Patent · US Expired

Two-dimensional array transducer and beamformer

US5808967A · kind A · utility

135Cited by
21References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 7, 1996
Grant dateSep 15, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 7, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S15/89
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An acoustic array transducer capable of forming narrow dispersion, broadband or narrowband acoustic beam sets in two dimensions with a minimum aperture size. Concurrent yet independent electrical interfacing with array transducer elements allows simultaneous formation of multiple transmit and receive beams inclined within two planar orientations normal to the array face, while requiring a minimum amount of supporting circuitry. A method of economically and accurately fabricating the aforementioned transducer array by incrementally dicing bonded layers of solid discs of transducer materials being rigidly held together is also disclosed.

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