| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
| 310322000 | Acoustic wave type generator or receiver | 31 |
| 20090079299 | Aperture synthesis using cMUTs - An ultrasound imaging system may use a capacitive membrane or electrostrictive ultrasound transducer to realize isotropic volumetric imaging with bias-line element selection and a variety of aperture synthesis techniques. Two dimensional beam formation may be performed by using a beamformer to focus along one dimension, and then perform a second round of “off-line” or “retrospective” beam formation along the other direction. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20130069483 | TRANSDUCER AND TRANSDUCER MODULE - Transducers and transducer modules having the transducers are disclosed. An embodiment discloses a transducer that includes a conductive layer having a U-shaped slit toward its swing end. The slit is configured to enhance a haptic feedback or an acoustic propagation, or adjust a resonant mode. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20120223618 | CURVED ULTRASONIC HIFU TRANSDUCER WITH AIR COOLING PASSAGEWAY - A curved high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer comprising a curved piezoelectric array having opposite convex and concave back surfaces, the front surface comprising an acoustic transmitting surface, and a plurality of electrodes located on the convex back surface for applying electrical transmit signals to the array, and a printed circuit board spaced apart from and in opposition to the back surface of the curved piezoelectric array which couples electrical signals to the electrodes of the array, the space between the printed circuit board and the curved piezoelectric array comprising an acoustic air backing passageway of the piezoelectric array for air-cooling the curved piezoelectric array and the printed circuit board. | 09-06-2012 |
| 20090236937 | LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR, THE OMNI-DIRECTIONAL TYPE LOW FREQUENCY UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER USING THE SAME AND THE CYLINDRICAL RADIATION TYPE LOW FREQUENCY UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER USING THE SAME - A low frequency oscillator includes a plurality of drum-shaped oscillators. Each of the drum-shaped oscillators is constructed so that a pair of disk-shaped flexural vibrators is attached on both open ends of a conductive cylinder so as to be arranged face to face. And a conductive elongated coupling member is fixed to adjacent the drum-shaped oscillators at a central portion thereof so as to electrically connect between adjacent the disk-shaped flexural vibrators and thereby coupling the drum-shaped oscillators along a central axis thereof. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20120286626 | Ultrasonic Vibration Device - In an inner bottom surface of a case, a substantially oblong recess having a long axis and a short axis forms a vibration area. A piezoelectric element is bonded to the center of the recess. On the opposite sides of the vibration area, vibration suppression areas thicker than the vibration area are disposed. A side portion of the case is formed to be thin over the entire circumference thereof. A reinforcing member higher in rigidity than the case is bonded to upper portions of the vibration suppression areas. The reinforcing member has a bottom surface substantially equal to the shape of the vibration suppression areas, and has a predetermined height. A gap between the reinforcing member and an inner side surface of the case is also filled with a filling member. | 11-15-2012 |
| 20110298334 | PLANAR COMPONENT WITH VIBRATION DAMPING - A planar component ( | 12-08-2011 |
| 20100264778 | ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER - An acoustic transducer is disclosed in which a set of electrode arrays is arranged around a nominal centre point and comprising a set of circumferentially disposed electrode elements. A piezoelectric material is located between a common electrode and said electrode elements. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100007243 | Piezoelectric Component - A piezoelectric component with a body in which electrically connected transducer elements are realized is disclosed. The transducer elements are separated from each other by an essentially field-free neutral region of the body. A first transducer element has electrically connected first electrodes, and a second transducer element has electrically connected second electrodes. In addition, at least one third electrode, which is arranged in the first and second transducer element is provided. At least three of the first and third electrodes are arranged in an alternating sequence. At least three of the second and third electrodes are arranged in an alternating sequence. The neutral area is perpendicular to the planes in which the electrodes are arranged. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20090267453 | BULK ACOUSTIC WAVE RESONATOR WITH CONTROLLED THICKNESS REGION HAVING CONTROLLED ELECTROMECHANICAL COUPLING - According to an exemplary embodiment, a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonator includes a piezoelectric layer situated between upper and lower electrodes, where each of the upper and lower electrodes are a high density metal. The BAW resonator further includes a controlled thickness region including a low density metal segment, where the low density metal segment is situated adjacent to the piezoelectric layer, and where the controlled thickness region has controlled electromechanical coupling. The controlled thickness region can provide reduced electromechanical coupling into lateral modes. The low density metal segment can extend along the perimeter of the BAW resonator. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20080290757 | Ultrasonic transducer array and a method for making a transducer array - A transducer array comprises a conductive back plate | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090127978 | Film bulk acoustic wave resonator, its fabrication method and film bulk acoustic wave resonator filter using the resonator - The film bulk acoustic wave resonator includes a laminate structure composed of a piezoelectric layer, and first and second electrode layers interposing at least part of the piezoelectric layer, in which the first metal electrode is dispersively formed on an electrode plane facing the second metal electrode, and a gap is formed in a substrate correspondingly to the laminate-structured resonance part. Except for an area of a wire electrode electrically connected to the first electrode layer and an area of a wire electrode electrically connected to the second electrode layer, the piezoelectric layer, first electrode layer and second electrode layer do not come in contact with the insulating substrate but are supported on a hollow. Also, a prop is formed in the gap to support the laminate structure. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090140606 | Micro-Electro-Mechanical Transducers - A micro-electro-mechanical transducer (such as a cMUT) is disclosed. The transducer has a substrate, a top plate, and a resilient structure therebetween. The resilient structure has multiple connectors distributed over the device element area to vertically transport the top player with distributed support. The resilient structure may be cantilevers formed using a middle spring layer covering cavities on the substrate. Connectors define a transducing space below the top plate. The resilient structure enables a vertical displacement of the connectors, which transports the top plate in a piston-like motion to change the transducing space and to effectuate energy transformation. No separate cells are necessary for each addressable transducer element. Multiple device elements can be made on the same substrate. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20110221304 | Ultrasonic Transducer - An ultrasonic transducer that improves workability of a housing, suppresses variations in resonant frequency, and has stable characteristics is constructed. The ultrasonic transducer includes a bottomed circular cylindrical housing and a piezoelectric element provided at substantially a center of a bottom of the housing. The bottom of the housing has a slope portion that gradually becomes thinner from a position at which the piezoelectric element is provided toward an inner wall surface of the housing, and a flat portion that extends from an outer edge of the slope portion to the inner wall surface of the housing while maintaining a thickness of the outer edge of the slope portion. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110140573 | TRANSDUCER WITH SHIELD - A physical shield placed on the face of a high intensity focused ultrasound transducer for medical applications is described. The shield may be shaped or angled to match a particular pattern of mechanical or acoustic energy that may damage the transducer during operation. The shield may be ablative, replaceable or modified as needed. Methods of manufacturing a transducer with a shield are also disclosed. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20120194036 | LOW FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR, THE OMNI-DIRECTIONAL TYPE LOW FREQUENCY UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER USING THE SAME AND THE CYLINDRICAL RADIATION TYPE LOW FREQUENCY UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER USING THE SAME - A low frequency oscillator includes a plurality of drum-shaped oscillators. Each of the drum-shaped oscillators is constructed so that a pair of disk-shaped flexural vibrators is attached on both open ends of a conductive cylinder so as to be arranged face to face. And a conductive elongated coupling member is fixed to adjacent the drum-shaped oscillators at a central portion thereof so as to electrically connect between adjacent the disk-shaped flexural vibrators and thereby coupling the drum-shaped oscillators along a central axis thereof. | 08-02-2012 |
| 20100156238 | PIEZOELECTRIC ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME - Provided are a piezoelectric acoustic transducer and a method of fabricating the same. In the piezoelectric acoustic transducer, a piezoelectric portion is formed in a portion of a diaphragm, and a deformation layer is formed in another portion of the diaphragm. Deformation of the piezoelectric portion is transferred to the deformation layer, or deformation of the deformation layer is transferred to the piezoelectric layer so that the deformation layer vibrates with the piezoelectric layer. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20110057541 | HIGH POWER ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER - A high power ultrasonic transducer includes a first ultrasonic transducer cell and at least one second ultrasonic transducer cell disposed on the first ultrasonic transducer cell. The at least one second ultrasonic transducer cell oscillates together with the first ultrasonic transducer cell. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20090127977 | Method and Apparatus for Imaging Utilizing an Ultrasonic Imaging Sensor Array - The subject invention pertains to a piezoelectric device structure for improved acoustic wave sensing and/or generation, and process for making same. The piezoelectric thin film field effect transducer can be a thin film transistor (TFT) with either a piezoelectric film gate or a composite gate having a dielectric film and a piezoelectric film. The TFT structure can be either a top gate device or a bottom gate device. In an embodiment, the piezoelectric device structure can be used to form an array of piezoelectric thin film field effect transducers. A TFT switch can drive each piezoelectric transducer in the array. The piezoelectric transducers can both generate and sense acoustic waves. In a sensing mode, a signal from an acoustic wave can be collected at a readout terminal of the piezoelectric transducer. In a generating mode, an excitation signal can be applied across the piezoelectric transducer while the switch is ‘on’. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20080309196 | Electrical Generator - An electrical generator includes a passageway having an input port and at least one output port and at least one resonator for converting acoustic vibrations established in the passageway into mechanical vibrations of the resonator. The resonator is oriented adjacent at least one output port. A mechanical-to-electrical transducer is coupled to the resonator for generating electricity in response to the mechanical vibrations. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20110234048 | APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY - An apparatus for generating electricity comprises a vibration plate, a supporting board, at least one side-wall unit and at least one piezoelectric substrate having a first- and a second end surfaces covered with a first- and a second electrodes, respectively. They all together form at least one cavity resonator. If a sound pressure from the outside arrives at the vibration plate, an acoustic vibration is excited in the vibration plate, and thereby a resonance vibration is induced in the cavity resonator. In this time, the piezoelectric substrate responds actively to the resonance vibration. Thus, a resonance energy occurred in the cavity resonator is converted into an electric energy, which is delivered through the first- and second electrodes. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110169375 | Photostructured Acoustic Devices and Methods for Making Same - A photostructurable ceramic is processed using photostructuring process steps for embedding devices within a photostructurable ceramic volume, the devices may include one or more of chemical, mechanical, electronic, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic devices, all made in part by creating device material within the ceramic or by disposing a device material through surface ports of the ceramic volume, with the devices being interconnected using internal connections and surface interfaces. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110074245 | ACOUSTIC POWER GENERATOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An acoustic power generator and a method for manufacturing the same. The method comprises steps of: measuring a sonic frequency of a sound wave; determining a phononic crystal and a resonant cavity according to the measured sonic frequency; and determining at least a piezoelectric material according to the measured sonic frequency and installing the piezoelectric material inside the resonant cavity. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20100283355 | Method for changing ultrasound wave frequency by using the acoustic matching layer - The method of changing ultrasound wave frequency by using the acoustic matching layer presents a replaceable acoustic matching layer to offer an effective means of filtering the original broadband frequency of an ultrasonic transducer into certain composite discontinuous frequencies. The filtering effect could be improved by connecting the electrodes of the acoustic matching layer when it is made of a poled piezoelectric material. This method may provide novel applications for commercial ultrasonic transducers. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20120306316 | ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER, BIOLOGICAL SENSOR, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER - An ultrasonic transducer includes a resin substrate, a support film and a piezoelectric element. The resin substrate has an opening. The support film blocks off the opening in the resin substrate. The piezoelectric element is disposed on the support film in a region that blocks off the opening in plan view from a thickness direction of the support film. The piezoelectric element includes a lamination of a lower electrode, a piezoelectric body, and an upper electrode. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20120146458 | ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCER DETECTOR - An ultrasonic transducer detector having a high operating frequency is provided. The ultrasonic transducer detector comprises a substrate and an ultrasonic transducer array. The substrate has a plurality of openings, and the ultrasonic transducer array is disposed on the substrate. The ultrasonic transducer array has a plurality of resonance units, and the thickness of each resonance unit is equivalent to ½ wavelength of the operating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer. Each resonance unit comprises an oscillating element and a piezoelectric element. The oscillating element has a first surface adjacent to the substrate, and the piezoelectric element is disposed on the first surface and located in the corresponding opening. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120007469 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR VIBRATION HARVESTING VIA GASFLOW - A method and device for gasflow, e.g. airflow, energy harvesting is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes a cavity resonator such as a Helmholtz resonator which has a membrane for converting gasflow in vibration. The device may further include a vibrational energy harvester for converting the converted vibration into electrical energy. The device for gasflow energy harvesting is adapted such that the movement of the vibrational energy harvester is decoupled from the movement of the membrane. This allows to obtain a good output power of e.g. more than about 10 μW. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120212102 | RESONANT TRANSDUCER AND ULTRASONIC TREATMENT DEVICE INCLUDING RESONANT TRANSDUCER - A resonant transducer comprising: | 08-23-2012 |
| 20100194241 | THIN-FILM BULK ACOUSTIC RESONATORS HAVING PERFORATED BODIES THAT PROVIDE REDUCED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PROCESS-INDUCED LATERAL DIMENSION VARIATIONS - Micro-electromechanical acoustic resonators include a resonator body suspended over a substrate. The resonator body may have a single perforation therein, which may extend substantially or completely therethrough. The resonator body may also be configured to have a center-of-mass within an interior of the perforation and/or a nodal line that overlaps the perforation. A perimeter and depth of the single perforation can be configured to reduce a susceptibility of the acoustic resonator to process-induced variations in resonant frequency relative to an otherwise equivalent resonator that omits the single perforation. In other embodiments, the resonator body may have multiple perforations therein that extend along a nodal line of the resonator. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20080224567 | Ultrasonic sensor having piezoelectric element and acoustic matching member - An ultrasonic sensor according to the present invention is used, for example, for detecting an obstacle positioned in front of an automotive vehicle. The ultrasonic sensor includes an piezoelectric element connected to an acoustic matching member and a processing circuit, all contained in a casing. Ultrasonic waves reflected on an object are received by the acoustic matching member and converted into electrical signals in the piezoelectric element. The electrical signals are processed in the processing circuit to thereby detect a distance to the object and/or positions of the object. A surface of the acoustic matching member connected to the piezoelectric element is made larger than the piezoelectric element to form an overhang area on a conductive layer formed on the acoustic matching member. In this manner, electrical connection in the ultrasonic sensor is easily made, and detection sensitivity of the ultrasonic sensor is enhanced. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20130113338 | Compact Active Vibration Control System for a Flexible Panel - A diamond-shaped actuator for a flexible panel has an inter-digitated electrode (IDE) and a piezoelectric wafer portion positioned therebetween. The IDE and/or the wafer portion are diamond-shaped. Point sensors are positioned with respect to the actuator and measure vibration. The actuator generates and transmits a cancelling force to the panel in response to an output signal from a controller, which is calculated using a signal describing the vibration. A method for controlling vibration in a flexible panel includes connecting a diamond-shaped actuator to the flexible panel, and then connecting a point sensor to each actuator. Vibration is measured via the point sensor. The controller calculates a proportional output voltage signal from the measured vibration, and transmits the output signal to the actuator to substantially cancel the vibration in proximity to each actuator. | 05-09-2013 |
| 20080197753 | Longitudinal Pulse Wave Array - An acoustic pulse array is described. The pulse array may include a plane wave pulse generator having a first side from which a first wave emanates, and a second side from which a second wave emanates. A first waveguide array may be attached to the generator on the first side of the generator, and a second waveguide array may be attached to a second side of the generator. One or more of the waveguides may be attached to the generator so as to orient the waveguide to transmit wave pulses in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the generator. | 08-21-2008 |