Signal processing system and method

A system for receiving signals over a wide frequency band and responding concurrently to the existence of one or more frequency components within the band, comprising:

• a substrate having a plurality of propagation axes;
• a plurality of acoustic wave input transducers;
• said input transducers being energized in parallel by an input signal;
• said input transducers being located on said substrate so as to launch waves toward a focal region;
• said focal region located apart from said input transducers;
• and
• output transducers arranged in said focal region;
• said output transducers being energized by said waves arriving in said focal region;
• said output transducers' energization being proportional to the frequency components of said input signal.

A system for responding to one or more signal frequencies within a given input frequency band, comprising:

• an acoustic wave propagating medium;
• a plurality of transmitting elements;
• said transmitting elements disposed along an array path;
• said array path at least partially transverse to a nominal beam launching axis in the medium;
• said transmitting elements displaced in progressive advanced positions along the beam launching axis;
• said transmitting elements being excited by the input frequency band;
• each of said transmitting elements angled toward a predetermined region along the beam launching axis;
• said disposition of said transmitting elements producing different focused composite beams in the medium at angles relative to the nominal axis;
• said angles being dependent upon each signal frequency present in the input band;
• and
• means disposed within a focal region and spanning the nominal axis for responding to the existence of composite beams at the focal region.

A system for receiving signals over a wide frequency band and responding concurrently to the existence of one or more frequency components within the band, comprising:

• a planar substrate having a plurality of propagation axes;
• a plurality of acoustic wave input transducers disposed on the substrate;
• said coupled input transducers to be energized in parallel by input signals;
• said input transducers each including a plurality of interdigitated fingers;
• said fingers disposed along curves;
• said curves defined relative to a selected propagation axis;
• said individual transducers being spaced apart along said curves;
• said transducers being successively advanced in phase by an integral number of acoustic wavelengths;
• said wavelengths being measured at the center frequency of the input frequency band;
• said transducers having widths and orientations relative to the selected propagation axis such that selected beam wavefronts are launched in converging directions toward a common focal region;
• said focal region being located on a focal arc spaced along the axis at a predetermined distance;
• said individual wavefronts forming a composite focused beam for each frequency component present within the band;
• each of said beams deviating from the selected axis in accordance with the frequency;
• and
• a plurality of surface acoustic wave receivers disposed along the focal arc, each being tuned to a frequency corresponding to the composite beam focused at that respective position.

A system for interchanging energy between input and output in a multi-frequency wave transformation system comprising:

• a wave propagating substrate;
• a plurality of input transducers coupled in operative relation to one region of the substrate;
• said input transducers spatially disposed to couple multi-frequency input energy to the substrate such as to form at least one main composite lobe at a frequency depednent angle;
• said main lobe being accompanied by sidelobes;
• said input transducers including means for varying the individual power contributions therefrom in accordance with a predetermined weighting function to diminish sidelobe propagation relative to the main lobe;
• a plurality of output transducers coupled in operative relation to a second region of the substrate;
• said output transducers spatially disposed to convert wave energy propagating in the substrate into limited frequency band electrical signals;
• said output transducers comprising interdigitated finger devices tuned to different limited signal frequency bands;
• said finger shapes matching the phase fronts of the propagated waves.