Patent ID: 8643537

Claim:
A method for processing an echo amplitude profile generated by a pulse-echo ranging system with reference to a temporal axis so as to identify return echoes comprised by the profile, the method comprising: (a) providing a reference echo pulse shape defined by shape parameters and determining a number of echoes to be identified; (b) matching the reference echo pulse shape with respect to its amplitude and position to the echo amplitude profile to estimate a strongest echo based on an amplitude and position of an echo having a greatest magnitude; (c) subtracting the matched reference echo pulse shape from the echo amplitude profile; (d) repeating the preceding steps (b) and (c) for one less than the number of echoes to be identified to estimate a current echo in the echo amplitude profile having the greatest magnitude; (e) determining an error based on a remaining echo amplitude profile; (f) changing at least one shape parameter of the shape parameters to reduce the error so as to modify the reference echo pulse shape; and (g) repeating steps (b) to (f) starting with the modified reference echo shape and an original echo amplitude profile until the error reaches a given minimum or converges to a constant value.