Method and apparatus for receive beamformer system

An ultrasound receive beamformer with a signal path comprising:

• a first decimator for downsampling a signal in said signal path;
• a delay unit for receiving the signal from the first decimator and time delaying the signal;
• a second decimator for receiving the signal from the delay unit and downsampling the signal;
• and
• a phase rotating unit for receiving the signal from the second decimator and phase rotating the signal.

An ultrasound receive beamformer comprising:

• a first programmable decimator for downsampling a signal;
• a delay unit for receiving the signal from the first decimator and time delaying the signal;
• a second programmable decimator for receiving the signal from the delay unit and downsampling the signal;
• and
• a phase rotating unit for receiving the signal from the second decimator and phase rotating the signal
• such that said receive beamformer can be utilized efficiently by programming at least one of said decimators depending on (1) a number of beams being processed and (2) a nominal center frequency common to all beams.

An ultrasound receive beamformer which can receive a signal used to construct at least two beams comprising:

• a first decimator for downsampling the signal without distinguishing among the at least two beams;
• a delay unit for receiving the signal from the first decimator and for per-beam time delaying the signal from the first decimator unit and thereby distinguishing between the at least two beams;
• a second decimator for receiving the signal from said delay unit, downsampling the signal from the delay unit, and outputting the signal from the second decimator in a form which distinguishes between the at least two beams;
• and
• phase rotating unit for receiving the signal from said second decimator and phase rotating the signal from the second decimator.

An ultrasound receive beamformer comprising:

• a delay unit for time delaying a signal;
• a decimator for receiving the signal from the delay unit and downsampling said signal from the delay unit;
• and
• a phase rotator for receiving the signal from the decimator and phase rotating the signal from the decimator.

A receive processor for use in an ultrasound receive beamformer for receiving a plurality of signals from a transducer array having a plurality of elements, said receive processor comprising:

• (a) first decimator for downsampling a signal from said transducer array;
• (b) a delay unit connected to said first decimator for receiving the signal output from the first decimator and time delaying the signal output from the first decimator;
• (c) a second decimator connected to said delay unit for receiving the signal output from the delay unit and downsampling the signal output from the second delay unit;
• and
• (d) a phase rotating unit connected to said second decimator for receiving the signal from the second decimator and phase rotating the signal from the second decimator.

A method for processing a received and sampled signal representative of a waveform sensed by elements of an ultrasound transducer array comprising the steps of:

• downsampling the received and sampled signal;
• then time delaying the downsampled signal;
• then downsampling the time delayed signal;
• and then phase rotating the twice downsampled signal.

A method for processing a received signal representative of a waveform sensed by elements of an ultrasound transducer array comprising the steps of:

• time delaying the signal;
• downsampling the signal after the step of time delaying the signal;
• and
• phase rotating the signal after the step of downsampling the signal.

An ultrasound receive beamformer comprising:

• a first decimator for selectively downsampling a signal;
• a delay unit for receiving the signal from said first decimator and time delaying the signal;
• a second decimator for receiving the signal from said delay unit and downsampling the signal;
• and
• a phase rotator unit for receiving the signal from said second decimator and phase rotating the signal.