An underwater remote locator device for tracking and positioning an object of the present disclosure can include a remote transducer system, abase transducer system, and a navigation module. The remote transducer system can be coupled to an object desired to be tracked. The remote transducer system can include a power source, processing means, acoustic receiver, and an acoustic transmitter. The acoustic transmitter can be configured to transmit a first acoustic wave in one or more directions. The base transducer system can include a processing means, a first base transducer having a first acoustic receiver, a second base transducer having a second acoustic receiver, and a third base transducer having a third acoustic receiver. Each acoustic receiver can be configured to receive said first acoustic wave from the remote transducer system.

An underwater remote locator device for tracking and positioning an object of the present disclosure can include a remote transducer system, abase transducer system, and a navigation module. The remote transducer system can be coupled to an object desired to be tracked. The remote transducer system can include a power source, processing means, acoustic receiver, and an acoustic transmitter. The acoustic transmitter can be configured to transmit a first acoustic wave in one or more directions. The base transducer system can include a processing means, a first base transducer having a first acoustic receiver, a second base transducer having a second acoustic receiver, and a third base transducer having a third acoustic receiver. Each acoustic receiver can be configured to receive said first acoustic wave from the remote transducer system.

A method and system is disclosed for measuring a characteristic loop sensitivity (S.sub.LC) for an acoustic transducer. A pulse signal is employed as a wideband reference signal V.sub.r(t); and, in a pulse-echo measurement a corresponding wideband echo signal V.sub.e(t) is obtained. A characteristic loop sensitivity (S.sub.LC) for the acoustic transducer is defined as a ratio of an energy density of V.sub.e(t) to an energy density of V.sub.r(t) in decibel, in which the energy density of a given signal is calculated as a ratio of an energy of the signal to a bandwidth of the signal.

A method and system is disclosed for measuring a characteristic loop sensitivity (S.sub.LC) for an acoustic transducer. A pulse signal is employed as a wideband reference signal V.sub.r(t); and, in a pulse-echo measurement a corresponding wideband echo signal V.sub.e(t) is obtained. A characteristic loop sensitivity (S.sub.LC) for the acoustic transducer is defined as a ratio of an energy density of V.sub.e(t) to an energy density of V.sub.r(t) in decibel, in which the energy density of a given signal is calculated as a ratio of an energy of the signal to a bandwidth of the signal.

An ultrasonic sensor includes: a first electrode that is provided in an ultrasonic microphone including a vibration element having a function of performing conversion between mechanical vibration and an electrical signal; a second electrode that is provided at a position different from the first electrode in an in-plane direction intersecting a directional axis of the ultrasonic microphone; and a detection section that is provided to detect the presence or absence of attached matter attached to the ultrasonic sensor on the basis of a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

An ultrasonic sensor includes: a first electrode that is provided in an ultrasonic microphone including a vibration element having a function of performing conversion between mechanical vibration and an electrical signal; a second electrode that is provided at a position different from the first electrode in an in-plane direction intersecting a directional axis of the ultrasonic microphone; and a detection section that is provided to detect the presence or absence of attached matter attached to the ultrasonic sensor on the basis of a change in capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode.

The invention relates to an ultrasonic measuring system (10), in particular for measuring distance and/or as a parking aid in vehicles, having an electroacoustic ultrasonic transducer (12) which has a oscillating element (14), does not have a voltage converter, can be alternately operated as an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver and has a signal connection (16), which is used either as an input or as an output of the ultrasonic transducer (12), and an earth connection (18) which is connected to earth, and a control and evaluation unit (20) for exciting the oscillating element (14) of the ultrasonic transducer (12) to emit ultrasonic waves for operating the ultrasonic transducer (12) during a transmission interval for the purpose of subsequently deactivating the excitation of the oscillating element (14) and attenuating the latter during a decay phase and for receiving and processing ultrasonic waves in a reception interval. The control and evaluation unit (20) has a bridge circuit (28) which is connected to a DC supply voltage (80) and has controllable switches (30 to 40) and a charge storage capacitance (42), the polarity of which can be reversed and which is intended to alternately output a positive and a negative excitation voltage for the signal connection (16) of the ultrasonic transducer (12) during the transmission interval. The control and evaluation unit (20) outputs a voltage pulse of substantially 0 V at the end of the transmission interval for the signal connection (16) of the ultrasonic transducer (12).

The invention relates to an ultrasonic measuring system (10), in particular for measuring distance and/or as a parking aid in vehicles, having an electroacoustic ultrasonic transducer (12) which has a oscillating element (14), does not have a voltage converter, can be alternately operated as an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver and has a signal connection (16), which is used either as an input or as an output of the ultrasonic transducer (12), and an earth connection (18) which is connected to earth, and a control and evaluation unit (20) for exciting the oscillating element (14) of the ultrasonic transducer (12) to emit ultrasonic waves for operating the ultrasonic transducer (12) during a transmission interval for the purpose of subsequently deactivating the excitation of the oscillating element (14) and attenuating the latter during a decay phase and for receiving and processing ultrasonic waves in a reception interval. The control and evaluation unit (20) has a bridge circuit (28) which is connected to a DC supply voltage (80) and has controllable switches (30 to 40) and a charge storage capacitance (42), the polarity of which can be reversed and which is intended to alternately output a positive and a negative excitation voltage for the signal connection (16) of the ultrasonic transducer (12) during the transmission interval. The control and evaluation unit (20) outputs a voltage pulse of substantially 0 V at the end of the transmission interval for the signal connection (16) of the ultrasonic transducer (12).

A distance measuring apparatus measures a distance to a target from a plurality of directions, and includes sensors having identical two-dimensional scan type configurations that launch a laser beam and receive reflected light from the target by a multi-segment light receiving element, and a processor. The processor performs a process including specifying a receiving part of the multi-segment light receiving element of a first sensor, that receives a second laser beam launched from a second sensor in a state in which the target is non-detectable by the first sensor, adjusting a phase in a vertical scan direction of the second laser beam with respect to that of a first laser beam launched from the first sensor, until the receiving part no longer receives the second laser beam, and integrating range images from the first and second sensors after the phase is adjusted.

A distance measuring apparatus measures a distance to a target from a plurality of directions, and includes sensors having identical two-dimensional scan type configurations that launch a laser beam and receive reflected light from the target by a multi-segment light receiving element, and a processor. The processor performs a process including specifying a receiving part of the multi-segment light receiving element of a first sensor, that receives a second laser beam launched from a second sensor in a state in which the target is non-detectable by the first sensor, adjusting a phase in a vertical scan direction of the second laser beam with respect to that of a first laser beam launched from the first sensor, until the receiving part no longer receives the second laser beam, and integrating range images from the first and second sensors after the phase is adjusted.