Installation and method for acoustic measurement with marker microphone in space

• US 20050076717A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metravib R.D.S.
• Original Assignee: Metravib R.D.S.
• Inventors: Vaucher De La Croix, Daniel, Villiot, Jean-Michel, Demars, Jean-Pierre, Chevret, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,121,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/649
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/186 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

The acoustic measurement installation comprises:

• • acoustic measurement instrumentation (3) comprising in particular an acoustic measurement antenna (4) fitted with at least one microphone (5);
  • a positioning system (11) for positioning the antenna (4) by ultrasound, the positioning system comprising:
    • at least one ultrasound emitter (12) mounted on the antenna at a known distance relative to the microphone; and
    • an ultrasound receiver base (14) for receiving the signals emitted by each emitter and adapted to determine the position of each emitter;
  • and a control unit (16) for controlling the positioning system (11) for positioning the antenna (4) and the acoustic measurement instrumentation (3), the control system being adapted during a first stage to cause each emitter (12) to emit in succession in order to determine the position of the antenna, and during a second stage to cause the microphones (5) to perform acquisition in order to implement acoustic measurement using the measurement instrumentation.

Claims

1. An acoustic measurement installation, characterized in that it comprises:

acoustic measurement instrumentation (3) comprising in particular an acoustic measurement antenna (4) fitted with at least one microphone (5);

a positioning system (11) for positioning the antenna (4) by ultrasound, the positioning system comprising;

at least one ultrasound emitter (12) mounted on the antenna at a known distance relative to the microphone;

and an ultrasound receiver base (14) for receiving the signals emitted by each emitter and adapted to determine the position of each emitter in three dimensions;

and a control unit (16) for controlling the positioning system (11) for positioning the antenna (4) and the acoustic measurement instrumentation (3), the control system being adapted during a first stage to cause each emitter (12) to emit in succession in order to determine the position of the antenna in three dimensions, and during a second stage to cause the microphones (5) to perform acquisition in order to implement acoustic measurement using the measurement instrumentation.

2. An acoustic measurement installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the acoustic measurement antenna (4) is fitted with an ultrasound emitter (12) when it comprises one microphone (5), with at least two ultrasound emitters (12) when it comprises a series of microphones (5) disposed linearly, with at least three ultrasound emitters (12) when it comprises a series of microphones (5) disposed in a plane, and with at least four ultrasound emitters (12) when it comprises a series of microphones (5) disposed in a volume.

3. An acoustic measurement installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each ultrasound emitter (12) is mounted on the antenna (4) on a moving support (71) for adjusting the axis of the emitter relative to the ultrasound receiver base.

4. An acoustic measurement installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the acoustic measurement antenna (4) is fitted with a member (9) for holding the antenna in position, which member is mounted to move relative to the antenna.

5. An acoustic measurement installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a system (20) for positioning the receiver base (14), the system comprising:

a fixed reference structure (21) defining at least one reference marker with at least three points (Pi);

a moving acoustic pointer (22) fitted with at least two ultrasound emitters (23); and

control and processor means adapted to control the ultrasound emitters (23) of the acoustic pointer (22) to emit in succession for each position of the pointer relative to the three points (Pi) of the reference marker and for each position of the receiver base (14) so as to determine the positions of the points of the reference marker in a frame of reference associated with each position of the receiver base, in order to be able to determine the positions of the antenna in a single frame of reference.

6. A method of acoustically measuring a sound source, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

fitting an acoustic measurement antenna (4) comprising at least one microphone (5) with at least one ultrasound emitter (12) mounted at a known distance from the microphone (5);

placing the acoustic measurement antenna (4) in a position that is stationary relative to the sound source;

placing an ultrasound receiver base (14) to face the antenna (4), the receiver base being adapted to receive an ultrasound signal emitted by the ultrasound emitter (12) and to determine the position of the emitter (12);

causing each ultrasound emitter (12) to emit in succession so as to enable the ultrasound receiver base (14) to determine the position of each emitter (12) and consequently of each microphone (5); and

after the end of the stage of causing all of the ultrasound emitters (12) to emit, controlling the microphones (5) to operate in acquisition so as to perform the acoustic measurement of the sound source.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

placing a reference structure (21) in a stationary position, the structure defining at least one reference marker having at least three points (Pi); and

causing each ultrasound emitter (23) of an acoustic pointer (22) fitted with at least two emitters (23) to emit in succession, and to do so for each position of the pointer (22) placed on each point (Pi) of the reference marker so as to enable the positions of the points of the reference marker to be determined in a frame of reference associated with the position of the ultrasound receiver base (14).

8. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

moving the ultrasound receiver base (14) to place it in a second stationary position;

causing each ultrasound emitter (23) of the pointer (22) for each position of the pointer placed on each reference point (Pi) of the reference marker to emit in succession in such a manner as to enable the positions of the points of the reference marker to be determined in another frame of reference associated with the second position of the ultrasound receiver base; and

on the basis of the positions of the points of the reference marker for the first and second positions of the ultrasound receiver base (14), determining the positions of the microphones (5) in a single frame of reference.

9. A method according to claim 6, comprising determining the position of the emitter (12) using a direction-finding method or an interferometic method.