Abstract: An acoustic touch position sensor is shown wherein a transducer coupled to a side of a substrate imparts a shear wave into the substrate that propagates along a first axis. A shear to Lamb wave converting array disposed along the first axis converts the shear wave to Lamb waves propagating along a plurality of parallel paths where each path is associated with a different axial position on the substrate relative to the first axis. The Lamb waves are converted back to shear waves by a Lamb to shear wave converting array disposed along an axis parallel to the first axis, the second converting array being spaced across a touch surface of the substrate from the first array. The shear wave from the second converting propagate to a receiving transducer that provides a signal representative of the waves.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the position of a movable element. An elongated housing is provided for positioning generally adjacent an edge of an area in which the position of the movable element is to be determined. The housing has a base portion which contains a pair of spaced-apart transducers that are mounted in the surface of the base portion and face the area. An upper body portion of the housing is disposed above the base portion and protrudes in cantilevered fashion toward the area, so that the transducers are recessed from the area beneath the protruding upper body portion of the housing. Circuitry is provided for determining the position of the movable element from the respective transit times of energy propagating in either direction between the movable element and the pair of transducers.

Abstract: An acoustic data acquisition system for shipboard use is disclosed that allows for underwater acoustic data measurements at preselected submerged marine structural coordinates using a free swimming, quiet dynamically positionable remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Moreover, the disclosure provides a method of performing acoustic data acquisition with an ROV by first inputting the marine structural features by use of a computer aided design subsystem, determining the required trajectory path and hovering coordinates for data measurements, next, establishing the acoustic telemetry system for the remotely operated vehicle's control system to operate within and make an absolute positional fix to the marine structure's coordinates then, establish the ambient acoustic conditions of the worksite. The system is monitored and controlled from a computer based system.

Abstract: Acoustic sensor device with noise suppression, in particular for sensors arranged on a noise-generating aggregate, using a double sensor (M1, M2) located between a noise source (S) and an object emitting the sound to be picked up, one of the sensors (M1) being directed towards the noise source (S) and supplying to a control circuit (R) a noise signal which controls an anti-noise source (A) in such a way that it generates an anti-phase sound p.sub.A for compensating the noise p.sub.S, the other sensor (M2) being directed toward the object to be measured and supplying a measuring signal in which the noise fraction is highly weakened and the useful sound fraction is barely weakened, so that the acquisition range of the sensor (M2) is extended as a result of this reduction of sound fractions as a function of the direction of arrival.

Abstract: A method for determining the motion of a target in underwater acoustics by means of an antenna with misaligned sensors (C.sub.1, C.sub.2.sup.P, C.sub.3) provided with a central sensor C.sub.2.sup.P. It consists in estimating the characteristics of velocity (V.sub.x, V.sub.y) and position of the target x(t*), y(t*) relatively to the antenna by means of a likelihood maximum estimator taking account of the differences in propagation times measured between the wave fronts transmitted by the target and reaching the sensors. The motion estimator is initialized by means of an initial state vector X determined on the basis of the values of the azimuths of the target perceived from the mid-points of each pair of sensors, during a determined number of measurements staggered in time. The action of the state vector X takes place in taking account of the value of the elevation of the target with respect to the antenna.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the precise location of a drill bit tip relative to specified locations on a workpiece in precision automatic machining operations. Elastic waves are induced in a drill shank, guided through the shank to the drill bit tip and couple to the surrounding workpiece material in contact with the tip of the drill bit. Elastic wave sensors are disposed in elastic wave transmitting relation with the workpiece to detect the induced elastic waves. The precise location of the drill bit tip is determined by computing the propagation time of elastic waves from the drill bit tip to each of the respective sensors. In one embodiment, elastic waves are induced with contactless electromagnetic coupling via a magnetostrictive transduction technique. Other techniques for inducing elastic waves in a drill bit are described.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inputting a voice through a microphone mounted at a position facing a speaking person. An image of a speaking person is generated and used to detect the position of a mouth of the speaker. The microphone is then moved in accordance with position of the mouth.

Abstract: A system of three or more hydrophone arrays are utilized to measure underwater areal sound intensity. The hydrophone arrays bound at least one plane through which an areal sound intensity measurement is desired. Each hydrophone array comprises three orthogonal pairs of hydrophones with coincident acoustic centers. The output of each hydrophone in the system is simultaneously sampled and the outputs processed to obtain a vectorial sound intensity representation at each of the hydrophone arrays from which a representation of the areal sound intensity across the noted plane may be derived.

Abstract: A homing system for directing the user to one of a plurality of objects and/or locations comprises a plurality of remote modules and a mobile module. The remote modules transmit an uncoded nondirectional response signal after receiving a coded request signal. The mobile module at spaced intervals transmits coded nondirectional request signals. The mobile module generates internal representation of the distance between the receiving means and the selected module from the time measured between the transmission of the request signal and the receipt of the response signal.

Abstract: An arrangement for finding the direction of a sound in a medium has a thin shell structure having a circular symmetry. The structure can flex in response to incident sound energy from the medium to perturb the form of the structure. A membrane of a piezo-electric material with an anisotropic piezo-electric response to distortion is arranged to be distorted by the perturbation of the thin shell structure. The response of the membrane to this perturbation permits the direction of the incident sound to be indicated. The membrane can be of polyvinylidene difluoride with anisotropic properties. The membrane may be formed into a "dome" for example by fluid pressure inside a hemispherical shell closed by the membrane.

Abstract: An accelerometer-based direction finding and ranging transducer such as a hydrophone uses piezoelectric ceramic as the active material. Orthogonally arranged accelerometers share an inertial mass and resonance control system and the accelerometers together with a pressure hydrophone and electronics are all housed within one pressure vessel.

Abstract: An ultrasonic ranging and data telemetry system determines a surveyor's position and automatically links it with other simultaneously taken survey data. An ultrasonic and radio frequency (rf) transmitter are carried by the surveyor in a backpack. The surveyor's position is determined by calculations that use the measured transmission times of an airborne ultrasonic pulse transmitted from the backpack to two or more prepositioned ultrasonic transceivers. Once a second, rf communications are used both to synchronize the ultrasonic pulse transmission-time measurements and to transmit other simultaneously taken survey data. The rf communications are interpreted by a portable receiver and microcomputer which are brought to the property site. A video display attached to the computer provides real-time visual monitoring of the survey progress and site coverage.

Abstract: A method for the position detection of the strip edge of a material web by means of an ultrasonic detector disposed in the strip edge region uses a transmitter 2 and a receiver 3, the received sound waves being transformed into an electric signal. To be sure to eliminate the influence of reflected waves on the measurement result, the transmitter 2 emits mutually time-shifted single pulses or wave packets. The wave packet (or single pulse) received by the receiver 3 is transformed into a corresponding electric oscillation packet, a limited area of the oscillation packet is scanned and the scan value is stored for further processing. An arrangement for the performance of the method comprises the transmitter 2 which is fed by a pulse train generator 4 the receiver 3 for delivering an electrical signal, an activatable peak rectifier circuit 6 connected to the receiver and an activatable transmission circuit 9 connected to the rectifier for transmission of the peak value to a memory.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for measuring a distance by means of an ultrasound. A drawback of this type of known methods for measuring a distance is that the transmitting and the receiving devices are separate, and they are designed to function according to whether they are positioned at a point of origin or at a target point of a measuring interval. For solving this problem, transmitter-receiver units (LVA, LVB) at the ends of a measuring interval are identical and interact continuously with each other so that the measuring result can be read in both devices.

Abstract: A demultiplexer test circuit having a signal source summing means responsive to a selected target angle theta for adding a first independent noise signal to an input signal to provide a composite omni signal and for adding a second noise signal to the product of the cosine of the selected target angle and the input signal to provide a composite cosine signal, and for adding a third noise signal to the product of the sine of the selected target angle and the input signal to provide a composite sine signal. A dual output phase shifting means responsive to a selected heading angle phi provides a quad count signal, a quad count clock signal, a reference count signal and a reference count clock signal. The reference count signal is lags the quad count signal by a time interval proportional to the selected heading angle phi.

Abstract: An aircraft detection system which detects and tracks aircraft using: arrays of seismic and acoustic sensors, a set of junction circuits, a set of subarray circuits, several slave computers, and a master computer. Each junction circuit relays detected signals from several adjacent sensors to a subarray circuit and command signals to each of the sensors to adjust the gain of their output signals. Each subarray circuit receives and unites the outputs of several adjacent junction circuits into a subarray which has a particular geographical location in the array of sensors. Each slave computer forwards detected signals from single subarray circuit to the master computer, and relays command signals back to each individual sensor. Each subarray is able to track the seismic or acoustic signature of an aircraft as it travels across the regular distribution of sensors. Each subarray is thereby able to define an azimuth to the target aircraft.

Abstract: A method of determining the bearing "S" of a signal transmitter relative to a remote signal receiver. A signal pulse having a high signal to noise ratio is transmitted and sampled at closely spaced receivers displaced from the transmitter by a distance "D". Sampled phase components are derived at each receiver by deriving in-phase and quadrature components of the sampled pulse and by deriving the arctangent of each such component. The arrival time of the sampled pulses is measured by applying a least squares Gaussian fit to the modulus or to the amplitude envelope of the pulse samples. The difference ".delta.t" between the time of arrival of the pulse at each receiver is determined and then the approximate phase difference 2.pi..omega..delta.t between the sampled pulses is determined where ".omega." is the carrier frequency of the transmitted pulse. The phase difference is then applied to resolve the phase ambiguity of the phase components and the bearing "S" is then calculated.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the distance of an object from a signal transmitter during radiation of a transmitter signal uses a first capacitor which is initially short-circuited by means of a first switch and subsequently is charged from a constant current source following an opening of the switch. Upon a reception of an echo signal, the charge of the first capacitor is transferred to a second capacitor by closing a second switch at the time of the echo signal reception. The charge on the second capacitor, which is proportional to the elapsed time between transmitted and received signals, is delivered to an output via a low pass filter with the output signal representing a distance measuring signal.

Abstract: A goniotelemetry system comprises two acoustic goniometers directed along two perpendicular axes taking measurements of angles at the intersection O of the two axii, as well as a triaxial magnetometer and a magnetic field gradientmeter situated at this intersection O.It allows to localize marine craft simultaneously from their radiated acoustic noise and from their disturbance on the ground magnetic field in order to fire underwater mines.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for detecting the direction of a sound. A thin shell structure is permitted to flex in response to incident sound and perturb the form of the shell. The perturbation is detected and from this the direction of the sound can be determined.

Abstract: A method for finding the distance between a blowout well and a relief well. The method comprises measuring the acoustic noise in the relief well at two or more locations and then calculating the distance to the blowout well.

Abstract: The method and arrangement contemplates transmitting externally triggered trigger pulses by means of a magnetostrictive line or conductor and such produces echo pulses. Displacement path and time oscillator pulses are counted by two counter groups, and there is computed from the counter state the velocity-corrected position of a measuring head. Consequently, with a higher measuring rate there can be appreciably increased the accuracy of the evaluation of the pulses delivered by the ultrasonic measuring system, there can be obtained further measuring data (velocity and acceleration) by means of the moving measuring head, and there is possible an absolute measurement. Additionally, the resolution of the measured displacement path or distance can be randomly selected by means of the frequency of the displacement path or distance oscillator.

Abstract: An apparatus for locating, classifying and identifying underwater marine animals by means of the sounds they make includes an elongated submersible array adapted to be towed in various directions. The array is made up of subarrays of multiple hydrophones which are arranged along the length of each subarray in groups. By changing the combinations of groups, the frequency response and the directional sensitivity of the array can be varied. The outputs of the groups can be selectively analyzed both visually and audibly for characteristic fish sounds. The received sounds are classified and used for the identification of newly found fish.

Abstract: An acoustic ocean measuring system is disclosed which uses measurements of sound intensity to locate and measure ocean anomalies. Several free-floating sound pulse emitting floats are placed in the ocean area to be measured; the position of the floats can be determined by well-known ranging techniques. Several hydrophones are positioned either in the immediate area or at distant locations to receive the sound pulses. A fixed number of received sound signals are electronically processed to obtain peak intensity signals. A fixed set of peak signals received from the floats over a fixed period of time are used to generate a trend line which can be used to predict the peak intensity received from the position data. The actual received intensity measurements are compared to the predicted measurements; substantial deviations from the predicted values are used to locate and measure parameters of ocean anomalies.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a control device of transmitting an ultrasonic pulse from an ultrasonic transmitter to an ultrasonic receiver by disposing the transmitter and the receiver between two movable members which are placed in a variable relation in linear distance with each other, converting aerial propagation time of the pulse from the transmitter to the receiver into an electrical means, memorizing and holding a distance between the two members by the electrical means, and reading the memorized distance at any desired time and reproducing the distance. The disclosure also relates to a control device using the system.

Abstract: A piezoelectric, acoustic vibration detecting element is positioned in a fluid flow to be measured so as to be moved according to the intensity of the fluid flow away from a source of acoustic vibration. As the distance between the acoustic vibration source and the element increases with increasing fluid flow intensity, reducing the acoustic pressure on the element, the magnitude of an electrical output signal produced by the element decreases providing a detectable measurement of the change in the fluid flow intensity.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system of automatically controlling the distance between two members placed in a relatively variable relation with each other with respect to distance on a straight line. One of the two members is provided with a transmitter capable of generating an ultrasonic pulse excellent both in directivity and in damping characteristics, and the other is provided with a receiver with the same in characteristics as the transmitter and which is disposed in an opposed relation with respect to the transmitter. The distance between the two members is automatically controlled by causing an ultrasonic pulse to be transmitted and received respectively by the transmitter and the receiver.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a system for aerially transmitting an ultrasonic view of a vibration mode, small in angle of direction, in a clear state and to a transmitter and a receiver used in the system. According to the system, an ultrasonic pulse can be used for distance measurement, control and other signal means even at relatively short distance.

Abstract: Apparatus for classifying the activity of an aircraft including the geophone proximate an airfield used by jet airplanes for generating a signal indicative of the existence of the jet aircraft. Amplifier means are provided for enhancing the signal. The signal is then passed through a low pass filter means for receiving the signal and passing only that portion having a frequency less than about 30 Hz. A high band pass filter also receives the signal and passes only that portion having a frequency ranging from about 90 Hz to about 120 Hz. Two demodulator means are provided which receive the low pass signal to provide a low pass envelope and receive the high band pass signal to produce a high band pass envelope. Threshold signal generating means are provided to receive the low pass envelope and the high band pass envelope, and generate a signal when either or both envelopes reach a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An output distance signal related to the distance between an ultrasonic transmitting transducer and an ultrasonic receiving transducer is provided by an apparatus including a reference oscillator and a burst generator responsive to the reference oscillator which periodically generates ultrasonic burst signals. The ultrasonic transmitting transducer is responsive to the generator for providing an ultrasonic acoustic energy burst in response to each of the ultrasonic burst signals. An ultrasonic receiving transducer receives the ultrasonic acoustic energy bursts and generates detection signals in response thereto. A range window circuit is responsive to detection of an acoustic energy burst by the receiving transducer, for providing a range window signal at a time period lagging the detection signal such that a range gate will be opened for passage of the next following detection signal.

Abstract: A method of marking a pipeline location eliminates ambiguity in case there are leaks near the location of a marker. It employs a marker that emits two separate frequencies that are modulated by a third frequency lower than either of the other two. Detection of the marker on a pipeline pig is done by separating the two frequencies and demodulating the third. Then by determining the coincidence of all three for a predetermined number of consecutive cycles of the third frequency, the marker location will be positively identified.

Abstract: An acoustical deverberator for eliminating the reverberation from a sound gnal originating with a transient sound source in shallow water. The sound signal is received by a single hydrophone and autocorrelated to determine the time differences between the direct signal and the bottom surface reflected signals. Together with the surface and bottom reflection coefficients and known depths of the hydrophone and water, the time differences are used to determine corrections which are applied to the received sound signal. The result is a clean sound signal free from interfering reverberation.

Abstract: A beam-former for sampling and digitizing a sonar signal preparatory to F Fourier Transformer (FFT) processing comprising an array of ceramic sensors forming a series of rows and columns, a sampling transformer for each row and each column for sampling the weighted sum of the signals from the sensors in each row or column, a log compressor for each sampling transformer for compressing the amplitude of the sampled signal, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter circuit following each log compressor for sampling and digitizing the compressed signals under the control of a counting circuit so that the log compressor outputs are sampled at prescribed times in relation to each other so as to impart a time or phase shift to the digitized outputs to effect a beam tilting, a decompression circuit for decompressing the time shifted signals, an accumulator for adding the samples from each row and column, and a shifting circuit for shifting the accumulated signal up or down to make it compatible with the FFT circuit.