Measurement Specialties, Incorporated

The Whitaker Corporation

General Electric Company

Other

Te Connectivity Services Gmbh

Measurement Specialites Inc.

Minoru Toda

Mitchell L Thompson

Kyung T Park

Jeffrey David Swan

Kyung-Tae Park

Susan Huang Zaks

Gerard Argant Alphonse

Edward Paul Harhen

Albert Casciotti

Joseph V Chatigny

Brent Michael Nobles

Kyung- Tae Park

Distance-detection system includes a signal-generator configured to provide a drive signal and an ultrasound transducer having at least one ultrasonic element. The ultrasound transducer is configured to transmit a pulse of sound waves and detect reflected sound waves. The distance-detection system also includes a receiver configured to receive a detection signal from the ultrasound transducer. The detection signal includes a reverberation component representing reverberation of the ultrasound transducer and a reflected component representing reflected sound waves from the interface. The receiver is configured to receive a drive-cancellation signal that is inverted with respect to the reverberation component of the detection signal. The receiver is configured to determine a time-of-flight measurement based on the detection signal in which the reverberation component of the detection signal is reduced by the drive-cancellation signal.

Distance-detection system for determining a time-of-flight measurement and having a reduced dead zone

A multilayer backing absorber for use with an ultrasonic transducer comprises a plurality of absorber elements, each absorber element having at least one metal layer and at least one adhesive layer, wherein the backing absorber is adapted to be coupled to a vibrating layer of the ultrasonic transducer.

Multilayer backing absorber for ultrasonic transducer

A method of forming an ultrasonic transducer comprises coupling a front polymer layer of uniform thickness to a piezoelectric element. A front metal layer is coupled to the polymer layer on a side of the front polymer layer opposite the piezoelectric element for transmitting acoustic energy between the front polymer layer and a propagation medium. The front polymer layer and the front metal layer define a front acoustic impedance converter, wherein the front polymer layer completely isolates the piezoelectric element from the front metal layer.

Method of forming a multilayer acoustic impedance converter for ultrasonic transducers

An ultrasonic transducer comprising a piezoelectric element, an acoustic matching layer arranged on a surface of the piezoelectric element and having a thickness of at least one-quarter of a wavelength of a center resonant frequency of the transducer, and a front metal layer arranged on a surface of the acoustic matching layer opposite that of the piezoelectric element and having a thickness equal to one-half of the wavelength of the center resonant frequency.

Impedance matching layer for ultrasonic transducers with metallic protection structure

A device for detecting a touch at a surface of a substrate comprises a piezoelectric element positioned at a back surface of the substrate to be touched. A drive circuit is configured to apply a frequency modulated drive signal to the piezoelectric element to detect resonance at the substrate. A first detector arrangement coupled to the piezoelectric element is configured to generate a first output signal indicative of a sensed touch or no touch condition according to detected voltage changes and responsive to the frequency modulated drive signal applied to the piezoelectric element. A second detector arrangement coupled to the piezoelectric element is configured to generate a second output signal indicative of a sensed touch or no touch condition according to a sensed strain on said piezoelectric element. A decision circuit including a processor is configured to identify a touch condition or no touch condition at the surface of the substrate according to the first and second output signals.

Ultrasonic and strain dual mode sensor for contact switch

A system and method for ultrasonic touch switch combined with piezoelectric touch mode is described. The sensor structure may be embodied as a substrate with a piezoelectric element at the back surface of the substrate, with the front surface being a touch sensitive surface. Both operational modes are possible by use of the same sensor element with filtering of the signals so that different advantages of two modes are combined, while disadvantages of either mode are mitigated. The tolerance of substrate thickness of ultrasonic touch mode is improved by use of a wide range of frequency deviation of drive signal by filtering out the fundamental modulation frequency from the output signal and wherein only sharp pulses corresponding to abrupt impedance changes of the piezoelectric element are extracted. The amplitude of the sharp pulses decreases with touching the front surface of substrate. At the same time pressure force applied to the front surface causes the substrate to undergo bending displacement and causes piezoelectric element expansion strain to generate voltage. These two modes are combined and used to control switch of appliance or equipment.

An impedance conversion layer useful for medical imaging ultrasonic transducers comprises a low impedance polymer layer and a high impedance metal layer. These layers are combined with corresponding thicknesses adapted to provide a function of converting from a specific high impedance to specific low impedance, wherein the polymer layer is at the high impedance side and the metal layer is at the low impedance side. The effective acoustic impedance of the polymer and metal layer combination may be adapted to configure an impedance converter in the same way as a quarter wavelength impedance converter, converting from low impedance to high impedance (metal to polymer) or from a high impedance to low impedance (polymer to metal). This structure may be used for front matching with the propagation medium and back matching with an absorber for ultrasonic transducers.

Multilayer acoustic impedance converter for ultrasonic transducers

A transducer useful for medical imaging ultrasonic transducers comprises a front impedance matching layer, a piezoelectric array, and a rear layer. The front impedance matching layer may include a return connection region electrically coupled to a distal end of the piezoelectric array and a front metal layer with a return signal portion for routing the return signal from the distal end of the transducer to a flex circuit of the rear layer at a proximal end of the transducer. In an embodiment, the rear layer may include a return connection region that is electrically coupled to the piezoelectric array at a distal end of the transducer and also electrically coupled to the signal return lines of a flex circuit at the distal end of the transducer.

Signal return for ultrasonic transducers

A multilayer backing absorber for use with an ultrasonic transducer comprises an elemental multilayer having at least one metal layer and at least one adhesive layer, wherein the backing absorber is adapted to be coupled to a vibrating layer of the ultrasonic transducer.

A handheld stylus having an elongated housing, a writing and drawing implement disposed within the housing and including a tip extending through an opening at an end of the housing where ultrasonic waves radiate therefrom and are used for determining a position of the stylus; and at least one ultrasonic transducer disposed within the housing. The transducer may be a cylindrical piezoelectric transducer having a holder and a cylindrical piezoelectric film spanning between at least two spaced apart cylindrical surfaces of the holder, or a flat transducer having a diaphragm, and a piezoelectric material disposed on a surface of the diaphragm.

Handheld device having ultrasonic transducer for axial transmission of acoustic signals

An acoustic sensor device comprising a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and an aperture formed therethrough, the second surface having a curved portion; a layer of piezoelectric film having a first surface disposed on the curved portion of the substrate second surface; and a layer of pliable material disposed on a second surface of the piezoelectric film opposite the first surface for contacting with an object to be sensed.

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Lawrenceville, NJ, United States of America

Minoru Toda