Abstract: A method of estimating the time and flight of an acoustic signal transmitted by a transmit acoustic transducer determines a difference in time between receiving the transmitted acoustic signal and receiving an electromagnetic wave transmitted by the transmit acoustic transducer coincident with transmitting the acoustic signal.

Abstract: A method of estimating the time of flight of a burst signal includes: receiving the burst signal; determining the slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the received burst signal; and estimating the time-of-flight of the burst signal from the slope of the phase characteristic of the Fourier transform of the received burst signal.

Abstract: A horn coupled to multiple acoustic transducers includes first and second throat portions and a mixing area integrally formed with the first and second throat portions. The first throat portion has a first throat opening adjacent to a first transducer, and the second throat portion has a second throat opening adjacent to a second transducer. The mixing area includes a common mouth opening shared by the first and second throat portions for at least one of transmitting or receiving acoustic signals. At least one dimension of the first throat portion is different from a corresponding dimension of the second throat portion, so that a first cutoff frequency corresponding to the first throat portion is different from a second cutoff frequency corresponding to the second throat portion.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) ultrasonic transducer device includes a substrate defining an opening and an active transducer having multiple of active layers stacked over the opening of the substrate. The active transducer is completely encapsulated by multiple passivation layers.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a first transducer support configured to receive a first transducer in a first opening. A face of the first face of the transducer is located in a first plane. The apparatus also comprises a second transducer support configured to receive a second transducer in a second opening. A face of the second transducer is located in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane.

Abstract: An integrated transducer device includes an optical transducer and an acoustic transducer integrally joined with the optical transducer. The acoustic transducer includes a membrane responsive to acoustic signals, the membrane being aligned with the optical transducer such that optical signals emitted or received by the optical transducer pass through the membrane. A propagation direction of the acoustic signals emitted or received by the acoustic transducer is collinear with a propagation direction of the optical signals emitted or received by the optical transducer.

Abstract: A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) ultrasonic transducer device includes a substrate defining an opening and an active transducer having multiple of active layers stacked over the opening of the substrate. The active transducer is completely encapsulated by multiple passivation layers.

Abstract: A transducer device includes a coupling cavity, a first resonant element and a second resonant element. The first resonant element is coupled to the coupling cavity and configured to send or receive acoustic signals. The second resonant element is coupled to the coupling cavity and configured to modify a frequency response of the first resonant element via the coupling cavity.

Abstract: A method for determining the time-of-flight of a signal includes: receiving a signal having a series of pulses of period T, the series of pulses having a phase transition provided therein windowing the received signal with a window having a width substantially the same as T to determine a magnitude and phase of the windowed signal at a frequency F=1/T; sliding the window in time, one period T at a time, with respect to the received signal to produce N sets of magnitude and phase data at the frequency F; from the N sets of magnitude and phase data, determining a time when the phase transition occurs in the received signal; and determining a time-of-flight of the signal from the time when the phase transition occurs in the received signal.

Abstract: A micromachined structure, comprises a substrate and a cavity in the substrate. The micromachined structure comprises a membrane layer disposed over the substrate and spanning the cavity.

Abstract: A micromachined structure, comprises a substrate and a cavity in the substrate. The micromachined structure comprises a membrane layer disposed over the substrate and spanning the cavity.

Abstract: A micromachined structure, comprises a substrate and a cavity in the substrate. The micromachined structure comprises a membrane layer disposed over the substrate and spanning the cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a substrate and transducers disposed over the substrate, each of the transducers comprising a different resonance frequency. A transducer device comprises circuitry configured to transmit signals, or to receive signals, or both. The transducer device also comprises a transducer block comprising a plurality of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers (PMUT), wherein each of the PMUTs; and an interconnect configured to provide signals from the transducer block to the circuitry and to provide signals from the circuitry to the transducer block.

Abstract: A device comprises: a first acoustic transducer; a second acoustic transducer; one or more transducer drivers; one or more signal receivers; and a transducer configuration device for selectively configuring connections between: (1) at least one of the first and second acoustic transducers; and (2) the one or more transducer drivers and the one or more signal receivers, according to a selected operating mode for the device among a plurality of possible operating modes.

Abstract: A transducer device includes an acoustic transducer, a parameter extractor and a feedback circuit. The parameter extractor is configured to extract an operating parameter from the acoustic transducer. The feedback circuit is configured to generate a correction signal based on a difference between the extracted operating parameter and a corresponding reference parameter. The correction signal is applied to adjust the operating parameter of the acoustic transducer.

Abstract: In a representative embodiment, an apparatus, comprises a substrate; a microelectronic ultrasonic transducer (MUT) disposed over the substrate; and a thermoelectric device disposed proximate to the MUT and configured to provide heat to or remove heat from the MUT. A microelectromechanical MEMs device is also described.

Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer device includes a receive signal path, a transistor and a piezoelectric transducer connected to a first terminal of the transistor. The device also includes a switch connected to a second terminal of the transistor, wherein the switch is adapted to selectively connect the second terminal of the transistor to a transmit signal or to a bias voltage; an output connected to a third terminal of the transistor, and adapted to receive a signal from the transducer when the switch is connected to the bias voltage, wherein the switch is not in the receive signal.

Abstract: In a representative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a transducer providing a first output; a capacitor providing a second output; a first load impedance connected to the first output; a second load impedance connected to the second output; and a differential amplifier having a first input connected to the first output and a second input connected to the second output. Illustratively, the first load impedance is connected electrically in parallel with the first input and the second load impedance is connected electrically in parallel with the second input.

Abstract: In a representative embodiment, an electronic transmitter comprises a signal source configured to provide an input signal comprising a plurality of frequency components; and a plurality of transducers each configured to receive the input signal and each configured to resonate substantially at one frequency of a subset of the plurality of frequency components. An electronic receiver, an acoustic transmitter and an acoustic receiver are also described.

Abstract: A device, for transmitting or receiving ultrasonic signals, includes a transducer and an acoustic horn. The transducer is configured to convert between electrical energy and the ultrasonic signals, and may be a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) transducer. The acoustic horn is coupled to the transducer, and includes multiple apertures through which the ultrasonic signals are transmitted or received in order to manipulate at least one of a radiation pattern, frequency response or magnitude of the ultrasonic signals. The multiple apertures have different sizes.