Abstract: An optical fiber distributed acoustic sensor system includes weak broadband reflectors inserted periodically along the fiber. The reflectors reflect only a small proportion of the light from the DAS incident thereon back along the fiber, typically in the region of 0.001% to 0.1%, but preferably around 0.01% reflectivity per reflector. In addition, to allow for temperate compensation to ensure that the same reflectivity is obtained if the temperature changes, the reflection bandwidth is relatively broadband. In some embodiments the reflectors are formed from a series of fiber Bragg gratings, each with a different center reflecting frequency, the reflecting frequencies and bandwidths of the gratings being selected to provide the broadband reflection. A chirped grating may also be used to provide the same effect. In preferred embodiments, the reflectors are spaced at half the gauge length i.e. the desired spatial resolution of the optical fiber DAS.

Abstract: A protection member is arranged such that the distance from an opening plane of a reception guide to the center of the protection member is half of the distance from the opening plane of the reception guide to the surface of a reception vibration member. In other words, the arrangement position of the protection member is in the center between the opening plane of the reception guide and the surface of the reception vibration member. Accordingly, even if a protection member is arranged, a transmission coefficient is obtained that is equal to a transmission coefficient in the case where no protection member is present.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensing system includes an ultrasonic receiver configured to receive an ultrasonic signal and a gain-adjustable amplifier operably coupled to the ultrasonic receiver. The gain-adjustable amplifier is configured to amplify the ultrasonic signal according to a variable gain determined based at least in part on a value of a timer that corresponds to a measuring distance.

Abstract: A system for locating the tip of a catheter inside a human body is provided. The system includes a sound sensor for sensing the magnitude wave form generated by sound pressure as a PICC is progressed toward a heart of a patient. The systems also includes a monitor operably coupled to the sensor for measuring the magnitude of wave form generated by the sound sensor.

Abstract: A method for determining a vibration amplitude of a tool, includes the steps of: generating a light beam of a light barrier with a transmitter for generating the light beam and a receiver for detecting a light intensity of the light beam; generating a receiver signal on the basis of a light intensity of the light beam that is detected by the receiver of the light barrier; positioning a tool tip of the tool in the light beam; causing the tool to vibrate; determining the vibration amplitude of the tool from a modulation of the receiver signal brought about by the vibration of the tool.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing physical characteristics of a battery include arrangements of two or more transducers coupled to the battery. A control module controls one or more of the two or more transducers to transmit acoustic signals through at least a portion of the battery, and one or more of the two or more transducers to receive response acoustic signals. Distribution of physical properties of the battery is determined based at least on the transmitted acoustic signals and the response acoustic signals.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for tagging and acoustically characterizing containers.

Abstract: A seismic sensor that suppresses power consumption operates in a power-saving mode and a measurement mode in which the power consumption is larger than that in the power-saving mode. The seismic sensor includes a measurement unit that measures an acceleration, a filtering unit that, if the acceleration measured by the measurement unit exceeds a predetermined threshold, causes a shift from the power-saving mode to the measurement mode to be performed, and performs filtering on the measured acceleration, an earthquake determination unit that determines whether or not an earthquake has occurred based on the filtered acceleration, and an index calculation unit that, if where the earthquake determination unit determined that an earthquake has occurred, calculates an index value indicating the scale of the earthquake. A shift from the measurement mode to the power-saving mode is performed if the earthquake determination unit determined that no earthquake has occurred.

Abstract: Methods for measuring a resonance frequency of a tool set in ultrasonic vibration during the machining of a workpiece, involving radiating a working signal with a working frequency into a tool holder comprising a tool by a generator to produce the ultrasonic vibration of the tool; after the start of the machining of the workpiece, radiating a test signal with a test frequency varying by the working frequency and a lower power than the working signal power into the tool holder by the generator; generating a sensor signal from the ultrasonic vibration of the tool by a sensor apparatus arranged in the tool holder; reading out the sensor signal by a read-out apparatus; splitting the sensor signal into a frequency spectrum involving a main frequency and an auxiliary frequency by an analytical apparatus; determining the main frequency from the working frequency and the auxiliary frequency from the resonance frequency.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to multi-purpose an acoustic emission sensor are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a collection engine to obtain a measurement from an acoustic emissions sensor coupled to a fluid flow control assembly, and obtain a state of the fluid flow control assembly. The example apparatus further includes a selector to adjust a gain of a pre-amplifier based on the state to adjust the measurement, and a condition identifier to identify a condition of the fluid flow control assembly based on the adjusted measurement.

Abstract: Ultrasonic transmitting elements in an electroacoustical transceiver transmit acoustic energy to an electroacoustical transponder, which includes ultrasonic receiving elements to convert the acoustic energy into electrical power for the purposes of powering one or more sensors that are electrically coupled to the electroacoustical transponder. The electroacoustical transponder transmits data collected by the sensor(s) back to the electroacoustical transceiver wirelessly, such as through impedance modulation or electromagnetic waves. A feedback control loop can be used to adjust system parameters so that the electroacoustical transponder operates at an impedance minimum. An implementation of the system can be used to collect data in a vehicle, such as the tire air pressure. Another implementation of the system can be used to collect data in remote locations, such as in pipes, enclosures, in wells, or in bodies of water.

Abstract: Systems and methods for prediction of state of charge (SOH), state of health (SOC) and other characteristics of batteries using acoustic signals, includes determining acoustic data at two or more states of charge and determining a reduced acoustic data set representative of the acoustic data at the two or more states of charge. The reduced acoustic data set includes time of flight (TOF) shift, total signal amplitude, or other data points related to the states of charge. Machine learning models use at least the reduced acoustic dataset in conjunction with non-acoustic data such as voltage and temperature for predicting the characteristics of any other independent battery.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical sensor device, comprising: an optical fiber; a transducer; and an intrinsic fiber optic sensor embedded in the optical fiber; wherein the transducer is arranged as to receive an input action and converting such input action into a proportional strain on the intrinsic fiber optic sensor being at least the transducer and the intrinsic fiber optic sensor enclosed by a housing being the housing filled either with a thermally-responsive substance or a pressure-responsive substance being such device characterized in that the substance is a substance whose viscosity is reduced by at least 70% upon the change from ambient conditions to working conditions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for reducing a transient glitch in ultrasound applications are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a transducer to (A) output a signal during a transmit phase and (B) receive a reflected signal corresponding to the signal during a receive phase; a receiver switch coupled to the transducer at a first node, the receiver switch to (A) open during the transmit phase and (B) close during the receive phase; and a clamp coupled to the transducer at the first node, the clamp to provide a high impedance during the transmit phase and the receive phase and provide a low impedance during a transient phase.

Abstract: Cleave systems for separating bonded wafer structures, mountable cleave monitoring systems and methods for separating bonded wafer structures are disclosed. In some embodiments, the sound emitted from a bonded wafer structure is sensed during cleaving and a metric related to an attribute of the cleave is generated. The generated metric may be used for quality control and/or to adjust a cleave control parameter to improve the quality of the cleave of subsequently cleaved bonded wafer structures.

Abstract: A monitoring device for a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells, has at least one ultrasound source and at least one ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at one or more battery cells of the battery pack. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through one or more cells of the battery pack. A battery management unit receives one or more signals from the ultrasound sensor responsive to the detected ultrasound. The battery management unit can be configured to determine a state of the battery pack based at least in part on the detected ultrasound.

Abstract: A vibration monitoring and analysis system may include a transducer configured to convert sensed vibration into an alternating current. A processing module may analyze the alternating current and produce an output configured to convey information regarding characteristics of the alternating current. One or more analysis modules may be utilized to compare a waveform of the sensed vibration to known patterns, for example to identify known events and/or conditions.

Abstract: With a detector in which detection elements are placed in a spherical shape, a uniform resolution area is narrow. An acoustic-wave acquisition apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a detector including a plurality of detection elements that receive acoustic waves from a subject, the receiving surfaces of at least some of the detection elements being at different angles. The apparatus includes a scanning unit configured to move at least one of the subject and the detector to change the relative position of the subject and a highest-resolution area determined depending on the placement of the detection elements.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and device for monitoring state of charge and state of health of a battery, and relates to the technical field of battery. The method comprises: firstly, passing ultrasonic waves through a lithium-ion battery in different SOCs at different charging and discharging currents to obtain acoustic parameters, and then establishing respective corresponding relationships between the acoustic parameters and the lithium-ion battery SOC and SOH; and secondly, monitoring the acoustic parameters of a lithium-ion battery, and then estimating SOC and SOH of the lithium-ion battery by combining the monitored acoustic parameters with the respective corresponding relationships between the acoustic parameters and the lithium-ion battery SOC and SOH. The invention further provides a device implementing the above method. The method and device can monitor the battery SOC and SOH in a brand new way different from the electricity parameter measurement.

Abstract: Described in detail herein are methods and systems for estimating storage capacity of a storage unit disposed in a facility based on echoes detected by microphones. The microphones can detect sounds generated in the warehouse and reflected off the storage unit structures. The microphones detect the intensity of the sounds. The microphones can encode the sounds and the intensity of the sounds in time-varying electrical signals and transmit the time-varying electrical signals to a computing system. The computing system can decode the sounds and the intensity of the sounds from the time-varying electrical signals and estimate storage capacity of a storage unit from which the sounds reflected off of based on the intensity of the sounds.