Timing and synchronization of radio waves for scanning, detection, and measurement of surface non-uniformity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10185029-B2
Application number	US-201615054268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Various embodiments that pertain to surface non-uniformity detection through use of radio waves are described. A vehicle can transmit radio waves to an area the vehicle is traveling to, such as a road in front of an automobile. The automobile can receive and process returned radio waves to determine if the road has a non-uniformity, such as a significant pothole or speed bump. If the road has the non-uniformity, then a driver of the automobile can be alerted so the driver can decide if evasive action should be taken and take such action if appropriate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
emitting a first incident radio wave that propagates along a surface; and
emitting a second incident radio wave that propagates along the surface;
emitting a third incident radio wave that propagates along the surface;
emitting a fourth incident radio wave the propagates along the surface;
receiving a first reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the first incident radio wave;
receiving a second reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the second incident radio wave;
receiving a third reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the third incident radio wave;
receiving a fourth reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the fourth incident radio wave; and
determining if the surface has the non-uniformity through use of the first incident radio wave, the second incident radio wave, the third incident radio wave, the fourth incident radio wave, the first reflected radio wave, the second reflected radio wave, the third reflected radio wave, and the fourth reflected radio wave,
where the first reflected radio wave is received after the first incident radio wave is emitted and after the second incident radio wave is emitted,
where the second reflected radio wave is received after the first incident radio wave is emitted and after the second incident radio wave is emitted,
where the third incident radio wave is emitted after the first reflected radio wave is received and after the second reflected radio wave is received,
where the fourth incident radio wave is emitted after the first reflected radio wave is received and after the second reflected radio wave is received,
where the third reflected radio wave is received after emission of the third incident radio wave and the fourth incident radio wave, and
where the fourth reflected radio wave is received after emission of the third incident radio wave and the fourth incident radio wave.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
where determining if the surface has the surface non-uniformity begins after receiving the first reflected radio wave that is the reflection of the first incident radio wave and
where determining if the surface has the surface non-uniformity begins after receiving the second reflected radio wave that is the reflection of the first incident radio wave.

3. The method of claim 2 ,
where determining if the surface has the surface non-uniformity begins after receiving the third reflected radio wave that is the reflection of the third incident radio wave and
where determining if the surface has the surface non-uniformity begins after receiving the fourth reflected radio wave that is the reflection of the fourth incident radio wave.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
generating the first incident radio wave; and
generating the second incident radio wave,
where the generating, emitting, receiving, and determining are performed by a vehicle device while on a vehicle travelling upon the surface.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising
generating the third incident radio wave; and
generating the fourth incident radio wave,
where the generating the third incident radio wave and generating the fourth incident radio wave are performed by the vehicle device.

6. The method of claim 1 ,
where the first incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to a first location of the surface,
where the second incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to a second location of the surface, and
where the first location and the second location are different locations.

7. The method of claim 6 ,
where the third incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to a third location of the surface,
where the fourth incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to a fourth location of the surface, and
where the first location, the second location, the third location, and the fourth location are different locations.

8. The method of claim 7 ,
where the first incident radio wave, the second incident radio wave, the third incident radio wave, and the fourth incident radio wave are about the same frequency.

9. The method of claim 1 ,
where the first incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to a first location of the surface,
where the second incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to the first location of the surface, and
where the first incident radio wave that propagates along a surface is emitted at a first frequency,
where the second incident radio wave that propagates along a surface is emitted at a second frequency, and
where the first frequency and the second frequency are different frequencies.

10. The method of claim 9 ,
where the third incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to a second location of the surface,
where the fourth incident radio wave that propagates along the surface is emitted to the second location of the surface,
where the third incident radio wave that propagates along a surface is emitted at a third frequency,
where the fourth incident radio wave that propagates along a surface is emitted at a fourth frequency, and
where the third frequency and the fourth frequency are different frequencies.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
causing an emission of a first incident radio wave that propagates along a surface such that a first reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the first incident radio wave is received;
causing an emission of a second incident radio wave that propagates along the surface such that a second reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the second incident radio wave is received;
causing an emission of a third incident radio wave that propagates along the surface such that a third reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the third incident radio wave is received;
causing an emission of a fourth incident radio wave that propagates along the surface such that a fourth reflected radio wave that is a reflection of the fourth incident radio wave is received; and
determining if the surface has the non-uniformity through use of the first incident radio wave, the second incident radio wave, the third incident radio wave, the fourth incident radio wave, the first reflected radio wave, the second reflected radio wave, the third reflected radio wave, and the fourth reflected radio wave,
where the first reflected radio wave is received after the first incident radio wave is emitted and after the second incident radio wave is emitted,
where the second reflected radio wave is received after the first incident radio wave is emitted and after the second incident radio wave is emitted,
where the third incident radio wave is emitted after the first reflected radio wave is received and after the second reflected radio wave is received,
where the fourth incident radio wave is emitted after the first reflected radio wave is received and after the second reflected radio wave is received,
where the third reflected radio wave is received after emission of the third incident radio wave and the fourth incident radio wave, and
where the fourth reflected radio wave is received after emission of the third incident radio wave and the fourth incident radio wave.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 ,
where determining if the surface has the surface non-uniformity begins after receiving the first reflected radio wave that is the reflection of the first incident radio wav

Assignees

• Us Army

Inventors

• Suarez John

Classifications

• G01S2013/93271

  in the front of the vehicles · CPC title

• G01S13/003 Primary

  Bistatic radar systems; Multistatic radar systems · CPC title

• G01S13/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• B60W30/0956

  the prediction being responsive to traffic or environmental parameters · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title