Method of, and apparatus for, obtaining a plurality of different return energy imaging beams responsive to a single excitation event
First Claim
1. A method for substantially simultaneously obtaining from media a plurality M of different return signals, each from a different beam, responsive to a single excitation event, comprising the steps of:
- (a) assigning each of the plurality M of beams to be substantially equally separated from a central beam by a small angular displacement;
(b) exciting the media with a single beam of energy focussed along the central beam;
(c) receiving a return signal responsive to the central beam;
(d) separately demodulating to baseband that portion of the return signal in each of a plurality N of reception channels, each associated with a different one of an entire array of transducers utilized to form the single central beam; and
(e) without additional time delay, independently rotating, prior to independent summation for generation of each of the plurality M of different beams, the phase of the demodulated baseband received return signal in each channel by an amount Δ
φ
predetermined to displace the apparent origin of the return signal to a location along the associated one of the separated beams.
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Abstract
A method for receiving a return signal from each of plurality M of different beam directions in media excited by a single excitation event, is to: assign each of the M directions to be substantially equally separated, by a small angular displacement from a central beam; excite the media with a single energy beam transmitted to be focused at the central beam; receive a return signal from the central beam; and for each of the M different beam directions, independently rotating the phase of the received return signal by an amount predetermined to displace the apparent focus of the response beam to the associated direction.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for substantially simultaneously obtaining from media a plurality M of different return signals, each from a different beam, responsive to a single excitation event, comprising the steps of:
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(a) assigning each of the plurality M of beams to be substantially equally separated from a central beam by a small angular displacement; (b) exciting the media with a single beam of energy focussed along the central beam; (c) receiving a return signal responsive to the central beam; (d) separately demodulating to baseband that portion of the return signal in each of a plurality N of reception channels, each associated with a different one of an entire array of transducers utilized to form the single central beam; and (e) without additional time delay, independently rotating, prior to independent summation for generation of each of the plurality M of different beams, the phase of the demodulated baseband received return signal in each channel by an amount Δ
φ
predetermined to displace the apparent origin of the return signal to a location along the associated one of the separated beams. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of increasing the number of excitations of each of a totality B of different beam locations in a unit time interval, comprising the steps of:
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(a) dividing the unit time interval into a plurality M of cyclically repeating sequential frame intervals, where M is an integer greater than one; (b) selecting each of a plurality M of different beams from the totality B of independent beam directions and also substantially equally separated from a central beam direction by a small angular displacement; (c) exciting the media with a single beam of energy focussed at the central direction; (d) providing a plurality M of different reception signals, each responsive to energy reflected from an associated one of the plurality M of different directions and all responsive to the one beam of step (c), and including the substeps of;
(d1) receiving a return signal responsive to the central beam;
(d2) separately demodulating to baseband that portion of the return signal in each of a plurality N of reception channels, each associated with a different one of an entire array of transducers utilized to form the single central beam;
(d3)without additional time delay, independently rotating, prior to independent summation for generation of each of the plurality M of different beams, the phase of the demodulated baseband received return signal in each channel by an amount Δ
φ
predetermined to displace the apparent origin of the return signal to a location along the associated one of the separated beams;(e) repeating steps (b)-(d) for each of the remaining (B/M)-1 different sets of other pluralities M of beams in the totality of independent beam directions; and (f) repeating all of steps (b)-(e) for each of the (M-1) frame intervals in that unit time interval. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Apparatus for obtaining a plurality M of substantially simultaneous different return signals, each from a different beam direction all substantially equally separated from a central location, responsive to a single RF return signal from that central location due to a single excitation event, comprising:
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means for converting the RF return signal to a baseband signal; and means, devoid of means for providing additional time delay to the baseband signal, for independently rotating the phase of each of M duplicates of the baseband signal by an amount Δ
φ
predetermined to displace the apparent origin of each phase-rotated baseband signal to the associated one of the separated independent beam directions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification