Patent · US Expired

Scan converter

US4236221A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
5References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 13, 1978
Grant dateNov 25, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 13, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S7/52044
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A Scan Converter for use with an Ultrasonic Imaging System is disclosed, which permits the buffering of sweep address and video data with relatively fewer bits of information. In essence, the propogation path of the ultrasonic pulses is resolved into a pair of vectoral components while the propogation path media is defined by successive contiguous body segments which are to be respectively displayed as video picture elements. A series of first signals indicate the crossing of segment boundaries in the vectoral direction having the faster rate of boundary crossings. A second signal is produced having a unique valve which indicates a boundary crossing by the pulse in the other vectoral direction. Reflections of the ultrasonic pulse are sampled at a rate determined by the first signals; i.e., the rate at which segment boundaries are crossed in the first vectoral direction. The sample values are held for storage in memory. The memory includes a matrix of memory location associated with respective picture elements. The one coordinate of the memory address is successively incremented with the storage of the respective successive values. The second coordinate of the address is incremented…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.