Method and apparatus for transmit beamformer system
US6172939A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 12, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jan 9, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 12, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S7/52049
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A digital transmit beamformer system with multiple beam transmit capability has a plurality of multi-channel transmitters, each channel with a source of sampled, complex-valued initial waveform information representative of the ultimate desired waveform to be applied to one or more corresponding transducer elements for each beam. Each multi-channel transmitter applies beamformation delays and apodization to each channel's respective initial waveform information digitally, digitally modulates the information by a carrier frequency, and interpolates the information to the DAC sample rate for conversion to an analog signal and application to the associated transducer element(s). The beamformer transmitters can be programmed per channel and per beam with carrier frequency, delay, apodization and calibration values. For pulsed wave operation, pulse waveform parameters can be specified to the beamformer transmitters on a per firing basis, without degrading the scan frame rate to non-useful diagnostic levels. Waveform parameters can be specified to the transmitters by an external central control system which is responsible for higher level flexibility, such as scan formats, focusing depth…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.