Patent ID: 9541642
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: G01S

Claim:
1. A method for determining at least one of a position and a movement of at least one object in the vicinity of a vehicle, the method comprising: transmitting at least one acoustic signal using an electroacoustic transducer; receiving the acoustic signal reflected off of the object; analyzing one of: (a) the acoustic signal reflected off of the object; and (b) the time behavior of at least one electrical signal of the electroacoustic transducer during at least one of (i) the transmission of the acoustic signal, (ii) a decay of the electroacoustic transducer following the transmission of the acoustic signal, and (iii) the reception of the acoustic signal reflected off of the object, wherein the analyzing is performed at least during a selected fraction of a signal period so that a change of the electrical signal of the electroacoustic transducer is detectable; and determining, via a determination device, wherein the analysis device provides the electrical signal of the electroacoustic transducer to the determination device as an input signal, at least one characteristic signal parameter of the electrical signal of the electroacoustic transducer, and wherein the determination device includes at least one of: (i) a first threshold value switch; (ii) a derivative element and (iii) a second threshold value switch; wherein the determination device includes a first changeover switch which is switchable from a first changeover position into a second changeover, wherein the determination device is configured to transfer the input signal to a second capacitor in a first changeover position, and to switch over to a second changeover position, upon detecting with the second threshold value switch, the time of occurrence of at least one of a minimum signal strength and a maximum signal strength of the input signal.