20240036199. METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A DISTANCE TO A TARGET simplified abstract (IMEC VZW)

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METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A DISTANCE TO A TARGET

Organization Name

IMEC VZW

Inventor(s)

Orges Furxhi of Fort Collins CO (US)

Azhar Din of Cumbernauld (GB)

Nikolaos Papadopoulos of Leuven (BE)

Jiwon Lee of Herent (BE)

Mauricio Velazquez Lopez of Leuven (BE)

METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A DISTANCE TO A TARGET - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240036199 titled 'METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A DISTANCE TO A TARGET

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a method for determining the distance to a target using a time-varying signal based on light transmitted by a light source and reflected by the target. The method involves receiving a bitstream of binary digits that represent the time-varying signal. Each binary digit in the bitstream is determined based on whether the signal is above or below a threshold at a specific time instance.

The method further includes comparing the bitstream to a set of stored reference bitstreams. This set consists of pairs of reference bitstreams that represent a common distance to the target. The first reference bitstream is phase-shifted in relation to the second reference bitstream. By comparing the bitstream to the reference bitstreams, the method determines the distance to the target by selecting a pair of reference bitstreams that closely match the received bitstream.

  • The method determines the distance to a target by analyzing a time-varying signal based on light reflection.
  • It uses a bitstream of binary digits to represent the signal, with each digit determined by the signal's position relative to a threshold.
  • The method compares the received bitstream to a set of stored reference bitstreams.
  • The reference bitstreams represent a common distance to the target and are phase-shifted in relation to each other.
  • By selecting a pair of reference bitstreams that closely match the received bitstream, the method determines the distance to the target.

Potential applications of this technology:

  • Distance measurement in various fields such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation.
  • Object detection and tracking systems.
  • Proximity sensors for safety applications.
  • Augmented reality and virtual reality systems for accurate depth perception.

Problems solved by this technology:

  • Accurate and reliable distance measurement without the need for complex equipment or sensors.
  • Overcoming limitations of traditional distance measurement methods that may be affected by environmental factors or require direct contact with the target.
  • Providing a cost-effective solution for distance measurement in various applications.

Benefits of this technology:

  • Improved accuracy and precision in distance measurement.
  • Non-contact measurement, eliminating the need for physical contact with the target.
  • Real-time distance measurement capability.
  • Cost-effective implementation using simple binary digit analysis and comparison techniques.


Original Abstract Submitted

a method for determining a distance to a target comprises: receiving a bitstream of binary digits corresponding to a time-varying signal based on light transmitted by a light source being reflected by the target, wherein each binary digit in the bitstream is defined based on the time-varying signal at a time instance represented by the binary digit being above or below a threshold; comparing the bitstream to a set of stored reference bitstreams, wherein the set comprises pairs comprising a first reference bitstream and a second reference bitstream representing a common distance to the target, wherein the first reference bitstream is phase-shifted in relation to the second reference bitstream; and determining the distance to the target based on selection of a pair of reference bitstreams based on said comparing.