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Celebrity News
Movie News
TV News
Music News
July 20, 2010
Celebrity Gossip
Too Short Calls Accusations Surrounding His Arrest 'Exaggerated'
July 20, 2010 10:02:21 GMT
Too Short
has spoken out to clear up speculation surrounding his arrest last week - insisting accusations he was escorting underage girls backstage before his alleged fight are "untrue and exaggerated". The hip-hop star, real name Todd Shaw, was briefly jailed in Ada County on Thursday, July 15 following his performance at the Knitting Factory club in Idaho.
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Celebrity Gossip
Kim Kardashian Is 'Flattered' for Considered as Style Inspiration by Demi Lovato
July 20, 2010 10:02:06 GMT
Kim Kardashian
is "flattered" after teen sensation
Demi Lovato
named the socialite as her style icon. The 17-year-old Disney actress/singer has started to develop curves as she grows up and she's been looking to the voluptuous reality TV star for inspiration on how to dress for her shape.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Myleene Klass Cancels Wedding Over Fear
July 20, 2010 10:00:17 GMT
British singer Myleene Klass has scrapped plans to marry her fiance over fears an official commitment will ruin their relationship. The former "Hear'Say" star-turned-TV-presenter has dated former security guard Graham Quinn for 10 years and the pair has a two-year-old daughter, Ava.
Read Full Story
Music News
The Script's Brand New Single 'For the First Time' Unleashed
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 09:58:24 GMT
The Script
have a fresh single out for listening pleasure. The new song is titled "For the First Time" and confirmed to appear among new materials in their forthcoming second studio album "Science & Faith".
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Grammy Winner Ana Barbara Accused of Hit and Run
5 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 09:55:36 GMT
Grammy-winning Latin singer Ana Barbara is facing a police investigation over an alleged hit-and-run incident in Cancun, Mexico which killed a 79-year-old woman. The victim died after she was struck by a vehicle on Sunday, July 18 and Barbara's bodyguard, Jose Gomez, was initially arrested following the incident.
Read Full Story
Movie News
David Fincher's 'The Goon' Debuts Teaser Trailer
July 20, 2010 09:50:28 GMT
The Goon
", which will have a panel at forthcoming San Diego Comic Con, has been previewed even before the convention begins. A teaser trailer for this animation has been released via MTV Splash Page, giving a look at how the film will present jokes in a "dark" way.
Read Full Story
Music News
Bruno Mars Releases First Single From Debut Album
17 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 09:36:28 GMT
After releasing a mini album "
It's Better If You Don't Understand
" in May,
Bruno Mars
is now preparing to drop a first full-length album. Ahead of the album release, he offers the lead single titled "Just the Way You Are" for purchase on
Read Full Story
TV News
'The Bachelorette': Ali Dumped by Frank
July 20, 2010 09:31:03 GMT
Ali Fedotowsky sadly became the dumpee instead of the dumper this week on "
The Bachelorette
". Retail manager Frank Neuschaefer who is in Ali's top three choice has stepped out of the competition on his own accord, realizing that he still has feelings for his ex Nicole.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Kellan Lutz and Joe Jonas Pick Up Honors at VH1's 2010 Do Something Awards
2 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 09:25:36 GMT
VH1's 2010 Do Something Awards, which was held at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California on Monday, July 19, has picked its winners with lots of big stars presenting the awards. "
" hunk
Kellan Lutz
Joe Jonas
were among stars who were handed with prizes at the event.
Read Full Story
Movie News
First Look at Sam Worthington in 'Debt' and Nicolas Cage in 'Hungry Rabbit'
July 20, 2010 09:09:30 GMT
First look at some upcoming movies, including "
The Debt
" and "The Hungry Rabbit Jumps", has made its way out via
Entertainment Weekly
. The official image from the Matthew Vaughn-scripted film has
Sam Worthington
as the highlight, featuring him pointing his gun. The photo from the
Tobey Maguire
-produced flick, meanwhile, captures
Nicolas Cage
alongside his on-screen wife
January Jones
Read Full Story
Music News
The Maine Debut 'Inside of You' Music Video
July 20, 2010 09:07:59 GMT
The Maine
have fully unveiled a music video filmed to support their single "Inside of You". Directed by Mike Jones and Jim Sullos, the clip sees the band making a live performance inside a stark white room. Narrative scene which features a young boy is also included.
Read Full Story
Music News
Sarah McLachlan Still Has Faith in Lilith Tour
July 20, 2010 09:05:33 GMT
Lilith Fair co-founder
Sarah McLachlan
is adamant the touring all-woman festival will have a successful future, despite a series of setbacks this summer. Organizers of the event were forced to scrap a handful of summer dates due to poor ticket sales, while
Norah Jones
Carly Simon
Kelly Clarkson
and The Go Go's have all abandoned the 2010 tour for various reasons.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
James Franco Takes Job as Lecturer at Yale
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 09:01:23 GMT
James Franco
is set to take on an educational new role - he has signed up to teach classes at Yale University. The "
" star will begin studying at the prestigious Connecticut-based college in September to obtain his doctorate in English and film studies.
Read Full Story
Movie News
'Star Trek' Sequel to Start Filming in January 2011
July 20, 2010 08:37:15 GMT
Untitled Star Trek sequel could have the cameras rolling in early 2011. Met at the premiere of "
Dinner for Schmucks
" on Monday, July 19,
Bruce Greenwood
revealed that the follow-up to 2009 "
Star Trek
" will kick off principal photography in January next year.
Read Full Story
TV News
Aubrey O'Day Gets Her Own Reality Series
July 20, 2010 08:30:43 GMT
Aubrey O'Day
, the girl who started her career as singer in
P. Diddy
's all-girl group
Danity Kane
and went on to become a Playboy model has secured a deal that will put her in the latest trend, reality show. Oxygen has bought the rights to "The Aubrey O'Day Project" which follows her struggle to get back in the music industry.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Kelly Osbourne Moves 'Onwards and Upwards' After Break-Up
July 20, 2010 08:28:52 GMT
Kelly Osbourne
has opened up about her split from fiance Luke Worrall further, revealing she has decided to keep the details private because she just wants to "move onwards and upwards".
Ozzy Osbourne
's daughter was left reeling after discovering her longtime partner had allegedly cheated on her, and she ended the relationship last week.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Sheryl Crow NOT Adopting for Publicity Stunt
July 20, 2010 08:24:34 GMT
Sheryl Crow
has fired back at hateful comments suggesting she adopted her sons in a bid to promote her music career, insisting she only cared about becoming a mother. The "All I Wanna Do" hitmaker adopted son Wyatt in 2007 and brought home his brother, Levi, last month.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Jani Lane Sentenced to 120 Days in Jail
July 20, 2010 08:21:37 GMT
Glam rocker Jani Lane has been sentenced to 120 days in prison after pleading no contest to driving under the influence (DUI) earlier this year. The former
frontman was arrested after crashing into a parked car while driving in Woodland Hills, California in May.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Mark Wahlberg Struggling to Lose 30 Pounds in Five Weeks
July 20, 2010 08:19:10 GMT
Mark Wahlberg
had to battle the bulge for reshoots on his new "Irish" Mickey Ward biopic - because he'd already started piling on the pounds for scenes in which he'd be playing a retired fighter. The star had packed on 30 pounds because he thought action scenes of toned Ward were complete, and he was caught out when producers wanted more ring drama.
Read Full Story
TV News
Lawsuit Surrounding Shaquille O'Neal's 'Shaq vs' Has Been Settled
July 20, 2010 08:11:20 GMT
Executives behind basketball ace-turned-reality TV star
Shaquille O'Neal
's hit show "
Shaq vs
". have reached a settlement with a disgruntled author who alleged they stole his concept for the program. Writer Todd Gallagher filed suit against O'Neal's talent representatives at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment in October 2009, claiming they had agreed to turn his book, Andy Roddick Beat Me with a Frying Pan, into a TV series in 2008.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Zac Efron Won't Get Married Until He Turns 30
July 20, 2010 08:07:28 GMT
Vanessa Hudgens
has got quite a wait on her hands if she wants to become Mrs.
Zac Efron
- the movie hunk won't be getting wed until he turns 30. The 22-year-old "
17 Again
" star admits he's still smitten with Hudgens, his former "High School Musical" co-star, but has no plans to marry her anytime soon.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Sandra Bullock Renews Restraining Order Against Stalker
July 20, 2010 06:50:14 GMT
Oscar winner
Sandra Bullock
has obtained a temporary restraining order against a man she accused of stalking her seven years ago. The actress maintains Thomas James Weldon, who has been the subject of previous court orders to stay away from her, has become a nuisance again, and, on Monday, July 19, her attorneys obtained a protective order against him on her behalf.
Read Full Story
Movie News
Angelina Jolie Takes Brad Pitt to 'Salt' Los Angeles Premiere
July 20, 2010 06:42:32 GMT
Few days away from the U.S. release of "
", Columbia Pictures has held the premiere for the film at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday, July 19. Stealing the spotlight at the black carpet event was
Angelina Jolie
who came with her longtime lover
Brad Pitt
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Natalie Cole to Pen Memoir
July 20, 2010 06:29:25 GMT
Natalie Cole
is set to reveal all about her successful kidney transplant operation and the tragic death of her sister in an upcoming memoir. The Grammy Award-winning jazz singer is teaming up with author David Ritz, who helped
Ray Charles
Marvin Gaye
to pen memoirs, for a new book, entitled "Love Brought Me Back".
Read Full Story
Music News
Lee Brice 'Got the Slowest-Rising Single in History'
July 20, 2010 06:28:46 GMT
Lee Brice
has made country chart history in the U.S. again after crawling to the top of Billboard's Hot Country Songs countdown after 46 weeks. Brice co-wrote
Garth Brooks
' "More Than a Memory", which became the first single to debut at number one on the chart, and now he can claim the slowest route to the top spot after finally landing the peak with "Love Like Crazy".
Read Full Story
Music News
Swizz Beatz Rumored to Manage Alicia Keys
July 20, 2010 06:18:09 GMT
Hot on the heels of rumor suggesting
Swizz Beatz
Alicia Keys
will tie the knot this weekend, new report claims that Beatz will serve as Keys' manager now that she parted ways with Jeff Robinson. Quite contrary to statement that the split between Keys and Robinson is "mutually agreed upon and amicable," a source said it actually had something to do with Beatz.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Snoop Dogg Shuts Down Clothing Line's Production
July 20, 2010 06:17:18 GMT
Rap superstar
Snoop Dogg
has shut down production of his clothing line The Rich and Infamous amid reports of poor sales. The "Drop It Like It's Hot" hitmaker, real name Calvin Broadus, debuted the range, a collaboration with the Robert Thorn Company, in 2008, but the collection was hit hard by the downturn in the economy in 2009.
Read Full Story
Movie News
Sally Hawkins to Make Broadway Debut as Cherry Jones' Daughter
July 20, 2010 06:16:42 GMT
British Oscar nominee
Sally Hawkins
is to make her Broadway debut opposite U.S. thespian
Cherry Jones
in a new production of George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs Warren's Profession". The "Happy-Go-Lucky" star will play Vivie Warren, the daughter of Jones' character, in the stage show, directed by Tony Award-winner Doug Hughes at the American Airlines Theater in New York.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
No Complications to Zsa Zsa Gabor's Hip Surgery
July 20, 2010 06:16:07 GMT
Veteran actress
Zsa Zsa Gabor
has undergone successful surgery to replace the hip she broke when she fell out of bed at her home on Saturday, July 17. The Hungarian-born movie veteran suffered several broken bones and was taken to UCLA hospital by ambulance following the accident.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Paris Hilton Blasts 'Perv Paparazzi' for Taking Her Topless Pics
July 20, 2010 06:15:38 GMT
Paris Hilton
has lashed out at a paparazzo who snapped her sunbathing topless on a boat off the coast of Italy, branding the photographer a "perv". The socialite is currently holidaying in Europe and she set sail on a luxury yacht off the island of Sardinia at the weekend.
Read Full Story
TV News
Jewel's Karaoke Prank Inspires a Reality Series
July 20, 2010 06:08:08 GMT
The prank that
Jewel Kilcher
successfully pulled to a room full of people in a karaoke bar has prompted Funny or Die to bring it to bigger league. The parody website is pitching a reality series based on the video titled "Undercover Karaoke with Jewel" which received 2.5 million views three days after it was posted online.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Ludacris Raised a Lot of Money at Diabetes Charity
July 20, 2010 05:06:05 GMT
was honoured at a diabetes fundraiser in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 18 in recognition of his charity work. The hip-hop star performed a special gig at the city's Nokia Live Club as part of three days of festivities organised in aid of non-profit organisation Developing Options, which helps improve the quality of life for youngsters suffering from the condition.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Liam Gallagher Reignites Feud With Noel Over Their Children
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 05:05:28 GMT
Liam Gallagher has shot down rumors the fight which ended
was sparked by a disagreement with his brother Noel Gallagher over family visits - insisting he has always made time to see his nephew. The "Wonderwall" hitmakers went their separate ways in 2009 after a huge argument between the singer and his guitarist sibling before a concert in Paris, France.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Madonna Cited for Noise Pollution in London
July 20, 2010 05:04:57 GMT
Pop superstar
has been cited for noise pollution by London authorities after staff at her home in the British capital threw a party in the singer's absence. The "Material Girl" was out of the country on June 27, when officials from Westminister City Council were called to investigate neighbors' noise complaints.
Read Full Story
Movie News
Steve Carell Wants 'Anchorman' Sequel for Fun
July 20, 2010 05:04:25 GMT
Steve Carell
is urging movie studio bosses to reconsider making a sequel to "
" because he's convinced a second installment will be as good as the original. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy", starring
Will Ferrell
in the title role, was a hit when it was released in 2004, raking in $90 million (60 million pound sterling) in revenue on a relatively small budget of $26 million (17.3 million pound sterling).
Read Full Story
Movie News
Bill Murray 'Disappointed' at 'Garfield'
July 20, 2010 05:03:36 GMT
Bill Murray
regrets lending his voice to animated film "
" to work with his idol, comedy writer Joel Coen - because he realized too late the part was written by a different Joel Cohen. The actor admits he jumped at the chance to play the fat cat in the 2004 live-action film, loosely based on the Jim Davis comic strip "Garfield" - when he thought one half of the Oscar-winning Coen brothers filmmaking duo was attached to the script.
Read Full Story
TV News
Whoopi Goldberg Still Drugged on 'The View'
July 20, 2010 05:02:29 GMT
Whoopi Goldberg
stunned viewers of her U.S. chat show "
The View
" on Monday, July 19 by chuckling as she confessed she was still high from a drug-induced sleep following a late-night flight. The comedienne, who is famously afraid of flying, couldn't stop laughing as she attempted to make the opening introductions on the program.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz to Wed This Weekend
July 20, 2010 04:48:50 GMT
Alicia Keys
and rapper/producer fiance
Swizz Beatz
will make their union official this weekend. MediaTakeOut reported that according to "extremely reliable insider", the soon-to-be parents will hold their wedding on a 200 feet yacht.
Read Full Story
Music News
New Pictures of Adam Lambert From Glam Nation Photoshoot
30 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 04:42:48 GMT
Adam Lambert
recently did a photoshoot with photographer Lee Cherry. The new pictures will appear in T-shirts and key chains for merchandise on his Glam Nation tour. At least four photos of Adam are now out for viewing pleasure, boasting his signature look in a leather jacket and fingerless gloves.
Read Full Story
TV News
New Trailer of 'Weeds' Reveals Botwins Turning Ordinary
2 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 04:24:03 GMT
More to expect from the new season of "
" are compiled in a new trailer clocking at 3 minutes. It begins with the reason why the Botwins are turning into the Newmans and running for their life. In the end of season 5, Shane hit Pilar with a croquet mallet, killing her instantly.
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Celebrity Gossip
Lady GaGa's First Art Work Displayed in London Exhibition
2 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 04:11:21 GMT
Lady GaGa
has proven that she's a true artist. The 24-year-old sensational singer has her first piece of work exhibited in London after donating a sculptural piece to online shop, the SHOWstudio, for a show titled Inside/Out.
Read Full Story
Movie News
Hayden Panettiere Snapped Filming 'Scream 4' With Female Co-Stars
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 04:03:05 GMT
Filming for "
Scream 4
" is still underway and it is currently taking place in Plymouth, Michigan. On Monday, July 19,
Hayden Panettiere
was spotted shooting her scene with some female co-stars. When the camera did not roll, the 20-year-old actress was seen relaxing while listening to Wes Craven's direction.
Read Full Story
Music News
Video Premiere: Wynter Gordon's 'Dirty Talk'
July 20, 2010 03:51:51 GMT
Wynter Gordon
is going to an imaginary world in a music video supporting her debut single "Dirty Talk". From a high school nerd, she is transformed into a beautiful girl. "A little magic, a little fairytale and nature that's the dirty talk video .. What an amazing experience (and long)," she wrote on Twitter.
Read Full Story
Music News
Tom Jones in Talks With The Killers for Collaboration
July 20, 2010 03:46:22 GMT
Tom Jones
is in talks with
The Killers
to record a collaboration once the band returns from hiatus. The pop veteran has teamed up with numerous acts over the years and released an album of duets, "
", in 1999, which featured recordings with artists including
star Kelly Jones and
The Cardigans
' Nina Persson.
Read Full Story
Music News
Vampire Weekend Frustrated by Artwork Lawsuit
July 20, 2010 03:42:07 GMT
Vampire Weekend
have spoken out about the multi-million dollar legal battle over their album cover art - calling the lawsuit "frustrating". The band is facing legal action from Kristen Kennis, the blonde featured on the front of their second album, "
", who has filed a $2 million lawsuit in Los Angeles alleging she never gave permission for the 1983 snap to be used on the cover.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Kelly Osbourne's Dog Died After Her Split From Fiance
July 20, 2010 03:36:08 GMT
Kelly Osbourne
has suffered another devastating blow following her split from fiance Luke Worrall - the former couple's beloved pet dog has died. The 25-year-old reality TV star was left reeling after discovering her longtime partner had allegedly cheated on her, and ended the relationship earlier this month.
Read Full Story
Music News
Joe Perry's Motorcycle Accident Won't Stop Aerosmith's Tour
July 20, 2010 03:32:18 GMT
bassist Tom Hamilton has confirmed guitarist Joe Perry will join the band on its U.S. tour later this month, just days after he was injured in a motorcycle accident. Perry sustained unknown injuries after his motorcycle was struck by a car at traffic lights in Taunton, Massachusetts on Thursday, July 15. The rocker, 59, was taken by ambulance to the nearby Morton Hospital and Medical Center where he was treated and released.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Lindsay Lohan Orders 'Crazy' Dad to Stay Away
July 20, 2010 03:29:05 GMT
Lindsay Lohan
has issued an emotional plea to her father to stay away from her as she battles her demons in rehab - insisting she is in a "great place" and doesn't want her dad to hamper her progress. The "
Mean Girls
" star checked into a sober living facility in Los Angeles last week ahead of her upcoming 90 day jail sentence, which she is due to start on Tuesday, July 20.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Robert Shapiro Reportedly Quits Representing Lindsay Lohan
July 20, 2010 03:28:19 GMT
A day before
Lindsay Lohan
is due to surrender to authorities to begin her prison term for breaking the terms of her probation from a 2007 DUI arrest, her defense attorney Robert Shapiro quit. According to TMZ, the famous attorney reportedly has informed the judge in Lindsay's case that he's no longer representing the troubled actress.
Read Full Story
Movie News
Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans to Attend Marvel Movie Signings at Comic Con
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 03:19:35 GMT
Marvel Studios has announced that they are going to hold signings for two of their upcoming big movies, "
" and "
Captain America: The First Avenger
", at San Diego Comic Con 2010. The signing will take place at the Marvel Booth (#2329) on Saturday, July 24 starting at 11:15 A.M.
Read Full Story
Music News
Selena Gomez: Collaborating With Justin Bieber Would Be Dream Come True
20 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 03:08:46 GMT
Since both
Selena Gomez
Justin Bieber
have repeatedly sung praises for each other, people now try to hook them up by proposing a duet project. Commenting on the idea, the "
Wizards of Waverly Place
" star said she would love to do it.
Read Full Story
TV News
DirectTV Takes the Risk of Reviving 'Damages'
July 20, 2010 03:03:20 GMT
Fans of FX network can rejoice at the thought of "
" being saved from death. DirecTV has ordered two seasons of 10 episodes each and they will go into production early next year for a Summer 2012 premiere. The first three seasons meanwhile, will be re-airing starting next summer.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Jennifer Aniston Poses Topless in New Fragrance Ads
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 02:57:19 GMT
Jennifer Aniston
has got all the attention to the debut of her fragrance as she poses topless in a series of promotional shots for the new perfume line. The "Friends" star looks stunning in three black-and-white shots, showcasing her naked body apart from a white skirt positioned low on her hips.
Read Full Story
Music News
50 Cent Plans to Scrap New Dance Album 'Black Magic'
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 02:50:48 GMT
50 Cent
is considering scrapping his upcoming album because he has grown tired of his new dance sound. The rapper embraced a new musical direction for "
Black Magic
", due for release later this year, with many tracks inspired by the upbeat European nightclub hits which he discovered during a recent promotional tour of the continent.
Read Full Story
Music News
Graeme Clark Leaves Wet Wet Wet After 28 Years
July 20, 2010 02:47:46 GMT
Wet Wet Wet star Graeme Clark has quit the band after 28 years. The bass player informed fans of the news in a post on his Twitter.com page on Saturday, July 17, revealing he has decided to leave the Scottish pop group to focus on other projects.
Read Full Story
Music News
Crystal Castles' Alice Glass Stormed Off Stage at Latitude Fest
July 20, 2010 02:39:29 GMT
Crystal Castles
frontwoman Alice Glass stormed off stage at a festival in Britain on Saturday night, July 17 after accusing an audience member of grabbing her breasts during a stage dive. The Canadian rockers were performing at the Latitude Music Festival in Suffolk, England when the singer hurled herself into the crowd, only to emerge swearing furiously after a reveler allegedly touched her chest.
Read Full Story
Movie News
Dwayne Johnson's 'Faster' Debuts Teaser Trailer and New Poster
1 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 02:37:55 GMT
CBS Films has shared few scenes from "
" by dropping the first teaser trailer via Yahoo! Movies. While a voice of a man talking about forgiveness is heard during the video, Dwayne "
The Rock
" Johnson's Driver is seen taking out his guns to chase people responsible for his brother's murder. A new poster for the movie is additionally released, mentioning "Slow justice is no justice."
Read Full Story
TV News
Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston Offered Reality Show but Said No
July 20, 2010 02:37:30 GMT
Bristol Palin
Levi Johnston
would stop at announcing their engagement reality only. The couple who made the headline for having son pre-marital is not coming to small screen for Bristol's rep has denied that there's a deal brewing for the camera to follow them as newlyweds.
Read Full Story
Celebrity Gossip
Charice's Botox Procedure Not for Cosmetic Purposes, Rep Explains
15 comment(s)
July 20, 2010 02:21:53 GMT
Filipino singer
, who reportedly made her preparation for "
" by having Botox, was indeed undergoing the procedure but not for cosmetic purposes. A rep for the 18-year-old star denied that she had the procedure to change her appearance, telling Us Magazine, "[It was] to relieve a jaw problem similar to TMJ. It did not hurt; it relieved the pain."
Read Full Story
Music News
Official Preview of Christina Aguilera's 'You Lost Me' Music Video
July 20, 2010 02:13:38 GMT
Another quick look at
Christina Aguilera
's upcoming music video for her single "You Lost Me" is offered, this time around in the form of a short snippet. In the preview, the 29-year-old singer is shown as a fragile woman as she sings about being neglected by her lover.
Read Full Story
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Marine Biotherapies, Essential Elements, Ionic Mineral Drops, 4 fl oz (118 ml) (Discontinued Item)
By Marine BiotherapiesWrite a Review
Shipping Weight:?0.47 lbs (0.21 kg)
Shipping Weight
The Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: MAB-00187
- UPC Code: 878941001871
- Package Quantity: 4 fl oz (118 ml)
- Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 5.5 in, 0.4 lbs (0.18 kg)
Product Overview
- Concentrated Liquid Ionic Mineral Drops
- Certified Vegan American Vegetarian Association
- Gluten Free
- Dietary Supplement
- Kosher
A liquid mineral complex of over 72 ionic trace minerals and elements for Natural Beauty From Within
Formulated by nature for greater bio-electric health & body mineral balancing.
Essential Elements is a natural mineral concentrate that is so concentrated that 40 drops (1/2 teaspoon) equals the mineral content of 1/2 cup sea water with 99% sodium removed. You may expect a wide spectrum of nutritional benefits. For regular or sodium restricted diets.
Suggested Use
Begin regimen by taking 1/4 teaspoon (20 drops) for 3 consecutive days. Each day thereafter, increase dosage by 5 drops up to 1/2 teaspoon (40 drops) once or twice daily. Mix with any beverage or food at mealtimes to mask the concentrated mineral flavor or take straight, followed by a glass of juice or water. Moderately increased dosages are safe if needed or desired, but larger amounts may cause a laxative effect.
Remineralize Water: Improve the flavor of distilled, reverse osmosis or purified water. Adding 20-40 drops per gallon or to taste (2-4 drops per glass) compares to expensive mineral water and adds a complete, balanced spectrum of low sodium minerals and trace minerals. At 20 drops per gallon, 4 ounces will remineralize 96 gallons.
Other Ingredients
Ionic sea minerals. Contains no other added ingredients. In addition to the elements listed above, this product contains the following in naturally occurring, varying trace amounts: Bromide, carbonate, calcium, silicon, nitrogen, selenium, phosphorus, iodide, chromium, manganese, titanium, rubidium, cobalt, copper, antimony, molybdenum, strontium, zinc, nickel, tungsten, germanium, scandium, vanadium, tellurium, tin, lanthanum, yttrium, silver, gallium, bismuth, zirconium, cerium, cesium, gold, beryllium, hafnium, samarium, terbium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium, thorium, holmium, lutetium, erbium, ytterbium, neodymium, praseodymium, niobium, tantalum, thallium, rhenium, indium and palladium, plus the other elements found in sea water.
Allergen Info: Contains no known allergens.
Due to the purity and concentration of this product, it is naturally preserved and contains no bacterial growth. The minerals do not lose potency over time. Minor crystallization may occur, but this does not affect the quality of the product.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 1/2 tsp. (about 40 drops)
|Servings Per Container: 48
|Amount Per Serving
|250 mg
|690 mg
|5 mg
|3 mg
|37 mg
|395 mcg
|370 mcg
|† Daily Value (DV) not established.


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All week, CSNNE is taking a look at Boston's Toughest at 6 p.m. Every day our Insiders will profile the player they feel is the toughest they've seen on the team they cover. Today's team: The Celtics.
BOSTON -- When you start to look at the storied history of the Boston Celtics, there's no shortage of talented tough guys.
Go back to the 1950s and you have to give it up for Bob Brannum, one of the NBA's first "enforcers" who wouldn't hesitate to lend a hand -- or a pair of fists -- if it meant protecting one of his Celtics teammates.
Robert Parish landing a 1-2-3 combo that sent Bill Laimbeer flailing to the floor during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals was another "tough guy" moment for Celtics fans.
But toughness is about more than beating the snot out of a opponent.
Handling pain also speaks to a player's toughness. Few moments resonate like Rajon Rondo suffering a gruesome dislocated elbow against the Miami Heat a few years ago, and yet somehow managing to return to the floor minutes later.
But when it comes to the Celtics and all the true tough guys that have performed on the parquet, the man that stands head and shoulders above the rest is Red Auerbach.
Tough guys in Boston helped elevate a franchise.
Auerbach's toughness elevated the entire league.
At a time when teams obsessed over acquiring big-time scoring superstars, Auerbach envisioned a team with balanced scorers but also a defensive anchor whose presence could elevate the defensive play of those around him. And if it meant trading away a talented, popular player like six-time All-Star Ed Macauley, Auerbach was willing to make the deal regardless of the potential backlash.
But Auerbach's toughness extended beyond making tough personnel decisions. He tackled social issues head-on in a fashion that no one during that time in the NBA, had the guts to do.
It was the Boston Celtics, under Red Auerbach, who drafted the first black player, Chuck Cooper, into the league in 1950.
And it was Auerbach's Celtics who had the first all-black starting five in the NBA, in 1964.
So even with a franchise that has lots of tough guy candidates like Larry Bird, Dave Cowens or Bill Russell, there's really just one choice when it comes to the Boston Celtics.
And that's Red Auerbach, whose toughness as a leader, a coach, a front-office executive and maybe most significant as a leader in social change, became the blueprint for a future generations of tough guys who don the White and Green.


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Counted among the world's leaders in teaching and research, and draws students and faculty from all 50 states and more than 120 nations.
Elizabeth Dhooge, daughter of Mary and Alan Dhooge of Bettendorf, Iowa (52722), earned a graduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Dhooge graduated with a master of social wo... moreSpring 2013 Verified by Washington University in St. Louis
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The Giant Beastcast: Episode 06
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Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Game »
consists of 9 releases.
Released Sep 13, 2005
Running at 60 frames per second is standard for PC games, but the hardware restrictions of consoles often force developers to aim for lower framerates in order to preserve visual detail or allow for greater scale. Thus, console games that do hit the 60 FPS mark are somewhat unusual.
Achievements are extra challenges added into video games that sometimes carry a point value or unlock bonus material, and are sometimes solely for bragging rights.
Aftertouch is a technique where the player is able to manipulate the path of an object that they would realistically have no control of, such as a fired bullet or a crashing car.
An Arcade-style racer is a game which shoots for a fun and fast-paced experience over trying to simulate real life physics and racing protocol.
Artificial Intelligence, or AI, commonly refers to the programmed behaviors of NPCs in a game, whether it's the fact that a soldier takes cover behind a wall in Gears of War, or that townspeople cheer upon your arrival to their village in Fable.
Boost takes a game to a new level giving players a greater level of speed. This speed opens up new doors to sports games, driving games, and any game that can benefit from the reward of speed.
AI Bots are computer-controlled game characters that substitute for characters that are otherwise typically played by a human, and are most commonly found in multiplayer games.
Bullet time is a gameplay mechanic that allows players to slow down time. Depending on the game itself, the player often slows down along with the world around them, however occasionally the player can simply move at normal speed while the game world continues to slow.
A view point or camera angle that's fixed on the vehicles front bumper.
Forced Wheel spin where the brake is applied and the gas pedal is floored, therefore spinning the tires, then releasing the brake for a small boost. Not meant to be done, but a popular showboating technique.
Many games sport magic cars that drive all by themselves. This is most likely done in order to keep a low rating or for other reasons.
A concept used in many racing and action games in which your vehicle or character is airborne and shot at an awesome angle, often in slow-mo. It'll definitely have you saying "Holy Crap, I gotta see that again!"
Some games allow you to attack your opponents during a race.
A gameplay feature that offers players the option to listen to their own music instead of the game's original soundtrack. This allows for a more personalized listening experience.
Damage modelling is used to show damage that has been inflicted. Damage can be modelled on game object so long as the game's engine will allow for it
Over time, it's common for publishers to stop supporting the online components of old or unpopular games. In addition to saving money, this also serves to boost sales of newer games in the same series or genre.
DNAS was Sony's solution to all of the online cheating on PS2 games. It was also introduced as a means to discourage and prevent illegal copies of games to be played online.
Dodge is an automobile manufacturer headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Dolby Digital is an audio compression technology codec first used in movie theaters. It's now commonly used in many modern day audio/video media formats, including video games.
Drafting is the term in motorsports for following a car closely. The result of drafting makes for less air resistance, faster speeds, and better fuel mileage.
Drift jumping has been a secret staple of the third and fourth Burnout games. To be able to compete with the best of the best, players must be able to drift right before hitting a jump to gain a massive speed boost.
Drifting is a technique used in motorsports that involves intentionally over-steering the car to create a slide. This is done both as a competitive and exhibitive technique.
The 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California on May 18-20.
A powerful release of energy. This energy is usually expelled in all directions very quickly, typically giving off orange or red flames.
In order to avoid licensing issues, many games simply create fictional car brands.
FreeLC is free downloadable content. It is a sub-category of DLC which encompasses only free downloadable content.
An independent group of about 30 North American media outlets who, since 1998, determine the best games of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
An Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live feature that lets you purchase and download full Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC games through the Live Marketplace.
Greatest hits is a general term for re-releases of games which have sold a certain number of copies, as part of a program managed by the console manufacturer.
A console game is high definition if it operates at a resolution of at least 720p, or 1280x720. A console able to achieve this resolution is HD-capable. For a variety of reasons, the term does not apply to PC games.
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So, I predicted a 49er win, by the score of 34-14. At least I got the Niners score correct. Given the rash of injuries in the Green Bay secondary, I was expecting a field day from our offense. For the passing game I was certainly right, as witnessed by Colin Kaepernick's biggest quarterback output since Tim Rattay (never thought I'd mention that guy again) and Anquan Boldin's debut for the ages. Here are some of my thoughts regarding the game.
The good
- Colin Kaepernick. As I get into conversations about the Niners with family, friends, co-workers and strangers, there seems to be a general consensus… that Kaepernick is a fluke, a talented running quarterback with a super strong arm. Put enough hits on him and contain him from running, thus forcing him to beat you in the pocket, and he will fold. Today, he showed that if needed, he could stand tall and beat you with his arm alone. Going 27-39 for 412 yards and 3 TD's with a 69% completion rate, Kaepernick shredded the makeshift Packers secondary like an elite quarterback should have. It's also worth noting that there was only one WR on the roster that he had any previous chemistry with, Kyle Williams. So just as the Packers secondary was inexperienced, Colin was throwing to a crew he had no "real-time" experience with either.
- The Kaepernick/Boldin/Davis connection
Much has been made of the Niners offense being without Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham to start the season, as well as the 'questionable' chemistry between Kaepernick and Davis. It didn't seem to be any kind of factor. Boldin torched the secondary for 13 catches for 208 yards, 1 TD and at times seemed to be uncoverable. He showed all the poise of a savvy, veteran WR, out-muscling press coverage and deftly finding the soft spots in the zone. At this moment, Boldin seems to be very much worth a sixth round pick, and much more productive than a certain Randy Moss.
Vernon reaped all the benefits of the Packers efforts to slow down Boldin. He and Kaepernick displayed the chemistry they had in the 2012 post season as opposed to the regular season. This is exactly what the team will need down the stretch while the WR corps returns to full strength.
Another observation, especially prior to Boldin stomping all over anyone in his path, was the Niners efforts to spread the ball around. On the drive leading to the opening Vernon Davis score, Kaepernick hit 5 separate players. If the Niners are to overcome their injuries at WR, and not become over reliant on Boldin, they need to continue to do this.
- Eric Reid
Without doubt, one of the biggest questions that the Niners defense faced going into the season, was how would they replace Dashon Goldson? The early answer was to draft Eric Reid. It seemed certain that he would struggle, facing off against one of the best in Aaron Rodgers and that the rest of the defense would have to rally around him. Today, Reid tried to do his very best impression of Goldson. He delivered some of the game's biggest hits, and played some very impressive coverage downfield. Finally, he demonstrated sure hands on a gift of an interception from Jermichael Finley, shutting down a promising Packer drive. It is still early, but if Reid can consistently deliver performances like this one, the FS spot is one less question mark.
The Not So Good
- Where was the running game?
For as long as Frank Gore has been a 49er, the run game has been at the heart of everything the Niners do on offense. In particular, the Niners have shredded the Packers during their last two outings for over 500 yards on the ground, so it was reasonable to assume they would have a measure of success today. Things didn't quite turn out that way. Part of that can be put on the Packers outright commitment to stopping Kaepernick from running all over them, but as I watched the game, it felt as though the team had all but abandoned it's straight ahead, power formation downhill running game, running primarily out of the shotgun. Its sometimes as if Greg Roman outdoes himself with creativity and shy's away from letting one of the best offensive lines in football impose its will on the defense and opening holes for one of the best RB stables in football. It remains to be seen if this is a one off, game plan deal, or an area of concern going forward.
- Tackle, tackle, and tackle.
There were far too many missed tackles in this game. From Perrish Cox's whiff that resulted in Jermichael Finley's game tying score, to Nnamdi Asomugha's poor attempts at tackling Jordy Nelson, there were moments that the Niners have put themselves in position to make the play, but then just didn't execute. Like blocking, tackling is one of the cornerstones of successful football teams, and down the line, the defense must wrap up the ball carrier to get themselves off the field.
The "What in the World?" moments
- Clock management
This is an area that just seems to be a consistent issue for the Niners, since before Jim Harbaugh and his staff came along. It hasn't gotten any better. If this was a road game where the crowd is deafening and making it all but impossible to get a play call in, or making it hard for everyone to hear the snap count, that would be one thing. But the play clock shouldn't be a factor at home. Without a doubt this was the most frustrating thing to see today, because it has been such a consistent issue. Much like blocking and tackling, getting a play off before the clock expires is a fundamental aspect of the game that hasn't changed in the 30+ years I have been around this game. The Niners burned their way through timeouts today, which turned out to be a nonfactor, but in a close game like this one, it very well could have been. And going into an environment as hostile as Seattle next week, it could be crucial.
Early musings from Week One
Monday, September 9, 2013 at 7:55 AM | 6 comments
By John Croston
Our comment system has been fixed and should now be working properly. We apologize for the inconvenience over the past few days.
The views within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
By: TCUNNYDate: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 6:13 PMComment: Oh, and we better havd some Chip Kelly signs ready to call plays on Sunday. I bet the over/under on Delay of Games would be safe at 4 and that's not a very good number. Have to go to a wrist band w/ hand signals or something.Response: It is going to be a huge factor in the outcome of the game, that's for sure.
By: KEDate: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 6:10 PMComment: I don't think time management is such a big issue considering the vast expanse of the playbook, and getting young players dialed in. We won't be talking about this, late into the season, or next year. I heard somewhere they may even trim some of the plays down. I just hope the team is addressing the issue, as it applies to crowd noise, and the artificially pumped in noise for the Seahawks. Sign language maybe ?Response: I hope you are correct. It just seems over the course of the last few years that we seem to have issues with getting the play called regardless of who is the QB. Time outs are a commodity, it worries me that we burn them early because we didn't get the play called in time. Perhaps we do go a little old school and go to hand signals this week!
By: TCUNNYDate: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 6:09 PMComment: I think the abondonment of the run game was just an adjustment to the focus (not to mention the 350 lbs stacked on the line). I think I would have been more frustrated had we continued to try and run when it was obvious they could not stop our air game. I am excited that we can attack both fronts, depending on where the openings are.Response: One thing is for sure, Greg Roman does very well to adjusting during the course of the game. I am very glad that our passing game is alive and well!
By: Dallas Niner FanDate: Monday, September 9, 2013 at 1:28 PMComment: Just wait until Crabtree gets back. Him and Bolden... kinda scary ain't it?Response: It's an amazing thought. Assuming Crabtree and Manningham return in time and are able to make meaningful contributions, the 49ers could suddenly be stacked with legitmate talent at the WR position. Thats not even factoring Vernon Davis into the equation. Shaping up to be a matchup nightmare for opposing coordinators.
By: bretDate: Monday, September 9, 2013 at 9:00 AMComment: I enjoyed your comments, but I'm a little more impressed than you with the play of Reid. He did miss a tackle resulting in 22 yards for GB, but he atoned 2 plays later with his interception. He made big tackles all over the field, and he didn't get penalized (Dashon Goldson, as usual had 2 for TB yesterday!). Moreover, his 2nd interception - the one that didn't count because of a penalty - was actually a big play: had he not made that play GB would have declined the penalty and accepted the touchdown Reid's interception prevented. He delivered in pre-season; he's delivering now that the games count: he's the REAL DEAL!Response: I may have understated my appreciation of Reid... I was very impressed overall by his play, he was a standout on an otherwise medicore secondary yesterday, I just hope that he continues to improve.
By: Jim AndersonDate: Monday, September 9, 2013 at 8:25 AMComment: I agree, need to also mention the illegal formation problems, come on man.Response: Yes, absolutley. Hopefully that was a case of opening day jitters, but like the clock management, this has been a constant thing.


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Sorry, you won't be able to watch porn on the Oculus Rift
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A collection of news and information related to Kyle Drabek published by this site and its partners.
Top Kyle Drabek Articles
Displaying items 23-31
Power rankings: No. 15 Blue Jays
Roberts mentoring Andino, Jones in art of stealing bases
Hunter solid in Orioles' 6-3 loss to Toronto
ELSEWHERE ON THE FARM, expanded editionStory | Aug 27, 2011Clearwater RHP Julio Rodriguez is going to fall short of 20 wins but he's likely to become the second Thresher in five years to lead the minors in victories. Rodriguez improved to 16-7 on Thursday by allowing two hits and a walk while striking out...
DOWN ON THE FARM (EXTENDED VERSION) ...Story | Apr 15, 2012The three b'Baby Aces' who moved up from Clearwater to Florida are off to good starts in their first 10 days at Double-A. RHP Trevor May, the most heranded of the trio, won each of his first starts with a 3.75 ERA, including on Thrursday...
What the Phillies have done, and hope to do, in the draftStory | Jun 3, 2012After a 2010 draft class in which the Phillies took pitchers with four of their first five picks, they changed their focus last year (they took four position players) and will continue along that path this year. "Honestly, we'd like......
Baseball Prospectus has high praise for O's prospect Britton
Angels update: Conger to start home opener; Wells looking to find stroke; injury updatesStory | Apr 8, 2011Catcher Hank Conger, the former Huntington Beach High standout who hit a home run in the only other game he has played for the Angels this season, is in the starting lineup for Friday night's home opener against the Toronto......
A scout's view of Vernon WellsStory | Apr 11, 2011Angels left fielder Vernon Wells is hitting at a level that is a shadow of his former self, and his performance over the weekend against his former team was indicative. Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Brett Cecil on Saturday offered a......


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Working on some icons for a new GoSquared feature. Pretty happy with the Traffic & Location icons I just finished so decided to post up this preview. Actually looking at it I might make Locations a tad larger..
More Tim Parker
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Gear Review
Pip Hunt
Little on the big size, but super comfy!
I agree with Mountain Girls review of these pants, but I ordered the smaller size just to see, and they did fit! I was really surprised that I fit into a size 2, but they look great. I am also usually a 4. I'm a size 26 waist, with a 30" inseam. These are a tad bit too long, but work really well with a pair of danskos or any shoe with a small heel. Overall I'm really excited about them!
View More Details on prAna Canyon Pant - Women's


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Detecting an object using sound waves includes outputting a sound wave from a transducer, receiving an echo after outputting the sound wave, obtaining a threshold value based on the echo and plural other echoes that are within a predetermined range of the echo, and determining if the echo is a result of the sound wave based on the threshold value.
1. A method of controlling a mobile robot, the method comprising:
outputting multiple, sequential sound waves;
receiving echoes of the outputted sound waves;
obtaining a threshold value based on a latest one of the echoes and previously received ones of the echoes determined to fall within a predetermined range of the latest echo;
determining if the latest echo is a result of a latest one of the outputted sound waves based on the threshold value; and
controlling the mobile robot based on the determination of whether the latest echo is a result of the latest outputted sound wave.
2. The method of
obtaining an average that is based on the latest echo and the previously received echoes; and
modifying the average using a scaling factor.
3. The method of
4. An apparatus for detecting an object using sound waves, the apparatus comprising:
a transmitter to output multiple, sequential sound waves;
a receiver to receive echoes of the outputted sound waves; and
a processor configured to
obtain a threshold value based on a latest one of the echoes and previously received ones of the echoes determined to fall within a predetermined range of the latest echo, and
determine if the latest echo is a result of a latest one of the outputted sound waves based on the threshold value.
5. The apparatus of
obtaining an average that is based on the latest echo and the previously received echoes; and
modifying the average using a scaling factor.
6. The apparatus of
7. A method of controlling a mobile robot, the method comprising:
receiving plural reflections of corresponding emissions;
determining a threshold value based on a target reflection and received reflections determined to each result from a corresponding emission;
comparing the target reflection to the threshold value, the target reflection comprising one of the plural reflections;
determining if the target reflection is a reflection of a latest emission based on the comparison to the threshold value; and
controlling the mobile robot based on the determination of whether the target reflection is a reflection of the latest emission.
8. The method of
9. The method of
10. The method of
the plural reflections comprise a first reflection, followed by a second reflection, followed by a third reflection; and
the target reflection comprises the second reflection; and
wherein the first reflection, the second reflection, and the third reflection are adjacent in time.
11. The method of
12. The method of
13. An apparatus comprising:
a receiver to receive plural reflections of corresponding emissions; and
a processor configured to
determine a threshold value based on a target reflection and received reflections determined to each result from a corresponding emission, and
determine if the target reflection is a reflection of a latest emission based on the threshold value and the target reflection, the target reflection comprising one of the plural reflections.
14. The apparatus of
15. The apparatus of
16. The apparatus of
the plural reflections comprise a first reflection, followed by a second reflection, followed by a third reflection; and
the target reflection comprises the second reflection; and
wherein the first reflection, the second reflection, and the third reflection are adjacent in time.
17. The apparatus of
18. The apparatus of
This application is a continuation (and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC �120) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/115,229, filed May 5, 2008 (issued on Mar. 20, 2010 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,688,676) which is a continuation of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. �120 from, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/085, 832, filed on Mar. 21, 2005 (issued on May 6, 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,369,460), which is a continuation-in-part of, and claims priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/921,181, filed on Aug. 2, 2001 (issued on Mar. 22, 2005 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,792), which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. �119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/222,542, filed on Aug. 3, 2000. The disclosures of these prior applications are considered part of the disclosure of this application and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/826,209, filed Apr. 4, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/194,922, filed Apr. 4, 2000 are also incorporated by reference into this application as if set forth herein in full, although no priority claim is made to these two applications
This invention relates generally to using sound waves to detect objects and, more particularly, to a sonar scanner that uses sound waves to detect objects in the environment of a mobile robot.
A mobile robot senses objects in its environment in order to determine its own location, map the environment for later localization and navigation, and, in non-static environments, to avoid obstacles.
A number of obstacle detection systems are currently in use, including complex computer vision systems, scanning laser range finders, and arrays of discrete ultrasonic transducers. Computer vision and scanning laser range finders tend to be prohibitively expensive in many applications. Mobile robots therefore often use ultrasonic sonar devices for obstacle avoidance.
The word "sonar" is an acronym for "Sound Navigation and Ranging". A sonar scanner typically includes a transmitter, a transducer, a receiver, and a signal processor. An electrical impulse (or "pulse"), usually a waveform, from the transmitter is converted into a sound wave by the transducer and propagated in a given direction. When the sound wave strikes an object, it rebounds, producing an "echo". This echo strikes the transducer. The transducer converts the echo into an electrical signal, which is amplified by the receiver and fed into a detector and stored for processing.
Since the speed of sound in any given environment is known, the time lapse between the transmitted signal and the received echo can be measured and the distance to an object that produced the echo determined. This time lapse is called the "time of flight".
One configuration for producing the transmitted signal and receiving the echo is a sonar ring. A sonar ring includes a number of transducers positioned around a robot to allow simultaneous sensing in more than one direction. A sonar ring may include any number of transducers and may or may not provide detection in a 360� field, depending on the number, placement and echo field of the transducers. For example, where each transducer's echo field covers 15� of radial space, a robot would need 24 evenly-spaced and directed transducers in order to have full 360� coverage.
This high number of sonar components has a number of drawbacks, including cost. Not only do sonar ring systems eliminate many of the cost benefits of using a sonar-based system, sonar rings often produce data of questionable quality due to the increased amount of acoustic energy being transmitted into the environment from multiple transducers. This acoustic energy may reflect off of multiple objects, resulting in multipath reflections. Multipath reflections are echoes that have not traveled in a direct path from the object to the receiver. For example, an echo that reflects off of one or more walls will have a longer time of flight and appear as an object farther away from the sonar scanner than it is in fact.
Thus, the transducer is subject to receiving sound waves from several sources, not just the intended echo. Distinguishing between the echo, spurious signals and/or extraneous noise is one challenge faced in designing a sonar scanner for a mobile robot or other application. In addition to multipath reflections, examples of extraneous environmental noise include acoustic steady state and periodic noise, acoustic impulse noise, electrical impulse, and ultrasonic noise from intentional sources, such as other robots, ultrasonic door openers, etc.
In a sonar scanner, the transducer emits a signal (or pulse) having a finite duration, temit. Conventionally, during the process of emitting the pulse, the receiver is disabled by a system controller as it waits for the transducer to cease operation in order to begin listening for the echo. The time that the receiver is disabled is known as the "blanking time" tblank. The receiver is disabled in order to be sure that it does not become saturated as it detects the transducer emitting the sound wave. A byproduct of this delay, i.e., the receiver blanking time, is that it prevents the sonar scanner from detecting real objects within a certain distance.
Typically, the duration of the pulse signal is reduced in order to reduce the minimum measurable distance of the sonar scanner. Due to its mechanical nature, however, the transducer continues to vibrate even after the transmitter signal has ceased. This continued vibration is typically referred to as the "ring-down". This additional latency in the system extends temit, so that the total time of the signal can be characterized as the duration of the pulse (tpulse) plus the duration of the ring-down (tring-down). Thus, the ring-down makes it difficult for a sonar scanner to detect objects within a certain distance. In the prior art, the minimum detection distance is about one foot.
In addition, mobile robot sonar scanners also face challenges from extraneous noise in the environment. For example, if the environment contains a continuous source of acoustic or electrical noise, such as a vacuum cleaner or air conditioning unit, the sonar scanner may be susceptible to this noise. The robot itself may be a source of continuous noise, which could also affect the ability of the sonar scanner to detect echoes.
This patent application provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products and machine-readable media, for using sound waves to detect objects. Aspects of the invention are set forth below.
In general, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a method that includes transmitting a sound wave comprised of a first portion and a second portion, where the first portion comprises a pulse signal and the second portion comprises a ring-down signal, obtaining a characteristic of the second portion, storing the characteristic, using the characteristic to detect an echo of another sound wave, and repeating transmitting, obtaining, storing and using periodically for different sound waves and corresponding first and second portions.
The foregoing aspect may also include one or more of the following features. The ring-down signal may comprise a signal that decays in amplitude over time. The ring-down signal may be a function of a transducer used to transmit the pulse signal. The characteristic may be an amplitude of the ring-down signal.
The method may include transmitting the other sound wave comprised of a first portion and a second portion, receiving an echo of the other sound wave, and analyzing the echo of the other sound wave based on the characteristic. Analyzing may include distinguishing the second portion of the other sound wave from the echo of the other sound wave. Distinguishing may include detecting an amplitude in the echo based on the characteristic. Detecting the amplitude in the echo may include assigning a threshold based on the characteristic, and comparing the amplitude in the echo to the threshold. The amplitude in the echo may be detected if the amplitude in the echo exceeds the threshold.
In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to a pulse-echo sonar scanner for a mobile robot. The pulse-echo scanner includes a transmitter which generates a pulse signal, an acoustic transducer which transmits and receives acoustic signals, a receiver, and means for determining performance characteristics of the transducer periodically during operation of the pulse-echo sonar scanner for a given pulse, where the performance characteristics of the transducer comprise transducer ring-down. The pulse-echo scanner also includes means for storing the performance characteristics, and means for determining threshold levels for an echo signal based on the stored performance characteristics.
The foregoing aspect may also include one or more of the following features. The acoustic transducer may be capable of rotation through 360�. A controller may control an angular position of the acoustic transducer. There may be a reflective surface on the acoustic transducer that is controlled by the controller.
In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of adjusting threshold levels on a mobile robot scanner. The method includes measuring ring-down characteristics of the mobile robot scanner periodically during operation of the mobile robot scanner, creating a dynamic threshold level based on the ring-down characteristics, and applying the dynamic threshold levels to received signals.
In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of receiving plural reflections of corresponding emissions, determining a threshold value based on the plural reflections, comparing a target reflection to the threshold value, the target reflection comprising one of the plural reflections, and determining if the target reflection is a valid reflection based on comparison to the threshold value.
The foregoing aspect may also include one or more of the following features. Determining may include averaging magnitudes of the plural reflections, and/or applying a scaling factor to an average of the magnitudes of the plural reflections. The plural reflections may include a first reflection, followed by a second reflection, followed by a third reflection, and the target reflection may include the second reflection. The first reflection, the second reflection, and the third reflection may be adjacent in time. The emissions may include sound waves and the plural reflections may include echoes of the sound waves. The emissions may be laser beams, and the reflections may be reflections of the laser beams.
In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to a method of detecting an object using sound waves. The method includes outputting a sound wave from a transducer, receiving an echo after outputting the sound wave, obtaining a threshold value based on the echo and plural other echoes that are within a predetermined range of the echo, and determining if the echo is a result of the sound wave based on the threshold value.
The foregoing aspect may also include one or more of the following features. Obtaining the threshold value may include obtaining an average that is based on the echo and the plural other echoes, and/or modifying the average using a scaling factor.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, including the claims and drawings.
Like reference numerals in different figures indicate like elements.
Transducer 12 is also responsive to received sonar echoes produced from the transmitted sound waves. The received echoes are transmitted from transducer 12 to receiver 16, where they are demodulated, digitized, and transmitted to signal processor 18 for processing.
To this end, receiver 16 includes a low-noise pre-amplifier 22 to amplify the received echo signals, a bandpass filter 24 to remove signals outside of the echo frequency range, and a demodulating logarithmic amplifier 26 and gain block 28 to amplify and acquire the envelope of the filtered signals. Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 35 digitizes these signals and provides them to signal processor 18. Comparator 32 receives the analog signals and compares them to predetermined thresholds, as described below. These thresholds may be stored, e.g., in a memory of signal processor 18 and converted to analog form via digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 34 prior to comparison. Results of the comparison are provided to signal processor 18. Alternatively, the function of comparator 32 may be implemented in software running on signal processor 18.
A host interface 30 is also connected to signal processor 18. Host interface 30 allows a host, e.g., a mobile robot, to receive commands from signal processor 18 that are based on transmitted and received sound waves. For example, an object may be detected, as described below, using sonar scanner 10. Signal processor 18 may then notify the host processor of the object's existence.
Reflector 38 may be an angled structure for transmitting sound waves in a desired echo field. An echo field, in this context, is an area for receiving echoes from an object. Reflector 38 is contained within a cone-shaped housing 40 that allows transducer 12 to "pick-up" an echo in the echo field. The size and shape of the echo field are based on angle 42 and the shapes of the reflector and transducer.
In this embodiment, a plane-shaped acoustic mirror is used as the reflector. It is noted, however, that the reflector may be contoured to passively form the outgoing acoustic energy into a predetermined shape. This would also shape the transducer's receive sensitivity pattern. In this embodiment, the reflector is shaped so that it detects objects at a �5� angle relative to a center-line of the reflector. By changing the shape of the reflector, and thus the shape of the outgoing energy, e.g., from a circular shape to an elliptical shape, it is possible for the reflector to pick-up objects at different angles.
This embodiment of sonar scanner 10 uses a single transducer (versus the "sonar ring" of the prior art, which used as many as 24 transducers, plus electronics). Using a single transducer, instead of multiple transducers, reduces the cost of sonar scanner 10 relative to its conventional counterparts. A single transducer also lowers the amount of acoustic energy in the environment. Also, a single transducer results in fewer sound waves reflecting off surfaces in a given area. Even in the preferred embodiment, the sonar scanner is subject to potential multipath errors. For example, the sonar scanner emits a sound wave facing east, the sound wave reflects off a wall, and the sonar scanner (still rotating), picks up the echo facing north. Such multipath errors can be reduced by adjusting the rotational velocity of the single transducer periodically to separate real objects from "ghost" objects. A single transducer also limits the echo field, thereby reducing receipt of false or spurious signals by the transducer.
The entire sonar scanner 10 may be mounted on a mobile platform having a drive mechanism that propels a robot. Any type of drive mechanism and robot may be used. Examples of a mobile platform that may be used are shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/826,209 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/194,922 incorporated by reference above.
After tpulse, transducer 12 begins its ring-down, during which sound waves are produced having decreasing amplitudes 50, 52, 53, etc. These amplitudes are set as amplitude thresholds for the ring-down signal. Ring-down signal 48 has a duration of tringdown. Thus, the total duration of the sound wave produced by transducer 12 is tblank, which equates to tpulse plus tringdown.
If there is an object in the transducer's echo field, sound wave 44 reflects off of that object and produces an echo 54 (
As noted above, the ring-down time can affect the distance that can be sensed using transducer 12 because it can be mistaken for an echo. A long ring-down time can make it difficult to detect objects that are in close proximity to the transducer. That is, the ring-down signal can interfere with transducer receipt of the echo, making it difficult for the transducer to distinguish between the echo and the ring-down signal.
Dynamic Threshold Control
In order to reduce the foregoing problems associated with detecting the echo in the presence of the ring-down signal, sonar scanner 10 uses dynamic threshold control. Dynamic threshold control is a process that uses amplitude detection with time varying thresholds to distinguish the echo from the ring-down signal within the ring-down period. Distinguishing the echo from the ring-down signal in this manner makes it possible for the sonar scanner to detect objects that are relatively close in proximity to the transducer.
Referring to
At calibration (601), the processor determines a zero degree reference point. The zero degree reference point is used by the device in determining where objects are located relative to the sensor. A Hall-Effect sensor (not shown), which is located on a PCB electronics board mounted on the robot, is used to determine the zero degree reference point. The Hall-Effect sensor acts as an absolute reference point. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other sensors, such as an optical interrupter or a contact switch can be used instead.
The Hall-Effect sensor contains two elements: a sensor and a magnet. A motor rotates the magnet relative to the sensor. When the magnet crosses the sensor, a logic signal is generated, to indicate the zero degree reference point. A counter (not shown) receives the logic signal and begins counting to keep track of where the transducer is relative to the zero degree reference point. In this embodiment, calibration is performed twice; however, it may be performed any number of times.
Following position calibration, process 56 "models" transducer 12. What is meant by "model" in this context is that process 56 determines the ring-down characteristics of the transducer when it is excited, such as the amplitudes of sound waves produced by transducer 12. Process 56 uses this information to distinguish echoes from transducer ring-down, as described in more detail below.
During process 56 (modeling of transducer 12), the processor measures (602) the level of electrical and acoustic ambient noise in the robot's environment. Ambient environmental electrical and/or acoustic noise can affect the transducer's ability to detect the amplitude of an echo signal. For example, if amplitude thresholds are determined in the presence of a high level of ambient noise, the system may not accurately detect the amplitudes of echoes that are generated in environments having lower levels of ambient noise. In more detail, the ambient noise will increase the amplitudes of the echo, resulting in higher amplitude thresholds. Subsequent echoes measured in, e.g., less noisy environments may not be detected because their amplitudes will not reach the heightened thresholds. In measuring the level of ambient noise, process 56 takes (603) a number of samples (e.g., 64 samples) and stores (604) the maximum value of those samples.
Transmitter 14 excites transducer 12 with an impulse train. In response to the impulse train, transducer 12 vibrates, emitting (605) a sound wave. The sound wave includes a pulse signal 46 and a ring-down signal 48 (see, e.g.,
Process 56 then waits for a predetermined period of time following transmission of the sound wave. In this embodiment, the predetermined period of time is 50 ms (milliseconds); however, the invention is not limited to this time period. During this time period, the transmitted sound wave dissipates.
Process 56 repeats blocks 602 to 608 a number of times. In this embodiment, process 56 repeats blocks 602 to 608 sixteen times, although the blocks may be repeated any number of times. Each time blocks 602 to 608 are repeated, process 56 stores the amplitudes of the ring-down signal 48 (
Process 56 uses the amplitude thresholds to distinguish between the ring-down signal and the echo. That is, the thresholds for the ring-down signal will generally be lower in amplitude than the echo. Comparing received signals to the amplitude thresholds thus determines which signals are ring-down signals (or extraneous noise) and which are echoes.
In one mode of operation, the acoustic reflector of sonar scanner 10 spins continuously throughout a 360� field of view while transmitting sound waves in the environment. In this mode, process 56 measures (609) the noise floor at the time of operation. Process 56 takes a number (e.g., 16) of samples of the receiver electrical and acoustic noise floor and stores (610) the peak amplitudes of the noise floor in memory.
Process 56 determines the angular velocity of the acoustic reflector assembly based on the maximum desired detection distance of the transducer. In this embodiment, the reflector does not move more than 8� in the amount of time that it takes for the transmitted sound wave to travel out a preset maximum detection distance to an object and back to the transducer. The acoustic reflector rotates at the determined velocity, which is controlled by a digital proportional-integral controller (not shown).
Process 56 remodels (611) transducer 12 using data obtained in blocks 609 and 610 every 368�, although remodeling may take place at other angles. For cycles in which remodeling does not take place, process 56 skips from block 608 directly to block 612. Normal data collection is suspended during remodeling. Remodeling takes place to adapt to changes in the transducer ring-down profile due to changing environmental conditions (e.g., temperature) and transducer degradation (e.g., material fatigue).
Process 56 uses the measurement of the ambient noise at the time that the transducer is remodeled to determine the threshold used in the above comparison. That is, process 56 combines (e.g., adds) the ambient noise measured at the time the transducer is remodeled with the stored amplitude values. This way, the amplitudes are adapted to the noise environment in which the echo occurs, hence the term "adaptive threshold". That is, the thresholds set by the amplitudes are modified take into account the ambient noise in the current environment of the echo.
Process 56 excites (612) transducer 12 with a waveform from transmitter 14 to transmit a sound wave. The fundamental frequency of the waveform and its pulse shape are programmable, thus making it possible to shape the waveform. Process 56 stores the angle of the acoustic reflector at the time the transducer is excited. This information is used to position objects relative to the robot in the environment.
In process 56, receiver 16 receives (613) an echo of the transmitted sound wave. Process 56 uses (614) the stored amplitudes from the ring-down portion of the sound wave to distinguish the ring-down portion from the echo. In this embodiment, process 56 collects data for three echoes from each transmitted sound wave, although the invention is not limited as such (i.e., data for more or less echoes may be collected, as desired). The data stored for each echo includes the time of flight, the peak amplitude of the demodulated echo, the duration of the echo, and the angle of the acoustic reflector at the time that the echo is received.
As data for each signal is received, process 56 runs the data through three software filters executing in signal processor 18 to determine if the signals are "valid" echoes from an object within the field of view of the transducer or the result of electrical and/or acoustic noise, such as the ring-down signal.
The filters include a dynamic threshold filter. The dynamic threshold filter analyzes the received signal in order to distinguish a valid echo of the pulse signal from the ring-down signal of the original sound wave or extraneous noise. Process 56 detects amplitudes of the signal based on the thresholds stored in memory.
In more detail, process 56 compares the amplitude of the received signal to a corresponding threshold from memory (e.g., 55 from
Impulse Noise
Process 56 also runs (616) the received signal through a minimum pulse width duration filter. The minimum pulse width duration filter measures the width of the signal to determine if it has greater than a predetermined duration.
In this regard, impulse noise, i.e., short duration, high amplitude noise, can adversely affect echo detection. The minimum pulse width duration filter therefore discounts impulse noise during echo detection. The minimum pulse width duration filter measures a duration of the detected echo and determines if the duration exceeds a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be obtained experimentally and stored in memory, or it may simply be assigned and stored. The predetermined period may be a fraction of the period of the transmitted signal. For example, it may be one-tenth of the period of the transmitted signal, or any other fraction thereof.
If the duration of the signal exceeds the predetermined period (and exceeds the appropriate amplitude threshold as described above), the minimum pulse width duration filter decides that the received signal is an echo of the pulse signal. If the duration of the signal does not exceed the predetermined period, the minimum pulse width duration filter decides that the signal is impulse noise. Impulse noise is simply ignored, whereas the echo may be used to determine information relating to an object, such as the distance to the object, as described above.
Waveform Shaping
Process 56 uses a waveform filter (617) to determine the shape of the echo. In this embodiment, the shape of the echo should match the shape of the transmitted pulse to within some preset tolerance. In process 56, transducer 12 transmits a sound wave that has been shaped, i.e., a waveform having a predetermined shape. The shape of the waveform is determined based on electrical signals from transducer 12. Changing these signals changes the shape of the waveform.
Transducer 12 receives a signal following the transmission. The shape filter analyzes the signal in order to determine if the signal is an echo of the transmitted sound wave. The shape filter performs the analysis by obtaining the shape of the received signal and comparing the shape of the received signal to the pre-stored shape of the transmitted sound wave. If the shapes are within a pre-set tolerance of one another, e.g., if they match by 90% or some other number, then the received signal is determined to be the echo of the transmitted sound wave. Otherwise, the received signal is determined not to be an echo.
If the dynamic threshold control filter, the minimum pulse width duration filter, and the waveform filter all indicate that the received signal is an echo, process 56 determines that the signal is an echo. In this case, the received signal may be used to determine the distance to an object or any other information relating thereto that can be ascertained based on the echo. If the received signal is not an echo, it is merely ignored.
It is noted that process 56 may be performed without using one or more of the dynamic threshold control filter, the minimum pulse width duration filter, and/or the waveform filter. Also, additional filters (not shown herein) may be added, as desired.
Modes of Operation
The velocity mode of operation, in which transducer 12 rotates, is described above. Other modes of operation also may be used. In the "position" mode of operation, process 56 rotates acoustic reflector 38 to a commanded position, where transducer 12 is continuously excited. For example, acoustic reflector 38 may be rotated to a position to focus on a particular object. At that position, data may be collected for the object. The remainder of the position mode is identical to that described above.
Process 56 may also operate in a "fire" mode. In the fire mode, the transducer emits a single sound wave and collects data from up to three echoes of that sound wave in the manner described above in the current position.
Multiple Object Detection and Validation
Process 56 may store information relating to multiple echoes from the same object, as described above. Process 70 (
In this context, an acoustically-weak object is an object that does not reflect sound waves well. For example, small and/or narrow objects, such as a lamppost, may not reflect sound waves as well as large flat objects, such as a wall. Likewise, the texture of an object may affect the object's ability to reflect sound waves. For example, hard, smooth objects will reflect sound waves better than soft or rough object.
Process 70 detects multiple (e.g., three) echoes in cases where an acoustically-weak object is positioned in front of an acoustically-stronger object relative to transducer 12. Process 70 does this by detecting echoes from the two objects that have increasing amplitudes. In this regard, although process 70 is described for the case of two objects, it may be used for any number of objects. Process 70 may also detect any number of echoes.
In process 70, transducer 12 transmits (801) a sound wave towards the two objects, such as objects 72 and 74 shown in
If the amplitudes of the second echo exceed the amplitudes of the first echo in corresponding cycles, this means that the object that reflected the second echo is acoustically-stronger than the object that reflected the first echo. If the amplitudes of the second echo exceed the amplitudes of the first echo (805), process 70 determines (806) that the second object is a valid object and not a multipath reflection (since process 70 assumes that a weaker signal behind a smaller signal is a multipath error). The two objects may then be analyzed, as described above. For example, process 70 may analyze its echoes to determine the distances to each of the objects from transducer 12. Process 70 may also store the information that it learns from the echoes in memory for later use. If the amplitudes of the second echo do not exceed the amplitudes of the first echo (805), process 70 returns to block 803, whereafter blocks 803 to 805 are repeated.
Process 70 may be performed alone or in conjunction with process 56 described above.
Threshold Control Using Multiple Echoes
As described above, reflector 38 does not move more than 8� in the amount of time that it takes for a transmitted sound wave to travel out a preset maximum detection distance to an object, and for its reflection (echo) to travel back to transducer 12. At each 8� rotation, transducer 12 outputs a new sound wave and subsequently detects an echo of the new sound wave.
Problems may arise if transducer 12 receives an echo from a previous 8� rotation. By way of example, assume that transducer 12 emits an initial sound wave during a first 8� rotation. Transducer 12 receives echoes of the initial sound wave from objects within the preset maximum detection distance before transducer 12 enters a second 8� rotation. Echoes from objects outside the preset maximum detection distance may not received within the time frame allotted by transducer 12 for receipt of echoes from the initial sound wave. However, echoes from these objects may be received during a next, or "second", 8� rotation. If such echoes are received during the second 8� rotation, the echoes are misinterpreted as echoes of sound wave(s) emitted during the second 8� rotation (even though the echoes are actually echoes resulting from the first sound wave emitted during the first 8� rotation).
Processor 18 uses echoes received from emitted sound waves to identify objects, as described above. Echoes of previously emitted sound waves, such as those from "long-range" objects noted above, can lead to improper identification of objects. For example, transducer 12 may emit a sound wave and then almost immediately receive an echo of a previous sound wave reflecting off of a long-range object. Heretofore, processor 18 could erroneously interpret this newly-received echo to mean that an object is located in close proximity to the transducer.
To address the foregoing problem, sonar scanner 10 may perform process 90 (
In process 90, transducer 12 vibrates to emit sound waves in the manner described above. Transducer 12 receives (91) an echo of a sound wave. The received echo is processed and digitized by circuitry described above and the resulting "digitized echo" is provided to processor 18.
Processor 18 retrieves (92), from memory, two previously-received digitized echoes. Processor 18 uses these digitized echoes, together with the current digitized echo, to determine (93) a threshold value (referred to herein simply as a "threshold"). The digitized echoes processed in this embodiment are adjacent in a temporal sense, meaning that they correspond to actual echoes that were received one after the other in time prior to the current echo. Other embodiments, however, may not use temporally adjacent echoes to determine the threshold. For example, every other echo may be used to determine the threshold. Alternatively, only echoes that have a specific characteristic, such as a minimum magnitude, may be used.
Processor 18 determines (93) the threshold using the current digitized echo and the two digitized echoes retrieved from memory. In alternative embodiments, the threshold may be determined using more, or less, than the two most recently preceding echoes. Processor 18 determines the threshold by averaging magnitudes of the current digitized echo and the two most recently preceding digitized echoes. A scaling factor may be applied to the resulting product, if necessary. The scaling factor may be used to adjust the threshold to permit detection of more or less echoes. The scaling factor may be added to, multiplied to, or subtracted from the product.
Processor 18 selects a digitized echo from among the ones that were averaged. The selected echo is referred to herein as the "target echo". The target echo is the echo that is being analyzed by process 90 to determine if it is valid or invalid. In this context, a "valid" echo is an echo of a sound wave that is received during the same 8� rotation that the sound wave is emitted. An "invalid" echo is an echo that is not received during the same 8� rotation as its corresponding sound wave. Invalid echoes include echoes of sound waves emitted during previous 8� rotations and other spurious echoes received by transducer 12.
In this embodiment, the target echo is the echo that is immediately prior to the current echo in time. Thus, of the three digitized echoes under consideration (i.e., the current digitized echo and the two retrieved from memory), the target echo corresponds to the digitized echo that is in the "middle" of the three. In other embodiments, a different echo may be selected as the target echo.
Processor 18 compares (94) the digitized target echo to the threshold determined in block 93. If the digitized target echo exceeds the threshold, processor 18 deems (96) the target echo to be a valid echo. Otherwise, processor 18 deems (97) the echo to be an invalid echo. If the echo is a valid echo, processor 18 detects an object using the echo in the manner described above. If the echo is an invalid echo, processor 18 disregards the echo, meaning that the echo is not used to detect an object.
Valid echoes are stored (98) in memory and used in subsequent threshold determinations. That is, process 90 is repeated for each 8� rotation, as shown in
It is noted that process 90 is not limited to use with sound waves emitted during 8� rotations of the transducer. Process 90 may be implemented with sound waves emitted, and echoes detected, at any frequency.
Process 90 is also not limited to use with sound waves and echoes. Process 90 may be used with any type of emission and reflection. For example, process 90 may be used in a laser-based object detection system, in which laser beams constitute the emissions (analogous to the sound waves above) and in which reflections of the laser beams are received (analogous to the echoes above). Representative computer code for implementing a laser-based system is included in the attached Appendix.
Process 90 may be used alone or in combination with processes 56 and 70 and the filters described above.
Processes 56, 70 and 90 are not limited to use with the hardware/software configuration of
Processes 56, 70 and 90 may be implemented using one or more computer programs executing on programmable computers that each includes a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and one or more output devices.
Each such program may be implemented in a high level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. Also, the programs can be implemented in assembly or machine language. The language may be a compiled or an interpreted language.
Each computer program may be stored on a storage medium or device (e.g., CD-ROM, hard disk, or magnetic diskette) that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the storage medium or device is read by the computer to perform processes 56, 70 and 90.
Processes 56, 70 and 90 may also be implemented using a computer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where, upon execution, instructions in the computer program cause the computer to operate in accordance with processes 56, 70 and 90.
Processes 56, 70 and 90 may be used together or alone. Processes 56, 70 and 90 may be used in conjunction with a mobile robot, as described herein, or outside the context of robotics. Processes 56, 70 and 90 may be used to determine information other than that described above (i.e., distance). For example, processes 56, 70 and 90 may be used to determine the shape of an object, the texture of an object, or any other information that can be obtained based on acoustic echoes from an object.
Other embodiments not described herein are also within the scope of the following claims.
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