Spiral scanner with electronic control
OwnerShane Dunne, Steven Charlesinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scanning device, typically ultrasonic, can make a volumetric scan of a conical scanning field. A transducer having a permanent magnet at its back end is gimbal mounted in a housing. Behind the permanent magnet is a hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly having at least two wound electromagnet coils. The coils are energized in turn with an alternating current signal, with the signal applied to any coil being out of phase with the signal applied to any other coil by 180°/n, where n is the number of coils in the hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly. Volumetric scanning is possible by periodically modulating the magnitude or frequency of the signals applied to the coils.
Claims14
A scanning device for scanning a target within a conical scanning field, using a moveable body from which scanning energy may be transmitted linearly outwardly towards a target, and from which signals which are indicative of reflected scanning energy which is reflected from a target in said conical scanning field may be derived for further storage or display, said scanning device comprising:
- a housing for said scanning device, said housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a moveable body having a generally planar front surface from which scanning energy is transmitted linearly outwardly and towards which reflected scanning energy is directed;
- a permanent magnet physically associated with said moveable body so as to be movable therewith;
- said moveable body and said permanent magnet being mounted within said housing in such a manner that they are jointly moveable with a tilt motion about a centre of rotation, with at least two degrees of freedom of movement about two axes of rotation which are perpendicularly disposed one to the other, wherein said centre of rotation is located on said longitudinal axis of said housing, and said two perpendicularly disposed axes of rotation intersect at said centre of rotation and are each perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said housing;
- at least two electromagnets having wound electromagnet coils which form a hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly;
- and
- electric drive means for energizing said wound electromagnet coils in cyclic fashion, by applying an alternating current signal to each individual wound electromagnet coil, where the signal applied to each respective wound electromagnet coil has a differing phase than the signal applied to any other wound electromagnet coil;
- wherein the alternating current signal applied to each of said wound electromagnet coils is out of phase with the alternating current signal applied to any other wound electromagnet coil;
- wherein the phase relationship among the respective alternating current signals is 180°/n, where n is the number of wound electromagnet coils in said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly;
- wherein when scanning energy is transmitted linearly away from said moveable body, and said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly is energized by said electric drive means, a conical scanning field is swept;
- and
- wherein said movable body is an ultrasonic transducer mounted at a first end of a movable carriage, and said permanent magnet is mounted at an opposed second end thereof.
A scanning device for scanning a target within a conical scanning field, using a moveable body from which scanning energy may be transmitted linearly outwardly towards a target, and from which signals which are indicative of reflected scanning energy which is reflected from a target in said conical scanning field may be derived for further storage or display, said scanning device comprising:
- a housing for said scanning device, said housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a moveable body having a generally planar front surface from which scanning energy is transmitted linearly outwardly and towards which reflected scanning energy is directed;
- a permanent magnet physically associated with said moveable body so as to be movable therewith;
- said moveable body and said permanent magnet being mounted within said housing in such a manner that they are jointly moveable with a tilt motion about a centre of rotation, with at least two degrees of freedom of movement about two axes of rotation which are perpendicularly disposed one to the other, wherein said centre of rotation is located on said longitudinal axis of said housing, and said two perpendicularly disposed axes of rotation intersect at said centre of rotation and are each perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said housing;
- at least two electromagnets having wound electromagnet coils which form a hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly;
- and
- electric drive means for energizing said wound electromagnet coils in cyclic fashion, by applying an alternating current signal to each individual wound electromagnet coil, where the signal applied to each respective wound electromagnet coil has a differing phase than the signal applied to any other wound electromagnet coil;
- and
- an annular permanent magnet mounted in said housing outwardly of said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly, said annular permanent magnet having a polarity opposite to that of said permanent magnet mounted together with said moveable body as to repel said permanent magnet away therefrom and towards said longitudinal axis of said housing;
- wherein the alternating current signal applied to each of said wound electromagnet coils is out of phase with the alternating current signal applied to any other wound electromagnet coil;
- wherein the phase relationship among the respective alternating current signals is 180°/n, where n is the number of wound electromagnet coils in said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly;
- wherein when scanning energy is transmitted linearly away from said moveable body, and said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly is energized by said electric drive means, a conical scanning field is swept;
- and
- wherein said movable body is an ultrasonic transducer mounted at a first end of a movable carriage, and said permanent magnet is mounted at an opposed second end thereof.
A scanning device for scanning a target within a conical scanning field, using a moveable body from which scanning energy may be transmitted linearly outwardly towards a target, and from which signals which are indicative of reflected scanning energy which is reflected from a target in said conical scanning field may be derived for further storage or display, said scanning device comprising:
- a housing for said scanning device, said housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a moveable body having a generally planar front surface from which scanning energy is transmitted linearly outwardly and towards which reflected scanning energy is directed;
- a permanent magnet physically associated with said moveable body so as to be movable therewith;
- said moveable body and said permanent magnet being mounted within said housing in such a manner that they are jointly moveable with a tilt motion about a centre of rotation, with at least two degrees of freedom of movement about two axes of rotation which are perpendicularly disposed one to the other, wherein said centre of rotation is located on said longitudinal axis of said housing, and said two perpendicularly disposed axes of rotation intersect at said centre of rotation and are each perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said housing;
- at least two electromagnets having wound electromagnet coils which form a hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly;
- and
- electric drive means for energizing said wound electromagnet coils in cyclic fashion, by applying an alternating current signal to each individual wound electromagnet coil, where the signal applied to each respective wound electromagnet coil has a differing phase than the signal applied to any other wound electromagnet coil;
- and
- a solenoid electromagnet located on said longitudinal axis of said housing at the side of said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly remote from said permanent magnet and a source of direct current electricity connected to said solenoid electromagnet;
- whereby said solenoid electromagnet may be momentarily energized by said source of direct current electricity so as to either attract or repel said permanent magnet;
- wherein the alternating current signal applied to each of said wound electromagnet coils is out of phase with the alternating current signal applied to any other wound electromagnet coil;
- wherein the phase relationship among the respective alternating current signals is 180°/n, where n is the number of wound electromagnet coils in said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly;
- wherein when scanning energy is transmitted linearly away from said moveable body, and said hemispheric electromagnet coil assembly is energized by said electric drive means, a conical scanning field is swept;
- and
- wherein said movable body is an ultrasonic transducer mounted at a first end of a movable carriage, and said permanent magnet is mounted at an opposed second end thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.