Method of and apparatus for the detection of an ultrasonic field
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting ultrasonic waves propagated through a medium, comprising the steps of:
- (a) at a given time collecting respective ultrasonic waves at each of a plurality of spaced apart collection locations in said medium;
(b) passing ultrasonic waves collected at said given time at each of said collection locations from the respective collection location to a common detection site along a respective ultrasonic wave path assigned to the respective collection location having a sound transit time different from sound transit times of others of said ultrasonic wave paths terminating at said common detection site; and
(c) detecting ultrasonic waves received at said common detection site with a single transducer responsive to ultrasonic waves from a plurality of said paths and received in a time-spaced relationship determined by the respective sound transit times, and converting the detected ultrasonic waves to electrical signals with said transducer.
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Abstract
The number of transducers in the scanning of an ultrasonic field from an object is reduced by providing ultrasonic collectors at spaced apart locations in the medium and transmitting the ultrasonic waves which are collected to a transducer through waveguides or paths having different transit times. The waveguides can be individually of different lengths or can be of equal length and terminate at different distances along a common collecting waveguide.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for detecting ultrasonic waves propagated through a medium, comprising the steps of:
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(a) at a given time collecting respective ultrasonic waves at each of a plurality of spaced apart collection locations in said medium; (b) passing ultrasonic waves collected at said given time at each of said collection locations from the respective collection location to a common detection site along a respective ultrasonic wave path assigned to the respective collection location having a sound transit time different from sound transit times of others of said ultrasonic wave paths terminating at said common detection site; and (c) detecting ultrasonic waves received at said common detection site with a single transducer responsive to ultrasonic waves from a plurality of said paths and received in a time-spaced relationship determined by the respective sound transit times, and converting the detected ultrasonic waves to electrical signals with said transducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An apparatus for locally detecting an ultrasonic field in a medium at a given time, said apparatus comprising:
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means for simultaneously collecting at said given time respective ultrasonic waves of said ultrasonic field at each of a plurality of spaced apart collection locations in said medium; means for passing ultrasonic waves collected at said given time at each of said collection locations from the respective collection location to a common detection site along a respective ultrasonic wave path assigned to the respective collection location having a sound transit time different from sound transit times of others of said ultrasonic wave paths terminating at said common detection site; and a transducer at said common detection site for detecting ultrasonic waves received at said common detection site and responsive to ultrasonic waves from a plurality of said paths received in a time-spaced relationship determined by the respective sound transit times, and converting the detected ultrasonic waves to electrical signals. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification