Abstract: A transmitting ultrasonic transducer (20) is excited by high-frequency pulses from a high-frequency pulse generator (1), a leaky elastic surface wave is excited in a sample (6) by a focused ultrasonic beam from the transducer (20), a reradiated wave of the leaky elastic surface wave is received by a receiving ultrasonic transducer (24), the received signal is applied to a mixer (23), wherein the phase difference between the received signal and a reference signal from a high-frequency oscillator (18) in the high-frequency pulse generator (1) is detected, and the detected output is provided as a display signal to a display (9 or 14). The transducers (20) and (24) and the sample (6) are moved by a drive means (7 or 10) relative to each other two-dimensionally in a plane parallel to the sample surface or in a direction perpendicular to the sample surface, and in synchronism with the movement, the display screen of the display (9 or 14) is swept, displaying thereon an ultrasonic microscopic image or a V(z) curve.

Abstract: Sound intensity is determined by simultaneously measuring instantaneous acoustic pressure and instantaneous particle velocity at a single point. A condenser microphone having a vibrating diaphragm generates an output voltage proportional to the instantaneous acoustic pressure. A laser Doppler vibrometer measures the velocity of the vibrating diaphragm and a Doppler frequency tracker converts the velocity measurement into another output voltage which is proportional to the instantaneous acoustic particle velocity. The sound intensity is then calculated from the known components.

Abstract: A mining machine having means for sensing property variations of the materials associated with a seam of a mine. The machine comprises a member (4) which rotates about an axis A. The rotatable member mounts at least one cutter 6 spaced from the axis for cutting material from the seam. A rod (10) carried by the rotatable member is held in releasable engagement with the cutter. The rod extends to the axis of the rotatable member to conduct to the axis, strain waves which are induced by variations in cutter vibration as the cutter encounters property variations of the materials associated with the seam. A transducer (24,54) is located at the axis of the rotatable member in communication with the rod to convert the strain waves in the rod to electric signals which may be recorded or visually displayed.

Abstract: An acoustic inspection method is disclosed for determining in a catalytic converter monolith substrate whether a ceramic coating was applied in a predetermined amount and uniformly to the surface of exhaust gas passages extending therethrough and whether the ceramic coating is blocking any of the passages. The method includes mounting the substrate in an acoustically sealed structure so as to form a throat communicating a speaker at an entrance end of the coated passages with an empty resonator cavity at an exit end of the coated passages and thereby form a Helmholtz resonator. The speaker is then driven to produce a continuous sound wave through the coated passages into the resonator cavity at a predetermined frequency approximately the natural frequency of the resonator to thereby produce oscillatory sound waves through the coated passages at the same frequency. The substrate is then reversely mounted and the previous step is repeated.

Abstract: A method of image motion distortion correction involving the steps of electronically scanning an optical image to produce first and second lines of stored digital pixel data indicative of the intensity of picture elements of the optical image, registering within a corresponding scanning window position the difference between each second line picture element value of a number of sets of second line picture elements, and a number of first individual line picture elements, each corresponding to an associated set, thereafter utilizing that particular window position having the minimum accumulated difference value to produce an image shift signal having a value corresponding to that particular window position, shifting the storage position of the second line with respect to the first line by an amount proportional to the value of the shift signal, and utilizing the shifted lines of data to modulate an image producing readout device such as a CRT to reproduce the optical image.

Abstract: Coordinates of a handwritten pattern drawn on a tablet are sequentially sampled by a pattern recognition unit to prepare pattern coordinate data. Based on an area encircled by segments created by the sampled pattern coordinate data of one stroke and a line connecting a start point and an end point of the one-stroke coordinate data, the sampled pattern coordinate data of the one stroke is converted to a straight line and/or curved line segments. The converted segments are quantized and normalized. The segments of the normalized input pattern are rearranged so that the input pattern is drawn in a predetermined sequence. Differences between direction angles for the rearranged segments are calculated. Those differences are compared with differences of the direction angles of the dictionary patterns read from a memory to calculate a difference therebetween. The matching of the input pattern and the dictionary pattern is determined in accordance with the difference.

Abstract: The range of objects from a television camera is obtained by projecting a series of patterns of uniquely coded stripes of light onto the objects at an oblique angle to the optical axis of the camera and capturing in the camera the coded light signals reflected by the objects. Through proper selection and scaling of a coordinate system and related coding of the light stripes, the range of the object is determined for each pixel by simply subtracting one coordinate of the pixel from the binary coded light signal reflected into the pixel.

Abstract: There is disclosed herein an ultrasonic imaging system using a liquid crystal detector cell and a source of non-coherent acoustic energy to produce substantially artifact-free images. The ultrasound source and cell are matched with one another, and the source is caused to operate over a range of frequencies or phases so as to produce the non-coherent ultrasonic energy. The frequency response of the cell and its response time are matched to the operating characteristics of the transducer. The transducer may be mounted in a pendulum-like sector scanning apparatus so as to assure a uniform insonification of the object, a uniform beam and a substantially uniform non-coherent insonification of the cell. The movement of the scanning apparatus is also matched to the cell and the transducer characteristics.

Abstract: A supervisory operation control system responds to detection of vibration occurring at a predetermined location of an equipment for causing the equipment susceptible to adverse influence of the vibration to perform a predetermined supervisory operation. Transition to the supervisory operation is enabled when a product of speed and displacement of the vibration exceeds a predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention is a multiline beamformer for use in a medical ultrasound scanner using a phased array transducer. Lines of ultrasound energy are generated having a pressure at the array aperture corresponding to sin (.pi.x)/.pi.x, where x is the normalized distance of the array element measured from the center of the array. This transmitted energy creates a flat field in space which can then be received in multiple receive lines, using bundled, parallel time delays.

Abstract: In the scanning type ultrasonic equipment provided with a probe a plurality of transducer elements and with a phasing circuit for signals which are delivered from the transducer elements on the basis of a received ultrasonic wave, the phasing circuit includes constant current circuits each for converting selected ones of the signals from the transducer elements into a constant current signal, and a delay line having taps which are connected to the constant current circuits, in order to reduce the number of parts included in the phasing circuit and the number of adjusting operations performed therein.

Abstract: A device for determining the rotational speed of a rotating component, in particular of a brake disc (1) of an automotive vehicle brake, the brake disc (1) containing recesses (2) shaped at preferably regular distances and lying opposite to a probe. A contact element (5) is provided as the probe which is adapted to move into abutment on the brake disc (1) and which, when overriding each recess (2), will interrupt an electric circuit comprising an evaluation circuit.

Abstract: An ultrasonic inspection apparatus is shown for locating multiple defects in eccentric wall tubing or goods. A plurality of transducers are arranged in mated pairs, each of the pairs including a sender element for transmitting an ultrasonic shear wave and a receiver element for receiving a reflected ultrasonic wave component from the tubular goods being inspected. Each sender element is a point focus transducer having sufficiently high resolution to maintained detectability of defects in the tubular goods. Each receiver element is a wide focal width transducer having a large effective beam width area to compensate for eccentricity in the wall of the tubular goods.

Abstract: A pipeline inspection apparatus is disclosed for the detection of corrosion pit type defects, employing one or more ultrasonic transducers to produce a parallel beam for direction toward the pipe wall from inside a pipe, with a sufficiently large beam width to permit comparison of time displayed signal components in defect depth determination, with the signal propagating through a gaseous medium. An additional embodiment combines the same with photographic apparatus.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for estimating the location of an unknown sound source in a structure to be monitored, wherein sounds from at least three known sound sources are detected by a plurality of detectors. At least one of peak value data and signal arrival time data derived from the outputs of the detectors are classified for each of the known sound sources and stored in a storage. Pattern differences from each of the known sound sources to a number of predetermined positions respectively, are calculated to prepare for each of the known sound sources a correspondence table indicating relationships between the calculated pattern difference and the real distances from the known sound source positions to the predetermined positions, the correspondence table being stored in a storage. The pattern differences for each of the known sound source positions are calculated on the basis of the sound signal data derived through detection of a sound from an unknown sound source and the data stored in the storage.

Abstract: A non-invasive method and apparatus for measuring the volume of an object such as an infant using the principle of the Helmholtz resonator. A container having a cavity therein containing gas and having an opening is subjected to a variable frequency loud speaker. The resonance frequency of the cavity is proportional to the volume of the cavity. By placing an object to be measured in the cavity, the change in the resonance frequency of the cavity before and after the object is placed is an indication of the volume of the object. The loudspeaker is mechanically uncoupled from the opening, the volume of the cavity is large enough compared to the object to be measured so the object will not change the shape of the cavity, and the temperature inside the cavity is maintained substantially constant during the measurements. Various lung measurements may be taken by determining the volume of air inhaled or exhaled from the lungs of an animal.

Abstract: A method for the ultrasonic testing of bolts for incipient cracks emanating from a wall thickness discontinuity between thinner and thicker parts of the bolt, which includes placing an ultrasound transmitter and receiver in the form of a piezo-electric transducer on the periphery of the thicker part of the bolt with the discontinuity located in the near-field region, radiating longitudinal waves at an angle of 55.degree. to 70.degree. and transversal waves at an angle of 25.degree. to 35.degree. from the transducer in direction toward the discontinuity, and comparing the intensity of reflected transversal and longitudinal waves with an echo characteristic obtained from a test body corresponding to the bolt to be tested, having slots formed therein simulating incipient cracks of different depths, and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

Abstract: An ultrasonic testing method and apparatus stores the reflected ultrasonic signals from each of a plurality of locations along a scan path over a piece of material to be tested. For each individual location, the reflected signal at that location is added to contributing signals from each other location to produce a composite signal which has a good signal-to-noise ratio. The contributing signals from each other location is formed by multiplying the signal of those other locations by a corrective phase shift factor which is a characteristic of a time delay for a reflected signal from the other locations to the individual location of interest. The contributing signal from each other location thus represents a rotated reflected signal from the other locations.

Abstract: An inspection method and apparatus for a mask pattern such as a reticle pattern used in the fabrication of a semiconductor device is disclosed. The mask pattern is inspected by an imaging sensor mounted on a stage on which a fabricated object is also mounted. The imaging sensor converts an optical image of the mask pattern which is intended to be exposed on the object to a video signal and it is inspected by comparing it with another video signal provided from data for designing the mask pattern. This inspection is made before the process of exposing the mask pattern on the fabricated object in order to avoid a waste of time in the semiconductor pattern process.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measurement coupling for fluid systems, for taking working pressures or temperatures of the fluid media, consisting of a coupling bushing which is under duct pressure in the built-in state, and in the bore of which is arranged a spring-loaded and mechanically actuatable check valve, the check valve being constructed as a valve body provided with a cylindrical bore and a closed bottom face, the end of the coupling bushing facing the fluid system being prolonged beyond the valve body. A radial transverse bore or a radial slot is located in the wall of the valve body. In a further embodiment of the invention, the radial transverse bore or the transverse slot is formed in the wall of the guide part of the valve body and a flow slot channel is formed between the valve body and the coupling bushing as far as the radial transverse bore or transverse slot.