Patent ID: 8496585
Filing Date: 2013-07-30
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. A method for producing an image, comprising: a) transmitting at least one group of signals of energy toward one or more objects to be imaged with a one- or two-dimensional array transducer, where, in each transmission, transmitters of different gains are selected for the elements of the array transducer according to a square-wave weighting function that is applied along each of the dimensions of the transducer, the square-wave weighting function having different frequencies or phases for transmissions in each group, wherein the square-wave weighting function is determined by: where w b) combining receive signals from the transmissions in each group to produce a complex receive signal set; Fourier transforming the complex receive signal set in time domain, and weighting or Fourier transforming the complex receive signal set spatially on one or more dimensions of the transducer to form a spectrum data set; c) mapping the spectrum data set of step b) to produce a two- or three-dimensional image data set in Fourier domain; and performing a two- or three-dimensional inverse Fourier transform to obtain image data set in spatial domain; and, d) masking, and then superposing the image data sets of step c) from different groups to reconstruct an image.