Grouping and Optimization of Phased Ultrasonic Transducers for Multi-Field Solutions
AssigneeUltrahaptics IP Ltd
InventorsBrian Kappus, William Wren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Producing multiple independent fields from many phased acoustic transducers represents a difficult computational problem. By first dividing up each field to its own group of transducers and then treating each group as an element with adjustable phase, one can minimize the field-to-field interference through a power iteration solution. These solutions can be further refined by including tracking information from users in the space and how they shadow or reflect the acoustic fields.
Claims18
A method for creating acoustic fields comprising:
- a. connecting a plurality of transducers having known relative positions and orientations;
- b. defining a plurality of acoustic fields, each of the plurality of acoustic fields having known relative positions to the plurality of transducers;
- c. assigning to each of the plurality of acoustic fields a unique subset of the plurality of transducers;
- and
- d. assigning a phase and an amplitude to drive each of the plurality of transducers to produce its assigned acoustic field.
A method for creating acoustic fields comprising:
- a. connecting a plurality of transducers having known relative positions and orientations;
- b. defining an area of interest where acoustic fields are generated;
- c. defining at least one acoustic field having known relative positions to the plurality of transducers;
- d. assigning a phase and an amplitude to drive each of the plurality of transducers to produce the at least one acoustic field;
- e. receiving a relative position, shape and orientations of at least one entity in the area of interest;
- f. using the at least one acoustic field as at least one virtual light source, collect shadow information from the at least one entity in the area of interest;
- and
- g. using the shadow information to modify phase or amplitude sent to at least one of the plurality of transducers.
A method for creating acoustic fields comprising:
- a. connecting a plurality of transducers having known relative positions and orientations;
- b. defining at least one acoustic field having known relative positions to the plurality of transducers;
- c. providing location, shape, and orientation information for at least one reflector;
- d. defining a set of virtual transducers based upon the location, shape, and orientation of the at least one reflector;
- and
- e. using position and orientation of the set of virtual transducers, assign a phase and amplitude to drive each of the plurality of transducers to produce the at least one acoustic field.
A method of determining the position of ultrasound transducers comprising:
- a. connecting a plurality of ultrasound transducers having known relative positions and orientations;
- b. connecting a microphone that is sensitive to ultrasound transmitted from the plurality of ultrasound transducers;
- and
- c. emitting a field from the plurality of ultrasound transducers that when measured by the microphone can determine position and orientation of the plurality of ultrasound transducers relative to the microphone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.