The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 15, 1981
Filed:
Feb. 08, 1980
Philip S Green, Atherton, CA (US);
Dilip G Saraf, Atherton, CA (US);
James F Havlice, Los Altos, CA (US);
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus for pulsed ultrasonic imaging of a section of the interior of an object from reflections by internal discontinuities of recurrent transmitted pulses of ultrasonic energy, are provided. There is included a transducer array comprising a plurality of adjacent transducer elements for converting echo signals received from discontinuities within the object to equivalent electrical signals. Range gated signal processing means are provided for processing electrical signals from the transducer array reflected from discontinuities within any one of a plurality of range zones within the section to be imaged to provided range gated signals representative of segments of lines within the section to be imaged. The signal processing means includes electronic receiver beam focusing and scanning means for focusing the transducer array at the range zone at which the signals are range gated and for scanning the same. Visual display means for visual display of the line segment signals are provided for visual display of the entire section to be imaged. The signal processing means may include digital scan converter means for temporary storage of received signals for display thereof at a conventional TV monitor. Different numbers of transducer elements are employed for beam forming at the different range zones; a maximum number of adjacent transducer elements being used for operation at the zone farthest from the transducer array, and decreasing numbers being used for zones nearer the array. The electronic beam focusing means includes a plurality of fixed delay means, at least some of which are employed for focusing at a plurality of range zones thereby minimizing the total number required for operation of the system.