Ultrasonic Signal Transmission via Frequency-Domain Data Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic measuring devices in vehicles are limited in transmitting detailed information about their surroundings due to restricted data transmission rates, with most signal processing occurring in the sensor module and not allowing for efficient raw data transmission to the central unit.
Innovation Solution
The method involves digitizing ultrasonic measurement signals, sampling them at multiple frequencies, transforming them into the frequency domain using segmented convolution, filtering out irrelevant frequency components, scaling the amplitude range, and transmitting only the relevant data blocks to the central unit for further processing, allowing for high-resolution and low-latency data transmission via a medium data rate bus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If signal processing is performed in the sensor module with limited data transmission rate, then data transmission is simple, but measurement precision and information quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the signal processing into segments: basic processing (sampling, block transformation) in the sensor module and advanced processing (filtering, scaling, inverse transformation) in the central unit. This segmentation allows more detailed data to be transmitted while maintaining system feasibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the signal from time domain to frequency domain using segmented fast convolution, enabling more efficient data representation and transmission. This dimensional transformation allows capturing more information with fewer transmitted data points.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all signal processing is performed in the central unit, then processing flexibility improves, but transmission data volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing tasks between sensor module and central unit. The sensor module performs initial sampling and block transformation, reducing data volume before transmission, while the central unit performs the remaining processing to maintain flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor module performs preliminary signal processing (sampling and block transformation) before transmission to reduce the data volume that needs to be transmitted to the central unit, while still allowing flexible processing afterward.
3Measurement precision
If data is transmitted with high temporal resolution, then measurement accuracy improves, but data transmission rate requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous signal into blocks for transformation into the frequency domain. This segmentation allows high temporal resolution to be achieved through block-wise processing while reducing the overall data transmission rate through selective frequency component transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the relevant frequency components from the transformed signal for transmission, removing unnecessary data while preserving the essential information needed for high temporal resolution reconstruction at the receiver.
Data Source
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AI summary
In the method for transmitting data representing an ultrasonic measurement signal from an ultrasonic measuring device, particularly one in a vehicle, from a transmitter to a receiver, a digitized analog ultrasonic measurement signal is provided in the transmitter. The ultrasonic measurement signal is sampled at a multiple of its frequency and divided into individual, consecutive blocks of samples. The samples of the ultrasonic measurement signal are transformed block by block into the frequency domain. Those frequency components of the spectrum whose amplitude is less than a predefined threshold, or those frequency components of the spectrum above an upper frequency limit and/or below a lower frequency limit, are removed. The amplitude range covered by the remaining frequency spectrum is scaled by a scaling factor to further reduce the data.The data for each block, along with its assigned scaling factor, is transmitted to the receiver. The receiver then reverses the scaling of the amplitude range of each block's frequency spectrum using its respective scaling factor, transforming the frequency spectrum back into the time domain.