Sound wave processing device, sound wave system, and mobile body

Abstract

Identify the distance to the object to be detected and any obstacles that may be detected. [Solution] The controller (11) designates the point where a predetermined first condition is met as the first detection point (Psc1). After a certain period of time (t1) has elapsed since the detection of the first detection point (Psc1), it stops the operation of storing waveform information (Wif) in the waveform information storage units (12, 12A, 12B, 12C). It then generates transmitted waveform information (Wtr, Wtr1, Wtr2, Wtr3, Wtr4, Wtr5, Wtr6, Wtr7) from the waveform information (Wif) stored in the waveform information storage units (12, 12A, 12B, 12C) and transmits it to the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sound wave processing device, and relates to a sound wave system and a moving object.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a sound wave system that measures the distance to an obstacle by generating sound waves and measuring the reflected waves reflected by the obstacle is known. Such a sound wave system is used, for example, in a sound wave sonar provided in a vehicle to measure the inter-vehicle distance (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] [Summary] In the sound wave system as described above, the requirements for identifying the distance to an object and an obstacle are increasing.

[0005] A sound wave processing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure is configured to receive a reflected wave reflected by a detection target of a carrier wave and detect the detection target according to the reflected wave. The sound wave processing device includes a waveform information storage unit configured to store waveform information of the received reflected wave, and a controller configured to operate to store the waveform information in the waveform information storage unit and, when the storage capacity of the waveform information storage unit reaches the upper limit, overwrite the old waveform information with new waveform information. The controller designates a point where a predetermined first condition is achieved as a first detection point, stops the operation of storing the waveform information in the waveform information storage unit after the first detection point is detected and a certain period of time has elapsed, generates transmission waveform information from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit, and has a configuration to transmit the transmission waveform information to the outside.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a sound wave system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows waveform information. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the waveform information writing operation. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for generating and transmitting transmission waveform information. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows the transmitted waveform information generated from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the relative position of the sound wave system and the object to be detected according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle, which is an example of a device that uses a sound wave system.

[0007] [Detailed explanation] An embodiment of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0008] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows a sound wave system 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the sound wave system 100 transmits a carrier wave in the ultrasonic range (referring to a frequency band beyond the range of human hearing, generally 20 kHz or higher) outwards and detects the reflected wave reflected by the object to be detected 600. The sound wave system 100 then measures the object to be detected 600 based on the reflected wave from the transmitted carrier wave. The sound wave system 100 includes a sound wave processing device 1 and a sound wave transmitting and receiving element 2.

[0009] <Sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2> The sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2 is a so-called piezoelectric element. The sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2 has the characteristic of generating mechanical displacement (vibration) in response to a voltage signal applied between its ends, and can transmit a carrier wave WA. In addition, the sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2 has the characteristic of generating an electromotive force between its ends in response to the mechanical displacement (vibration) applied to it. The sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2 can utilize this electromotive force generation characteristic to receive the sound wave SD (see Figure 1), which includes the reflected wave RA reflected by the object to be detected 600. Note that a transmitting element for transmitting sound waves and a receiving element for receiving sound waves may be provided separately.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the sound wave transmitting and receiving element 2 vibrates in response to a drive signal DA from the sound wave driving unit 13 of the sound wave processing device 1 (described later), and transmits a carrier wave WA. The received sound wave SD is supplied as a sound wave signal SSW to the controller 11 of the sound wave processing device 1 (described later).

[0011] <Sound wave processing device 1> The sound wave processing device 1 controls the sound wave system 100 and controls the sound wave drive unit 13 to transmit a carrier wave. The sound wave processing device 1 also stores the waveform information of the sound waves received by the sound wave transmitting and receiving element 2. Then, it generates transmission waveform information based on the waveform information. The sound wave processing device 1 is connected to a network NW.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the acoustic wave processing device 1 includes a controller 11, a waveform information storage unit 12, an acoustic wave driving unit 13, and a connection unit 14. Note that the acoustic wave processing device 1 may be constituted by a single chip, or may be configured by accommodating a plurality of chips in one package.

[0013] The controller 11 is a control circuit that controls the acoustic wave processing device 1. The controller 11 is connected to the waveform information storage unit 12, the acoustic wave driving unit 13, and the connection unit 14, and transmits information or signals to these elements and controls each element. Examples of the controller 11 include, but are not limited to, an MPU (Micro Processor Unit).

[0014] An acoustic wave signal SSW received by the acoustic wave transceiver element 2 is transmitted to the controller 11. The controller 11 converts the acoustic wave signal SSW into waveform information Wif. Then, the controller 11 writes the waveform information Wif into the waveform information storage unit 12. Note that the waveform information Wif is, for example, digital data obtained by discretizing the acoustic wave signal SSW. The controller 11 also has information on the storage capacity of the waveform information storage unit 12, and writes the waveform information Wif in an appropriate manner based on the remaining amount of the storage capacity of the waveform information storage unit 12. Appropriate methods for writing the waveform information Wif include a method of writing new waveform information Wif into an empty portion of the waveform information storage unit 12, a method of overwriting old waveform information Wif, and the like. It may operate to delete part or all of the old waveform information Wif, secure an empty capacity, and then write the new waveform information Wif.

[0015] Further, the controller 11 generates transmission waveform information Wtr based on the waveform information Wif written in the waveform information storage unit 12, and transmits it to the host computer 200 via the connection unit 14. Details of the writing operation of the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12 by the controller 11 and the generation operation of the transmission waveform information Wtr will be described later.

[0016] The waveform information storage unit 12 is connected to the controller 11. The waveform information storage unit 12 is configured to have a semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory. The waveform information Wif is written into the waveform information storage unit 12 by the controller 11 and is also read out. Further, information other than the waveform information Wif may be written into the waveform information storage unit 12. The waveform information storage unit 12 is provided with a storage area for storing the generated transmission waveform information at one end.

[0017] The acoustic wave driving unit 13 is connected to the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 2 and the controller 11. The acoustic wave driving unit 13 is a driving circuit that drives the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 2 according to an instruction from the controller 11. The controller 11 outputs a control signal CA to the acoustic wave driving unit 13. The control signal CA includes information on the frequency and amplitude of the carrier wave WA transmitted from the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 2. The acoustic wave driving unit 13 generates a driving signal DA for driving the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 2 from the control signal CA and outputs it to the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 用。

[0018] In the acoustic wave processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, the acoustic wave driving unit 用 is configured to transmit the driving signal DA to the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 2, but it may be configured to acquire the acoustic wave signal SSW from the acoustic wave transmitting / receiving element 2 and supply the waveform information Wif to the controller 11.

[0019] The connection unit 14 has connection terminals for connecting to the network NW. The network NW to which the connection unit 14 is connected may be a network provided in a moving body such as a vehicle and used for transmitting and receiving information within the moving body when the acoustic wave processing apparatus 1 is mounted on the moving body. Alternatively, it may be a network such as the Internet.

[0020] The sound wave processing device 1 has the configuration described above. The host computer 200 is a device that processes the information detected by the sound wave processing device 1. The host computer 200 is also capable of analyzing information about the object to be detected 600 based on the processed information, and is configured to transmit detection information SID, which is information about the object to be detected 600, to a main computer 500 located externally. The main computer 500 may also be connected to a network NW.

[0021] Next, the operation of the sound wave processing device 1 will be explained with reference to the drawings. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the waveform information Wif. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the waveform information writing operation. Figure 2 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr side by side.

[0022] In Figure 2, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents wave height information. In the waveform information Wif shown in Figure 2, a peak is present. The region containing the peak is due to the reflected wave RA reflected by the object to be detected 600. For example, the host computer 200 can identify the object to be detected 600 by matching the transmitted waveform information Wtr based on the waveform information Wif with pre-stored waveform information.

[0023] The controller 11 acquires information about the storage capacity of the waveform information storage unit 12. As shown in Figure 3, at the start of writing the waveform information Wif, the maximum capacity Mmax of the waveform information storage unit 12 is assumed to be writable. At the start of the operation to write the waveform information, the controller 11 sets the remaining storage amount Mr to the maximum capacity Mmax (step S101). Note that step S101 is executed only at the start of operation.

[0024] Then, the controller 11 discretizes the sound wave signal SSW and converts it into waveform information Wif (step S102). At this time, the controller 11 obtains the amount of data Mwr of the waveform information Wif to be written (step S103).

[0025] Next, the controller 11 checks whether there is a writable area in the waveform information storage unit 12. In other words, the controller 11 checks whether the remaining storage amount Mr is greater than or equal to the data amount Mwr of the waveform information Wif (step S104). If the remaining storage amount Mr is greater than or equal to the data amount Mwr (if Yes in step S104), the controller 11 writes the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12 (step S105). The controller 11 subtracts the data amount Mwr of the written waveform information Wif from the remaining storage amount Mr and sets that value as the remaining storage amount Mr (step S106). Then, the process returns to step S102.

[0026] If the remaining memory capacity Mr is less than the data amount Mwr (the answer is No in step S104), the controller 11 sets the remaining memory capacity Mr to the maximum capacity Mmax (step S107). Then, the controller 11 starts overwriting the waveform information storage unit 12 (step S108). The process then proceeds to step S106.

[0027] As described above, the controller 11 converts the sound wave signal SSW from the sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2 into waveform information Wif and then writes it to the waveform information storage unit 12. When the storage capacity of the waveform information storage unit 12 reaches its upper limit, it operates to overwrite the old information with the new waveform information Wif.

[0028] For example, as shown in Figure 2, region Ar1 represents waveform information Wif with a data volume of the maximum capacity Mmax of the waveform information storage unit 12. The controller 11 then operates to overwrite the older waveform information Wif previously written to the waveform information storage unit 12 with the waveform information Wif indicated in region Ar1.

[0029] The sound wave transmitter / receiver 2 can receive the reflected wave RA, which is the carrier wave WA reflected by the object 600 being detected. On the other hand, the sound wave transmitter / receiver 2 may receive sound waves from outside the sound wave system 100 that are unrelated to the carrier wave WA. In addition, noise generated within the sound wave system 100 may be detected. For this reason, the controller 11 may determine that data from the sound wave signal SSW acquired from the sound wave transmitter / receiver 2 with a wave height below a certain reference value Wst is noise.

[0030] <Example of operation of sound wave system 100> In the sound wave system 100, the controller 11 generates waveform information Wif from the sound wave signal SSW and writes the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12. At this time, the controller 11 monitors the waveform information Wif and generates the transmission waveform information Wtr after detecting a first detection point Psc1 set based on predetermined conditions. As described above, the generated transmission waveform information Wtr is stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Then, the controller 11 transmits the transmission waveform information Wtr to the host computer 200 via the connection unit 14 and the network NW. The procedure for generating and transmitting the transmission waveform information Wtr by the controller 11 will be explained with reference to the drawings.

[0031] In the following explanation, the first detection point Psc1 is defined as the point where the peak value of the waveform information Wif is greater than or equal to the reference value Wst (see Figure 3, etc.).

[0032] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for generating and transmitting the transmission waveform information Wtr. While the controller 11 is writing the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12, it monitors the value of the waveform information Wif and generates the transmission waveform information Wtr based on that value. In other words, the controller 11 performs the operation of writing the waveform information Wif and the operation of generating the transmission waveform information Wtr in parallel.

[0033] The controller 11 checks whether the value of the waveform information Wif being monitored has reached its peak value (step S201). If the value of the waveform information Wif has not reached its peak value (the answer is No in step S201), the process returns to step S201, and the controller 11 repeats checking whether the waveform information Wif has reached its peak value.

[0034] If the value of the waveform information Wif reaches its peak value (if the answer is Yes in step S201), the controller 11 determines that the first detection point Psc1 (see Figure 2) has been detected (step S202). The controller 11 then checks whether time t1 has elapsed since the detection of the first detection point Psc1 (step S203). If time t1 has not elapsed (if the answer is No in step S202), the process returns to step S203 and continues until time t1 has elapsed.

[0035] If it is confirmed that time t1 has elapsed (if the answer is Yes in step S203), the controller 11 stops writing the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12 (step S204). Then, the controller 11 reads the waveform information Wif that has been written to the waveform information storage unit 12 (step S205). Then, the controller 11 generates the read waveform information Wif as the transmitted waveform information Wtr (see Figure 2) (step S206). After that, the controller 11 transmits the transmitted waveform information Wtr to the host computer 200 via the connection unit 14 and the network NW (step S207).

[0036] After transmitting the transmission waveform information Wtr, the process returns to step S201 and continues. The sound wave processing device 1 may be configured to terminate the generation and writing of the waveform information Wif after transmitting the transmission waveform information Wtr. In such a configuration, the controller 11 can be configured to resume the generation and writing of the waveform information Wif at the timing when the carrier wave WA is next output from the sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2.

[0037] In the sound wave processing device 1 described herein, the waveform information Wif is generated and transmitted to the host computer 200 as transmission waveform information Wtr. As described above, the host computer 200 can identify the object to be detected 600 based on the transmission waveform information Wtr. In other words, by using the sound wave processing device 1 configured in this way, it is possible to identify the object to be detected 600, as well as the distance from the sound wave processing device 1 to the object to be detected 600, which could be detected in the conventional method.

[0038] Furthermore, since the system transmits the transmitted waveform information Wtr, which is generated from the portion of the waveform information Wif written to the waveform information storage unit 12, the amount of data in the transmitted waveform information Wtr can be reduced. This reduces the storage area in the waveform information storage unit 12 used to temporarily store the transmitted waveform information Wtr, and thus reduces the capacity of the waveform information storage unit 12. Moreover, because the amount of data in the transmitted waveform information Wtr is small, even if the data transfer speed of the network NW is slow, the host computer 200 can transmit the information necessary to identify the object to be detected 600. Also, if the data transfer speed is fast, faster processing based on the data is possible.

[0039] <First variation> The first modified example will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 5 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr generated from the waveform information Wif stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 5 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr1 side by side.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the controller 11 detects the first detection point Psc1 and, after time t1 has elapsed, stops writing the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12. As described above, the waveform information storage unit 12 stores the waveform information Wif from before the time the first detection point Psc1 was detected.

[0041] As shown in Figure 5, the leading portion of the waveform information Wif has a low amplitude and is difficult to distinguish from data based on noise or external sound waves. Furthermore, the host computer 200 identifies the object to be detected 600 by matching the waveform of the transmitted waveform information Wtr1 with pre-stored waveform information. Therefore, the waveform information Wif in the low-amplitude portion is not very useful data for identifying the object to be detected 600.

[0042] Therefore, the controller 11 deletes data prior to time TP1, which is a predetermined time t11 back from the first detection point Psc1 of the waveform information Wif (the region where low-frequency sound waves have been converted), and generates the transmitted waveform information Wtr1. By configuring it in this way, the amount of data of the transmitted waveform information Wtr1 transmitted from the sound wave processing device 1 to the host computer 200 can be reduced, thereby reducing the processing burden and time. In addition, since the storage area for storing the transmitted waveform information Wtr1 can be reduced, the storage area of ​​the waveform information storage unit 12 can be reduced.

[0043] <Second variation> Figure 6 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr2 generated from the waveform information Wif stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 6 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr2 side by side.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the trailing portion of the waveform information Wif also contains low-amplitude sections. Such sections are not particularly useful data for identifying the object 600. Therefore, data from the waveform information Wif that is after time TP2 (12 time t from the first detection point Psc1) is deleted, and the transmitted waveform information Wtr2 is generated. Note that time t12 is shorter than time t1. This configuration reduces the amount of data in the transmitted waveform information Wtr2, thereby reducing the processing burden and time. Furthermore, since the storage area for storing the transmitted waveform information Wtr2 can be reduced, the storage area of ​​the waveform information storage unit 12 can be reduced.

[0045] <Third variation> Figure 7 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr3 generated from the waveform information Wif stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 7 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr3 side by side.

[0046] The controller 11 may decide to remove portions of the waveform information Wif based on the value of the waveform information Wif when removing data that is unlikely to be useful for identifying the object to be detected 600. In other words, the controller 11 may compare the waveform information Wif with a first threshold Wth1 and remove portions before the portion that is smaller than the feature point Wsp1 that intersects with the first threshold Wth1, and portions after the feature point Wsp2.

[0047] In other words, when the value of the waveform information Wif is traced back from the first detection point Psc1, the portion before the feature point Wsp1 where it first intersects with the first threshold Wth1 may be deleted, and when the value of the waveform information Wif is traced back from the first detection point Psc1, the portion after the feature point Wsp2 where it first intersects with the first threshold Wth1 may be deleted to generate the transmitted waveform information Wtr3. In this way, by changing the region at the first threshold Wth1, portions that are not useful data for identifying the object to be detected 600 can be deleted more efficiently. In addition, since the storage area for storing the transmitted waveform information Wtr3 can be reduced, the storage area of ​​the waveform information storage unit 12 can be reduced.

[0048] The controller 11 may be configured to delete only the area of ​​the waveform information Wif before the feature point Wsp1, or it may be configured to delete only the area after the feature point Wsp2, as the transmitted waveform information Wtr3.

[0049] <Fourth variation> Figure 8 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr4 generated from the waveform information Wif stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 8 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr4 side by side.

[0050] As shown in Figure 8, the controller 11 compares the second threshold Wth2 with the waveform information Wif. The controller 11 then defines the point where the waveform information Wif intersects with the second threshold Wth2 as the first detection point Psc1. As shown in Figure 8, if the waveform information Wif has a peak, it may intersect with the second threshold Wth2 at multiple points. Therefore, the controller 11 defines the point where the waveform information Wif intersects with the second threshold Wth2 as the waveform information Wif increases over time as the waveform information increases as time progresses as the controller 11 defines the first detection point Psc1 as the point where time t1 has elapsed from the first detection point Psc1 of the waveform information Wif. The transmitted waveform information Wtr4 is defined as the waveform information Wif up to the point where time t1 has elapsed from the first detection point Psc1.

[0051] By configuring it in this way, the first detection point Psc1 can be detected with simple processing. In addition, since the storage area for storing the transmitted waveform information Wtr4 can be reduced, the storage area of ​​the waveform information storage unit 12 can be reduced.

[0052] Alternatively, the point at which the waveform information Wif intersects with the second threshold Wth2 as it decreases over time may be defined as the first detection point Psc1 (see Figure 9).

[0053] <Fifth variation> Figure 10 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr5 generated from the waveform information Wif stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 10 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr5 side by side.

[0054] As shown in Figure 10, the controller 11, similar to Figure 9, defines the point where the waveform information Wif intersects with the second threshold Wth2 when it is increasing as the first detection point Psc1. The controller 11 may then compare the waveform information Wif with the first threshold Wth1 using the first detection point Psc1 as a reference, and delete the portion before the point where the waveform information Wif becomes smaller than the feature point Wsp1 that intersects with the first threshold Wth1 (which is smaller than the second threshold Wth2), and the portion after the feature point Wsp2 that intersects with the first threshold Wth1.

[0055] In other words, when the value of the waveform information Wif is traced back from the first detection point Psc1, the portion before the feature point Wsp1 where it first intersects with the first threshold Wth1 may be deleted, and when the value of the waveform information Wif is traced back from the first detection point Psc1, the portion after the feature point Wsp2 where it first intersects with the first threshold Wth1 may be deleted to generate the transmitted waveform information Wtr5. In this way, by changing the region at the first threshold Wth1, portions that are not useful for identifying the object to be detected 600 can be deleted more efficiently. In addition, since the storage area for storing the transmitted waveform information Wtr5 can be reduced, the storage area of ​​the waveform information storage unit 12 can be reduced.

[0056] The controller 11 may be configured to delete only the area of ​​the waveform information Wif before the feature point Wsp1, or it may be configured to delete only the area after the feature point Wsp2, as the transmitted waveform information Wtr5.

[0057] <Sixth variation> Figure 11 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr6 generated from the waveform information Wif1 stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 11 shows the waveform information Wif1 and the transmitted waveform information Wtr6 side by side.

[0058] As shown in Figure 11, the waveform information Wif1 may have a configuration with multiple peaks. For example, if multiple objects to be detected are located at different distances from the sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2, the time at which the reflected wave is received will differ depending on the distance, resulting in the formation of waveform information Wif1 with multiple peaks. In such cases, it may be necessary to identify objects located further away than the nearest object.

[0059] To address such situations, the controller 11 can detect the point at which the conditions are met as the first detection point Psc1 after the conditions have been met multiple times. More specifically, if it is desired to identify a detection target located one position further away than the nearest detection target, the controller 11 detects the point at which the next peak is detected after the first peak detection as the first detection point Psc1. In this way, when there are detection targets located at different distances, it is possible to accurately identify detection targets other than the nearest one.

[0060] In the sixth modified example, the peak is defined as the first detection point Psc1, but this is not the only option. For example, as in the fourth modified example, the first detection point Psc1 may be defined as the point where it intersects with the second threshold Wth2.

[0061] <7th variation> Figure 12 shows the transmitted waveform information Wtr7 generated from the waveform information Wif stored in the waveform information storage unit 12. Figure 12 shows the waveform information Wif and the transmitted waveform information Wtr7 side by side.

[0062] When using the sound wave system 100 to identify an object 600, the distance from the sound wave transmitter / receiver 2 to the object 600 may be known in advance. In such cases, the time required for the carrier wave WA to be transmitted, reflected by the object 600, and received by the sound wave transmitter / receiver 2 is fixed.

[0063] Therefore, as shown in Figure 12, the controller 11 sets the first detection point Psc1 to the point where time tps has elapsed from the time when the carrier wave WA of the waveform information Wif is transmitted from the sound wave transmitting / receiving element 2. The controller 11 can control the writing of the waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12 based on time. This simplifies the processing performed by the controller 11.

[0064] The controller 11 may also generate the transmitted waveform information Wtr by removing unnecessary parts of the waveform information Wif. In this case, the methods described above can be employed.

[0065] <Second Embodiment> Figure 13 shows the relative positions of the sound wave system 100A and the object to be detected 600 according to the second embodiment. The sound wave system 100A shown in Figure 13 differs from the sound wave system 100 in that it has a sound wave processing device 1A. More specifically, the sound wave processing device 1A differs from the sound wave processing device 1A in that it has three waveform information storage units 12A, 12B, and 12C. In all other respects, the sound wave system 100A has the same configuration as the sound wave system 100. Therefore, the parts of the sound wave system 100A that are substantially the same as those of the sound wave system 100 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations of the same parts are omitted.

[0066] As shown in Figure 13, the sound wave processing device 1A has a configuration in which three waveform information storage units 12A, 12B, and 12C are connected to the controller 11. The controller 11 writes waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12A so that the point where the waveform information Wif exceeds a reference value Wst and becomes a peak is designated as the first detection point Psc1. The controller 11 also writes waveform information Wif to the waveform information storage unit 12B so that the point where the waveform information Wif intersects with the second threshold Wth2 as it increases is designated as the first detection point Psc1. Furthermore, the controller 11 writes waveform information Wif so that the first detection point Psc1 is determined based on the passage of time.

[0067] In this way, by determining the first detection point Psc1 using three different methods, it is possible to generate transmitted waveform information Wtr generated by multiple methods. This makes it possible to improve the identification accuracy of the object to be detected 600 through matching on the host computer 200. Furthermore, although the sound wave processing device 1A shown in Figure 13 has a configuration having three physical waveform information storage units 12A, 12B, and 12C, it is not limited to this. For example, one storage unit may be divided into multiple regions, and each divided region may be used as a waveform information storage unit.

[0068] In the above embodiment, an ultrasonic system that transmits ultrasound (sound waves with high frequencies exceeding audible sound) was described, but a sound wave system that transmits sound waves other than ultrasound may also be used.

[0069] <Application> Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 300, which is an example of a mobile body in which the sound wave system 100 is used. As shown in Figure 14, a sound wave sonar sensor 400 equipped with sound wave transmitting and receiving elements 2 is mounted on the front of the mobile body, the vehicle 300.

[0070] The main computer 500 mounted on the vehicle 300 is connected to the host computer 200 to which the sound wave processing device 1 is connected, and obtains detection information SID, which includes detection information of the object to be detected 600, from the host computer 200. The main computer 500 controls the vehicle 300 so that it does not come into contact with the object to be detected 600.

[0071] <Other> The embodiments described above should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. Furthermore, the technical scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above. Moreover, it should be understood that all modifications falling within the meaning and scope of equivalence to the claims are included.

[0072] <Note> The sound wave processing device (1, 1A) described above is configured to receive the reflected wave (RA) reflected by the object (600) to be detected from the carrier wave (WA), and to detect the object (600) according to the reflected wave (RA). A waveform information storage unit (12, 12A, 12B, 12C) is configured to store waveform information (Wif) of the received sound wave (SD), The system includes a controller (11) which operates to store waveform information (Wif) in waveform information storage units (12, 12A, 12B, 12C), and is configured to overwrite old waveform information (Wif) with new waveform information (Wif) when the storage capacity of the waveform information storage units (12, 12A, 12B, 12C) reaches its upper limit, The controller (11) designates the point where a predetermined first condition is met as the first detection point (Psc1), and after a certain period of time (t1) has elapsed since the detection of the first detection point (Psc1), it stops the operation of storing waveform information (Wif) in the waveform information storage units (12, 12A, 12B, 12C), generates transmission waveform information (Wtr, Wtr1, Wtr2, Wtr3, Wtr4, Wtr5, Wtr6, Wtr7) from the waveform information (Wif) stored in the waveform information storage units (12, 12A, 12B, 12C), and transmits the transmission waveform information (Wtr, Wtr1, Wtr2, Wtr3, Wtr4, Wtr5, Wtr6, Wtr7) to the outside (first configuration).

[0073] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of the first configuration described above, the controller (11) is configured to set the point where a value determined based on a first feature contained in the waveform information (Wif) becomes the first detection point (Psc1) (second configuration).

[0074] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of the first or second configuration described above, the controller (11) is configured to set the peak point of the waveform information (Wif) as the first detection point (Psc1) when it is above a reference value (Wst) (third configuration).

[0075] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of any of the first to third configurations described above, the controller (11) is configured such that the point where the waveform information (Wif) intersects with the threshold (Wth2) is the first detection point (Psc1) (fourth configuration).

[0076] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of any of the above configurations 1 to 4, the controller (11) is configured such that the point at which the waveform information (Wif) intersects with the threshold (Wth2) when it is increasing is designated as the first detection point (Psc1) (fifth configuration).

[0077] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of any of the above configurations 1 to 5, the controller (11) is configured such that the point at which the waveform information (Wif) intersects with the threshold (Wth2) when it is decreasing is designated as the first detection point (Psc1) (sixth configuration).

[0078] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of any of the above configurations 1 to 6, the controller (11) is configured such that the point at which the first condition is met a predetermined number of times is set as the first detection point (Psc1) (configuration 7).

[0079] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of the first configuration described above, the controller (11) is configured to use the waveform information (Wif) at a predetermined time (Tps) elapsed from the start of transmission of the carrier wave (WA) as the first detection point (Psc1) (eighth configuration).

[0080] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of any of the above configurations 1 to 8, the controller (11) is configured to determine at least one of the start time or end time of the transmitted waveform information based on the time when the first detection point (Psc1) is detected (configuration 9).

[0081] In the sound wave processing device (1, 1A) of any of the above configurations 1 to 9, the controller (11) is configured to determine at least one of the start or end of the transmitted waveform information based on a feature point determined based on a feature different from the first detection point (Psc1) (configuration 10).

[0082] In the sound wave processing device (1A) having the first or second configuration described above, a plurality of waveform information storage units (12A, 12B, 12C) are provided. The controller (11) is configured to cause the waveform information storage units (12A, 12B, 12C) to generate different transmission waveform information (11th configuration).

[0083] The sound wave system (100) described above comprises a sound wave processing device (1, 1A) having any of the first to eleven configurations described above, The configuration (12th configuration) includes a sound wave transmitting / receiving element (2) configured to transmit a carrier wave (WA) and receive a reflected wave (RA).

[0084] The vehicle (300) described above has a configuration (9th configuration) that includes the acoustic wave system (100) of the 12th configuration described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 100, 100A sound wave system 1. 1A Acoustic Wave Processing Device 11 Controllers 12, 12A, 12B, 12C Waveform information storage section 13. Sound wave drive unit 14 Connection part 2. Sound wave transmitting and receiving elements 3. Sound wave drive unit 200 host computers 300 vehicles 400 Ultrasonic Sonar Sensors 500 Main Computers 600 objects to be detected

Claims

1. A sound wave processing device configured to receive reflected waves reflected by an object to be detected from a carrier wave, and to detect the object according to the reflected waves, A waveform information storage unit configured to store waveform information of received sound waves, The system includes a controller configured to operate in order to store the waveform information in the waveform information storage unit, and to overwrite the old waveform information with new waveform information when the storage capacity of the waveform information storage unit reaches its upper limit, The controller has a configuration that sets a point where a predetermined first condition is met as a first detection point, stops the operation of storing the waveform information in the waveform information storage unit after a certain period of time has elapsed since the detection of the first detection point, generates transmission waveform information from the waveform information stored in the waveform information storage unit, and transmits the transmission waveform information to the outside.

2. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to use a point that has reached a value determined based on a first feature included in the waveform information as the first detection point.

3. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to set the peak point of the waveform information as the first detection point when it is above a reference value.

4. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to set the point at which it intersects with the threshold value of the waveform information as the first detection point.

5. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to set the point at which the waveform information is increasing and crosses a threshold as the first detection point.

6. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to set the point at which the waveform information is decreasing and crosses a threshold as the first detection point.

7. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to detect a point where the first condition is met a predetermined number of times, and the point where the next first condition is met is set as the first detection point.

8. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to use the waveform information at a predetermined time elapsed from the start of transmission of the carrier wave as the first detection point.

9. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one of the start time or end time of the transmitted waveform information based on the time when the first detection point was detected.

10. The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine at least one of the start or end of the transmitted waveform information based on a feature point determined based on a feature different from the first detection point.

11. Having multiple waveform information storage units, The sound wave processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause each of the waveform information storage units to generate different transmission waveform information.

12. The sound wave processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, A sound wave system configured to include a sound wave transmitting / receiving element configured to transmit the carrier wave and receive sound waves.

13. A mobile body having a configuration using the sound wave system described in claim 12.

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