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:
Oct. 25, 2011
Filed:
May. 28, 2008
Hidetomo Nagahara, Kyoto, JP;
Takehiko Suginouchi, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiko Hashimoto, Osaka, JP;
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An ultrasonic receiver according to the present invention includes: a wave propagating portion, which defines a first openingand a waveguidethat makes an ultrasonic wave, coming through the first opening, propagate in a predetermined direction; and a propagation medium portion, which has a transmissive interfaceand which is arranged with respect to the waveguidesuch that the transmissive interfacedefines one surface of the waveguidein the direction in which the ultrasonic wave propagates. The interfaceis designed and arranged with respect to the waveguidesuch that as the ultrasonic wave propagates along the waveguide, each portion of the ultrasonic wave is transmitted into the propagation medium portionthrough the interfaceand then converged toward a predetermined convergence point. The receiver further includes a sensor portion, which is arranged at the convergence pointto detect the ultrasonic wave converged. The propagation medium portion includes a propagation medium that fills a space between the interface and the convergence point. The waveguide is filled with an environmental fluid and acoustic velocities Cand Cof the ultrasonic wave propagating through the propagation medium portionand the environmental fluid, respectively, satisfy C/C<1. If a distance from the first opening of the waveguide to a point P, which is set at an arbitrary location on the transmissive interface, is Las measured in the ultrasonic wave propagating direction and if a distance from the point P to the convergence point is L, then L/C+L/Cis always constant irrespective of where the point P is located.