Speed Determination Patents (Class 367/89)
  • Patent number: 4982383
    Abstract: A sonde in a well logging system of the present invention includes caliper means providing a diameter signal corresponding to the diameter of a borehole traversing an earth formation. First and second transducers which, when so controlled, transmit an ultrasonic acoustical pulse into fluid flowing in the borehole or provides an electrical pulse in accordance with a received acoustical pulse from the fluid. A control network controls both transducers so that during one part of a measurement the first transducer transmits an acoustical pulse into the fluid while the second transducer receives an acoustical pulse after it has passed through the fluid. During another part of the measurement the second transducer is controlled to transmit an acoustical pulse into the fluid while the first transducer is controlled to receive the acoustical pulse after it has passed through the fluid and provides a signal in accordance with the received acoustical pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 1, 1991
    Assignee: Texaco Inc.
    Inventors: Jackie C. Sims, Irwin R. Supernaw
  • Patent number: 4926395
    Abstract: A method and system for determining the speed of sound in a fluidic medium by determining the travel time of an acoustical signal a predetermined distance in a fluidic medium by generating a cyclical reference signal of a predetermined frequency and transmitting a portion of the reference signal through the medium. The transmitted portion of the reference signal is received after travelling a predetermined distance in the fluidic medium. The cycles of the cyclical reference signal are counted during the period of time between the transmitting and receiving of the portion of the reference signal wherein the travel time of the portion of the reference signal, is the number of cycle counts divided by the frequency. The speed of the acoustical signal through the fluidic medium is a function of the path length divided by the travel time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Dwight E. Boegeman, Carl D. Lowenstein, Fred N. Spiess
  • Patent number: 4853904
    Abstract: An apparatus for examining a moving object by means of ultrasound echography, enabling the measurement of the axial speed of said movement or the projection of the speed on the axis z of a beam of ultrasound excitations transmitted by an ultrasound transducer (10) with a repetition period T. The apparatus also comprises a transmission stage (20) and a stage (30) for receiving and processing the echographic signals returned to the transducer (10). The stage (30) for receiving and processing the echographic signals comprises a circuit (330) for estimating said axial speed V.sub.Iz (t) which comprises a circuit (340) for extracting the time shift .tau..sub.i (t) between two consecutive echoes e.sub.i (t) and e.sub.i+1 (t), constructed for solving the equation in .tau..sub.i (t): ##EQU1## where e.sub.i (t) is the derivative of the order "n" with respect to the time of the echo e.sub.i (t), and a circuit (350) for multiplication by C/2T so as to obtain V.sub.iz (t) on the basis of .tau..sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Patrick R. A. Pesque
  • Patent number: 4685093
    Abstract: A speed measurement device for measuring the speed of a ship through the water is disclosed. The device comprises a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit connected to two transducers T.sub.1, T.sub.2 which are based substantially in the direction of travel of a ship below the water line thereof. Pulse trains are transmitted in both directions between the transducers T.sub.1, T.sub.2 which are received by the receiver circuitry so that a signal is derived indicative of the time taken for the signals to travel both for and against the direction of travel of the ship, this signal being proportional to ship's speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1987
    Assignee: Brookes & Gatehouse Limited
    Inventor: Michael J. Gill
  • Patent number: 4635240
    Abstract: A forward look sonar system in which speed and direction of a sonar platform is obtained. Each acoustic transmission towards the target area over which the platform is traveling is comprised of a plurality of frequencies. A plurality of receiver beams is formed and each individual beam from one transmission is cross-correlated with its corresponding beam from a selected subsequent transmission to derive a delay value. The later received signal for each beam, for each frequency is divided into a plurality of small segments each of which is cross-correlated with a portion of the first return signal corresponding to the same frequency and beam. The cross-correlation functions for the plurality of frequencies for each particular segment are added together to obtain a more precise delay value. The correlation functions for each of the beams are added together and compared to derive a value for platform direction in the intercomparison period and the delay values are utilized to derive a velocity indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: Kenneth P. Geohegan, Jr., Charles W. Allen
  • Patent number: 4510587
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Maag Gear-Wheel & Machine Company Limited
    Inventor: Otto Schneider
  • Patent number: 4405985
    Abstract: A digital computer for guiding the flight of a ballistic missile through instrumentation of a Q Matrix. The computer may be described as being the digital counterpart of a mechanical differential analyzer in that it is made up of a number of appropriately interconnected integrators which generate the solution of the particular equation or set of equations being solved. An initial value of velocity-to-be-gained is inserted into the computer and then by means of accelerometer outputs, multipliers, adders and integrators, samples of the missile's velocity are compared with the velocity-to-be-gained to generate output signals to control or guide the trajectory of the missile during its powered flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1965
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Eldon C. Hall, Harold H. Seward, Joseph D. Sabo, Vincent R. De Marco, Millard B. Prisant
  • Patent number: 4244026
    Abstract: The velocity measuring correlation sonar disclosed employs a planar array of receiving transducers spaced in the directions along which velocity components parallel to the plane of the array are to be measured, and includes means for transmitting a series of two or more identical pulses which are separated by a time interval selected in accordance with transducer separation and the estimated velocity components so as to place the expected point of maximum correlation of the echo return from one pulse with that from a following pulse within the boundaries of a set of spatial sample points representing relative spacings between pairs of receiving transducers. Correlation measurements are made corresponding to these relative spacings of the receiving transducers, with each such measurement being treated as a sample of a space-time correlation function of predetermined shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1981
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Frank R. Dickey, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4216538
    Abstract: A navigation aid for determining berthing data comprises distance detecting units embodying sonar transducers which are spaced apart along the length of a jetty a short distance behind the berthing line. The units are operative to provide signals indicative of the distance from the berthing line of correspondingly spaced sections of the ship, and a microcomputer selects two out of three of these signals and processes them to determine the distance from the berthing line of nominal bow and stern sections of the ship, the nominal measuring points being different from the actual measuring points at which the transducers are positioned. The microcomputer also processes the selected signals to determine the velocity of the bow and stern sections relative to the berthing line, and controls a jetty display of the determined distance and velocity data in addition to local and remote indications/recordal thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1980
    Inventors: Peter Tomlinson, Dennis Healy
  • Patent number: 4210399
    Abstract: Apparatus for detecting relative motion between a rough reflecting surface and a wave transmitting and receiving system in a plane parallel or perpendicular to the reflecting surface comprised of a transmitter (radar, laser, acoustic, and the like), a receiver having the same or different aperture as the transmitter, and means for detecting the finest interference fringes in the reflected wave pattern. Each fringe detected represents relative motion through a distance, S, that is a function of the maximum dimension, D, of the transmitting aperture. By counting fringes, total relative motion is determined, and by counting fringes for a unit of time, the rate of that motion is determined. For a small transmitting aperture, the distance, S, between fringes is directly related to kD in the parallel plane and to kD/tan .theta., in the normal plane, where .theta.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1980
    Inventor: Atul Jain
  • Patent number: H608
    Abstract: Multiple phase flow is detected and characterized in a fluid-containing conduit using a compressional wave acoustic transducer in the pulse-echo mode. The acoustic energy is transmitted in a transverse direction through the conduit and the returning echo is analyzed to determine if single or multiphase flow is present in the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Shell Oil Company
    Inventor: Alvin D. Goolsby