Ultrasonic Signal Spectrum Compression for Vehicle Data Buses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic measuring devices in vehicles are limited in data transmission capacity due to limited data bus systems, restricting the collection and processing of environmental information, with signal processing primarily occurring in sensor modules and lacking flexibility in signal evaluation.
Innovation Solution
A method for transmitting ultrasonic measurement signals that involves sampling, transforming into the frequency range using segmented fast convolution, filtering unwanted frequency portions, scaling the amplitude range, and transmitting only relevant data blocks to a central unit for further processing, allowing efficient raw data transmission and flexible signal evaluation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data compression is performed before transformation into frequency range, then data transmission volume is reduced, but signal quality and precision are degraded due to loss of relevant information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by transforming the ultrasonic measurement signal into the frequency range BEFORE performing data compression. This sequence ensures that the signal is in an optimal state for compression, preserving relevant information while reducing data volume. The frequency transformation is performed in the transmitter before the compression step, allowing for more intelligent and selective data reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by transforming the signal from time domain to frequency domain, changing the representation parameters of the data. This transformation allows different compression strategies to be applied - in the frequency domain, certain frequency components can be identified and compressed or discarded based on their relevance, rather than uniformly compressing all time-domain samples which would lose critical signal characteristics.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complete raw data is transmitted from sensor modules to central unit, then signal processing flexibility is improved, but data bus load and transmission time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the frequency spectrum data that is most relevant for ultrasonic signal analysis, rather than transmitting complete raw time-domain data from all sensors. By extracting the essential frequency components and transmitting only those, the system reduces data bus load and transmission time while maintaining sufficient information for flexible signal processing and echo evaluation algorithms in the central unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by transmitting a selected portion of the complete signal data - specifically the frequency spectrum components that are most useful for ultrasonic measurement. This partial transmission approach provides the right balance: enough data is transmitted to enable flexible signal processing and comprehensive echo evaluation, but not so much that transmission time and bus load become excessive.
3Speed
If signal processing is performed in sensor modules, then processing speed is improved, but system flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the signal processing tasks between the sensor modules and the central unit. The sensor modules perform initial processing (transformation to frequency range and compression) and transmit the processed data to the central unit, which performs the more flexible and adaptive signal evaluation algorithms. This segmentation allows speed-critical operations to be distributed while maintaining flexibility in the central processing unit.
Data Source
AI summary
In the method for transmitting data representing an ultrasonic measurement signal of an ultrasonic measuring device, in particular for a vehicle, from a transmitter to a receiver a digitized analog ultrasonic measurement signal is provided in the transmitter. On the transmitter side the ultrasonic measurement signal is sampled at a multiple of its frequency and divided into individual successive blocks of sampling values. The sampling values of the sampled ultrasonic measurement signal are transformed in blocks into the frequency range. Those frequency portions of the spectrum whose amplitude is smaller than a presettable threshold value, or the frequency portions of the spectrum above an upper frequency limit value and/or below a lower frequency limit value are removed. The amplitude range covered by the remaining frequency spectrum is scaled by a scaling factor for further reduction of the data. The data of each block with the scaling factor assigned to the respective block are transmitted to the receiver. On the receiver side the scaling of the amplitude range of the frequency spectrum of each block is reversed using the respective scaling factor and the frequency spectrum is transformed back into the time range.