arrangement can be implemented as a physical entity or a logical entity, or a combination of both.

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand this disclosure, the disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] Note that the examples described below are merely specific examples and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the specific shapes, hardware, connections, operations, values, conditions, data, sequences, etc., shown and described. Those skilled in the art can utilize the concepts of this disclosure to construct further embodiments not mentioned herein by reading this specification.

[0029] The terminology used in this disclosure is that which is currently widely used in the art in consideration of the functionality of this disclosure; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent, precedent, or new technology of those skilled in the art. Furthermore, specific terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their detailed meanings will be described in the detailed description of this disclosure. Therefore, the terminology used in this specification should not be construed as simple names, but rather based on the meaning of the terms and the overall description of this disclosure.

[0030] This disclosure uses flowcharts to illustrate the operations performed by the system according to embodiments of this application. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed in exact order. Instead, various steps can be processed in reverse order or simultaneously, as needed. Furthermore, other operations can be added to these processes, or one or more steps can be removed from them.

[0031] Ultrasonic ranging technology measures distance based on the physical propagation characteristics of ultrasonic waves. It measures distance by measuring the time difference (Time of Flight, ToF) between the emission of an ultrasonic signal and its reflection from the target object and its reception.

[0032] During operation, the ultrasonic transducer within the ultrasonic ranging sensor vibrates mechanically under the excitation of a drive signal, emitting ultrasonic waves (mechanical waves) within a certain frequency range into the air. The ultrasonic waves propagate through the air at a calculable speed of sound, and upon encountering the target object, some of the energy is reflected back to the sensor. The ultrasonic transducer converts the reflected sound waves into electrical signals. The system calculates the target distance by precisely timing the time interval between the transmitted pulse and the received echo, combined with the speed of sound (distance = speed of sound × time difference / 2). In this process, the transmission pattern, as the underlying strategy for signal generation, directly determines the performance boundaries and scene adaptability of the ultrasonic ranging system.

[0033] Figure 1A These are schematic diagrams of some wave generation modes. For example... Figure 1AAs shown in (a), ultrasonic ranging often employs a single-frequency fixed-frequency transmission mode, where the ultrasonic transducer continuously emits short pulses at a fixed frequency. While this mode is simple to implement, its energy is concentrated in a narrow frequency band, making it highly susceptible to interference from ambient noise (such as neighboring vehicle radar or mechanical vibrations). Furthermore, multiple sensors must operate in a time-sharing manner to avoid signal crosstalk, resulting in an excessively high system refresh rate that fails to meet real-time sensing requirements.

[0034] As the requirements for ranging accuracy and reliability increase, the wave generation mode is gradually evolving towards a multi-dimensional spectrum. Figure 1A Images (b) and (c) illustrate the sweep frequency mode and modulation mode, respectively, which optimize the signal by dynamically changing the frequency of the transmitted ultrasonic wave. In the sweep frequency mode, the frequency of the transmitted signal changes continuously over time (e.g., linearly increasing or nonlinearly modulating), forming a wide-bandwidth acoustic signal. The modulation mode superimposes a specific coded sequence onto the fundamental carrier frequency to identify echo signals that highly match the transmitted code. While both sweep frequency and modulation modes can improve the multi-transmitter / multi-receive capability and anti-interference ability in ultrasonic ranging, they are still limited and fixed transmission modes, making them difficult to fully match high-performance ultrasonic transducers.

[0035] With the improvement of the performance of ultrasonic transducers, more wave transmission modes can be used on ultrasonic transducers. At the same time, with the continuous optimization of ranging algorithms, more uncommon wave transmission modes are also being used.

[0036] This disclosure provides at least one embodiment of an ultrasonic ranging chip, an ultrasonic ranging method, and an apparatus.

[0037] The ultrasonic ranging chip includes an arbitrary frequency generator and a signal processing circuit. The arbitrary frequency generator is configured to store a wave emission mode, generate a wave emission drive signal based on the wave emission mode, and apply the wave emission drive signal to the signal processing circuit. The wave emission mode is a wave emission mode with an arbitrary configurable wave emission frequency. The signal processing circuit is configured to process the wave emission drive signal, which is used to generate an ultrasonic signal. The signal processing circuit is also configured to receive an echo signal and perform detection based on the echo signal.

[0038] The ultrasonic ranging method includes: acquiring a stored emission pattern, wherein the emission pattern includes emission patterns with arbitrary configurable emission frequencies; generating an emission drive signal based on the emission pattern; generating an ultrasonic signal based on the emission drive signal; receiving an echo signal; and performing detection based on the echo signal.

[0039] This ultrasonic ranging chip and method greatly expand the wave pattern types of ultrasonic ranging sensors by allowing the wave group's transmission frequency to be arbitrarily set. This provides users with the possibility of arbitrary frequency-based encoding, thereby expanding the types of ultrasonic transducers that the chip can support. It also provides support for new encoding modes that may emerge in the future, improving the performance of the ultrasonic ranging chip and expanding its application scenarios.

[0040] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments.

[0041] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram illustrating a wave transmission mode provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. For example... Figure 1B As shown in (a) and (b), the transmission mode of this embodiment can be a transmission mode with any configurable transmission frequency. For example, as Figure 1B As shown in (a), the emission frequency can be arbitrarily configurable based on time, and is not limited to one or more fixed emission modes (e.g., fixed frequency mode, chirped mode, etc.) or simple combinations thereof; for example, within a single transmission cycle, the system can dynamically generate an ultrasonic signal of a certain frequency at any time based on time, forming a continuously variable frequency signal. For example, the emission mode of this arbitrarily configurable emission frequency can be randomly configured based on time; for example, the ultrasonic ranging chip of this embodiment can operate using different emission modes at different points in time during operation. For example, as Figure 1B As shown in (b), the transmission frequency can be arbitrarily configured based on the pulse sequence number. That is, each independent transmitted pulse (or sub-pulse in a pulse sequence) can be assigned a different carrier frequency or modulation characteristics, forming a signal with discrete spectral characteristics. The specific generation method of the above transmission mode will be described later.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic block diagram of an ultrasonic ranging chip provided for at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 As shown, the ultrasonic ranging chip 200 includes an arbitrary frequency generator 210 and a signal processing circuit 220.

[0043] The arbitrary frequency generator 210 is configured to store a transmission mode, generate a transmission drive signal based on the transmission mode, and apply the transmission drive signal to the signal processing circuit. For example, the transmission mode includes a transmission mode with an arbitrary configurable transmission frequency. For example, a transmission mode with an arbitrary configurable transmission frequency can be a transmission mode with continuous arbitrary frequency changes without being restricted by a predefined mathematical function pattern. That is, a transmission mode with an arbitrary configurable transmission frequency can refer to a mode in which the instantaneous frequency at any specific moment is not limited by a predefined mathematical function pattern (such as a linear or nonlinear mathematical function), and its variation pattern can be completely random. For another example, the transmission mode can also include any combination of multiple conventional transmission modes, such as fixed frequency, frequency-shift keying (FSK), linear chirp, and nonlinear chirp transmission modes. For example, the transmission mode can be at least one type. For example, the transmission mode can be any transmission mode generated by any configurable transmission frequency, or it can be any combination of a transmission mode generated by any configurable transmission frequency and a conventional transmission mode.

[0044] The signal processing circuit 220 is configured to process a wave-driving signal, for example, a wave-driving signal used to generate an ultrasonic signal. The signal processing circuit 220 is also configured to receive an echo signal and perform detection based on the echo signal. For example, the wave-driving signal can excite an external ultrasonic transducer to generate an ultrasonic signal for detecting an object. For example, the wave-driving signal can be a digital square wave composed of any configurable wave-driving frequency. For example, the ultrasonic signal can be a mechanical longitudinal wave propagating in the air.

[0045] For example, the received echo signal is obtained through ultrasonic signals reflected by the target object. For example, echo-based detection can be a series of signal processing procedures, such as systematically processing the echo signal, extracting useful information, and converting it into a target decision output. For example, the output of echo-based detection can be the generation of an alarm event. For example, the signal processing procedure can capture the echo signal, extract the Time-of-Flight (TOF) time difference, calculate the measured distance, generate an alarm event when the measured distance is lower than a preset threshold, and transmit the alarm event externally. Furthermore, echo-based detection can also include processes such as environmental parameter compensation for the detected TOF time difference.

[0046] Figure 3 A schematic block diagram of another ultrasonic ranging chip provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0047] like Figure 3As shown, the ultrasonic ranging chip 300 includes an arbitrary frequency generator 310, a signal processing circuit 320, a control unit 330, and a write interface 340.

[0048] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the arbitrary frequency generator 310 may include a storage module 311 and a controller 312.

[0049] For example, storage module 311 can be configured to store a waveform generation mode. Controller 312 can be configured to read the waveform generation mode from storage module 311 and generate a waveform generation drive signal based on the waveform generation mode. For example, the arbitrary frequency generator may also include a clock 313. For example, the controller can read the waveform generation mode from the storage module through predefined timing logic and generate a waveform generation drive signal of the corresponding frequency based on the waveform generation mode. For example, the controller can be a digital state machine or a pulse width modulation controller (PWM), etc.

[0050] For example, storage module 311 may include registers and / or memory. That is, the storage module may have three possible configurations: including only registers, including only memory, and including both registers and memory. For example, in the case where the storage module includes both registers and memory, the waveform is stored in memory and read from memory into registers. For example, the memory may be volatile or non-volatile. For example, volatile memory may be Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM), Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM), etc., and non-volatile memory may be Multiple-Time Programmable (MTP) memory, etc.

[0051] For example, the write interface 340 can be configured to receive externally written waveform patterns and store them in the storage module. For example, the externally written waveform pattern could be generated by software calculation and then written to the storage module, such as a memory, via the write interface. For example, the write interface could be a standalone I / O interface, for example, directly connected to the memory control logic via dedicated hardware pins (such as GPIO or parallel ports). Alternatively, the write interface could be integrated into the communication module, for example, written to the memory after protocol parsing.

[0052] For example, the control unit 330 can be configured to generate a wave pattern and write the wave pattern to a storage module. For example, the control unit can be a microcontroller (e.g., a microcontroller unit (MCU)), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. For example, the control unit can be integrated on an ultrasonic ranging chip to calculate and generate the wave pattern in real time and write it to the storage module. For example, after the control unit generates the wave pattern, the wave pattern can be written directly to a register, or it can be written to memory first and then to a register.

[0053] For example, such as Figure 3 As shown, the signal processing circuit 320 may include a driving circuit 321 and a signal conversion circuit 322.

[0054] The driving circuit 321 can be configured to generate a power driving signal based on the wave-generating driving signal, and transmit the power driving signal to generate an ultrasonic signal. For example, the driving circuit can receive and parse the digital logic of the wave-generating driving signal, such as configuring parameters like frequency and pulse width, to generate a high-voltage power driving signal. For example, the power driving signal can be transmitted to an external ultrasonic generator to excite the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric transducer in the ultrasonic generator, and can match the impedance of the resonant cavity in the ultrasonic generator with the operating frequency, thereby generating an ultrasonic signal.

[0055] The signal conversion circuit 322 can be configured to receive echo signals and perform detection based on the echo signals. For example, the echo signals can come from outside the chip. For instance, after an ultrasonic signal is generated and reflected by the target object after a period of time, it will return to the ultrasonic transducer to form an echo signal. At this time, the echo signal can be transmitted to the signal conversion circuit in the ultrasonic ranging chip, so that the chip can perform further detection based on the echo signal.

[0056] Figure 4A A schematic diagram of the operation of an arbitrary frequency generator provided for at least one embodiment of this disclosure, and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram of another arbitrary frequency generator provided for at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Two methods for generating wave drive signals based on wave transmission patterns are described: one based on changing the wave transmission frequency over time, and the other based on changing the wave transmission frequency through pulse transmission. For example... Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown in the figure, the correspondence between the wave generation mode, the frequency of the wave generation drive signal, and the voltage / current values ​​is illustrated.

[0058] For example, such as Figure 4Aand Figure 4B As shown, the diagram comprises three parts. For example, the top represents the waveform mode, which can be stored in memory / registers. For example, the middle waveform shows the change in the level state (I / V) of the waveform drive signal over time or pulse number; here, the waveform drive signal is represented by a square wave signal. For example, the bottom waveform shows the change in the waveform frequency over time or pulse number, corresponding to the state change of the waveform drive signal.

[0059] For example, a broadcast pattern can be implemented using a broadcast sequence. For example, a broadcast sequence can include multiple predefined frequency control values, where each predefined frequency control value is associated with a sequence index. For example, each predefined frequency control value can have a one-to-one correspondence with a sequence index. For example, as... Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the transmission sequence is Freq[0]~Freq

[127] , where Freq[0]~Freq

[127] represents multiple predefined frequency control values, and 0~127 are the sequence indices corresponding to the predefined frequency control values. For example, the transmission mode can also be a phase-coded sequence, pulse width modulation mode, etc.

[0060] For example, such as Figure 4A As shown, the emission sequences Freq[0]~Freq

[127] can indicate the emission frequency after a certain time interval. That is, the emission sequence defines the time interval of frequency change, i.e., the emission frequency can be updated according to the time interval (e.g., every fixed time period). The time interval can be configured according to the application requirements of the ultrasonic ranging chip, such as the scenario of required ranging or the power consumption of the chip itself. The update of the sequence index is based on a time event (such as a clock signal), and a new predefined frequency control value is loaded at the end of the time interval. During this period, multiple pulses may be emitted at the same frequency until the next time interval arrives and the frequency changes. For example, the controller can be configured to load the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate the emission drive signal based on the clock signal. For example, any configurable emission frequency can be any time-based configurable emission frequency. For example, as Figure 4A As shown, Freq[0]~Freq

[127] are stored in registers / memory, representing the wave frequency after a certain period of time. The controller or the central processing unit (CPU) on the chip can read the frequency represented by Freq[X] at the start of the time when Freq[X] starts to work, and emit the wave of the frequency represented by Freq[X].

[0061] For example, such as Figure 4BAs shown, the wave drive signal can be a continuous waveform composed of multiple pulses, and the wave sequence indicates the wave frequency of each or multiple pulses. That is, the wave sequence can define an independent frequency value for each or multiple pulses; the update of the sequence index is based on pulse events (such as the transmission of each or multiple pulses). For example, an interrupt can be triggered after a pulse event, thereby updating the sequence index. For example, the wave sequence can be a one-dimensional array, with each pulse corresponding to a predefined frequency value. Alternatively, the wave sequence can be a two-dimensional array or a structure array, with multiple pulses corresponding to a predefined frequency value; in this case, the number of pulses is configurable. For example, the controller is also configured to load the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate the wave drive signal based on pulse transmission. For example, any configurable wave frequency is any configurable wave frequency based on the pulse sequence number. For example, when each pulse corresponds to a predefined frequency value, the controller loads the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index before each pulse is generated; therefore, the frequency of each pulse may be different. For example, when multiple pulses correspond to a predefined frequency value, the controller loads the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index before the wave group composed of multiple pulses. Therefore, the frequencies of the multiple pulses may be the same. For example, Figure 4B As shown, Freq[0]~Freq

[127] are stored in registers / memory, representing the transmission frequency of each pulse. When the controller or CPU starts at the sequence index where Freq[X] is located, it reads the frequency represented by Freq[X] and transmits the wave of the frequency represented by Freq[X].

[0062] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a time-based or pulse-based arbitrary frequency emission method for ultrasonic ranging chips, enabling support for different emission codes and achieving wider application coverage.

[0063] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating an ultrasonic ranging method provided for at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown, the ultrasonic ranging method provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure includes at least steps S510-S540. For example, this ultrasonic ranging method can be applied to the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in any of the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0065] Step S510: Obtain the stored transmission mode, wherein the transmission mode includes a transmission mode with any configurable transmission frequency.

[0066] Step S520: Generate a wave transmission drive signal based on the wave transmission mode.

[0067] Step S530: Generate an ultrasonic signal based on the wave-driving signal;

[0068] Step S540: Receive the echo signal and perform detection based on the echo signal.

[0069] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, step S510 may further include steps S511-S512.

[0070] Step S511: Store the wave transmission mode in the storage module.

[0071] Step S512: Read the wave transmission mode from the storage module and generate a wave transmission drive signal based on the wave transmission mode.

[0072] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, step S511 may further include: the storage module includes registers and / or memory, and in the case where the storage module includes both registers and memory, the emission mode is stored in the memory and read from the memory into the register.

[0073] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, it may further include: generating a wave pattern and writing the wave pattern into a storage module.

[0074] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, it may further include: receiving an externally written transmission pattern and storing the transmission pattern in a storage module.

[0075] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, step S510 may further include: the wave emission mode includes a wave emission sequence, wherein the wave emission sequence includes a plurality of predefined frequency control values, each predefined frequency control value being associated with a sequence index.

[0076] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, step S520 may further include: loading a predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate a wave transmission drive signal based on a clock signal, wherein the arbitrarily configurable wave transmission frequency is a time-arbitrarily configurable wave transmission frequency.

[0077] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, step S520 may further include: based on pulse emission, loading a predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate a wave emission drive signal, wherein the arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency is an arbitrarily configurable wave emission frequency based on the pulse sequence number.

[0078] For example, in at least one embodiment of the ultrasonic ranging method, step S520 may further include: generating a power driving signal based on a wave driving signal, sending the power driving signal, except that the power driving signal is used to generate an ultrasonic signal; receiving an echo signal from outside the chip, and performing detection based on the echo signal.

[0079] It should be noted that the functions or beneficial effects of each step in the ultrasonic ranging method provided in any embodiment of this disclosure can be found in the description of the ultrasonic ranging chip provided in any embodiment of this disclosure, and will not be repeated here.

[0080] It should also be noted that the execution order of the various steps of the ultrasonic ranging method is not limited in the various embodiments of this disclosure. Although the execution process of each step has been described in a specific order above, this does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this disclosure. The various steps in the ultrasonic ranging method can be executed serially or in parallel, which can be determined according to actual needs.

[0081] For example, compared to the above description, the ultrasonic ranging method provided in at least one embodiment of this disclosure may include more or fewer steps, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0082] Figure 6 This is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus provided for at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] like Figure 6 As shown, the device 600 includes an ultrasonic ranging chip 601. The ultrasonic ranging chip 601 can be any of the ultrasonic ranging chips provided in the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0084] For example, device 600 may also include an ultrasonic transducer 602, which can be configured to receive a power drive signal from ultrasonic ranging chip 601 to generate an ultrasonic signal, and to receive the reflected ultrasonic signal to obtain an echo signal.

[0085] For example, the ultrasonic transducer 602 may include a resonant cavity composed of a transformer, a transducer, and a matching capacitor. For example, the power drive signal generated by the ultrasonic ranging chip 601 generates an ultrasonic signal via the inverse piezoelectric effect. For example, when the emitted ultrasonic signal is reflected by the target object, the echo signal returns to the same ultrasonic transducer, triggering the piezoelectric effect to obtain an echo signal, which is then transmitted to the ultrasonic ranging chip 601.

[0086] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a device provided for at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] like Figure 7 As shown, the device 700 includes an ultrasonic ranging chip 701 and an ultrasonic transducer 702. The ultrasonic ranging chip 701 may include an arbitrary frequency generator 710 and a signal processing circuit. Figure 7 (Not shown in the image), control unit 730 and communication module 740.

[0088] For example, the arbitrary frequency generator 710 may include a storage module 711, a controller 712, and a clock 713. The storage module 711 is connected to the controller 712, and the clock 713 can provide clock drive for the arbitrary frequency generator 710. The storage module 711 may include a memory 7111 and a register 7112, and the memory 7111 may be connected to the register 7112. Figure 7 Path 1 and Path 2 in memory 7111 and register 7112 represent different paths through which the emission mode is read by the controller. For example, the controller 712 can directly read the emission mode from memory 7111 via path 1, or it can first write the emission mode from memory 7111 to register 7112 via path 2 and then perform the read operation.

[0089] For example, the signal processing circuit may include a drive circuit 721, an amplifier 722, an analog-to-digital converter 723, and a digital signal processor 724. For example, the drive circuit 721 is connected to an arbitrary frequency generator 710 and an ultrasonic transducer 702. The amplifier 722 is connected to the ultrasonic transducer 702 and the analog-to-digital converter 723. For example, the amplifier 722 may be configured to amplify the echo signal received from the ultrasonic transducer and transmit the amplified echo signal to the analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter 723 is connected to the amplifier and the digital signal processor. For example, the analog-to-digital converter 723 may be configured to digitize the amplified echo signal to generate a raw echo digital code value and transmit the raw echo digital code value to the digital signal processor 724. The digital signal processor 724 is connected to the analog-to-digital converter 723 and a control unit 730. For example, the digital signal processor 724 may be configured to detect the echo signal based on the echo digital code value, for example, to generate an alarm event or perform other digital signal processing operations.

[0090] The communication module 740 can be connected to the control unit 730. For example, the communication module 740 can be configured to transmit alarm events externally to the chip or to pre-write configuration parameters into the control unit 730. For example, the communication module can be a serial communication port.

[0091] It is important to note that the control unit is optional in the ultrasonic ranging chip. In the absence of a control unit, the communication module can be directly connected to modules such as a digital signal processor.

[0092] The device operates as follows: Controller 712 sends a wave-generating drive signal to drive circuit 721. Drive circuit 721 generates a power drive signal, which is injected into resonant cavity 750, composed of a transformer, ultrasonic transducer, and matching capacitor, to generate an ultrasonic signal. After a period of time, the ultrasonic signal is reflected by the target object and returns to the ultrasonic transducer, forming an echo signal. This echo signal is amplified by amplifier 722 of ultrasonic ranging chip 701 and digitized by analog-to-digital converter 723 to generate the original digital code value of the echo. The original digital code value of the echo is then processed by digital signal processor 724 to generate an alarm event. The alarm event is post-processed (optional module or step) by control unit 730 and the result is transmitted through communication module 740. For example, post-processing can be used to verify the validity of the alarm event. For example, post-processing can introduce parameters such as environmental noise to eliminate alarm events with amplitudes lower than the environmental noise level, thereby reducing the probability of false alarms. Alternatively, post-processing can be set to confirm the alarm event only after N consecutive (N is a positive integer) detection triggers.

[0093] For example, a waveform transmission pattern can be stored in memory 7111, which is written to memory 7111 by the user before controller 712 starts running. When controller 712 starts running, controller 712 reads the waveform transmission pattern from memory 7111 and uses the waveform transmission drive signal generated by the waveform transmission pattern to drive circuit 721. For example, the waveform transmission pattern read from memory 7111 can be directly applied to drive circuit 721 after being read by controller 712 (as shown in path 2), or it can be read by controller 712 into register 7112 and then applied to drive circuit 721 (as shown in path 1).

[0094] The devices provided in at least some embodiments of this disclosure can be electronic or mechanical devices. For example, an ultrasonic ranging chip can be encapsulated in a miniature metal or high-strength engineering plastic housing to form an embedded ultrasonic ranging sensor, such as a reversing radar probe, and thus integrated into a vehicle (e.g., a car, a truck, etc.). As another example, the ultrasonic ranging chip can also be encapsulated in the joint of a robotic arm or the end effector of an actuator in a mobile mechanical device such as an industrial robot.

[0095] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of another device provided in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, which is an electronic device.

[0096] The electronic devices in this disclosure may include mobile terminals such as mobile phones, laptops, digital broadcast receivers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers (PADs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), in-vehicle terminals (e.g., in-vehicle navigation terminals), and fixed terminals such as digital TVs and desktop computers. Figure 8The illustrated electronic device 800 is merely an example and should not impose any limitation on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0097] For example, such as Figure 8 As shown, in some examples, electronic device 800 includes a processor 801 (e.g., a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, etc.), which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in read-only memory (ROM) 802 or a program loaded from storage device 808 into random access memory (RAM) 803. RAM 803 also stores various programs and data required for the operation of the computer system. Processor 801, ROM 802, and RAM 803 are connected via bus 804. Input / output (I / O) interface 805 is also connected to bus 804.

[0098] For example, the following components can be connected to I / O interface 805: input devices 806, including, for example, touchscreens, touchpads, keyboards, mice, cameras, microphones, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc., such as signal input devices, such as ultrasonic ranging chips provided in any of the above embodiments, such as ultrasonic ranging chip 200, ultrasonic ranging chip 300, or ultrasonic ranging chip 701; output devices 807, including, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), speakers, vibrators, etc.; storage devices, including, for example, magnetic tapes, hard disks, etc.; and communication devices 809, such as network interface cards, modems, etc., may also be included. Communication device 809 allows electronic device 800 to communicate wirelessly or wiredly with other devices to exchange data and perform communication processing via a network such as the Internet. Driver 810 is also connected to I / O interface 805 as needed. Removable media 811, such as disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, etc., are installed on driver 810 as needed so that computer programs read from them can be installed into storage devices as needed. Although Figure 8 An electronic device 800 including various devices is shown; however, it should be understood that implementation or inclusion of all shown devices is not required. More or fewer devices may be implemented or included alternatively.

[0099] For example, the electronic device 800 may further include a peripheral interface (not shown in the figure). This peripheral interface can be various types of interfaces, such as a USB interface, a Lightning interface, etc. The communication device 809 can communicate wirelessly with a network and other devices, such as the Internet, an intranet, and / or a wireless network such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN), and / or a metropolitan area network (MAN). Wireless communication can use any of a variety of communication standards, protocols, and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (e.g., based on IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, and / or IEEE 802.11n standards), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, protocols for email, instant messaging, and / or Short Message Service (SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol.

[0100] For example, the electronic device 800 can be any device such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, e-book, game console, television, digital photo frame, navigator, server, etc., or any combination of data processing device and hardware. The embodiments disclosed herein do not limit this.

[0101] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure are within the scope of protection claimed by the present disclosure.

[0102] The following points need to be explained:

[0103] (1) The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure. Other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0104] (2) Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0105] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. The scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic ranging chip, comprising an arbitrary frequency generator and a signal processing circuit, wherein, the arbitrary frequency generator is configured to store a transmit mode, generate a transmit drive signal based on the transmit mode, and apply the transmit drive signal to the signal processing circuit, wherein the transmit mode comprises a transmit mode of an arbitrary configurable transmit frequency; wherein the arbitrary configurable transmit frequency comprises a time-based arbitrary configurable transmit frequency or a pulse sequence number-based arbitrary configurable transmit frequency, and the transmit mode comprises a transmit sequence; wherein the transmit sequence comprises a plurality of predefined frequency control values, each of which is associated with a sequence index; the signal processing circuit is configured to process the transmit drive signal, which is used to generate an ultrasonic signal, and further configured to receive a return signal and detect based on the return signal.

2. The chip of claim 1, wherein, the arbitrary frequency generator comprises: a storage module configured to store the transmit mode; a controller configured to read the transmit mode from the storage module and generate the transmit drive signal based on the transmit mode.

3. The chip of claim 2, wherein, the storage module comprises a register and / or a memory, and in the case that the storage module comprises both the register and the memory, the transmit mode is stored in the memory and read into the register from the memory.

4. The chip of claim 2, further comprising: a control unit configured to generate the transmit mode and write the transmit mode into the storage module.

5. The chip of claim 2, further comprising: a write interface configured to receive the transmit mode written externally and store the transmit mode into the storage module.

6. The chip of claim 2, wherein, the controller is further configured to load the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate the transmit drive signal based on a clock signal, wherein the arbitrary configurable transmit frequency is a time-based arbitrary configurable transmit frequency.

7. The chip of claim 2, wherein, the controller is further configured to load the predefined frequency control value corresponding to the sequence index to generate the transmit drive signal based on a pulse transmission, wherein the arbitrary configurable transmit frequency is a pulse sequence number-based arbitrary configurable transmit frequency.

8. The chip of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, the signal processing circuit comprises: a drive circuit configured to generate a power drive signal based on the transmit drive signal and transmit the power drive signal, wherein the power drive signal is used to generate the ultrasonic signal; a signal conversion circuit configured to receive the return signal and detect based on the return signal.

9. An ultrasonic ranging method, comprising: obtaining a stored transmit mode, wherein the transmit mode comprises a transmit mode of an arbitrary configurable transmit frequency; wherein the arbitrary configurable transmit frequency comprises a time-based arbitrary configurable transmit frequency or a pulse sequence number-based arbitrary configurable transmit frequency, and the transmit mode comprises a transmit sequence; wherein the transmit sequence comprises a plurality of predefined frequency control values, each of which is associated with a sequence index; generating an ultrasound signal based on the launch wave drive signal; generating an ultrasound signal based on the launch wave drive signal; receiving a return signal and detecting based on the return signal.

10. An apparatus comprising the ultrasonic ranging chip of any of claims 1-8.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising: an ultrasonic transducer configured to receive the power drive signal of the ultrasonic ranging chip to generate an ultrasound signal, and to receive a reflected ultrasound signal to obtain a return signal.

Images