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US 10,379,086 B1Granted
Acoustic sensing through a barrier
AssigneeSonavation, Inc.
InventorRainer M. Schmitt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides embodiments of an apparatus and for improved, higher quality and higher resolution acoustic impedance scanning of an object through a barrier. Such acoustic impedance scanning can be employed to obtain biometric information of a person via fingerprint pattern.
Claims20
An apparatus for acoustically scanning a target, comprising:
- a barrier having an acoustic impedance property value and having a first side and a second side that each face in substantially opposing directions;
- and
- an acoustic sensor having an acoustic impedance property value that matches or proximately matches said acoustic impedance value of said barrier, said acoustic sensor having a first transmitting side through which acoustic energy is transmitted away from said acoustic sensor, wherein
- said first transmitting side of said acoustic sensor is positioned so that it abuts said first side of said barrier, and positioned so that said acoustic sensor is configured to transmit said acoustic energy through said barrier and towards a target abutting said second side of said barrier,
- said acoustic sensor is configured to measure acoustic impedance of said target within a measurement time window while simultaneously transmitting said acoustic energy, wherein said measurement time window initiates following an initial transmission of acoustic energy from said acoustic sensor, and terminates no later than upon an occurrence of two round trip travel times, and
- each said round trip travel time is an amount of time required for said acoustic energy to transmit from said acoustic sensor to said target and to reflect from said target and arrive back to said acoustic sensor.
3 more elements
A system for acoustically scanning a target, comprising:
- a barrier having an acoustic impedance property value and having a first side and a second side that each face in substantially opposing directions;
- an acoustic sensor having an acoustic impedance property value that matches or proximately matches said acoustic impedance value of said barrier, said acoustic sensor having a first transmitting side through which acoustic energy is transmitted away from said acoustic sensor, wherein
- said first transmitting side of said acoustic sensor is positioned so that it abuts said first side of said barrier, and positioned so that said acoustic sensor is configured to transmit said acoustic energy through said barrier and towards a target abutting said second side of said barrier,
- said acoustic sensor is configured to measure acoustic impedance of said target within a measurement time window while simultaneously transmitting said acoustic energy, wherein said measurement time window initiates following an initial transmission of acoustic energy from said acoustic sensor, and terminates no later than upon an occurrence of two round trip travel times, and
- each said round trip travel time is an amount of time required for said acoustic energy to transmit from said acoustic sensor to said target and to reflect from said target and arrive back to said acoustic sensor;
- and
- a backing material in contact with a second side of said acoustic sensor.
4 more elements
A method for acoustically scanning a target, comprising:
- providing a barrier having an acoustic impedance property value and having a first side and a second side that each face in substantially opposing directions;
- positioning an acoustic sensor having a first transmitting side through which acoustic energy is transmitted away from said acoustic sensor, wherein said acoustic sensor is positioned such that it abuts said first side of said barrier, and an acoustic impedance property value of said acoustic sensor matches or proximately matches said acoustic impedance value of said barrier;
- transmitting said acoustic energy from said acoustic sensor through said barrier and towards a target abutting said second side of said barrier;
- and
- measuring acoustic impedance of said target at said acoustic sensor within a measurement time window while simultaneous transmission of said acoustic energy from said acoustic sensor,
- wherein said measurement time window initiates following an initial transmission of acoustic energy from said acoustic sensor, and terminates no later than upon an occurrence of two round trip travel times, and each said round trip travel time is an amount of time required for said acoustic energy to transmit from said acoustic sensor to said target and to reflect from said target and arrive back to said acoustic sensor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.