A survey system including a multibeam echo sounder having a single projector array and a single hydrophone array constructs a multi-signal message and deconstructs a corresponding multi-signal echo to substantially simultaneously perform multiple survey missions.

A survey system including a multibeam echo sounder having a single projector array and a single hydrophone array constructs a multi-signal message and deconstructs a corresponding multi-signal echo to substantially simultaneously perform multiple survey missions.

A method for operating a confocal white light sensor on a coordinate measuring machine including a sensor carrier configured to couple a coordinate measurement sensor that is movable in a straight movement direction relative to a base of the coordinate measuring machine is provided. A confocal white light sensor is coupled to the sensor carrier and oriented in the straight movement direction toward a reference body. The sensor carrier and the reference body are moved relative to one another in the straight movement direction, and a measurement signal representing a distance between the confocal white light sensor and the reference body is generated at different movement positions. Information relating to a relationship between measurement signals of the confocal white light sensor and an actual distance of the white light sensor to a measurement object is obtained and a measurement value of the object distance is generated.

A method for operating a confocal white light sensor on a coordinate measuring machine including a sensor carrier configured to couple a coordinate measurement sensor that is movable in a straight movement direction relative to a base of the coordinate measuring machine is provided. A confocal white light sensor is coupled to the sensor carrier and oriented in the straight movement direction toward a reference body. The sensor carrier and the reference body are moved relative to one another in the straight movement direction, and a measurement signal representing a distance between the confocal white light sensor and the reference body is generated at different movement positions. Information relating to a relationship between measurement signals of the confocal white light sensor and an actual distance of the white light sensor to a measurement object is obtained and a measurement value of the object distance is generated.

An ultrasonic doppler motion sensor device comprising transmitter means (10, 12) for emitting a continuous ultrasonic transmission signal in a detection space, ultrasonic receiver means (20, 22) for detecting the ultrasonic transmission signal reflected by the detection object as a receive signal, and mixer and detector means (14, 18) for mixing the ultrasonic transmission signal or a signal derived therefrom with the receive signal and/or for demodulating the receive signal and for generating a motion detection signal therefrom, wherein the mixer and detector means are assigned means (14) for the adjustable generation of a phase shift greater than 0 between a phase of the ultrasonic transmission signal and a periodic impulse signal at the mixer or detector means for scanning and mixing the receive signal.

An ultrasonic doppler motion sensor device comprising transmitter means (10, 12) for emitting a continuous ultrasonic transmission signal in a detection space, ultrasonic receiver means (20, 22) for detecting the ultrasonic transmission signal reflected by the detection object as a receive signal, and mixer and detector means (14, 18) for mixing the ultrasonic transmission signal or a signal derived therefrom with the receive signal and/or for demodulating the receive signal and for generating a motion detection signal therefrom, wherein the mixer and detector means are assigned means (14) for the adjustable generation of a phase shift greater than 0 between a phase of the ultrasonic transmission signal and a periodic impulse signal at the mixer or detector means for scanning and mixing the receive signal.

This invention relates to apparatus and methods for measuring the time-of-flight of a signal. The signal may be acoustic energy or electromagnetic energy such as x-ray, radio frequency, microwave, millimeter-wave, radar, and laser. Unlike unambiguous ranging devices that measures the phases of two or more signals to determine the time-of-flight and requires long averaging to achieve some degree of accuracy, this invention phase lock one or more transmitter signals to the corresponding received signals in predetermined phase relationships and measures the frequencies of one or more variable frequency oscillators having frequencies several times higher than the frequency of the transmitter signal to determined the time-of-flight with much higher accuracy. An example of an embodiment of this invention is an apparatus that transmits a signal to a receiver and phase lock the transmitted signal to the received signal in a first selected phase relationship. A first frequency of the phase locked signal is determined and a second phase relationship that differs from the first phase relationship by a predetermined fraction of a cycle is selected. The transmitter signal relocks to the receiver signal in the second phase relationship and a second frequency of the relocked signal is determined. The time-of-flight is measured using the first and second frequencies and the predetermined fraction of a cycle difference in phase relationships.

Multiplexed phased array sonar systems and methods for consumer fishfinders are described herein. A transducer unit for such a system includes a transmit (TX) element that generates a sonar ping, a receive (RX) array configured to receive sonar echoes resulting from the sonar ping contacting targets, a digital signal processor (DSP) that processes the sonar echoes into sonar display information, and multiplexers (MUXs) coupled between the RX array and the DSP. The MUXs are configured to couple a portion of the RX array to the DSP during a first time and a second portion of the RX array during a second time such that the of MUXs couple an entirety of the RX array to the DSP during each transmit-receive cycle. A method of preventing distortions in the sonar display information selects the elements of the RX array to be sampled in accordance with a predetermined multiplexing pattern.

Multiplexed phased array sonar systems and methods for consumer fishfinders are described herein. A transducer unit for such a system includes a transmit (TX) element that generates a sonar ping, a receive (RX) array configured to receive sonar echoes resulting from the sonar ping contacting targets, a digital signal processor (DSP) that processes the sonar echoes into sonar display information, and multiplexers (MUXs) coupled between the RX array and the DSP. The MUXs are configured to couple a portion of the RX array to the DSP during a first time and a second portion of the RX array during a second time such that the of MUXs couple an entirety of the RX array to the DSP during each transmit-receive cycle. A method of preventing distortions in the sonar display information selects the elements of the RX array to be sampled in accordance with a predetermined multiplexing pattern.

A survey system including a multibeam echo sounder having a single projector array and a single hydrophone array constructs a multi-component message for ensonifying multiple fans and deconstructs a corresponding message echo for use in analyzing the returns from each fan.