Localization of plane reflectors using a wide-beamwidth ultrasound transducer arrangement

Using a wide-beamwidth ultrasound transducer arrangement to measure the geometric position of plane reflectors is studied. The localization of objects is based on the computation of the time of flight (TOF) of the acoustic echoes by the determination of the intersection point of the acoustic wave fronts; the geometrical position of the object is then estimated. As no mechanical moving devices are involved in the ranging process, and fewer TOF measurements are required than that of an active phased linear array, the system features intrinsically high operational reliability and fast dynamic response