Abstract:
A method and apparatus for detecting the seismic signal generated by a tornado and providing timely warning of the tornado's approach. The invention involves the use of a geophone or velocity transducer (3) to detect the seismic surface waves generated by the tornado. The output of the geophone passes to the microchip (4) installed with the alarm system (5) within the building (6). Within the microchip the signal passes through the A/D converter (7), to the band-pass filter (8), and then to the signal-to-noise comparator (9). When the signal-to-noise ratio exceeds a specified level, the switch (10) is closed and the alarm (5) is activated.
Abstract:
A raindrop sensor attached to a plate such as a windshield of a car. A first piezoelectric element as an ultrasonic generator is fitted to the plate via a first coupler. The coupler fixes the first element in an inclined state by a predetermined angle relative to the plate. Thereby, elastic waves or ultrasonic waves from the first element are transmitted while being repeatedly reflected in the plate. A second piezoelectric element as an electro-acoustic transducer is fitted to the plate via a second coupler. The second element detects amplitude of the ultrasonic waves transmitted in the plate.
Abstract:
A technique for the non-intrusive position determination of one or more natural or artificial acoustic transmitters (S1, S2, S3) in marine or terrestrial environments by processing data from five or more receivers (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5) distributed in the area. The data processing includes cross correlation (24) of receiver data to determine differences in acoustic data travel times (MTTD) and tomographic reconstruction (16) to determine transmitter position as well as receiver position (42), wind or current (40) and sound speed or temperature fields (44) and errors (41) associated with all of the above. Accuracy can be greatly enhanced by use of calibration transmissions at receiver or other known or unknown position locations. Position and wind, sound speed and error fields may conveniently be displayed by computer generated maps (18, 20, 22, 43).
Abstract:
Geophones are placed around pipelines to detect third parties, e.g., heavy construction vehicles. Associated computer equipment acquires data from the geophones and discriminates for the frequencies associated with heavy construction vehicles.
Abstract:
Wood and other article destroying insects, when feeding, induce vibrations in the article being destroyed which is monitored and amplified to an audible level. The vibratory sounds are then analyzed as by comparison with other records of known destructive insects to determine the probable species of insect and its location.
Abstract:
An acoustic inspection system includes acoustic transducers to transmit and receive continuous acoustic waves at a constant frequency. Changes in phase and/or amplitude of acoustic waves reflected at different times from a fixed reference target through an isothermal transmission medium are detected. The temperature of the acoustic transmission path is controlled in response to the detected phase changes to maintain the wavelength of acoustic waves constant independent of changes in humidity and barometric pressure.
Abstract:
In combination, intrusion detection apparatus giving a signal when a light vehicle approaches a geophone, and a heavy vehicle discriminator disabling the detection apparatus when the approaching vehicle is a heavy one.
Abstract:
A method of, and apparatus for, monitoring sound-conducting media wherein sound vibrations are transmitted to and absorbed by the sound-conducting medium. The frequency of the transmitted sound vibrations periodically pass through a predetermined frequency range. During an evaluation period the course of any one of the amplitude or phase of the received sound vibrations are compared with the course of the amplitude or phase during one of the preceding evaluation periods, and when there occur predetermined deviations of both amplitude courses or both phase courses from one another there is triggered an alarm signal.
Abstract:
In sound target detection equipment, at least three microphones are used in a broadside array manner to ascertain the presence of a selected sound source. The outputs of the three microphones all include the sought signal S and respectively contain noise components X, U and Y. These outputs are combined to provide X-U and X-Y. These two signals are then applied as separate inputs to a discriminator which applies the rules:(a) when the input signals are both of the same polarity, the discriminator selects the input closer to zero and presents it as the output;(b) when the input signals are of opposite polarity, the device presents zero as the output.The output from the discriminator is then subtracted from one of the original microphone outputs in a manner tending to cancel out the noise contents, and the resulting signal examined for the presence of the sought signal S. The invention is applicable also to non-aural signal detection equipment.
Abstract:
An electrical signal originating from an abnormal sound is passed through a bandpass filter and compared with a reference signal by a comparator. When the electrical signal is not less than the reference signal, the comparator produces a pulse. A counter counts the pulses from the comparator and causes a display device to display the presence of the abnormal sound when its count exceeds a predetermined value within a predetermined time interval.