Patent ID: 6711953
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G01S,G10K

Abstract:
A method of controlling the direction of a transmitting beam and a receiving beam formed by a cylindrical transducer which is constructed of a plurality of ultrasonic transducer arrays arranged in a circular form, said method comprising the steps of:dividing the ultrasonic transducer arrays in a plurality of groups; and controlling the direction of the beams formed by the ultrasonic transducer arrays depending on which group the individual ultrasonic transducer arrays belong, wherein said step of controlling the direction of the beams includes the steps of: detecting the angle of inclination of the cylindrical transducer; and controlling the direction of the beams formed by the ultrasonic transducer arrays of the individual groups to compensate for the angle of inclination of the cylindrical transducer, and controlling the receiving beam more than once during a reception cycle and the direction of the receiving beam is rotated about a fixed point.