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:
Mar. 23, 1993
Filed:
Oct. 31, 1991
Steven C Leavitt, Hampstead, NH (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for utilizing a digital front end in a phased array system such as an ultrasonic scanning system to simultaneously perform both digital beam formation and scan conversion. Echo signals from each of the N channels of the array aperture are sampled at selected points along returning echo signals. The samples are preferably used to determine a value for each channel for each pixel utilized in the display by, for example, determining a transmit time for such point. The values for each pixel for the N channels are then summed to obtain the value for the pixel. Alternatively, the samples may be taken at uniform intervals along each channel line and the sample values interpolated to obtain values at Y-boundary crossings or sampling may be taken at times determined so that each sample is at a Y-boundary crossing. The Y-boundary crossing sample values are stored and are then summed to obtain coherently enhanced sample values at the crossings. The sample values at the Y-boundary crossings may then be interpolated or otherwise utilized to obtain sample values for display pixels.