Using Spread Spectrum Transform for Fast and Robust Simultaneous Measurement in Active Sensors with Multiple Emitters

We present a signal processing algorithm for making robust and simultaneous measurements in an active sensor, which has one or more emitters and a receiver, and which employs some sort of signal processing hardware. Robustness means low sensitivity to time and frequency localized disturbances, and to white noise. This is achieved partly by using a orthogonal spread spectrum transform for modulating the signals transmitted from the emitters to the receiver, and partly by using a number of transmission channels. The method is fast since the signals are short, and since the method does not rely on previously transmitted signals. This also means that only few calculations are needed. Furthermore, the suggested spread spectrum transform has a low complexity, a high numerical stability, and is easily implemented in simple signal processing hardware. The presented method is therefore suitable for low-cost active sensors.