Patent US1502976A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US4745475A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4745475A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Displays for information obtained by vector scanning
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL MARINE INSTRUMENTS Inc A CT CORP
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Filing: 1985-12-10
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Granted: 1988-05-17
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Expires: 2005-12-10
Abstract
Abstract A system for converting A-scan signals in r, θ co-ordinates into display data for x, y co-ordinate display locations, in which, for each A-scan signal, signal values for which the r co-ordinate is greater than a predetermined value contribute to the display data and values for which the r co-ordinate is less do not, and the predetermined values of r are different for different A-scans. FIG. 2 shows pixels, or display locations, close to the origin of an x, y rastor display. The lines radiating from the origin show the r, θ co-ordinates of A-scan signals derived from a radar antenna, superposed for purposes of illustration on the grid of pixels. The display data used to brighten an individual pixel is taken only from some, and not from all, of the A-scans which intercept that pixel. In particular, no data is taken from the portions of the A-scans which lie radially inwardly of the points 28 to 36, but data is taken from the portions of the A-scans that lie radially outwardly.
Inventors
- 👤 John Bicknell
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 08:55
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S7/00; G01S7/02; G01S7/04; G01S7/06; G01S7/064; G01S7/066; G01S7/28; G01S7/285; G01S7/295; G01S7/298; G01S7/52; G01S7/523; G01S7/526; G01S7/53; G01S7/531
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for converting A-scan signal information in r, θ coordinates into display data for x, y co-ordinate display locations, comprising the steps of contributing the signal information in each A-scan signal to the display data only when the r co-ordinates of said A-scan signal is greater than a predetermined value, and establishing different predetermined values of r for different A-scans.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for converting A-scan signal information in r, θ coordinates into display data for x, y co-ordinate display locations, comprising the steps of contributing the signal information in each A-scan signal to the display data only when the r co-ordinates of said A-scan signal is greater than a predetermined value, and establishing different predetermined values of r for different A-scans.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the display data comprises a respective data value for each display location and further comprising the step of contributing to each data value from a plurality of A-scan signal values whose r, θ co-ordinates are closely similar and whose x, y co-ordinates are the same.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of selecting predetermined values of r such that during an individual B-scan the number of A-scan signal values contributing to each data value is limited to a predetermined maximum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the of step of selecting a number of A-scan signal values for contributing to each data value, the selected number being greater than said predetermined maximum, whereby at least some of the data values include contributions from more than one B-scan.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the step of creating a data value which is a function of its own previous value and the value of the next A-scan signal value to contribute to it, wherein the function is such as to give the most recent contributing A-scan signal greater weight and the less recent contributing A-scan signals lesser weight.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising the step of producing display data values in digital form, the number of digits in said digital form being limited, whereby the number of said plurality of A-scan signal values that contribute to a data value is limited.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said function is represented as: S(k)=S(k-1)+1/k.sub.1 (I(k)-(S(k-1)) where S(k-1) is the previous data value S(k) is the newest data value I(k) is the newest A-scan signal value k 1 as a constant.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising the step of delivering to a display means, operable in a raster scan format, the display data for the x, y coordinate display locations of the display means in a sequence compatible with the raster scan.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of sensing those r, θ coordinates which correspond to the respective predetermined r values for the different A-scans, and starting the contribution of A-scan values to the data values in response to such sensing.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of producing a starting signal in response to those sensed r, θ coordinates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
125 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of storing the data values in respective addressable storage locations, generating x, y address signals, changing the x, y address signals during an A-scan signal by converting r, θ coordinate signals to x increment and y increment signals and adding the increment signals to the x, y address signals, said value of r for each A-scan being established in the form of a predetermined sequence of increment x and increment y signals which occur when the x, y address signals reach values corresponding to said value of r for that A-scan, detecting the occurrence of the predetermined sequence, and starting the contribution of A-scan values to the data values in response to its detection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method as claimed in claim 11, in which the predetermined sequence is preceded by increment x and increment y signals which do not result in x, y address signals corresponding to the r, θ coordinates for the A-scan, but is followed by increment x and increment y signals which do.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of converting data present in a plurality of A-scan signals obtained from a vector scanning arrangement for the eventual display on a matrix type display comprising the steps of: converting the r, θ coordinate data into x, y coordinate data, quantising the signal data corresponding to the converted r, θ coordinate data, and selectively manipulating and storing the quantised signal data according to its corresponding x, y coordinate for eventual display if, and only if, the number of previous manipulations for the x, y coordinate is less than a number required to give a representation of the signal data.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
101 words
A method of converting data present in a plurality of A-scan signals obtained from a vector scanning arrangement for the eventual display on a matrix type display comprising the steps of: converting the r, θ coordinate data into x, y coordinate data, quantising the signal data corresponding to the converted r, θ coordinate data, and selectively manipulating and storing the quantised signal data according to its corresponding x, y coordinate for eventual display if, and only if, the number of previous manipulations for the x, y coordinate is less than a number required to give a representation of the signal data.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
62 words
A system for converting A-scan signal information in r, θ coordinates into display data for x, y coordinate display locations comprising means for contributing the signal information in each A-scan signal to the display data only when the r coordinate of said A-scan signal is greater than a predetermined value, and means for establishing different predetermined values of r for different A-scans.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
62 words
A system for converting A-scan signal information in r, θ coordinates into display data for x, y coordinate display locations comprising means for contributing the signal information in each A-scan signal to the display data only when the r coordinate of said A-scan signal is greater than a predetermined value, and means for establishing different predetermined values of r for different A-scans.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
53 words
A system as claimed in claim 14 in which the display data comprises a respective data value for each display location and further comprising means for contributing to each data value from a plurality of A-scan signal values whose r, θ coordinates are closely similar and whose x, y coordinates are the same.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising means for selecting predetermined values of r such that during an individual B-scan the number of A-scan signal values contributing to each data value is limited to a predetermined maximum.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
A system is claimed in claim 16, further comprising means for using a number of A-scan signal values for contributing to each data value, said number being greater than said predetermined maximum, whereby at least some of the data values include contributions from more than one B-scan.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
62 words
A system as claimed in claim 17 further comprising means for creating a data value which is a function of its own previous value and the value of the next A-scan signal value to contribute to it, wherein the function is such as to give the most recent contributing A-scan signal greater weight and the less recent contributing A-scan signals lesser weight.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
A system as claimed in claim 18 further comprising means for producing display data values in digital form, the number of digits in said digital form being limited, whereby the number of said plurality of A-scan signal values that contribute to a data value is limited.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
A system as claimed in claim 19 wherein said function is represented as: S(k)=S(k-1)+1/k.sub.1 (I(k)-(S(k-1)) where S(k-1) is the previous data value S(k) is the newest data value I(k) is the newest A-scan signal value k 1 as a constant.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as claimed in claim 20 further comprising means for delivering to a display means, operable in a raster scan format, the display data for the x, y coordinate display locations of the display means in a sequence appropriately compatible with the raster scan.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
45 words
A system as is claim 15, further comprising means for recognizing those r, θ coordinates which correspond to the respective predetermined r values for the different A-scans, and means for starting the contribution of A-scan values to the data values in response to said recognition.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
A system, as claimed in claim 22, wherein said means for recognizing comprises a look-up table for producing a starting signal in response to r, θ coordinates being inputted.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
140 words
A system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising storage means for storing data values in respective addressable storage locations which are addressed by x, y address signals, means for changing said x, y address signals during an A-scan signal by adding thereto increment x and increment y signals, an r to x, y scan converter for producing said increment x and increment y signals, means for setting the predetermined value of r for each A-scan into the scan converter in the form of a predetermined sequence of increment x and increment y signals which occur when the x, y address signals reach values corresponding to said value of r for that A-scan, means for detecting the occurrence of the predetermined sequence, and means for starting the contribution of A-scan values to the data values in response to said detection.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the predetermined sequence is preceded by increment x and increment y signals which do not result in x, y address signals corresponding to the r, θ co-ordinates for the A-scan, but is followed by increment x and increment y signals which do.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
62 words
A system for displaying on a matrix-type display, data obtained from A-scan signals of a vector scanning arrangement, comprising means for displaying data, means for deriving the data to be displayed from the A-scans of more than one B-scan, and means for storing the data to be displayed by said means for displaying data such as to provide persistence in the display.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
62 words
A system for displaying on a matrix-type display, data obtained from A-scan signals of a vector scanning arrangement, comprising means for displaying data, means for deriving the data to be displayed from the A-scans of more than one B-scan, and means for storing the data to be displayed by said means for displaying data such as to provide persistence in the display.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
91 words
A system for converting A-scan signals in r, θ coordinates into display data for x, y coordinate display locations, comprising means for generating a plurality of A-scan signals whose θ coordinates are so closely similar that each of the A-scan signals in said plurality includes an A-scan signal value having the same x, y coordinate display location, and means operable to generate the display data for said x, y coordinate display location from only a limited plurality of said A-scan signal values which have the same x, y coordinate display location.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
91 words
A system for converting A-scan signals in r, θ coordinates into display data for x, y coordinate display locations, comprising means for generating a plurality of A-scan signals whose θ coordinates are so closely similar that each of the A-scan signals in said plurality includes an A-scan signal value having the same x, y coordinate display location, and means operable to generate the display data for said x, y coordinate display location from only a limited plurality of said A-scan signal values which have the same x, y coordinate display location.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system as claimed in claim 27, further comprising means for including in said limited plurality signal values from A-scans which are in different B-scans.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
103 words
A system for converting data present in a plurality of A-scan signals obtained from a vector scanning arrangement for eventual display on a matrix type display comprising: means for converting the r, θ coordinate data into x, y coordinate data, means for quantising the signal data corresponding to the converted r, θ coordinate data, and means for selectively manipulating and storing the quantised signal data according to its corresponding x, y coordinate for eventual display if, and only if, the number of previous manipulations for the x, y coordinate is less than a number required to give a representation of the signal data.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
103 words
A system for converting data present in a plurality of A-scan signals obtained from a vector scanning arrangement for eventual display on a matrix type display comprising: means for converting the r, θ coordinate data into x, y coordinate data, means for quantising the signal data corresponding to the converted r, θ coordinate data, and means for selectively manipulating and storing the quantised signal data according to its corresponding x, y coordinate for eventual display if, and only if, the number of previous manipulations for the x, y coordinate is less than a number required to give a representation of the signal data.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-05-17 | 1991-11-16 | 1992-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-05-17 | 1995-11-16 | 1996-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-05-17 | 1999-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |