Method and System for Multi-Channel Acoustic Communication and Sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018284070-A1
Application number	US-201815944707-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a method and a system for multi-channel acoustic communication and sensing. For example, there is provided a system that includes a processor and a memory. The processor, when executing instructions from the memory, can perform certain operations. The operations can include classifying a motion detected near an ultrasonic receiver based on a Doppler shift observed in a signal measured by the ultrasonic receiver. The classifying can further include detecting a side lobe in a power spectrum of the signal to indicate that the motion has been detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: classifying a motion detected proximate to an ultrasonic receiver based on a Doppler shift observed in a signal measured by the ultrasonic receiver, wherein the classifying includes detecting a side lobe in a power spectrum of the signal to indicate that the motion has been detected.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the classifying includes indicating that the motion is in a first direction towards the ultrasonic receiver when the side lobe is located on a higher frequency side of a specified ultrasonic peak frequency and that the motion is in a second direction away from the ultrasonic receiver when the side lobe is located on a lower frequency side of the specified ultrasonic peak frequency.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the operations further include transmitting a narrow-band ultrasonic signal centered around the specified ultrasonic peak frequency.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal includes a first peak frequency and a second peak frequency, the second peak frequency being restricted for control applications.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the operations further include transmitting a digital word using a control ultrasonic signal at the second peak frequency.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the classifying further includes categorizing a gesture based on a feature of the power spectrum.

7 . A system, comprising:
a processor; a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: sensing motion based on a power spectrum of a signal measured at an acoustic receiver of the system; and sensing presence based on the power spectrum; wherein sensing motion is based on an ultrasound region of the power spectrum; and wherein sensing presence is based on an audio region of the power spectrum.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the audio region is from about 200 Hz to about 20 kHz.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the ultrasound region begins from about 20 kHz.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein sensing motion is based on features of the power spectrum at about 20 kHz.

11 . The system of claim 7 , where sensing presence is based on detecting a change in a baseline audio level.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further include mapping an audio signal to an ultrasonic signal.

13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the operations further include receiving and audio command and instructing, using an ultrasound, a remote device to perform an action consistent with the audio command.

14 . The system of claim 7 , wherein sensing motion further includes gesture characterization.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the gesture characterization is based on a broadening around an ultrasonic peak frequency.

16 . A system, comprising:
a processor; a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including: transmitting, by a transmitting of the system, an ultrasonic signal including information centered around at least two frequency peaks; receiving the ultrasonic signal by a receiver of the system; and determining whether a motion has occurred based on a signal characteristic associated with one of the at least two frequency peaks.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least two frequency peaks include 20 kHz and 21 kHz.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the operations further including classifying the motion as either being away from the receiver or towards the receiver, based on the signal characteristic.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the at least two frequency peaks is reserved for control and command of a device communicatively coupled to the system.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the operations further include transmitting a digital word at the at least one of the at least two frequency peaks.

Assignees

• Ge Lighting Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Clynne Thomas
• Dureiko Rick Dean

Classifications

• G01N29/07

  by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title

• G01N29/11 Primary

  by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title