Ultrasonic Echo Envelope Differential Analysis for Moving Object Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing people counting systems in smart cities face challenges in achieving a balance between cost-efficiency, high detection accuracy, and low power consumption, particularly in environments like office buildings and shopping centers, where energy-efficient solutions are needed for HVAC control and emergency management.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using ultrasonic echo signals to detect moving objects by determining echo envelopes and their differentials, allowing for accurate classification of relative movement with low pulse rates, thereby reducing energy consumption and implementation complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Doppler shift measurement methods are used to detect moving objects, then detection accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases due to requiring high pulse rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from Doppler shift measurement to echo envelope differential analysis. This allows using lower pulse rates while maintaining detection accuracy, thereby reducing power consumption significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic ultrasonic pulse transmission at reduced rates, analyzing echo envelopes at these lower frequencies. This periodic approach with envelope analysis achieves effective moving object detection without the continuous high-rate pulsing required by Doppler methods.
2Measurement precision
If complex detection systems are implemented to achieve high detection accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and analyzes only the envelope information from ultrasonic echoes, discarding the complex phase and frequency information required for Doppler analysis. This extraction of essential envelope features simplifies the detection system while maintaining accuracy for moving object detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex signal processing mechanisms (Doppler shift analysis requiring precise frequency measurements) with simpler envelope differential analysis, reducing computational complexity and implementation difficulty.
3Use of energy by moving object
If low pulse rates are used to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but detection accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the analysis parameter from instantaneous frequency (Doppler) to temporal changes in echo envelope amplitude. This parameter transformation enables effective detection at lower pulse rates where Doppler methods would fail due to insufficient sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary envelope extraction and differential analysis on the ultrasonic echoes. This preliminary processing of envelope information prepares the data for accurate moving object detection even when pulses are transmitted at lower rates.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables accurate detection of moving objects with reduced power usage and cost, suitable for real-time applications in smart city environments, including HVAC control and emergency management, while maintaining high accuracy and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
providing sampled ultrasonic echo signals from the scene
Implementation Method 2
using ultrasonic continuous wave signals also enables the detection of the walking direction by evaluating the Doppler shift
Data Source
AI summary
A method for detecting a moving object in a scene includes providing sampled ultrasonic echo signals from the scene; determining echo envelopes of the sampled ultrasonic echo signals; determining differentials of successive echo envelopes for providing echo envelope differentials; determining the absolute values of the echo envelope differentials; and conducting a classification based on the determined absolute values of the echo envelope differentials for determining a relative movement of the moving object.