Patents by Inventor Alice M. Chiang
Alice M. Chiang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20080009739Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system in which the scan head either includes a beamformer circuit that performs far field subarray beamforming or includes a sparse array selecting circuit that actuates selected elements. When used with second stage beamforming system, three dimensional ultrasound images can be generated.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2006Publication date: January 10, 2008Inventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael Brodsky, Xingbai He, William M. Wong
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Patent number: 7223242Abstract: The present invention is directed to an ultrasound imaging system and method for Doppler processing of data. The ultrasonic imaging system efficiently addresses the data computational and processing needs of Doppler processing. Software executable sequences in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention determines the phase shift and the auto-correlation phase of filtered image data. In a preferred embodiment, the system of ultrasonic imaging also includes a sequence of instructions for Doppler processing that provides the functions for demodulation, Gauss Match filtering, auto-correlation calculation, phase shift calculation, frame averaging, and scan conversion implemented with Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) or Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) instructions.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2002Date of Patent: May 29, 2007Assignee: Teratech CorporationInventors: Xingbai He, Peter P. Chang, Eric R. Kischell, Alice M. Chiang
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Patent number: 6969352Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2002Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Teratech CorporationInventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael P. Litchfield, Michael Brodsky, Eric R. Kischell
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Patent number: 6869401Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2002Date of Patent: March 22, 2005Assignee: Teratech CorporationInventors: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone, Gary Madison, Albert Horst
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Patent number: 6842401Abstract: The present invention relates to sonar beamforming systems and methods, using a forward-looking sonar having transmit and receive transducer arrays with a beamforming device and at least one side-looking sonar having dynamically range-focused beams. The forward-looking sonar provides for obstacle avoidance and undersea survey. The systems include one-dimensional transmit and receive transducer arrays with beamforming electronics, a computing controller such as, for example, a personal computer host controller. The arrays and beamforming electronics can be packaged in a hermetically sealed housing unit and mounted in Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV). The side-looking sonar system includes for example, 32-element, one-dimensional arrays that are mounted on either side of the UUVs. Further, a downward looking Bathymetric sonar may be mounted on the underside of the vehicle for high-resolution mapping.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2001Date of Patent: January 11, 2005Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
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Patent number: 6783493Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2001Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael P. Litchfield, Michael Brodsky, Eric R. Kischell
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Publication number: 20040104839Abstract: A wireless communication system employs directive antenna arrays and knowledge of position of users to form narrow antenna beams to and from desired users and away from undesired users to reduce co-channel interference. By reducing co-channel interference coming from different directions, spatial filtering with antenna arrays improves the call capacity of the system. A space division multiple access (SDMA) system allocates a narrow antenna beam pattern to each user in the system so that each user has its own communication channel free from co-channel interference. The position of the users is determined using geo-location techniques. Geo-location can be derived via triangulation between cellular base stations or via a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The system can be optimized by applying partially adaptive processing algorithms, which are seeded by geo-location data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2003Publication date: June 3, 2004Applicant: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Scott R. Velazquez, Steven R. Broadstone, Alice M. Chiang
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Patent number: 6721235Abstract: The present invention relates to a multiple beamforming processor formed with an integrated circuit in which a plurality of beams can be formed simultaneously.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2001Date of Patent: April 13, 2004Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
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Publication number: 20040015079Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2003Publication date: January 22, 2004Applicant: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Noah Berger, Michael Brodsky, Alice M. Chiang, Mark LaForest, William Wong, Xingbai He, Peter P. Chang
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Patent number: 6671227Abstract: A multidimensional beamforming device that performs consecutive one-dimensional operations. For example, beamsteering for a two-dimensional array can be include a projection of a beam onto each of the respective axes of the array. In such a device, a first beamforming processing element is used to form multiple beams for each array output along a given row. In a preferred embodiment, sequential output vectors from the first processing element are then applied to a transposing or corner turning memory and the data are reformatted such that all elements on a given column of the array are applied to a second beam forming processing element.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2001Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
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Patent number: 6669633Abstract: Conventional ultrasound imaging systems typically include a hand-held probe coupled to a processing and display unit. Typical controls in an ultrasound imaging system require that the operator continually focus on the controls, rather than the ultrasonic image of the area of interest, and manually manipulate the controls by moving their hand along the control panel. By controlling an ultrasonic imaging system from a unitary operating position, defining ultrasonic imaging operations and defining a ranges of values corresponding to each of the ultrasonic imaging operations, ultrasonic image processing is facilitated. An operator selects, via a first control, one of the ultrasonic imaging operations, and then selects, via a second control, a parameter in the range of values corresponding to the selected ultrasonic imaging operation. The ultrasonic imaging system applies the selected ultrasonic imaging operation employing the selected parameter.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2001Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Michael Brodsky, Lois A. Scheffler, Paula J. Hart, Alice M. Chiang
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Patent number: 6638226Abstract: The present invention is directed to an ultrasound imaging system and method for Doppler processing of data. The ultrasonic imaging system efficiently addresses the data computational and processing needs of Doppler processing. Software executable sequences in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention determines the phase shift and the auto-correlation phase of filtered image data. In a preferred embodiment, the system of ultrasonic imaging also includes a sequence of instructions for Doppler processing that provides the functions for demodulation, Gauss Match filtering, auto-correlation calculation, phase shift calculation, frame averaging, and scan conversion implemented with Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) or Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) instructions.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2001Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Xingbai He, Peter P. Chang, Eric R. Kischell, Alice M. Chiang
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Publication number: 20030176787Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2002Publication date: September 18, 2003Applicant: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone, Gary Madison, Albert Horst, Liang-Min Wang
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Patent number: 6593880Abstract: A wireless communication system employs directive antenna arrays and knowledge of position of users to form narrow antenna beams to and from desired users and away from undesired users to reduce co-channel interference. By reducing co-channel interference coming from different directions, spatial filtering with antenna arrays improves the call capacity of the system. A space division multiple access (SDMA) system allocates a narrow antenna beam pattern to each user in the system so that each user has its own communication channel free from co-channel interference. The position of the users is determined using geo-location techniques. Geo-location can be derived via triangulation between cellular base stations or via a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The system can be optimized by applying partially adaptive processing algorithms, which are seeded by geo-location data.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 1998Date of Patent: July 15, 2003Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Scott R. Velazquez, Steven R. Broadstone, Alice M. Chiang
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Publication number: 20030100833Abstract: The present invention is directed to an ultrasound imaging system and method for Doppler processing of data. The ultrasonic imaging system efficiently addresses the data computational and processing needs of Doppler processing. Software executable sequences in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention determines the phase shift and the auto-correlation phase of filtered image data. In a preferred embodiment, the system of ultrasonic imaging also includes a sequence of instructions for Doppler processing that provides the functions for demodulation, Gauss Match filtering, auto-correlation calculation, phase shift calculation, frame averaging, and scan conversion implemented with Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) or Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) instructions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2002Publication date: May 29, 2003Applicant: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Xingbai He, Peter P. Chang, Eric R. Kischell, Alice M. Chiang
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Publication number: 20030088182Abstract: The present invention is directed to an ultrasound imaging system and method for Doppler processing of data. The ultrasonic imaging system efficiently addresses the data computational and processing needs of Doppler processing. Software executable sequences in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention determines the phase shift and the auto-correlation phase of filtered image data. In a preferred embodiment, the system of ultrasonic imaging also includes a sequence of instructions for Doppler processing that provides the functions for demodulation, Gauss Match filtering, auto-correlation calculation, phase shift calculation, frame averaging, and scan conversion implemented with Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) or Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD) instructions.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2001Publication date: May 8, 2003Applicant: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Xingbai He, Peter P. Chang, Eric R. Kischell, Alice M. Chiang
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Patent number: 6552964Abstract: The need for multiple, cost-effective deployment of an underwater camera has resulted in the development of a low-power high-resolution imaging system using a sparse array. The system can be used for undersea acoustic mine-field reconnaissance and mine-hunting systems for example, this imaging sonar is portable enough for use in a diver's hands or in a remote imaging sonar on an unmanned undersea vehicle in shallow waters. The present system can simultaneously focus many signals using multiple CCD/CMOS, programmable time-delay beamforming circuits connected to a sparsely-populated 2D acoustic array, is being developed. Using this approach, a real-time image can be formed to search for mine-like objects. To make a sparse array, the combination of low insertion loss and wide bandwidth performance is important for realizing acceptable imaging performance with low illumination levels.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2001Date of Patent: April 22, 2003Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone
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Publication number: 20030073894Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The electronics communicate with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus. The ultrasonic imaging system is operable on a standard, commercially available, user computing device without specific hardware modifications, and is adapted to interface with an external application without modification to the ultrasonic imaging system to allow a user to gather ultrasonic data on a standard user computing device such as a PC, and employ the data so gathered via an independent external application without requiring a custom system, expensive hardware modifications, or system rebuilds.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2002Publication date: April 17, 2003Applicant: Tera Tech CorporationInventors: Alice M. Chiang, Michael P. Litchfield, Michael Brodsky, Eric R. Kischell
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Patent number: 6530887Abstract: A hand-held ultrasound probe system includes integrated electronics within an ergonomic housing. The electronics includes control circuitry, beamforming and circuitry transducer drive circuitry. The probe electronics communicates with a host computer using an industry standard high speed serial bus.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 1999Date of Patent: March 11, 2003Assignee: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone, Gary Madison, Albert Horst, Liang-Min Wang
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Publication number: 20030028113Abstract: An ultrasound imaging system includes a scan conversion process for converting ultrasound data into a standard display format conversion and can be performed on a personal computer by programming the computer to convert data from polar coordinates to cartesian coordinates suitable for display on a computer monitor. The data is provided from scan head enclosure that houses an array of ultrasonic transducers and the circuitry associated therewith, including pulse synchronizer circuitry used in the transmit mode for transmission of ultrasonic pulses and beam forming circuitry used in the receive mode to dynamically focus reflected ultrasonic signals returning from the region of interest being imaged.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2002Publication date: February 6, 2003Applicant: TeraTech CorporationInventors: Jeffrey M. Gilbert, Alice M. Chiang, Steven R. Broadstone