Abstract: Methods and devices for imaging wells using ultrasound is described. The devices include a modular imaging device having a telemetry module and a radial imaging module and/or forward imaging module. The radial imaging module includes a ring shaped phased array ultrasonic transducer array for generating images on the length of a wellbore. Various lens and housing configurations for the radial imaging module are described. The forward imaging module includes an ultrasonic transducer comprising one or more elements and having an adjustable viewpoint for generating images of obstructions found in a wellbore. Advanced imaging modes for a radial imaging module include multiple aperture and spiral wave imaging mode.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes first and second acoustic transducers and a housing with a bottomed tubular shape. The second acoustic transducer includes an annular section supporting a second membrane section and contacting an entire periphery of the second membrane section, and an acoustic matching plate facing the second membrane section and spaced apart from the second membrane section. The acoustic matching plate is connected to a surrounding wall portion defining a sealed space with the housing. An ultrasonic transmission path sandwiched between the first membrane section and the second membrane section is provided in the sealed space. A maximum inner width of the ultrasonic transmission path is smaller than a maximum inner width of the surrounding wall portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for compressing and decompressing data in an ultrasound beamformer. The systems and methods include an encoder for compressing delay data based at least in part on a smoothness of a delay profile, and for compressing apodization data based at least in part on a smoothness of an apodization profile.

Abstract: A routing protocol method for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs) based on layering and source location privacy (SLP) is provided. (1) A proxy area is selected randomly by a source node. (2) A packet is delivered from the source node to the proxy area through a forwarding probability-based multipath routing algorithm, and a layer-based priority is given to candidate neighbor nodes to alleviate a long detour problem. (3) A proxy node in the proxy area is selected randomly. (4) The packet is delivered from the proxy node to a sink node through the forwarding probability-based multipath routing algorithm. (5) Steps (1) to (4) are repeated until the source node is changed or an adversary finds a position of the source node.

Abstract: Provided are a two-dimensional array ultrasonic probe and an addition circuit that switch an addition unit of a reception signal according to a reception channel of a main unit while preventing an increase in a chip area. The addition circuit includes, between addition output terminals that output an addition signal and transducer channels, wirings provided for each transducer channel row including the transducer channels arranged in a vertical direction on a subarray basis and coupled to the transducer channels of the corresponding transducer channel row, output switches provided for each of the wirings and coupled to the corresponding transducer channel row wiring, and an inter-output switch that couples wirings corresponding to transducer channel rows adjacent in the horizontal direction via the output switches.

Abstract: A wireless audio system configured to perform an acoustic ranging operation is disclosed. The audio system comprises an audio transmitter, and audio receiver, and is configured to determine a distance between the audio transmitter and the audio receiver.

Abstract: A method for geolocating a mobile computing device within an indoor environment. One embodiment may comprise generating a geolocation request audio signal by a speaker of a first device starting at a first point in time, receiving, by a microphone of the first device, a reply audio signal from a second device, and extracting, by one or more processors of the first device, information encoded in the reply audio signal. The method may further comprise estimating, by the one or more processors, a receipt time by the first device for the reply audio signal and calculating a first time of flight (TOF) using the first point in time and the estimated receipt time for a second audio signal. The first device may comprise a smartphone and the second device may comprise a beacon located at a known location in an indoor environment.

Abstract: A system includes a tubing positionable within a wellbore and a first downhole communication device positionable to receive acoustic signals from the tubing and to transmit acoustic signals to the tubing. The system also includes a computing device in communication with the first downhole communication device and including a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions that are executable by the processor to perform operations. The operations include receiving a test message including a spectral waveform from a second downhole communication device. The operations further include determining a desired reception frequency for receiving communications from the second downhole communication device using spectral data generated from the spectral waveform. Additionally, the operations include controlling the first downhole communication device to transmit a response message to the second downhole communication device identifying the desired reception frequency.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a distance measurement system The system comprises a transmitter device and a receiver device. The transmitter device and the receiver device are clock-synchronized to each other. The transmitter device is configured to emit an ultrasonic signal at one or more predefined transmit times known to the transmitter and the receiver device. The receiver device is configured to receive the ultrasonic signal and to estimate a distance between the transmitter device and the receiver device based on the received ultra-sonic signal and the one or more predefined transmit times.

Abstract: An object detection system includes distance measurement sensors and a hardware processor functioning as a wave transmission control circuit and a determination circuit. The distance measurement sensors provided at different positions in a vehicle. The wave transmission control circuit sets one of the distance measurement sensors as a top of a wave transmission order. A detection range of the one of the distance measurement sensors covers a region where an object is located. The object has been detected through preliminary detection when power supply to the vehicle is started. The wave transmission control circuit then repeats a cyclic wave transmission control on the distance measurement sensors to emit ultrasonic waves sequentially in the wave transmission order. The determination circuit determines an object as a detection target object when any one of the distance measurement sensors has detected the object a predetermined number of times.

Abstract: Micromachined ultrasonic transducers having pressure ports are described. The micromachined ultrasonic transducers may comprise flexible membranes configured to vibrate over a cavity. The cavity may be sealed, in some instances by the membrane itself. A pressure port may provide access to the cavity, and thus control of the cavity pressure. In some embodiments, an ultrasound device including an array of micromachined ultrasonic transducers is provided, with pressure ports for at least some of the ultrasonic transducers. The pressure ports may be used to control pressure across the array.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a location determination system that includes acoustic transmitting devices and mobile devices. A mobile device receives acoustic signals (e.g., ultrasound signals) from an acoustic transmitting device. The mobile device must be able to identify the acoustic transmitting device with particularity when receiving the acoustic signals. It is more efficient to use a short identifier, for example 6 bits, for this purpose because it requires less power to transmit and decode. By utilizing the rotating identifier system described herein, more acoustic transmitting devices can be distinguished than using a time-invariant identifier would otherwise provide, and the transmissions are more secure and therefore less vulnerable to free-riders.

Abstract: A system includes a controlled acoustic source. The system also includes distributed acoustic sensors along a conduit. The distributed acoustic sensors obtain acoustic signal measurements as a function of position along the conduit in response to at least one acoustic signal provided by the controlled acoustic source. The system also includes a processing unit that generates an acoustic activity plot or report based on the acoustic signal measurements. The acoustic activity plot or report is used to identify at least one acoustic impedance boundary anomaly as a function of position along the conduit.

Abstract: A printed circuit board assembly includes a printed circuit board, a radio frequency detection circuit, and one or more damping elements. The radio frequency detection circuit is in electrical communication with the printed circuit board and defines a ring-down time interval. The one or more damper elements is mechanically coupled to the printed circuit board and has a damping coefficient that makes the duration of a mechanical ring-down time interval of the printed circuit board assembly shorter than the electrical ring-down time interval of the radio frequency detection circuit.

Abstract: A test device for testing a distance sensor operating with ultrasonic waves, wherein the distance sensor to be tested comprises at least a sensor radiating element for emitting a transmission signal and a sensor receiving element for receiving a reflected signal. For effective and accurate testing and stimulation of the distance sensor, the test device has a test receiving element for receiving ultrasonic waves emitted from the distance sensor to be tested, and at least one test radiating element for radiating test ultrasonic waves, and a signal processing unit, wherein ultrasonic waves received by the test receiving element are transmitted as a received signal to the signal processing unit and the signal processing unit, as a function of the received signal and simulation distance information relating to a distance to be simulated, and determines an excitation signal for the test radiating element.

Abstract: A testing apparatus has a phantom and a scanning mechanism. The scanning mechanism moves an ultrasonic probe in a scanning direction (x direction) while maintaining a contact state of the ultrasonic probe with the phantom. The phantom includes a heart simulated element simulating a heart which is a tissue of interest, and a simulated element simulating a tissue which is present at a periphery of the heart. A form of the heart simulated element changes continuously in the scanning direction. A change of a form thereof represents a change with respect to time of the heart.

Abstract: An object detection device includes: a transmitter transmitting a transmission wave; a receiver receiving a reception wave reflected by an object; a CFAR processor acquiring a CFAR signal at a detection timing by CFAR processing based on a value of a first processing target signal and an average value of values of second processing target signals; a detection processor detecting information related to the object based on a comparison between the CFAR signal and a threshold; and a threshold processor setting, when the detection timing belongs to a predetermined first section, the threshold as a first threshold calculated in consideration of a detection result of a temperature sensor, and setting, when the detection timing belongs to a predetermined second section, the threshold as a second threshold calculated without considering the detection result of the temperature sensor.

Abstract: Ultrasonic ranging state management for a UAV is described. A transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal and receives an ultrasonic response thereto using a gain value. A noise floor estimation mechanism determines a noise floor estimate. A state mechanism sets an ultrasonic ranging state used by the transducer to a first ultrasonic ranging state. The transducer transmits an ultrasonic signal and responsively receive an ultrasonic response to the ultrasonic signal using a gain value according to the noise floor estimate. The state mechanism processes the ultrasonic response to determine whether to determine a new noise floor estimate, adjust the gain value used by the transducer, or change the ultrasonic ranging state of the UAV to a second ultrasonic ranging state. The configurations of the first and second ultrasonic ranging states differ as to, for example, power and gain levels used by the transducer to receive ultrasonic responses.

Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for generating an ultrasound image. In a method, the generation of an ultrasound image comprises: obtaining channel data, the channel data defining a set of imaged points; for each imaged point: isolating the channel data; performing a spectral estimation on the isolated channel data; and selectively attenuating the spectral estimation channel data, thereby generating filtered channel data; and summing the filtered channel data, thereby forming a filtered ultrasound image. In some examples, the method comprises aperture extrapolation. The aperture extrapolation improves the lateral resolution of the ultrasound image. In other examples, the method comprises transmit extrapolation. The transmit extrapolation improves the contrast of the image. In addition, the transmit extrapolation improves the frame rate and reduces the motion artifacts in the ultrasound image. In further examples, the aperture and transmit extrapolations may be combined.

Abstract: A contact lens having an electronic system is described herein to provide lens accommodation using a distance measurement determined from an ultrasound time of flight signal. In at least one embodiment, the contact lens includes an ultrasound module, a system controller, a timing circuit, and an actuator. In at least one embodiment, the ultrasound module includes at least one transducer configured to emit a sound pressure wave outwardly and receive a reflected sound pressure wave from an object. A timer may track an elapsed time between generation and detection of the sound pressure wave by the at least one transducer to determine the distance to the object. In at least one embodiment, lens accommodation is further achieved using a communication link between a pair of contact lenses to determine a convergence angle based on independent distance measurements generated by each contact lens.