Patent Publication Number: US-2021165086-A1

Title: Signal probing system, signal processing method and related probing module

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a signal probing system, a signal processing method and a related probing module, and more particularly, to a signal probing system, a signal processing method and a related probing module capable which are not limited to probing an image in a single direction. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Conventional sonar probing techniques based on underwater acoustics utilize sound waves underwater to perform probing, positioning and communication with respect to targets. The sound waves penetrate the water to directly detect objects underwater and the surrounding environment, and present the results in the form of images. Sonar probing techniques are often used by ships for probing groups of fish in the water. Two different kinds of probing techniques are often used. The first technique probes the bottom of the water to determine a depth of the water and the fish species therein; this technique requires images with higher resolution so that the various species can be recognized. The second technique performs probing in front of the ship to determine a distribution of a group of fish at a further distance. The conventional sonar probing technique therefore requires two different sonar probing devices to satisfy the above mentioned requirements, i.e. different probes must be switched in to satisfy the respective goals. Therefore, improvements to the conventional technique are needed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a signal probing system, a signal processing method and a related probing module, which is not limited to probing images in a single direction, to prevent the disadvantages of the conventional technique. 
     An embodiment of the present invention discloses a signal probing system, comprising: a probing module, comprising a transmitting device, a first probing device and a second probing device, wherein the transmitting device is configured to transmit a first signal, the first probing device is coupled to the second probing device, and the first probing device and the second probing device are respectively configured to receive a high frequency reflective signal and a low frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal; and a processing module coupled to the probing module, wherein the processing module is configured to process the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal into image signals. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a signal processing method for a signal probing system, the signal probing system comprising a transmitting device, a first probing device, a second probing device and a processing module. The signal processing method comprises: transmitting, from the transmitting device, a first signal; receiving, by the first probing device, a high frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal; receiving, by the second probing device, a low frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal; switching outputting of the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal to the processing module; and processing, by the processing module, the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal into image signals. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a signal probing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of the signal probing system mounted on a ship hull according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a signal processing process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of another signal processing process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Refer to  FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram of a signal probing system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The signal probing system  10  includes a probing module  102  and a processing module  104 . The probing module  102  includes a transmitting device  106 , a first probing device  108  and a second probing device  110 . The transmitting device  106  is configured to transmit a first signal. The first probing device  108  is coupled to the second probing device  110 . The first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  are configured to respectively receive a high frequency reflective signal and a low frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal. In an embodiment, a bandwidth of the first signal covers bandwidths of the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal. The first probing device  108  is a phase array probe; the second probing device  110  is a curved linear array probe. The first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  may be formed on a piezoelectric material, wherein a thickness of the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  are different. The processing module  104  is coupled to the probing module  102  and is configured to process the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal into image signals. Therefore, the signal probing system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention may perform image probing in different regions with different directions by the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  to effectively shorten a probing time and reduce hardware. 
     In detail, the processing module  104  includes a plurality of multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4 , an analog-to-digital conversion module ADC and an image processor  112 . The multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  are respectively coupled to the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110 , and are configured to receive and switch outputting of the signal received by the first probing device  108  or the second probing device  110 , wherein a first switching amount of the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal from the second probing device  110  is more than a second switching amount of the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal from the first probing device  108 . For example, the processing module  104  may switch the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal received by the first probing device  108  or the second probing device  110  at different times, e.g. the processing module  104  may switch the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to the first probing device  108  at a first time to receive the high frequency reflective signal received by the first probing device  108 , and then the processing module  104  may switch the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to the second probing device  110  at a second time to receive the low frequency reflective signal received by the second probing device  110 . The analog-to-digital conversion module ADC is coupled to the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4 , and is configured to convert the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal outputted from the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  into a high frequency reflective digital signal and a low frequency reflective digital signal. The image processor  112  is configured to respectively process the high frequency reflective digital signal and the low frequency reflective digital signal into a first image and a second image. 
     Based on different applications, the probing module  102  of the signal probing system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention may be mounted on a ship hull, wherein the first probing device  108  may be mounted towards the bottom of the ship hull to receive the high frequency reflective signal, and the second probing device  110  may be mounted towards a front of the ship hull to receive the low frequency reflective signal. Refer to  FIG. 2 , which is a schematic diagram of the signal probing system  10  mounted on a ship hull B according to an embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, the first probing device  108  includes a plurality of first probing elements  1082 - 1088  and the second probing device  110  includes a plurality of second probing elements  1102 - 1108 , wherein the first probing elements  1082 - 1088  and the second probing elements  1102 - 1108  are serially arranged, the first probing elements  1082 - 1088  are arranged in a straight line, and the second probing elements  1102 - 1108  are arranged in a curved line. In this example, after the transmitting device  106  of the probing module  102  transmits the first signal, the first probing device  108  may be mounted towards the bottom of the ship hull to receive the high frequency reflective signal, and the second probing device  110  may be mounted towards the front of the ship hull to receive the low frequency reflective signal. In this way, the first probing elements  1082 - 1088  of the first probing device  108  may receive the high frequency reflective signal reflected by a group of fish at the bottom of a body of water, and use the reflective signal to determine the fish species therein. The second probing elements  1102 - 1108  of the second probing device  110  may receive the low frequency reflective signal reflected by a group of fish in the body of water in front of the ship hull, to determine a location of the group of fish. In this way, the probing module  102  according to an embodiment of the present invention may convert the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal received by the first probing elements  1082 - 1088  and the second probing elements  1102 - 1108  into a high frequency reflective digital signal and a low frequency reflective digital signal, which are then respectively processed by the image processor  112  into the first image and the second image. Notably, the above mentioned ship hull B may be a hull of the ship or a hull of an additional probing module. 
     Notably, the signal probing system  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed on one piezoelectric material, which utilizes a manufacturing process to combine the phase array probe and the curved linear array probe to meet different requirements of fish probing, wherein the system is not limited to performing image probing in a single direction without changing probes. 
     Since the first probing device  108  is the phase array probe with a probing range of about 60 degrees and the second probing device  110  is the curved linear probe with a probing range of about 90 degrees, under the architecture of the probing module  102  according to an embodiment of the present invention, a controller (not depicted in figures) maybe utilized for switching to an appropriate multiplexer. For example, the controller may be configured to control the multiplexers MUX_ 1 , MUX_ 2  to handle the second probing elements  1102 - 1108  of the second probing device  110 , or control the multiplexers MUX_ 3 , MUX_ 4  to handle the first probing elements  1082 - 1088  of the first probing device  108 . In another example, the controller may control multiplexers MUX_ 1  and MUX_ 4  to handle both the first probing element  1082  and the second probing element  1108 , so as to switch the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal received by the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110 . 
     Since the bandwidth of the first signal transmitted by the transmitting device  106  covers the bandwidths of the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal, the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  may receive the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal. When the probing module  102  is applied on a ship hull, the transmitting device  106  transmits the first signal towards the body of water. After the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  receive the first signal, the image processor  112  may take different sampling rates for the reflective signals if they have different frequencies or according to a depth of the body of water. In detail, since the image probing is performed in the body of water at a greater distance and at a lower frequency when in front of the ship, and at a closer distance and at a higher frequency when below the ship, after the transmitting device  106  of the probing module  102  transmits the first signal, a reflective time period of the low frequency reflective signal is larger than that of the high frequency reflective signal. In other words, when a sampling frequency of the low frequency reflective signal and the high frequency reflective signal overlaps, the probing module  102  selects to perform sampling for the low frequency reflective signal. Therefore, when the probing module  102  simultaneously receives the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal, the processing module  104  controls the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to preferentially switch to the second probing device  110  to receive the low frequency reflective signal. A switching amount of the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal from the second probing device  110  is more than that of the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal from the first probing device  108 . 
     An operation method of the above mentioned signal probing system  10  may be represented by a signal processing process  30 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The signal processing process  30  includes the following steps: 
     Step  302 : Start. 
     Step  304 : The transmitting device  106  transmits the first signal. 
     Step  306 : The first probing device  108  receives the high frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal. 
     Step  308 : The second probing device  110  receives the low frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal. 
     Step  310 : The multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  switch receiving the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal. 
     Step  312 : The analog-to-digital conversion module ADC converts the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal outputted by the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  into the high frequency reflective digital signal and the low frequency reflective digital signal. 
     Step  314 : The image processor  112  processes the high frequency reflective digital signal and the low frequency reflective digital signal into the first image and the second image. 
     Step  316 : End. 
     The operation of the signal processing process  30  may further by understood by referring to the above embodiments relating to the signal probing system  10 ; these details are not narrated herein for brevity. 
     In another embodiment, the signal probing system  10  may control an on/off status of the first probing device  108  and the second probing device  110  of the probing module  102  by the processing module  104  so as to process the reflective signal into the image signals. The embodiment may be represented by a signal processing process  40 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The signal processing process  40  includes the following steps: 
     Step  402 : Start. 
     Step  404 : Enable the first probing device  108 . 
     Step  406 : Switch the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal from the first probing device  108 . 
     Step  408 : The transmitting device  106  transmits the first signal. 
     Step  410 : The first probing device  108  receives the high frequency reflective signal. 
     Step  412 : Enable the second probing device  110 . 
     Step  414 : Switch the multiplexers MUX_ 1 -MUX_ 4  to receive the signal from the second probing device  110 . 
     Step  416 : The transmitting device  106  transmits the first signal. 
     Step  418 : The second probing device  110  receives the low frequency reflective signal. 
     Step  420 : The analog-to-digital conversion module ADC respectively processes the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal into the high frequency reflective digital signal and the low frequency reflective digital signal. 
     Step  422 : The image processor  112  respectively processes the high frequency reflective digital signal and the low frequency reflective digital signal into the first image and the second image. 
     Step  424 : End. 
     As compared with the signal processing process  30 , the signal processing process  40  first enables the first probing device  108  to receive the high frequency reflective signal, and then enables the second probing device  110  to receive the low frequency reflective signal. In addition, in this embodiment, the processing module  104  respectively processes the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal into the first image and the second image after receiving the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal. In another embodiment, the processing module  104  may first process the received high frequency reflective signal into the first image and then process the received low frequency reflective signal into the second image, i.e. a processing sequence of the high frequency reflective signal or the low frequency reflective signal is not limited by the present invention. 
     The above mentioned embodiments illustrate that the signal probing system of the present invention may perform image probing for different directions or different regions according to different probing requirements. It should be noted that the signal probing of the present invention may be utilized in medical or other fields according to different requirements. In addition, a quantity of the first probing elements of the first probing device and the second probing elements of the second probing device are not limited to be four; other quantities are all applicable to the present invention and are not limited thereto. 
     In summary, the present invention provides a signal probing system, a signal processing method and a related probing module, which can perform image probing in different regions with different directions, utilizing different sampling times to shorten a probing time and reduce hardware. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.