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:
Nov. 19, 1996
Filed:
Mar. 21, 1996
Roman B Kuc, New Haven, CT (US);
Yale University, New Haven, CT (US);
Abstract
An acoustic ranging and detection system comprises an acoustic transmitter for producing an acoustic ranging signal and first and second acoustic receivers positioned on either side of the acoustic transmitter. A support mounts the acoustic transmitter and both acoustic receivers for concurrent rotation about a central axis passing through the acoustic transmitter. A first motor is connected to the first acoustic receiver and is adapted to impart independent rotative movement thereto. A second motor is connected to the second acoustic receiver and is adapted to impart independent rotative movement thereto. A control system is responsive to echo signals from a target that are received by the first and second acoustic receivers to rotate the support to point the transmitter at the target and further operates the first and second motors to cause the respective acoustic receivers to be repositioned so as to manifest receiving beam patterns which exhibit central axes that intersect in the region of the target. A translation motor is also connected to the support so as to enable a relative translation between the target and the transmitter and receivers so as to enable a differentiation between targets appearing at approximately the same initial distance from the acoustic receivers.