Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tristan J Lawry

Gary Jude Saulnier

Henry August Scarton

Kyle Richard Wilt

Jonathan Ashdown

Andrew Gavens

Kyle R Wilt

Jonathan D Ashdown

Method and apparatus for rotational alignment and attachment of ultrasonic transducers to a barrier with one submerged surface uses a temporary transducer assembly to position mounting rings on opposite surfaces of the barrier. Plural permanent transducers are then mounted to each mounting ring and are aligned with each other across the barrier by virtue of the alignment of their mounting rings. The submerged mounting ring is used like a cylinder in combination with a mounting plate for the transducers on the submerged side of the barrier or each submerged side transducer has a suction cup fitting for use to exclude water from between each transducer and the submerged barrier surface to facilitate bonding of the submerged side transducers to the barrier.

Method and apparatus for an acoustic-electric channel mounting

An ultrasonic transducer with housing contains a transducer assembly, an outer housing surface being fixed against a barrier surface for transferring ultrasonic waves to and from a barrier. The housing has an inner surface with plateau. A cap closes the housing and the transducer assembly has a piezoelectric transducer with a pressure surface around its outer perimeter and an opposite vibration surface engaging the plateau. A ring engages the pressure surface for biasing the vibration surface against the plateau. A holder engages the cap, transducer and ring for positioning and a plurality of springs are spaced around the transducer perimeter and between the cap and ring for biasing the vibration surface toward or against the raised plateau. A viscous couplant is between the vibration surface and plateau for enhancing transmission of the ultrasonic waves.

Ultrasonic high temperature and pressure housing for piezoelectric-acoustic channels

A method and apparatus provide simultaneous bi-directional communications through a barrier using a pair of piezoelectric transducers. Outside-to-inside transmission of differentially encoded binary data is only sampled at the inside when a known repeated bit in a Barker sequence is transmitted in the other direction. Differentially encoded data is translated based on the absolute value of differences between each signal envelope sample and the previous signal envelope sample. Inside-to-outside data is transmitted by varying an electrical load on the inside transducer to vary the proportion of a continuous wave signal it reflects. The reflected portion of the continuous wave changes the electrical impedance of the outside transducer and this change is measured and interpreted as binary data. Two frequency selection algorithms select minimally sufficient and then optimal frequencies for power and data transmission by a frequency stepping process.

Full-duplex ultrasonic through-wall communication and power delivery system with frequency tracking

A system for communicating through a solid wall uses piezoelectric transducers in a multiple-input multiple-output configuration and applies crosstalk suppression. Methods of suppressing or avoiding crosstalk between parallel communication channels includes zero-forcing, eigenmode transmission, and least mean squared error processing. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing can be used to increase transmission rates using many subchannels. Bit-loading can be used to maximize system performance.

Multi-channel through-wall communication system using crosstalk suppression

An apparatus and method for transmitting data and power through a metal barrier using ultrasonic waves, having ultrasonic transmission channels through the barrier formed by coupling ultrasonic transducers on opposite sides of the barrier. A power transmitter sends power over a channel and forward and reverse data transmitters send forward and reverse data signals by orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing OFDM over a separate channel. The data signals are made up of plural sub-carriers at plural different sub-carrier frequencies with none of the sub-carriers of the forward transmission signal being at a power harmonic frequency.

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East Lyme, CT, United States of America

Tristan J Lawry