Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Klaus Buchner

Ulrich Saugeon

Rainer Haerten

A method for referencing time-related entries in different files in a planning program for project planning, and for determining and optically reproducing any time delays in the project implementation, with one or more nominal planning entries, which define times or time intervals, being entered in a reference file, until which or within which one or more individual projects are intended to be implemented, with actual entries, which are a measure of the time evolution of the respective individual project implementation, being entered in one or more further individual-project-related files, with the nominal planning entries being used as time reference data, with respect to which the actual entries of one or more individual projects are referenced, and with a time overrun which results or can be predicted on the basis of the actual entries in comparison with the nominal planning entries, of the respective reference nominal planning entry being determined by computation and being reproduced on a display device.

Method for referencing time-related entries in different files in a planning program

Ultrasonic signals, for example, are provided with a fast-acting store which, at the same time, allows maximum flexibility in addressing. The signals arriving at the signal inputs of the signal store are apportioned into channel sections, and the channel sections occurring after each other in time may each be read in parallel formation into section addresses of the signal store. The section addresses may be read out again orthogonally following each other in time in such a sequence that, in combination, the original signals are again obtained.

Ultrasonic signal apparatus with multiplexer for selectively loading

An exemplary embodiment comprises an ultrasonic applicator for line-by-line ultrasonic scanning and a picture tube, for example, a television monitor for the visible echo image. The echo lines developing from the ultrasonic applicator are alternately stored in alternating memories and read out to the picture tube. The reading-out ensues singly or multiply in such reading-out times as correspond to the line sweep time of the picture tube. An imaging apparatus is desired which, in addition to direct reproduction, also renders possible the reproduction of stored ultrasonic images given the smallest technical outlay while doing without extravagant image memories. This is achieved in that, in addition to the alternating memories, at least one echo line auxiliary memory is present which is connectable to the signal path between the ultrasonic applicator and the alternating memories for rolling-in current echo lines of an ultrasonic image and for later reading-out of stored lines via the alternating memories to the picture tube. The invention is employed, above all, in ultrasonic tomographic diagnostics.

Ultrasonic imaging apparatus operating according to the impulse-echo

In the illustrated embodiment, an electronic receiving gate is inserted between the image display device and the ultrasonic echo receiver so as to allow only echo impulses from a selected depth of field to pass through to the image display device. The depth selection is effected without any change in the line and image scanning rates by shifting the receiving gate between its transmitting and blocking states in the rhythm of the line sweep pulses and by adjusting the moment of emission of the ultrasonic pulses within the blocking phase of the receiving gate.

The illustrated apparatus comprises an ultrasonic array and an actuating system for actuating the transducer elements of the array in groups with an alternating number of transducer elements. Actuation proceeds, in an interlaced transmission/receiving cadence, in groups with an even-numbered and in groups with an odd-numbered count of transducer elements such that each connected even-numbered and odd-numbered group, in relation to the previously connected group, is, in a first clock interval, first receiver for the echo signals of the transmission beam of the preceding group, and, in a following clock interval, is switched over to transmission. The apparatus is used particularly in electromedical ultrasonic sectional image diagnosis.

Apparatus for examining bodies through scanning by means of ultrasound

In an illustrated embodiment the line generator for the image display device is operated at a relatively high frequency such as 200 Hz while the actual ultrasonic scanning takes place at a pulse repetition rate of 50 Hz. Preferably alternately operable buffer memories store successive lines of ultrasonic echo signals, and then provide readout of the lines at a higher rate consistent with the display line frequency. In the example given, each stored echo line is read out twice in successive display line intervals. By suitable control of the readout timing, one set of staggered pairs of display lines may be displayed during one image cycle, and an interleaved set of display line pairs may be activated during alternate image cycles in conjunction with interlaced scanning operation of the ultrasonic applicator.

In the illustrated embodiment the ultrasonic applicator is activated to emit ultrasonic pulses along a plurality of scan lines simultaneously, the echo signals of all simultaneously scanned lines being stored and then rapidly read out during ultrasonic scanning along a further set of lines, the individual lines of each set being displayed in sequence and the successive sets being correspondingly displaced on the image screen so as to reproduce the ultrasonic image.

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Uttenreuth, Germany

Klaus Buchner