Multi-directional transducer system

A transducer configured to transmit and/or receive wave signals simultaneously from at least a sector of a 360° volume of the environment around an axis,

• the transducer comprising a base unit and one or more reflector units,
• the one or more reflector units being mounted relative to the base unit such that an outer surface of said base unit faces the one or more reflector units,
• the base unit having, in or on said outer surface thereof, one or more transducer arrays associated with the or each reflector unit,
• the or each transducer array comprising a plurality of active transducer elements, the one or more reflector units comprising, respectively, one or more reflective plates,
• the or each reflective plate having an outer reflective surface and being mounted relative to the base unit such that the outer reflective surface thereof extends at an acute angle relative to a portion of the outer surface of said base unit having therein or thereon a transducer array associated therewith,
• such that, in use, wave signals generated and radiated by said active transducer elements of a transducer array are radiated onto, and reflected outwardly from, a reflective surface of a said reflector unit associated therewith, and
• wave signals incident on a reflective surface of a said reflector unit are reflected thereby onto the transducer elements of a said transducer array associated therewith.

A transducer configured to transmit and/or receive wave signals simultaneously from at least a sector of a 360° volume of the environment around an axis,

• the transducer comprising a base unit and one or more reflector units,
• the one or more reflector units being mounted relative to the base unit such that an outer surface of said base unit faces the one or more reflector units,
• the base unit having, in or on said outer surface thereof, one or more transducer arrays associated with the or each reflector unit,
• the or each transducer array comprising a plurality of active transducer elements,
• the one or more reflector units comprising, respectively, one or more reflective plates,
• the or each reflective plate having an outer reflective surface and being mounted relative to the base unit such that the outer reflective surface thereof extends at an acute angle relative to a portion of the outer surface of said base unit having therein or thereon a transducer array associated therewith,
• such that, in use, wave signals generated and radiated by said active transducer elements of a transducer array are radiated onto, and reflected outwardly from, a reflective surface of a said reflector unit associated therewith, and
• wave signals incident on a reflective surface of a said reflector unit are reflected thereby onto the transducer elements of a said transducer array associated therewith, wherein the reflector unit is a conic-section structure and the active transducer elements are arranged in spaced-apart relation and in a plurality of concentric rings,
• such that each ring of active transducer elements receives wave signals from, or transmit wave signals to, the outer reflective surface of the reflector unit at a different respective height thereon, and a plurality of radial sets of transducer elements is defined.

A transducer configured to transmit and/or receive wave signals simultaneously from at least a sector of a 360° volume of the environment around an axis,

• the transducer comprising a base unit and one or more reflector units,
• the one or more reflector units being mounted relative to the base unit such that an outer surface of said base unit faces the one or more reflector units,
• the base unit having, in or on said outer surface thereof, one or more transducer arrays associated with the or each reflector unit,
• the or each transducer array comprising a plurality of active transducer elements,
• the one or more reflector units comprising, respectively, one or more reflective plates,
• the or each reflective plate having an outer reflective surface and being mounted relative to the base unit such that the outer reflective surface thereof extends at an acute angle relative to a portion of the outer surface of said base unit having therein or thereon a transducer array associated therewith,
• such that, in use, wave signals generated and radiated by said active transducer elements of a transducer array are radiated onto, and reflected outwardly from, a reflective surface of a said reflector unit associated therewith, and
• wave signals incident on a reflective surface of a said reflector unit are reflected thereby onto the transducer elements of a said transducer array associated therewith,
• wherein some of the transducer elements of the transducer array are active, and other of the transducer elements of the transducer array are passive.

A transducer configured to transmit and/or receive wave signals simultaneously from at least a sector of a 360° volume of the environment around an axis,

• the transducer comprising a base unit and one or more reflector units,
• the one or more reflector units being mounted relative to the base unit such that an outer surface of said base unit faces the one or more reflector units,
• the base unit having, in or on said outer surface thereof, one or more transducer arrays associated with the or each reflector unit,
• the or each transducer array comprising a plurality of active transducer elements,
• the one or more reflector units comprising, respectively, one or more reflective plates, the or each reflective plate having an outer reflective surface and being mounted relative to the base unit such that the outer reflective surface thereof extends at an acute angle relative to a portion of the outer surface of said base unit having therein or thereon a transducer array associated therewith,
• such that, in use, wave signals generated and radiated by said active transducer elements of a transducer array are radiated onto, and reflected outwardly from, a reflective surface of a said reflector unit associated therewith, and
• wave signals incident on a reflective surface of a said reflector unit are reflected thereby onto the transducer elements of a said transducer array associated therewith, wherein the reflector unit has a non-symmetrical cross-section.