Method for locating fault lines or surfaces in 2-D or 3-D seismic data based on the fact that fault discontinuities in the space domain span a wide range in a local slowness (slope) domain, whereas other dipping events in the space domain data, such as noise, tend to be coherent, and hence will appear focused in the slowness dimension. Therefore, the method comprises decomposing the seismic data (102) by a transformation to the local slowness domain, preferably using Gaussian slowness period packets as the local slowness or slope decomposition technique, thereby avoiding problems with the data stationary assumption. In the local slowness domain, faults may be identified (104) using the principle mentioned above, i.e. that faults are represented as a truncation in the space domain data, hence they will appear broadband in the slowness dimension.

Classification preprocessing is provided for medical ultrasound shear wave imaging. In response to stress, the displacement at one or more locations in a patient is measured. The displacement over time is a curve representing a shift in location. One or more characteristics of the curve, such as signal-to-noise ratio and maximum displacement, are used to classify the location. The location is classified as fluid or fluid tissue, solid tissue, or non-determinative. Subsequent shear imaging may provide shear information for locations of solid tissue and not at other locations.

The present invention is a method and an apparatus that can image objects immersed in optically opaque fluids using ultrasound in a confined space and in a harsh environment. If the fluid is not highly attenuating at frequencies above 1 MHz, where commercial ultrasound scanners are available, such scanners can be adapted for imaging in these fluids. In the case of highly attenuating fluids, such as drilling mud, then a low frequency collimated sound source is used.

The present invention is a method and an apparatus that can image objects immersed in optically opaque fluids using ultrasound in a confined space and in a harsh environment. If the fluid is not highly attenuating at frequencies above 1 MHz, where commercial ultrasound scanners are available, such scanners can be adapted for imaging in these fluids. In the case of highly attenuating fluids, such as drilling mud, then a low frequency collimated sound source is used.

A method and system are described for examining the interior material of an object from a surface of an object, using ultrasound having a frequency of at least 100 kHz. The method comprises the step of transmitting at least a first ultrasound signal by a first ultrasound transmitter of a first number of ultrasound transmitters to the interior material of the object for forming a first image in order to determine, according for example to the principle of inverse wave field extrapolation, where in the interior material of the object reflections and/or diffractions occur. Reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object are received using a second number of ultrasound receivers which are acoustically coupled to the surface of the object at positions which are distributed in at least one dimension of the surface of the object. With each of the second number of ultrasound receivers, a receiving signal is generated from the received reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object, and each of the receiving signals generated by one of the ultrasound receivers is processed separately into a separate dataset. The separate datasets of all the ultrasound receivers are combined to the first image.

A method and system are described for examining the interior material of an object from a surface of an object, using ultrasound having a frequency of at least 100 kHz. The method comprises the step of transmitting at least a first ultrasound signal by a first ultrasound transmitter of a first number of ultrasound transmitters to the interior material of the object for forming a first image in order to determine, according for example to the principle of inverse wave field extrapolation, where in the interior material of the object reflections and/or diffractions occur. Reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object are received using a second number of ultrasound receivers which are acoustically coupled to the surface of the object at positions which are distributed in at least one dimension of the surface of the object. With each of the second number of ultrasound receivers, a receiving signal is generated from the received reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object, and each of the receiving signals generated by one of the ultrasound receivers is processed separately into a separate dataset. The separate datasets of all the ultrasound receivers are combined to the first image.

The disclosed invention is a computer-implemented process that identifies and extracts distinctive data characteristics from a linear array of time-sequenced A-mode ultrasonic backscatter amplitude data, where such distinctive data characteristics are indicative of material identity. The disclosed invention uses such distinctive data characteristics to create a plausible inference about whether or not an investigatory material belongs to a specific class of ultrasonically permeable materials of known classification.

A method and system are described for examining the interior material of an object from a surface of an object, using ultrasound having a frequency of at least 100 kHz. The method comprises the step of transmitting at least a first ultrasound signal by a first ultrasound transmitter of a first number of ultrasound transmitters to the interior material of the object for forming a first image in order to determine, according for example to the principle of inverse wave field extrapolation, where in the interior material of the object reflections and/or diffractions occur. Reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object are received using a second number of ultrasound receivers which are acoustically coupled to the surface of the object at positions which are distributed in at least one dimension of the surface of the object. With each of the second number of ultrasound receivers, a receiving signal is generated from the received reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object, and each of the receiving signals generated by one of the ultrasound receivers is processed separately into a separate dataset. The separate datasets of all the ultrasound receivers are combined to the first image.

A method and system are described for examining the interior material of an object from a surface of an object, using ultrasound having a frequency of at least 100 kHz. The method comprises the step of transmitting at least a first ultrasound signal by a first ultrasound transmitter of a first number of ultrasound transmitters to the interior material of the object for forming a first image in order to determine, according for example to the principle of inverse wave field extrapolation, where in the interior material of the object reflections and/or diffractions occur. Reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object are received using a second number of ultrasound receivers which are acoustically coupled to the surface of the object at positions which are distributed in at least one dimension of the surface of the object. With each of the second number of ultrasound receivers, a receiving signal is generated from the received reflections and/or diffractions of the first ultrasound signal from the interior material of the object, and each of the receiving signals generated by one of the ultrasound receivers is processed separately into a separate dataset. The separate datasets of all the ultrasound receivers are combined to the first image.

The present disclosure provides a system, method, and apparatus for compressing and extracting features. The method involves transmitting at least one ultrasound signal into an object at a plurality of different locations on the object. Each of the locations is denoted by an x location and a y location. The method further involves receiving at least one waveform response signal. Also, the method involves generating a three-dimensional (3D) data cube with an X dimension, a Y dimension, and a time dimension. At least one waveform response signal is stored within the 3D data cube at the x location and the y location that is associated with the waveform response signal(s). Further, the method involves transforming at least one waveform response signal of the 3D data cube to produce at least one transformed signal.