Multi-state beamforming array
View Patent ↗A sonar system and method of operating a sonar system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the sonar system comprises an array of transducers and a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states. In one embodiment, the multiplexer, when in a first state, electrically couples a plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping and, in a second state, electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping.
1. A sonar system comprising:
a plurality of transducers comprising a plurality of array staves; and
a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states,
wherein, in a first state, the multiplexer electrically couples a plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers,
wherein, in a second state, the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, and
wherein the first and second mappings are different.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of junctions, each junction coupled to a subset of the connections.
3. A sonar system comprising:
a plurality of transducers;
a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states; and
a plurality of junctions, each junction coupled to a subset of connections,
wherein, in a first state, the multiplexer electrically couples the connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers,
wherein, in a second state, the multiplexer electrically couples the connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, wherein the first and second mappings are different, and
wherein the first mapping maps non-adjacent transducers to a particular junction and the second mapping maps adjacent transducers to the particular junction.
4. A sonar system comprising:
a plurality of transducers;
a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states; and
a plurality of junctions, each junction coupled to a subset of connections,
wherein, in a first state, the multiplexer electrically couples the connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers,
wherein, in a second state, the multiplexer electrically couples the connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, wherein the first and second mappings are different, and
wherein the first mapping maps only non-adjacent transducers to a particular junction and the second mapping maps non-adjacent groups of adjacent transducers to the particular junction.
5. A sonar system comprising:
a plurality of transducers; and
a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states,
wherein, in a first state, the multiplexer electrically couples a plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers,
wherein, in a second state, the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, wherein the first and second mappings are different, and
wherein, in a third state, the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a third mapping which is different from the first and second mapping.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first mapping maps only non-adjacent transducers to a particular junction, the second mapping maps non-adjacent groups of adjacent transducers to the particular junction, and the third mapping maps larger non-adjacent groups of adjacent transducers to the particular junction.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the third mapping maps all of the transducers to the particular junction.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transducers are arranged in a two-dimensional grid.
9. A sonar system comprising:
a plurality of transducers arranged in a two-dimensional grid; and
a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states,
wherein, in a first state, the multiplexer electrically couples a plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers,
wherein, in a second state, the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, wherein the first and second mappings are different, and
wherein the first mapping maps a regular grid of non-adjacent transducers to a particular junction and the second mapping maps a regular grid of non-adjacent groups of adjacent transducers to the particular junction.
10. A sonar system comprising:
a plurality of transducers;
a multiplexer configurable into a plurality of states;
a plurality of first junctions coupled to a plurality of connections;
a plurality of phase shifters coupled to the first junctions; and
a second junction coupled to the phase shifters,
wherein, in a first state, the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers,
wherein, in a second state, the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, and
wherein the first and second mappings are different.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second junction is configured to receive an input signal via an input and to transmit the input signal to the phase-shifters which are configured to either time-delay or phase-shift the input signal to generate a plurality of phase-shifted signals, which are fed into the first junctions, wherein the first junctions are configured to transmit the phase-shifted signals to the plurality of connections.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the phase-shifted signals define a first set of Janus beams having a first angle when the multiplexer is in the first state, and define a second set of Janus beams having a second angle when the multiplexer is in the second state.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the phase-shifted signals define a first set of four two-dimensional Janus beams having a first angle when the multiplexer is in the first state, and define a second set of four two-dimensional Janus beams having a second angle when the multiplexer is in the second state.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first angle is about 48.5 degrees and the second angle is about 22 degrees.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first junctions are configured to receive and sum a plurality of input signals from the connections to generate a summed signal which is fed into the plurality of phase-shifters which are configured to time-delay or phase-shift the summed signals to generate phase-shifted signals which are fed into the second junction which is configured to receive and sum the phase-shifted signals to generate an output signal.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the output signal defines a first set of Janus beams having a first angle when the multiplexer is in the first state, and define a second set of Janus beams having a second angle when the multiplexer is in the second state.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the output signal defines a first set of four two-dimensional Janus beams having a first angle when the multiplexer is in the first state, and define a second set of four two-dimensional Janus beams having a second angle when the multiplexer is in the second state.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first angle is about 48.5 degrees and the second angle is about 22 degrees.
19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of transducers comprises a plurality of array staves.
20. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to set the multiplexer into at least one of the plurality of states.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide an input signal or receive an output signal.
22. The system of claim 20 , further comprising a storage coupled to the controller.
23. A method of operating a sonar system having a plurality of transducers and a multiplexer, the method comprising:
setting the multiplexer into a first state in which the multiplexer electrically couples a plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a first mapping of respective connections to respective transducers, wherein the plurality of transducers comprises a plurality of array staves;
setting the multiplexer into a second state in which the multiplexer electrically couples the plurality of connections with the plurality of transducers via a second mapping, wherein the first and second mapping are different; and
transmitting data to or receiving data from the plurality of transducers via the multiplexer.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the data is indicative of acoustic signals for use in one of a bottom detection system, a velocity measurement system, an echo sounder, or a bathymetric system.
25. A dual Janus beam system comprising:
a regular planar array of transducers; and
a beamformer configurable into a plurality of states,
wherein, in a first state, the beamformer is configured to transmit data to or receive data from the array such that the effective beam pattern comprises a beam selected from a set of Janus beams having a first angle,
wherein, in a second state, the beamformer is configured to transmit data to or receive data from the array such that the effective beam pattern comprises a beam selected from a set of Janus beams having a second angle, and
wherein the first and second angles are different.