Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
367119000 | With beam steering, scanning, or focussing | 22 |
20080316861 | Block-switching in ultrasound imaging - Systems of generating and manipulating an ultrasound beam are disclosed. The system uses selective sets of ultrasound elements to generate an ultrasound beam, scanning the beam over a series of ultrasound elements in order to collected echo data covering an area, and generating an image from the resulting data. The scanning process includes shifting the set of ultrasound elements used to form the ultrasound beam by more than one ultrasound element (block-switching) between each step in the scanning process. This is accomplished without loss of image resolution by using area-forming techniques. The block-switching technique enables use of cross-correlation methods during image construction. | 12-25-2008 |
20090122649 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF AMPLITUDE MODULATION OF UNDERWATER SOUND - Systems and methods for detection and analysis of amplitude modulation of underwater sound employ a product of a time delayed first electrical signal with a second electrical signal to generate a summed-product signal. The time delayed first electrical signal and the second electrical signal have an amplitude modulation indicative of characteristics of a vessel propeller. The summed-product signal is analyzed to detect a vessel and to determine the characteristics of the vessel propeller. In some arrangements a plurality of summed-product signals are analyzed to also determine a depth of the detected vessel. | 05-14-2009 |
20090257312 | Autonomous Sonar System and Method - An autonomous sonar system and method provide an arrangement capable of beamforming in three dimensions, detecting loud targets, adaptively beamforming in three dimensions to avoid the loud targets, detecting quiet targets, localizing the loud or quiet targets in range, bearing, and depth, detecting modulation of noise associated with propellers of the loud or quiet targets, generating three dimensional tracks of the loud or quiet targets in bearing, range and depth, making classification of the loud or quiet targets, assigning probabilities to the classifications, and generating classification reports according to the classifications for communication to a receiving station, all without human assistance. | 10-15-2009 |
20090268553 | ULTRASONIC SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SENSING DISTANCE - Methods and ultrasonic sensor systems are presented for sensing distance in which an acoustic output signal is directed toward a target and acoustic input signals are received from the direction of the target, and the received signal is compared with a selected one of a plurality of different receiver threshold curves to identify the acoustic wave travel time to the target and back while differentiating between the target and acoustic waves reflected more than once and waves reflecting off obstructions between the sensor and the target, where the user selectable receiver threshold curves are tailored for different target and/or obstruction conditions. | 10-29-2009 |
20100103776 | AUDIO SOURCE PROXIMITY ESTIMATION USING SENSOR ARRAY FOR NOISE REDUCTION - Estimating the proximity of an audio source is accomplished by transforming audio signals from a plurality of sensors to frequency domain. The amplitudes of the transformed audio signals are then determined. The proximity of the audio source is determined based on a comparison of the frequency domain amplitudes. This estimation permits a device to differentiate between relatively distant audio sources and audio sources at close proximity to the device. The technique can be applied to mobile handsets, such as cellular phones or PDAs, hands-free headsets, and other audio input devices. Devices taking advantage of this “close proximity” detection are better able to suppress background noise and deliver an improved user experience. | 04-29-2010 |
20110038229 | AUDIO SOURCE LOCALIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A system and method for performing audio source localization that uses minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beams or other super-directive beams that are more suitable for reducing noise, interference and/or acoustic coupling than the delay-and-sum beams conventionally used in performing audio source localization based on a Steered Response Power (SRP) approach. Since super-directive beams such as MVDR beams do not provide good properties for performing conventional SRP-based audio source localization, an embodiment of the present invention utilizes a different metric than maximum response power in order to determine which of a plurality of beams provides the best response for audio source localization. This metric involves identifying which beam provides the smallest measure of distortion with respect to a reference power or reference response. | 02-17-2011 |
20120250463 | GUIDING SOUND GENERATING APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A guiding sound generating apparatus which generates a guiding sound for guidance from a present location to a destination, the apparatus having a sound source, a variable sound-source attribute unit that changes a sound source attribute depending on a position or a positional change of a present location with respect to a destination, and an attribute-application unit that applies the sound-source attribute generated from the variable sound-source attribute unit to the sound source and generates a guiding sound where a sound-source attribute is changed by the position or positional change of the present location with respect to the destination. | 10-04-2012 |
20140269197 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL WAVENUMBER-FREQUENCY ANALYSIS - A method and apparatus for identifying an unidentified sound source in a 3-dimensional sensor array calculates a position vector for each of a plurality of sensors in the array. A time Fourier transform is computed based on time samples from each of the sensors. A spatial Fourier transform is computed for the results of the time Fourier transform and in part on the position vectors calculated. All three dimensional components of the wavenumber of the received signal, k | 09-18-2014 |
20150331084 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MEASURING POSITION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICE - Apparatuses, systems, and methods for an electronic device to detect the relative position of another electronic device are described. One electronic device includes a communication unit, at least two microphones, and a control unit. The electronic device generates signal information by which another electronic device may generate an output signal which can be detected by the microphones. The signal information is transmitted via the communication unit to the other electronic device. If the output signal is obtained by the microphones, the electronic device determines a relative position of the other electronic device, based on the obtained output signal. | 11-19-2015 |
20160018510 | OPTIMAL ACOUSTIC RAKE RECEIVER - An acoustic processing method for M acoustic receivers comprising the steps of: Determining a beamforming weight vector with M weights for the M acoustic receivers based on at least one the steering vector of at least one real acoustic source, on steering vectors of image sources of the at least one real acoustic source and on a first matrix depending on the covariance matrix of the noise and/or on at least one interfering sound source, wherein each of the image sources corresponds to one path of the acoustic signal between one of the at least one real source and one of the M acoustic receivers with at least one reflection; and linearly combining the M acoustic signals received at the M acoustic receivers on the basis of the M weights of the beamforming vector | 01-21-2016 |
20160161588 | BODY-MOUNTED MULTI-PLANAR ARRAY - A microphone array of four or more microphones may be mounted on a housing or substrate configured to be mounted on a person. The microphone array is positioned so that its far field azimuth sensing range is unobstructed by the housing or wearer. An accelerometer may be provided and mounted in a location which is fixed with respect to the microphones of the microphone array. The microphone array may be utilized with a beam-forming system in order to determine location of an audio source and a beam-steering system in order to isolate audio emanating from the direction of the audio source. The beam-forming system is suitable for tracking the movement of the audio source in order to inform the beam-steering system of the direction or location to be isolated. Because the microphone array will move with a user, an accelerometer may be provided to reduce the computational resources required for tracking and isolation by allowing compensation for change in position and orientation of the user. | 06-09-2016 |
367120000 | By transducer movement | 3 |
20090257313 | AIRBORNE ACOUSTIC SENSOR ARRAY - Embodiments for determining the bearings to targets from a remote location are disclosed. The apparatus consists of an array of acoustic sensors that is capable of autonomous flight. The array may be large in diameter, approximately one meter or greater. The apparatus is capable of navigating its flight to arrive at a predetermined location, measuring acoustic sound waves emitted by targets both during flight and after landing. The apparatus may then calculate the bearings to the targets and transmit this information to a remote location. | 10-15-2009 |
20100329081 | METHOD FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVELY EVALUATING ROTARY EARTH BORING DRILL COMPONENTS AND DETERMINING FITNESS-FOR-USE OF THE SAME - A method of non-destructively identifying and characterizing defects in a rotary drill component is provided. The method includes providing a drill component and an ultrasonic test system including a phased array ultrasonic transducer (PAUT). The method also includes acoustically coupling the PAUT to a surface location, transmitting focused ultrasonic acoustic waves at the location into the PAUT and recording a reflected acoustic response corresponding to a portion of a predetermined volume of a microstructure of the component associated with the location on the surface. The method also includes storing the response and moving one of the transducer or the component to a plurality of unique locations representative of the predetermined microstructure and repeating these steps. The method also includes processing the responses and providing an output signal to an output device configured to provide an output indicative of differences in the output signal within the predetermined volume of the microstructure. | 12-30-2010 |
20110032800 | PHASED ARRAY ULTRASONIC CONTACT TRANSDUCER, WITH A FLEXIBLE WEDGE AND A PROFILOMETER - Phased array ultrasonic contact transducer, with a flexible wedge and a profilometer. This transducer applies to the non-destructive monitoring of an object and comprises: a set of elements that are rigidly integral with each other, at least part of the elements serving as ultrasound transmitters, a wedge whereof at least the front face is flexible to be applied against the surface of the object and the rear face of which is made integral with the set of elements, and a profilometer to measure surface variations and supply signals representative thereof to allow the transmitters to create a focused ultrasonic beam whereof the characteristics are controlled in relation to the object. | 02-10-2011 |
367121000 | By electrical means | 8 |
20080259731 | Methods and apparatuses for user controlled beamforming - A method for controlling beamforming in a device by a user of the device is provided. The method includes presenting current beam directional information via a user interface and receiving updated beam directional information in response to user input. The method also includes altering beamforming direction based upon the received updated beam directional information. | 10-23-2008 |
20100142326 | Method For Identifying Gas Leaks Using A Stationary Seabed Placed Steered Beamformed Acoustic Antenna With Active Narrow Beam Transmitter Interrogation Capability - A method for identifying position of acoustic source proximate sediments below the bottom of a body of water includes deploying a plurality of arrays of acoustic sensors on the bottom of the body of water. Each array includes a plurality of lines of acoustic sensors disposed in a substantially radial pattern. The arrays have a center to center distance therebetween of about twice a diameter of each of the arrays. Signals are detected from each of the sensors for a selected time period. A direction of the acoustic source with respect to each of the arrays is determined by steering a response of the sensors in each array. A range of the acoustic source is determined using the determined directions. | 06-10-2010 |
20100265799 | COMPRESSIVE SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BEARING ESTIMATION OF SPARSE SOURCES IN THE ANGLE DOMAIN - Compressive Sensing (CS) is an emerging area which uses a relatively small number of non-traditional samples in the form of randomized projections to reconstruct sparse or com-pressible signals. Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation is performed with an array of sensors using CS. Using random projections of the sensor data, along with a full waveform recording on one reference sensor, a sparse angle space scenario can be reconstructed, giving the number of sources and their DOA's. Signal processing algorithms are also developed and described herein for randomly deployable wireless sensor arrays that are severely constrained in communication bandwidth. There is a focus on the acoustic bearing estimation problem and it is shown that when the target bearings are modeled as a sparse vector in the angle space, functions of the low dimensional random projections of the microphone signals can be used to determine multiple source bearings as a solution of an 1]-norm minimization problem. | 10-21-2010 |
20110242942 | DISTANCE SENSOR FOR VEHICLE WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR - A distance sensor for vehicles is provided which includes a sensor device and an electric connector for an electrical connection between the sensor device and a mating connector. The connector includes at least one first terminal pin and at least one second terminal pin. The first terminal pin has a first section leading to the sensor device and a second section extending toward an inlet opening of the connector. The second terminal pin has a first section leading to the sensor device and at least two branched second sections extending toward the inlet opening of the connector. Specifically, the second terminal pin is shaped to provide two-pin plugs, thereby permitting the size of the connector to be reduced, which facilitates ease of installation of the distance sensor to, for example, a bumper of the automotive vehicle. | 10-06-2011 |
20120294118 | Acoustic Localization of a Speaker - A system locates a speaker in a room containing a loudspeaker and a microphone array. The loudspeaker transmits a sound that is partly reflected by a speaker. The microphone array detects the reflected sound and converts the sound into a microphone array, the speaker's distance from the microphone array, or both, based on the characteristics of the microphone signals. | 11-22-2012 |
20120327745 | ELECTRICAL SUBSTATION FAULT MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS - A fault monitoring system for an electrical substation includes one or more arrays of acoustic sensors placed around a substation boundary and configured to measure acoustic pressure waves. A processing circuitry in the fault monitoring system localizes and identifies faults in the substation and includes a sound source localization module to identify an area of a sound source based on the acoustic pressure waves. A beamforming module of processing circuitry provides enhanced acoustic pressure waves by eliminating background noise and interfering noise from the acoustic pressure waves and a component signature classification module in the processing circuitry compares enhanced acoustic pressure waves with component signatures to classify the acoustic pressure waves into various events to detect faults in the electrical substation. | 12-27-2012 |
20130272096 | AUDIO SYSTEM AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREFOR - An audio system comprises an ultrasound sensor array ( | 10-17-2013 |
367123000 | With phase shifter or delay means | 1 |
20140269198 | Beamforming Sensor Nodes And Associated Systems - A beamforming sensor node has an array of pressure wave sensors and beamforming circuitry. Each pressure wave sensor is configured within a unique processing channel including a time delay circuit for producing a signal, with a phase offset, representative of received pressure waves at said pressure wave sensor. The beamforming circuitry includes the time delay circuits for all processing channels and (a) sets the phase offset of each processing channel and (b) parallel processes all signals from the array of pressure wave sensors through respective time delay circuits to form a first coherent beam-formed signal from the node. A secondary beamforming node combines coherent beam-formed signals from the plurality of sensor nodes to produce a combined acoustic signal representative of received pressure waves at all sensor nodes. | 09-18-2014 |