James Carl Bartz

US Patent:

6426918, Jul 30, 2002

Filed:

Mar 31, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/540844

Inventors:

James C. Bartz - Kailua HI
Roger H. Tancrell - Wilmington MA
Stephen G. Boucher - Amherst NH

Assignee:

Airmar Technology Corporation - Milford NH

International Classification:

G01S 1558

US Classification:

367 89

Abstract:

A relative speed of an object is determined by monitoring random reflective surfaces in water. The system includes a first and second transmitter-receiver pair for producing echo signals of a monitored region. The monitoring pair of transducers are preferably positioned along an axis of motion of the object such that sampled data from the first and second transmitter-receiver pair are substantially similar but shifted in time due to a separation of transducers. Echo signal data from the transducers are then used to generate a time difference correlation function that is used to determine a time difference between the first and second signals. Based on the time difference between the time-shifted echo signals, a speed of a vessel is determined.

US Patent:

6671225, Dec 30, 2003

Filed:

Jun 7, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/166581

Inventors:

James C. Bartz - Kailua HI
Roger H. Tancrell - Wilmington MA
Stephen G. Boucher - Amherst NH

Assignee:

Airmar Technology Corporation - Milford NH

International Classification:

G01S 1558

US Classification:

367 89, 367 98

Abstract:

A relative speed of an object is determined by monitoring random reflective surfaces in water. The system includes a first and second transmitter-receiver pair for producing echo signals of a monitored region. The monitoring pair of transducers are preferably positioned along an axis of motion of the object such that sampled data from the first and second transmitter-receiver pair are substantially similar but shifted in time due to a separation of transducers. Echo signal data from the transducers are then used to generate a time difference correlation function that is used to determine a time difference between the first and second signals. Based on the time difference between the time-shifted echo signals, a speed of a vessel is determined.

US Patent:

7833158, Nov 16, 2010

Filed:

Feb 13, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/354318

Inventors:

James C. Bartz - Kailua HI, US

International Classification:

A61B 8/00
G01S 15/00
H04B 1/02

US Classification:

600437, 367103, 367138

Abstract:

A beamforming system includes an array of transducers that detects echo signals in a scanned region. The array of transducers produces respective electronic signals based on receipt of echo signals. The beamforming system further includes an array of multipliers (e. g. , mixers) to receive the respective electronic signals (e. g. , echo signals converted to an electronic form of echo signals by the transducers) from the array of transducers. A generator device of the beamforming system generates multiple oscillator signals (e. g. , square wave, sine waves, pulses, etc. ) based on a relatively low frequency reference signal to simulate frequencies not capable of being precisely derived from the reference signal and continuously steer a directional beam through a scanned region.

US Patent:

56755520, Oct 7, 1997

Filed:

Oct 2, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/537385

Inventors:

Charles L. Hicks - Santa Cruz CA
James Carl Bartz - Kailua HI

Assignee:

Interphase Technologies, Inc. - Soquel CA

International Classification:

G01S 1596

US Classification:

367103

Abstract:

A sonar apparatus using a phased array technique for steering an acoustical beam for scanning an underwater area. The sonar apparatus includes a scanning transducer having multiple elements for transmitting and steering the acoustical beam and receiving its reflection from an object, an electronic control circuit for generating steering information and computing a relative location of the object, and an input/output section for displaying the relative location to a user. The control circuit includes a software level/align control for compensating for mis-leveling or mis-alignment during installation, a scan control capable of selecting a scan center direction and a scan width in one degree increments, a forward gain control for optimizing the sensitivity of the sonar apparatus in a forward looking scan, and a combination of a time variable gain control and an autorange control for minimizing the reflection of sidelobes of the acoustical beam.