Patent ID: 9507049
Filing Date: 2016-11-29
CPC Classification: G01V

Claim Text:
1. An object detection method, comprising: transmitting a plurality of signals from a transmitter into a region; measuring a plurality of signals, each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of the transmitted signals, received by a sensor; determining whether each of the plurality of received signals satisfies a condition; determining whether noise of at least a threshold amount is present; and determining whether an object is located within the region depending on whether at least a number of received signals meet the condition, the number being different when noise of at least a threshold amount is determined to be present than not present, wherein: the transmitting step comprises sequentially transmitting a plurality of optical pulses, during a respective plurality of repetition time intervals, into the region; the measuring step comprises measuring each of the plurality of received signals during a signal measurement time interval beginning at or after a starting time of the corresponding transmitted signal; the noise determination step comprises measuring noise during a noise measurement time interval in at least one of the repetition time intervals.