Ultrasonic system, and method for changing one of a plurality of modular ultrasonic devices in an ultrasonic system

Abstract

Enable improved application of ultrasound and more flexible provision. 【Solution means】A modular ultrasonic device is proposed. The modular ultrasonic device includes a housing and at least one ultrasonic transducer. Each of the at least one ultrasonic transducer is configured to generate and emit ultrasonic waves based on respective control signals and generate respective measurement signals in response to the received ultrasonic waves. The modular ultrasonic device further includes a plurality of substrates disposed within the housing and separably connected to each other via respective plug connectors. The plurality of substrates includes a first substrate having a power supply circuit configured to generate respective power supply signals for the at least one ultrasonic transducer and other substrates among the plurality of substrates. The plurality of substrates further includes at least one transmission circuit configured to generate respective control signals for the at least one ultrasonic transducer and a reception circuit configured to process the respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer. Both the transmission circuit and the reception circuit are formed on a second substrate among the plurality of substrates, or the transmission circuit is formed on a second substrate among the plurality of substrates and the reception circuit is formed on a third substrate. The at least one ultrasonic transducer is formed on a fourth substrate among the plurality of substrates or separably connected to one of the plurality of substrates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure is directed to the use of ultrasound. In particular, exemplary embodiments relate to modular ultrasound devices, ultrasound systems, and methods of modifying modular ultrasound devices.

Background Art

[0002] Ultrasound is an established, cost-effective, real-time, non-invasive, and ubiquitous technique in many fields of medicine as well as in industrial testing and measurement techniques. A wide variety of systems with different levels of integration and complexity are available for a very broad range of all possible applications enabled by ultrasound. However, all systems on the market are dedicated, closed, and developed products tailored to a very small number of applications, which have their "specific intelligence" only in logic circuits embedded in the hardware or are correspondingly restricted from the hardware side. These circumstances make all of these systems inflexible, increase the development costs for new applications (requirements), and cause a relatively long "time-to-market" for the transfer of ultrasound technology.

[0003] At the same time, mobile "personal" terminal devices (such as smartphones, tablets, etc.) have rapidly penetrated the market in recent years. Driven by the broad mass market in the so-called "consumer sector", both the performance and usability of these devices have been improved. This development has been recognized by various manufacturers for several years, and the first devices based on consumer electronics have been realized. However, these devices are always developed for specific applications, are relatively large, and utilize the terminal device only as a compact user interface or an interface to the cloud.

[0004] In summary, existing devices are each targeted at specific or very narrow application ranges and can be said to be scarcely usable mobilely.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Against this background, it is an object to enable improved application and more flexible provision of ultrasound.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, this problem is solved by a modular ultrasound device, an ultrasound system, and a method for modifying a modular ultrasound device as claimed in the independent claims. Further aspects and developments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims, the following description, and the drawings.

[0007] The first embodiment relates to a modular ultrasound device. The modular ultrasound device includes a housing and at least one ultrasound transducer. Each of the at least one ultrasound transducer is designed to generate and emit ultrasound based on respective control signals and to generate respective measurement signals in response to the received ultrasound. The modular ultrasound device further includes a plurality of substrates arranged in the housing and separably connected to each other via respective plug connectors. The plurality of substrates includes at least one first substrate having a power supply circuit, and the first substrate is designed to generate respective power supply signals for the other substrates of the plurality of substrates. The plurality of substrates further includes at least one transmission circuit designed to generate respective control signals for the at least one ultrasound transducer and a reception circuit designed to process the respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasound transducer. In that case, both the transmission circuit and the reception circuit are formed on a second substrate of the plurality of substrates, or the transmission circuit is formed on a second substrate of the plurality of substrates and the reception circuit is formed on a third substrate of the plurality of substrates. At least one ultrasound transducer is formed on a fourth substrate of the plurality of substrates or separably connected to one of the plurality of substrates.

[0008] The second embodiment relates to an ultrasonic system. The ultrasonic system comprises a plurality of modular ultrasonic devices according to the invention and a device for evaluating measurement data. The plurality of modular ultrasonic devices are designed to transfer their respective measurement data directly or via at least one other modular ultrasonic device of the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices to one or more predetermined modular ultrasonic devices of the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices. The one or more predetermined modular ultrasonic devices are designed to transmit the collected measurement data of the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices to a device for evaluating measurement data. The device for evaluating measurement data is designed to determine one or more predetermined characteristic quantities based on the measurement data.

[0009] The third embodiment relates to a method for modifying a modular ultrasonic device according to the invention. The method includes non-destructively separating one of a plurality of substrates from the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates by removing at least a part of a plug connector. Further, the method includes separably connecting a new substrate to the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates using one or more plug connectors.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] In the following, some examples of the device and / or method are explained in detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, several examples will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other possible examples are not limited to the features of these embodiments described in detail. These can include changes in features, equivalents, and alternatives of features. Furthermore, the terms used herein to describe specific examples do not limit other possible examples.

[0012] Throughout the description of the figures, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or features that can implement the same or similar functions, either in the same or modified forms. Further, in the figures, the thickness of lines, layers, and / or regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0013] When two elements A and B are combined using "or", this should be understood to disclose all possible combinations, i.e., A only, B only, and A and B, unless otherwise explicitly defined in individual cases. As an alternative expression for the same combination, "at least one of A and B" or "A and / or B" can be used. This equally applies to combinations of three or more elements.

[0014] For example, when the singular forms of indefinite and definite articles are used and the use of only a single element is not explicitly or implicitly defined as mandatory, a further example is that a plurality of elements can also be used to implement the same function. In the following, when a function is described as being implemented using a plurality of elements, a further example is that the same function can be implemented using a single element or a single processing entity. Further, when the terms "comprising", "including", and / or "having" are used, these represent the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, processes, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, but it goes without saying that this does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, processes, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a modular ultrasonic device 100 according to the present disclosure. The modular ultrasonic device 100 includes a housing 110 in which various different components of the modular ultrasonic device 100 are accommodated. The modular ultrasonic device 100 is designed (configured) to emit ultrasonic waves 101.

[0016] A disassembled perspective view of the modular ultrasonic device 100, in which the individual components of the modular ultrasonic device 100 can be recognized, is shown in FIG. 2. The housing 110 of the modular ultrasonic device 100 consists of two parts 111 and 112 that can be connected to each other and non-destructively separated from each other, thereby allowing access to or reaching various different components within the modular ultrasonic device 100. However, it should be noted that the housing 110 of the modular ultrasonic device 100 does not necessarily have to consist of two parts. According to the present disclosure, the housing 110 can also consist of more than two parts that can be connected to each other and non-destructively separated. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 110 has a substantially cubic shape with rounded corners (edges). However, it should be noted that the housing 110 of the modular ultrasonic device 100 does not necessarily have to have a substantially cubic shape with rounded corners. Basically, the housing 110 can have any suitable shape (see, for example, the embodiment of FIG. 3).

[0017] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the modular ultrasonic device 100 includes a plurality of substrates 120 disposed within the housing 110. The plurality of substrates 120 are separably connected to each other via plug connectors 131, 132, respectively. The part 112 of the housing 110 can be configured as a housing back having a mechanism (such as a screw mechanism or a clamp mechanism) for closing so as to, for example, reach the plurality of substrates 120 or introduce the plurality of substrates into the housing 110.

[0018] The modular ultrasonic device 100 includes at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 configured to generate and emit ultrasonic waves 101 based on respective control signals. Further, at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 is configured to generate respective measurement signals in response to received ultrasonic waves. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 is formed on a first substrate 121 among a plurality of substrates 120. According to some embodiments, the first substrate 121 can include a plurality (i.e., two or more) of ultrasonic transducers 140 formed as described above.

[0019] In general, various geometric shapes and arrangements of acoustic elements (e.g., single-element transducers with or without a structured lens for volume imaging, linear, convex, concave, T-shaped, and matrix geometries, or array transducers of any shape and element arrangement) having different characteristics (narrow band, wide band, high sensitivity) used as ultrasonic transducers can be implemented and combined as transmitters or receivers, or both, or only partially. Therefore, parameters such as application-specific frequency range, output, number of channels, ultrasonic shape, etc. can be changed very easily and flexibly via a standardized hardware interface. A wide frequency range (Hz range, kHz range, MHz range) from audible sound to air-borne sound and solid-borne sound in liquids and solids is achievable. Therefore, using ultrasonic transducers of this bandwidth type, it can be performed in a wide range from point measurement to simple imaging and volume detection.

[0020] The first substrate 121 can be regarded as the ultrasonic transducer module of the modular ultrasonic device 100. However, in that case, it should be noted that it is not necessary to form at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 on one of the plurality of substrates 120, or in the case of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, it is not necessary to form each ultrasonic transducer. In an alternative embodiment, at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 can also be arranged separately from the plurality of substrates 120 within the housing 110, and can be detachably connected, for example, to one of the plurality of substrates 120 (for example, via one or more cables).

[0021] The housing 110 includes a window that is highly acoustically transmissive compared to other housings. The window 115 is arranged in front of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. In the example of FIG. 2, the window 115 is formed by a cavity (opening) in the housing 110. However, it should be noted that the window 115 does not necessarily have to be formed by a cavity in the housing 110. Rather, the housing can also be formed from a first material or a mixture of first materials that has the same or higher acoustic transmissibility as, or is matched to, a second material or a mixture of second materials of the rest of the housing in a partial region in front of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140.

[0022] Furthermore, the plurality of substrates 120 includes at least a second substrate 122 having a power supply circuit 170, and the power supply circuit 170 is configured to generate respective power supply signals for at least one ultrasonic transducer and the other substrates among the plurality of substrates 120. Furthermore, the power supply circuit 170 can be configured for energy management according to the requirements of the modular ultrasonic device 100. For example, the power supply circuit 170 can be configured to put one or more of the plurality of substrates 120, or individual components on the plurality of substrates, into an energy-saving mode (e.g., sleep mode) at least partially, for example, during long-term measurement tasks. The power supply circuit 170 or other circuits (e.g., the processing circuit described in more detail below) can additionally adaptively and autonomously parameterize the sleep mode according to previous measurements and their results in order to perform long-term measurements more efficiently. Factors that this may depend on, for example, are reaching the limit value quickly, and it is necessary to monitor in order to shorten the measurement interval (e.g., maximum or minimum filling level) or to lengthen the measurement interval when the measured value is outside the decisive range.

[0023] Optionally, the second substrate 120 can further include an accumulator 175 coupled to the power supply circuit 170. Accordingly, the power supply circuit 170 can be configured to generate respective power supply signals based on the energy stored in the accumulator 175. The accumulator 175 can also be configured to be replaceable. For example, the storage capacity of the accumulator 175 can be selected according to the purpose of use and application. The power supply circuit 170 also undertakes the charge management of the accumulator 175 (see below according to the selected energy source).

[0024] The modular ultrasonic device 100 can optionally include a plurality of second substrates 122 in order to increase the total capacity of available electrical energy. In that case, the total capacity of available electrical energy is not defined by the capacity of the accumulators on the individual substrates, but can be adjusted (expanded) by using the plurality of second substrates 122. For example, only the power supply circuit 170 of a single one of the plurality of second substrates can be integrated with the above-described charging function, and the accumulators of the other second substrates can be configured to be charged, for example, by inductive coupling.

[0025] Alternatively or additionally, a socket (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) for connection to a charging cable can be incorporated into the housing 110. Accordingly, the power supply circuit 170 can be configured to generate respective power supply signals based on the electrical energy received at the socket. The socket can be designed independently or configured according to industry standards (for example, a high socket for using widely spread plug adapters and table adapters). Power supply can also be performed by "bus power", in which case power is supplied to the system externally and in parallel via the communication cable used. This can be done, for example, via Power over Ethernet (PoE) or via Universal Serial Bus (USB) when using a local area network (LAN) / Ethernet, in which case each data cable also functions as a charging cable at the same time.

[0026] Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, the modular ultrasonic device 100 can include an energy converter (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) configured to convert ambient energy from around the modular ultrasonic device 120 into electrical energy. Accordingly, the power supply circuit 170 can be configured to generate respective power supply signals based on the electrical energy provided by the energy converter. For example, the energy converter can be provided in the form of a photovoltaic converter, such as one or more solar cells, attached to the housing. Alternatively or additionally, the energy converter can be provided in the form of a thermoelectric converter (e.g., using the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and / or the Thomson effect). Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, the energy converter can be provided in the form of one or more coils (e.g., by unique energy transmission or according to an industry standard such as "Qi") to inductively convert electromagnetic energy provided around the modular ultrasonic device 120 into electrical energy. Alternatively or additionally, the energy converter can be provided in the form of an electromechanical converter (e.g., using the piezoelectric effect) to convert mechanical energy (e.g., vibration, shock, pressure, or ultrasonic waves) existing around the modular ultrasonic device 120 into electrical energy. In this way, a complete or additionally cableless energy supply to the modular ultrasonic device 100 can be enabled. As shown in FIG. 2, the second substrate 122 can be, for example, the last substrate among a plurality of substrates 120, and the housing component 112 can be adapted to the energy converter to enable optimal utilization of ambient energy.

[0027] As shown in the above examples, the supply of electrical energy can be performed in a wired and / or cableless manner. Both DC power supplies and AC power supplies can be used. In the case of an AC power supply, for example, the power supply circuit 170 can perform the necessary rectification from AC to DC to enable the supply of DC to the electronic devices of the modular ultrasonic device 100.

[0028] The modular ultrasonic device 100 further includes at least one transmission circuit 150 configured to generate respective control signals for at least one ultrasonic transducer 140, and a reception circuit 160 configured to process respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmission circuit 150 is formed on the third substrate among the plurality of substrates 120, and the reception circuit is formed on the fourth substrate 124 among the plurality of substrates 120. In other words, the transmission circuit 150 and the reception circuit 160 are arranged on different substrates. However, it should be noted that the transmission circuit 150 and the reception circuit 160 do not necessarily have to be arranged on different substrates. In an alternative embodiment, the transmission circuit 150 and the reception circuit 160 can also be arranged on the same substrate. For example, the transmission circuit 150 and the reception circuit 160 can be arranged together on the third substrate 123. When the transmission circuit 150 and the reception circuit 160 are arranged on the same substrate, the transmission circuit 150 and the reception circuit 160 can also be configured as an integrated circuit, that is, a transmission and reception circuit.

[0029] The transmission circuit 150 is configured to generate an electrical transmission pattern and pulses for controlling at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 to a corresponding voltage level. This can include at least one of phase modulation, frequency modulation, amplitude modulation, and pulse width modulation. Correspondingly, each control signal for the at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 indicates an electrical transmission pattern and pulses for controlling the at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. The third substrate 123 having the transmission circuit 150 can be regarded as a transmission ultrasonic electronic module.

[0030] The receiving circuit 160 is configured to process or preprocess the respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. For this purpose, the receiving circuit 160 can be configured to at least amplify and digitize the respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. Optionally, the receiving circuit 160 can also be configured to further process the respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. For example, the receiving circuit 160 can be further configured to compress, filter, or add another signal (e.g., add the measurement signals of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers) to the respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. The fourth substrate 124 having the receiving circuit 160 can be regarded as an ultrasonic electronic module for reception.

[0031] The configuration of the plurality of substrates 120 including at least the first substrate 121, the second substrate 122, and further the transmitting circuit 150 and the receiving circuit 160 can be regarded as the basic configuration of the proposed modular ultrasonic device, regardless of whether they are arranged on a common substrate or on separate substrates. All other components or functions of the modular ultrasonic device described above and below are optional. Therefore, if at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 is not formed on one of the plurality of substrates 120, at least one ultrasonic transducer 140, together with the configuration of the plurality of substrates 120 including at least the second substrate 122, the transmitting circuit 150, and the receiving circuit 160, can be regarded as the basic configuration of the proposed modular ultrasonic device, regardless of whether they are arranged on a common substrate or on separate substrates. At least one ultrasonic transducer 140 can be detachably connected, for example, to one substrate or a plurality of substrates on which the transmitting circuit 150 and the receiving circuit 160 are formed (e.g., by one or more cables).

[0032] For example, the plurality of substrates can further include a fifth substrate 125 having a processing circuit 180. The processing circuit 180 recognizes the functions of each of the plurality of substrates 120 and is configured to control data exchange between at least a part (or in some cases, all) of the plurality of substrates 120 based on this recognition. The modular ultrasonic device 100 is controlled by the processing circuit 180. The recognition and control of individual modules or substrates, and the control of communication and data exchange between modules or substrates can be performed in various ways, which are known per se. Therefore, details thereof will not be mentioned here.

[0033] For example, the overall configuration of the modular ultrasonic device 100 can be configured in the modules or substrates during the start of operation and manufacture of the device. In this way, existing components are recognized in individual modules or substrates, and defects or malfunctions in other modules are recognized by the remaining modules. In this way, in some cases, using one or more emergency operation modes, despite partial defects or malfunctions, further measurement operations can be continued by automatic reconfiguration by the modular ultrasonic device 100 itself.

[0034] Depending on the desired application of the modular ultrasonic device 100, the processing circuit 180 can use hardware with different performances and thus variously cost-effective. Therefore, the fifth substrate 125 can be adapted to the required performance. For example, the processing circuit 180 can be formed by, or can have, a processor, a computer processor (Central Processing Unit: CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an integrated circuit (IC), a system on a chip (SoC), a programmable logic element, or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) having a microprocessor, in which software for controlling one or more components of the modular ultrasonic device 100 is executed according to the principles described herein. Further, the processing circuit 180 can have or be coupled to one or more memories.

[0035] For example, the processing circuit 180 can be designed with high performance to execute, for example, data processing steps, perform data analysis, or use an artificial intelligence (AI) network. In other words, the processing circuit 180 can optionally be configured to determine one or more predetermined characteristic quantities based on the respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 processed by the receiving circuit 160. In particular, the processing circuit 180 can be configured to determine one or more predetermined characteristic quantities using a model trained with machine learning. However, it is not necessary to use a model trained with machine learning for that purpose. Machine learning can be performed, for example, on high-frequency (HF) data present immediately after ultrasonic digitization by the receiving circuit 160. To process the ultrasonic data, these can be regarded as, for example, time series data. For processing, classification in the sense of "time series classification" can be performed. For this and for other types of further processing, the determination or extraction of characteristic quantities (features) can use, for example, temporal, spectral, and statistical methods.

[0036] The fifth substrate 125 can be interpreted as an ultrasonic electronic module having control logic.

[0037] The processing circuit 180 can also function as a multiplexer module to control the programmable, dynamic and / or fixed connections between the individual elements of the first substrate 121 (for example, the individual ultrasonic transducers if a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged on the first substrate 121) and the electronic modules of the transmission circuit 150 and / or the reception circuit 160.

[0038] The plurality of substrates 120 can include, for example, a sixth substrate 126 having a data memory 185. The data memory 185 is configured to store the respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 after being processed by the receiving circuit 160. The data memory 185 can be used to store measurement data. The data memory 185 can be fixedly incorporated on the sixth substrate 126 or configured to be replaceable. The data memory 185 can include both a volatile memory (e.g., random access memory: RAM) and a persistent memory such as a secure digital (SD) card, a micro SD card, a flash memory, a solid state drive (SSD), a multimedia card (MMC), a memory coupled via a USB interface (e.g., a USB stick), a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. The sixth substrate 126 can be regarded as a data memory module. Optionally, the data memory 185 can also be arranged on a common substrate together with the processing circuit 180.

[0039] Similarly, the plurality of substrates 120 can further include a seventh substrate (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) having a position detection circuit. The position detection circuit is configured to determine the absolute position of the modular ultrasonic device 100 and / or the relative position of the modular ultrasonic device with respect to a predetermined object. Depending on the requirements, this substrate can determine the position and, in some cases, the position situation (Lage) of the modular ultrasonic device 100, either absolutely on a small or global scale or relatively, for example, the mutual positions within a sensor network. Absolute unique position detection can be performed, for example, via a receiver for a global navigation satellite system such as NAVSTAR GPS or Galileo, position determination can be performed using a local wireless network (WLAN), and via a local position detection system (for example, an acceleration sensor and / or a position situation sensor (Lagesensor), i.e., an inertial sensor, an optical sensor, an acoustic sensor, or other sensors). Relative positioning of the modular ultrasonic device 100 in a sensor network or in connected individual devices can be performed, for example, by a fixed mechanical interface, by a mechanical sensor system such as a sensor strip (stretching, bending, etc.), by an external position sensor system (for example, optically by image processing, optically by tracking such as infrared tracking), using a wireless reference point (for example, a Bluetooth beacon), or by the ultrasonic sensor system itself (for example, triangulation using ultrasonic signals of air-borne sound or penetrating sound depending on the surrounding medium). The seventh substrate can be understood as a position detection module.

[0040] Optionally, the modular ultrasonic device 100 can further include a user interface (not shown) incorporated in the housing. The user interface can be configured to optically and / or acoustically output information about the modular ultrasonic device 100 to the user. Alternatively or additionally, the user interface can be configured to receive user input from the user. The user interface can be understood as a display and interaction module. The user interface can be used, for example, to display status values or measurement values and for user interaction. The user interface can include, for example, a display for performing simple numerical output or a screen for graphically outputting ultrasonic images or curve transitions. In one variant, it can also be configured as a touch screen for receiving user input. Similarly, the user interface can include options for mechanical input such as buttons, keyboards, keys, etc. to enable user input. Alternatively or additionally, one or more speakers for information output and one or more microphones for receiving user input from the user interface can also be included.

[0041] According to an embodiment, a plurality of plug connectors 131, 132 can be configured to send respective power supply signals from the second substrate 122 to each other substrate among the plurality of substrates 120. In other words, the general power supply for individual substrates can be performed via the plurality of plug connectors 131, 132. Alternatively, respective power supply signals can be transmitted from the second substrate 122 to one or more (e.g., all) of the plurality of substrates 120 via another interface. For example, both the second substrate 122 and one or more (e.g., all) of the plurality of substrates 120 can each include one or more coils for inductively sending respective power supply signals from the second substrate 122 to each other substrate 120 among the plurality of substrates.

[0042] Similarly, the plurality of plug connectors can include signal paths for data exchange between at least some of the plurality of substrates. In other words, communication between individual substrates can be performed via the plurality of plug connectors 131, 132. Alternatively, communication between individual ones of the plurality of substrates 120 can also be performed via another interface. For example, individual ones of the plurality of substrates 120 can include a transmitter and / or a receiver for corresponding wireless communication. For example, for this purpose, communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), Near-Field Communication (NFC), WLAN, optical communication, or sound waves can be used. Regardless of the specific type of data exchange, individual components on the plurality of substrates can exchange data with each other via a communication bus.

[0043] Individual modules or substrates are connected to each other via a corresponding bus system via the plug connectors 131, 132, or other interfaces (e.g., inductively, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.) as described above. In that case, not all of the modules or substrates described above and below necessarily need to be present, and in particular, they do not necessarily need to be arranged in a specific order. In a preferred embodiment, the plug connectors 131, 132 include both a general power supply and data and a communication bus system for functional communication. Both serial communication and parallel communication can be performed on the bus.

[0044] For communication with an external device, the plurality of substrates 120 can further include an eighth substrate (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) having a transceiver circuit. The transceiver circuit is configured to generate a transmission signal based on data to be transmitted by the mobile ultrasonic device, and correspondingly, to determine received data for the mobile ultrasonic device based on the received signal.

[0045] The output of the transmission signal can be performed in various ways. For example, the transceiver circuit can be configured to apply the transmission signal to an antenna (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the modular ultrasonic device 100 for radiating the transmission signal around the modular ultrasonic device 100. The antenna can be incorporated into, for example, the housing 110, or can be disposed on an eighth substrate or another substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the transceiver circuit can be configured to apply the transmission signal to an interface (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the mobile ultrasonic device for wired communication with an external device. Further alternatively or additionally, the transceiver circuit can be configured to generate respective control signals for at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 based on the transmission signal, and thus transfer the transmission signal to the transmission circuit 150 to encode the data to be transmitted by the mobile ultrasonic device 100 into the ultrasonic wave 101 radiated by at least one ultrasonic transducer 140.

[0046] Similarly, the reception of the reception signal can be performed in various ways. For example, the transceiver circuit can be configured to receive the reception signal from the antenna. Alternatively or additionally, the transceiver circuit can be configured to receive the reception signal from the interface for wired communication with an external device. Further alternatively or additionally, the transceiver circuit can be configured to receive the reception signal from the reception circuit 160, and the reception circuit 160 is configured to derive the reception signal from respective measurement signals of at least one ultrasonic transducer 140.

[0047] The eighth substrate can be regarded as a communication module.

[0048] For communication and data transfer between the modular ultrasonic device 100 and external hardware such as a mobile terminal or another modular ultrasonic device, for example, a standardized communication protocol can be used. In this way, the modular ultrasonic device 100 can be easily connected to any terminal device, backend, etc. according to requirements.

[0049] As shown in the above embodiments, both wired (e.g., wired or optical fiber, etc.) and wireless interfaces can be used. In that case, basically, both a proprietary interface or communication protocol and a standardized interface or communication protocol can be used. For wired communication, for example, simple serial interfaces such as native or serial USB and RS-232, native USB interfaces (e.g., USB2.0 / 3.X / 4), special industrial bus systems, manufacturer-specific interfaces (e.g., Lightning and USB), LAN, CAN bus, or Mil bus can be used. For wireless communication, for example, WLAN, Bluetooth®, simple RF wireless interfaces (e.g., 433MHz / 866MHz wireless), ZigBee (Z-wave), LoRaWAN, and mobile wireless communication standards such as 2G, 4G, and 5G, or future standards can be used.

[0050] It has already been shown above that the modular ultrasonic device 100 can have multiple communication interfaces. In this way, the modular ultrasonic device 100 (e.g., the processing circuit 180 or the transceiver circuit on the eighth substrate) can dynamically determine which one or which multiple interfaces are used. When a counterpart is nearby, for example, a high-bandwidth interface can be used. If this is not the case, in some cases, a relatively low-bandwidth long-distance wireless interface can be used. This enables, for example, automatic switching between autonomous operation using remote transmission and local service or local reading by on-site technicians. Using multiple integrated communication interfaces, the modular ultrasonic device 100 can automatically recognize whether there is a fault or failure in the communication channel, and as a result, use another available channel / system.

[0051] As already shown above, according to some embodiments, in addition to a dedicated communication system, the modular ultrasonic device 100 can also communicate using sound or ultrasonic waves themselves. For example, in a common medium (e.g., the same space in the case of using airborne sound, or the same liquid when submerged), when using ultrasonic waves by, for example, a plurality of modular ultrasonic devices, in addition to the original measurement task, ultrasonic generation and detection can also be used to exchange information (e.g., measurement parameters or results) between the modular ultrasonic devices themselves.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the digital communication format can use an interface format for data transmission such as JSON, XML, or REST services, in addition to the serial transmission of a classical binary format.

[0053] In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of substrates 120 are arranged in a stacked manner, and consecutive substrates of the plurality of substrates 120 are connected to each other by plug connectors 131 and 132, respectively. In this way, the plurality of substrates 120 can be compactly arranged in the form of a stack. However, it should be noted that the plurality of substrates 120 do not necessarily have to be arranged in a stacked manner. In an alternative embodiment, the plurality of substrates can be arranged adjacent to each other or laterally offset. For example, other substrates of the plurality of substrates 120 can be connected to the first substrate 121 using the plug connectors 131 and 132. Alternatively, the plurality of substrates 120 can also be fitted into the main substrate using the plug connectors 131 and 132. Similarly, the plurality of substrates 120 can be arranged so as to partially cover each other. The shape of the housing 110 can be adapted accordingly. For this purpose, for example, rotationally symmetric plug connectors can be used, or rotation recognition is performed by detecting the pin assignment in the plug connector.

[0054] The housing 110 can be a modular housing and can be covered with a cost-effective casing (e.g., made of injection-molded plastic or 3D printed) depending on the application. If the internal dimensions of the enclosed electronic device are the same, for more severe ambient environmental conditions or (mobile) usage conditions, a housing with shock resistance, dust protection, and / or waterproofness can also be selected. Similarly, the housing 110 can be configured to withstand particularly high temperatures or high pressures, for example, for use in industrial environments. Further, a metal housing deformation form can be used to facilitate heat dissipation of the electronic components inside the housing 110 by integrating, for example, an individually adapted heat conduction structure (e.g., a "heat pipe") for a module or the substrate itself that particularly generates heat, into the housing 110.

[0055] Optionally, a mounting element (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) for attaching the modular ultrasonic device 100 to a test object, i.e., the object to be tested using the modular ultrasonic device 100, can be incorporated into the housing 110. The mounting element can be configured in various ways. The mounting element can be, for example, a frame that houses adhesive pads for adhering the modular ultrasonic device 100 to the test object. Alternatively, the mounting element can be, for example, a holder having eyelets for one or more belts, one or more hose clamps, or eyelets for cable ties, etc.

[0056] In the following, two possible embodiments of the mounting element will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows another modular ultrasonic device 300 configured according to the foregoing description. As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 3, the housing of the modular ultrasonic device 300, unlike the housing of the modular ultrasonic device 100, does not have a cubic shape and is formed slender like a rod.

[0058] Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows a magnetic test object (test piece) 310, such as a metal (wall) surface, a pipe, or another metal surface. The positioning of the modular ultrasonic device 300 with respect to the test object 310 is performed via a magnet holder in the front region of the modular ultrasonic device 300. For this purpose, the mounting elements of the modular ultrasonic device 300 include one or more magnets 190 arranged so as not to obstruct at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 of the modular ultrasonic device 300. For example, one or more magnets 190 can be incorporated into the housing of the modular ultrasonic device 300 or a first substrate carrying at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. The proposed magnet holder enables the modular ultrasonic device 300 to be directly coupled / positioned to, for example, a metal test piece. In some cases, a dry coupling pad or coupling medium can also be used between the magnet holder and the test object.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows the attachment of the modular ultrasonic device 300 to a substantially flat surface of the test object 310, but it should be noted that both the front region of the modular ultrasonic device 300 and the mating part of the form of the test object can have any arbitrary shape. For example, the test object 310 can also be formed in a ring shape, and the front region of the modular ultrasonic device 300 can be adapted accordingly.

[0060] It should also be noted that a magnet holder for a specific application can also be attached in a similar manner to the rear region or the back surface of the modular ultrasonic device 300. This can enable easy attachment to a metal surface, for example, for air-borne sound applications.

[0061] FIG. 4 further shows an alternative embodiment of the attachment element for a non-magnetic test object 410. In the example of FIG. 4, a magnetic adhesive adapter is used as the attachment element to attach the modular ultrasonic device 300 to the non-magnetic test object 410.

[0062] The mounting element of the modular ultrasonic device 400 consists of two parts that can be connected or separated from each other. The first part of the mounting element is formed by one or more magnets 190 arranged so as not to obstruct at least one ultrasonic transducer 140 of the modular ultrasonic device 300. For example, one or more magnets 190 can be incorporated into the housing of the modular ultrasonic device 400 or into the first substrate carrying at least one ultrasonic transducer 140. The second part of the mounting element is an adhesive surface or a mechanically attachable surface 194 of a different type, on which one or more opposing magnets 192 that can be magnetically coupled to one or more magnets 190 are formed or arranged, and the modular ultrasonic device 400 is attached to the test object 410 by attaching the adhesive surface 194 to the test object 410. As shown in FIG. 4, in order to be able to optimally position the modular ultrasonic device 400 on the test object 410, one or more mating magnets 192 can be held within a housing component that can be in the same plane as the rest of the housing of the modular ultrasonic device 400.

[0063] In the example of FIG. 4, for reproducible positioning of the modular ultrasonic device 400, a mating piece that is itself magnetic and is placed on the inspection object 410 by an adapter (e.g., an adhesive surface) is used. The magnetic adhesion adapter can be precisely adapted by incorporating individual magnets providing coding of the magnet positions in unique positions.

[0064] Magnetic attachment on both the front side of the transducer of the modular ultrasonic device on the side of the test object and the back side for assembling the modular ultrasonic device can be enhanced in some cases by the electromagnetic function during operation. Also in this case, if the test object to which the modular ultrasonic device is attached does not have a metal or magnetic surface, in some cases a mating piece is required and can be used.

[0065] The hardware of the modular ultrasonic device described above and hereinafter consists of variable pluggable unit systems (Baukastensystem) composed of individual modules or substrates adjusted to each other.

[0066] Each housing of the modular ultrasonic device described above and hereinafter extends three-dimensionally in space, i.e., in three mutually perpendicular spatial directions, regardless of its specific shape. The modular ultrasonic device proposed in this specification can be designed very compactly, so that it can be comfortably held, for example, by a human hand and moved over the object to be inspected. For example, the extension of the housing in each of the three mutually perpendicular spatial directions can be less than 15 cm, 10 cm, or 5 cm.

[0067] Figures 5a and 5b show in perspective view another modular ultrasonic device 500 coupled to additional devices 510, 520, 530, and 540.

[0068] In that case, the modular ultrasonic device 500 is configured according to the basic configuration described above. In other words, the modular ultrasonic device 500 includes a transmission circuit, a reception circuit, and a power supply circuit in addition to at least one ultrasonic transducer. The additional device 510 to which the modular ultrasonic device 500 is coupled via a cable is provided with an accumulator that provides electrical energy for the power supply circuit. The additional device 520 to which the modular ultrasonic device 500 is coupled via a cable is provided with the transmission and reception circuits described above, so that the modular ultrasonic device 500 can communicate with an external device via the additional device 520. Furthermore, the modular ultrasonic device 500 is connected via cables to two additional devices 530 and 540 having another ultrasonic transducer. The transmission circuit and the reception circuit can output their respective control signals via the cables to the other ultrasonic transducers of the additional devices 530 and 540, and accordingly, can receive the measurement signals of the other ultrasonic transducers of the additional devices 530 and 540.

[0069] The functions of the modular ultrasonic device 500 can be extended using additional devices 510, 520, 530, and 540.

[0070] Since the details of various modular ultrasonic devices according to the present disclosure have already been described, several ultrasonic systems using the modular ultrasonic device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

[0071] FIG. 6 shows an ultrasonic system 600 that also includes five modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 according to the present disclosure, in addition to a device 620 for evaluating measurement data. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, exactly five modular ultrasonic devices are shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that the ultrasonic system according to the present disclosure can basically include any arbitrary plurality of modular ultrasonic devices according to the present disclosure.

[0072] In that case, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 are each designed at least according to the above-described basic configuration, and further include the above-described eighth substrate each having a transmission / reception circuit. The modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 form a sensor network or mesh 630.

[0073] The modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 are configured to transmit the respective measurement data directly or via at least one other of the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 to one or more predetermined modular ultrasonic devices of the ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5. In the example of FIG. 6, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-2 and 610-4 are the predetermined ultrasonic devices. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the modular ultrasonic device 610-1 directly transmits its measurement data to the predetermined ultrasonic device 610-2 and transmits it to the predetermined ultrasonic device 610-4 via the ultrasonic device 610-3 used as a relay station. The modular ultrasonic device 610-3 directly transmits its measurement data to the predetermined modular ultrasonic devices 610-2 and 610-4. The modular ultrasonic device 610-3 directly transmits its measurement data to the predetermined ultrasonic device 610-4.

[0074] The predefined modular ultrasonic devices 610-2 and 610-4 are designed to transmit the collected measurement data of the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 to a device 620 (measurement data evaluation device 620) for evaluating the measurement data. The measurement data evaluation device 620 is also configured to determine one or more predefined characteristic quantities based on the received measurement data. The determination of the one or more predefined characteristic quantities can be made as described above. For example, an apparatus for evaluating measurement data can be configured to determine one or more predefined characteristic quantities from the measurement data using a model trained with machine learning. To determine the one or more predefined characteristic quantities, the measurement data evaluation device 620 can have a corresponding processing circuit including a processor, a CPU, an ASIC, an IC, a SoC, a microprocessor, or an FPGA including a more complex local computing cluster in which software for determining the one or more predefined characteristic quantities according to the principles described herein is executed. Further, the processing circuit of the measurement data evaluation device 620 can have or be coupled to one or more memories.

[0075] As shown by the dashed line between the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 in FIG. 6, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 can be configured to wirelessly transmit measurement data to the predefined modular ultrasonic devices 610-2 and 610-4 by short-range wireless. This can enable energy-saving data transmission. As shown by the wavy line between the modular ultrasonic devices 610-2 and 610-4 and the measurement data evaluation device 620 in FIG. 6, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-2 and 610-4 can be correspondingly configured to transmit the collected measurement values of the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 to the measurement data evaluation device 620 using long-range wireless.

[0076] Therefore, in addition to communicating with the central office, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 can enable the formation of a sensor network or mesh 630 to transmit measurement data over a longer distance despite the use of short-range wireless. Inserting individual modular ultrasonic devices or nodes with long-range wireless capabilities into the sensor network can make them less susceptible to errors (for example, in the absence of such, a node failure would lead to a communication interruption).

[0077] Alternatively, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 can also exchange data with each other by wire. Similarly, data exchange with the measurement data evaluation device 620 can also be performed by wire if necessary.

[0078] The communication channel can also be used for error communication to other modular ultrasonic devices within the local sensor network or mesh 630. In this way, status messages can be transmitted within the sensor network 630. During normal operation, measurement value communication to other nodes or modular ultrasonic devices within the local sensor network or mesh 630 can also be performed. In this way, measurement values or classifications such as the "I-O" ("normal") status or "N-I-O" ("abnormal") status of the test object can be transmitted. In that case, this can, in other modular ultrasonic devices within the sensor network or mesh 630, in some cases, cause other and adapted measurements of the same test object in a series of tests.

[0079] Furthermore, the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 can also operate independently (autonomously) for long-term measurement tasks for, for example, condition monitoring (such as during care (maintenance) or building monitoring), and collect data at regular intervals. Data transfer can be performed using a communication module, for example, according to a mobile wireless standard.

[0080] Two or more of the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 can be set to operate synchronously. For example, one can function only as a transmitter and one can function only as a receiver.

[0081] When at least some of the modular ultrasonic devices 610-1, ···, 610-5 are equipped with a data memory as described above in long-term measurement, it is possible to actively detect the stored data at specific time intervals (e.g., when passing through or going by).

[0082] FIG. 7 shows another ultrasonic system 700 including two modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2. As shown by the dashed line between the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 in FIG. 7, the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 are configured to wirelessly exchange measurement data via short-range wireless in the same manner as described above. Different from the ultrasonic system 600, the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 are further designed to exchange measurement data by encoding it into the emitted ultrasonic wave 701. In that case, the encoding of the emitted ultrasonic wave 701 is performed according to the above-described principle. Therefore, another communication channel is available for the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2.

[0083] In the example of FIG. 7, the modular ultrasonic device 710-1 is a predetermined ultrasonic device of the ultrasonic system 700 and transfers the collected measurement data of the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 for evaluation. As shown in FIG. 7, the predetermined ultrasonic device 710-1 can transfer the collected measurement data not only to the measurement data evaluation device but also to a plurality of devices 720, 730, and 740 for evaluating the measurement data, as in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

[0084] The individual devices 720, 730, and 740 can have different performances and can be designed for different applications. For example, the device 720 can be an edge AI system that evaluates the measurement data collected by the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 through AI-based edge computing. Similarly, the device 730 can be, for example, a cloud AI system that performs an AI-based evaluation of the measurement data collected by the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 in the cloud. The device 740 can be, for example, a mobile terminal device such as a tablet computer or a mobile phone that executes software for evaluating and / or visualizing the measurement data collected by the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2. The devices 720, 730, and 740 can also exchange data with each other, and thus, for example, the individual steps of evaluating and / or visualizing the measurement data collected by the modular ultrasonic devices 710-1 and 710-2 can be distributed to individual devices.

[0085] According to corresponding software concepts, the above-mentioned hardware concepts or distributed sensor networks can be made efficient and adapted to specific applications. The software can support, in addition to the software / firmware of each modular ultrasonic device itself (for example, hardware controllers, sound beam controllers in the transmission path and the reception path, plugin-based filtering for application-specific AI signal processing and parameter extraction, imaging and image analysis, or communication with terminal devices), for example, communication between multiple individual systems and communication with local edge AI and remote cloud AI. In this way, similar to the hardware, individual elements can be developed, optimized, and used separately for different application scenarios in order to enable application-specific modularity of the software concept.

[0086] According to the app-based software concept, software updates can also explore new application ranges for the same hardware, thereby improving the flexibility of the proposed modular ultrasonic device. By completely migrating signal processing and imaging to software, hardware resources and associated costs can be saved.

[0087] Considering the further development of the proposed ultrasonic system, the overall modular approach is extremely advantageous. On the one hand, the development time for new application fields and the associated "time-to-market" time can be significantly shortened. On the other hand, the unit principle, together with the variability of the software concept (such as reloadable apps, etc.), makes the system reliable, flexible, and cost-effective in its further development. If a technological leap (such as energy supply, wider bandwidth wireless standards) is achieved in one of the individual modules, there is no need to redesign the entire system. As will be explained in more detail later with reference to FIG. 10, it is only necessary to replace the corresponding module.

[0088] FIG. 8 shows another ultrasonic system 800 comprising five modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5 according to the present disclosure. Similar to the modular ultrasonic devices of the embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7, the modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5 are also designed at least according to the above-described basic configuration, and each additionally comprises the above-described eighth substrate having a transceiver circuit. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the housings of the five modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5 are attached to each other via corresponding coupling elements to form a compact sensor network. Further, an additional device 820 is coupled to the modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5. The additional device 820 is provided with an accumulator for providing electrical energy for the power supply circuits of the modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5.

[0089] The hardware and software interfaces provided by the transmission and reception circuits of the modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5 enable the combination of a plurality of modular ultrasonic devices via a wireless interface to form a networked sensor network. Using the overlapping sound waves 801 of the modular ultrasonic devices 810-1, ···, 810-5, a wider area can be inspected with ultrasonic waves. As a result, parallel or simultaneous detection of a larger area becomes possible by integrated determination of their respective positions and by software-based networking of individual measurement data, and by a separate device for evaluating measurement data not shown in FIG. 8. This is shown exemplarily in FIG. 9, where the ultrasonic system 800 is used for ultrasonic examination of the abdomen of a person 900.

[0090] As already shown several times above, the modular ultrasonic device according to the present disclosure enables the replacement of individual modules or substrates. To clarify this aspect of the present disclosure in more detail once again, a method 1000 for changing the modular ultrasonic device according to the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 10. For example, the method 1000 can be used to replace one of the plurality of substrates 120 of the modular ultrasonic device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0091] The method 1000 includes a step 1002 of non-destructively separating one of the plurality of substrates from the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates by removing at least a part of the plug connector. For example, for this purpose, first, the housing of the modular ultrasonic device can be non-destructively opened, and most or at least a part of the substrate can be removed from the housing. In the modular ultrasonic device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, to replace the first substrate 121, the plurality of substrates 120 can be taken out of the housing 110, and then the first substrate 121 can be non-destructively separated from the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates 120 by removing the plug connector connecting the first substrate 121 to the third substrate 123.

[0092] Furthermore, method 1000 includes method 1004 of separably connecting a new substrate to the remaining substrates among a plurality of substrates using one or more plug connectors. The new substrate can be separated from the remaining substrates among the plurality of substrates, for example, by removing at least a part of the plug connector, or can have the same or similar functions as one of the separated plurality of substrates. Referring to the above example, for example, a new substrate having another ultrasonic transducer can be connected to the third substrate 123 via a plug connector. If the modular ultrasonic device 100 is used, for example, first for a first application and then for a second application where the ultrasonic requirements are different (for example, the ultrasonic shape or ultrasonic frequency is different), the modular ultrasonic device 100 can be easily adapted to each application by replacing a substrate having at least one ultrasonic transducer.

[0093] Similarly, according to method 1000, for example, a defective substrate can be easily replaced. When a defect occurs, only the respective substrate needs to be replaced, so the modular ultrasonic device according to the present disclosure can be easily and cost-effectively modified. As technology advances, the substrate for a specific function can also be updated. For example, when a new communication standard appears, the substrate having a transmission / reception circuit according to method 1000 can be replaced with a more up-to-date substrate having a transmission / reception circuit that supports the new communication standard, whereby the modular ultrasonic device according to the present disclosure can also communicate with the latest third-party devices.

[0094] According to the present disclosure, a unit for ultrasonic applications is provided that has a modular hardware basis and various software apps (e.g., in a system, mobile device, local edge AI system, cloud). The unit enables addressing a very wide range of applications through application-specific combinations. If this range is insufficient or there is a major technological leap (e.g., new battery technology or wireless technology), only the sub-module or substrate needs to be newly developed, whereby the modular ultrasonic device can be very easily adapted by replacing the corresponding module or the corresponding substrate and, depending on the application, possibly adapting the software.

[0095] Therefore, the advantages of the unit are the wide range of applications through simple reconfiguration and the high future certainty by being able to easily transfer to modules or substrates that accommodate new technologies. Therefore, this concept is very sustainable (new applications and technologies do not necessarily require completely new development and manufacturing), and development costs are significantly reduced. Users can always use the state-of-the-art in all sub-modules or substrates in the long term and, if necessary, expand the system technically by the amount of an additional sensor class (e.g., new modules for pressure measurement, brightness, smell, humidity, hardness, etc.). The future technological leaps in individual components can be directly utilized by replacing the corresponding module without the need to redesign the entire electronic unit.

[0096] Using the proposed unit, it is possible to develop new ultrasonic systems and methods more easily, more quickly, more sustainably, and with a higher cost-effectiveness overall. Furthermore, these can be flexibly adapted to a very wide range of possible applications (e.g., care, fitness, Industry 4.0, medical, etc.) by software module updates and different apps on the same hardware basis for measurement technology.

[0097] In the case of a technically extensive hardware design, a very wide range of applications is covered only by application-specific software modules. If the capabilities of a single hardware module or a single circuit board are not sufficient for one application, the individual modules or circuit boards can be very easily selected and freely recombined for their respective uses by means of a unit approach.

[0098] Due to the high flexibility and cost efficiency of this technical approach, the range of applications becomes very wide. For example, applications in the medical or care field, the consumer or prosumer field, or the industrial field are possible.

[0099] The present disclosure provides modular ultrasonic sensor electronics and software that can be flexibly configured for various application fields and, in that case, are very cost-effective and can thus address the mass market in the medical and technical contexts.

[0100] The above-mentioned numerous different modules or substrates can be combined according to the application to form an overall system. In that case, the number of necessary modules or substrates is defined according to requirements regarding the application-specific frequency range, output power, etc., and these are flexibly configured, for example, via standardized hardware and software interfaces. Similar to the memory module for recording long-term measurement data, an accumulator-based solution is also conceivable. Some of these ultrasonic systems can be combined, for example, via a cableless interface into an intelligent sensor network, and resources can also be shared among sensor systems. For communication and data transfer between a mobile terminal device and a modular ultrasonic device, for example, a module with a manufacturer-independent wireless interface or a cable connection using a standardized communication protocol can be integrated. Therefore, this system can be easily connected to each terminal device with corresponding capabilities and can start operating after loading the corresponding application-related software.

[0101] The present disclosure provides a highly cost-effective and, in addition, an integrated concept that functions independently (operates autonomously) and combines the ever-growing performance of mobile consumer terminal devices via a wireless interface (such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), WLAN, etc.) according to needs and uses, in which case it utilizes the "intelligence" from hardware to software executed on this consumer device, or uses these mobile terminal devices, for example, as a bridge to an AI cloud application, or directly connects to the cloud via integrated hardware to enable AI applications there. The automated intelligent evaluation method can be executed within a cloud network or as edge AI with integrated data processing capabilities.

[0102] Aspects and features described in connection with a particular one of the foregoing embodiments can be combined with one or more of the other embodiments to replace the same or similar features of a further embodiment, or to additionally introduce such features into another embodiment.

[0103] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the disclosure of some steps, processes, operations or functions disclosed in the specification or claims should not necessarily be construed as being in the order described, unless it is explicitly stated in the individual case or is necessarily required for technical reasons. Therefore, as described above, the execution of a plurality of steps or functions is not limited to a particular order. Further, in a further example, a single step, a single function, a single process, or a single operation may include a plurality of sub-steps, sub-functions, sub-processes, or sub-operations, and / or may be divided into a plurality of sub-steps, functions, processes, or operations.

[0104] If some aspects have been described in connection with an apparatus or system in the previous paragraph, these aspects should also be understood as an explanation of the corresponding method. In that case, for example, a block, an apparatus, or a functional aspect of an apparatus or system may correspond to a feature such as a method step of the corresponding method. Therefore, for this reason, aspects described in connection with a method should also be understood as an explanation of the corresponding block, corresponding element, corresponding characteristic, or functional feature of the corresponding apparatus or corresponding system.

[0105] The following claims are incorporated into the detailed description, and each claim can exist independently as a separate example. Further, dependent claims refer to a specific combination with one or more other claims in the claims, but it should be noted that other examples (embodiments) can also include combinations of dependent claims with other dependent claims or the subject matter of independent claims. Such combinations are explicitly proposed here in each individual case, unless it is stated that a particular combination is not intended. Further, the features of a claim against other independent claims shall also be included even if the claim is not directly defined as being dependent on other independent claims.

Claims

1. A modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500), comprising: a housing (110); at least one ultrasonic transducer (140) configured to generate and emit ultrasonic waves based on respective control signals and to generate respective measurement signals in response to received ultrasonic waves; a plurality of substrates (120) disposed within the housing (110) and separably connected to each other via respective plug connectors (131, 132); wherein: the plurality of substrates (120) include: a first substrate (122) having a power supply circuit (170) configured to generate respective power supply signals for the at least one ultrasonic transducer and for other substrates of the plurality of substrates (120); a transmission circuit (150) configured to generate respective control signals for the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140); a reception circuit (160) configured to process respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140); wherein the transmission circuit (150) and the reception circuit (160) are both formed on a second substrate (123) of the plurality of substrates (120), or the transmission circuit (150) is formed on the second substrate (123) of the plurality of substrates (120) and the reception circuit (160) is formed on a third substrate (124) of the plurality of substrates (120), and the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140) is formed on a fourth substrate (121) of the plurality of substrates (120) or is separably connected to one of the plurality of substrates (120). A modular ultrasonic device.

2. The plurality of substrates (120) are arranged in a stacked manner, and adjacent substrates of the plurality of substrates (120) are respectively connected to each other by the plug connectors (131, 132). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to Claim 1.

3. The plurality of substrates (120) are arranged adjacent to each other. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to Claim 1.

4. The housing (110) includes a window (115) having a high acoustic transparency compared to other portions of the housing (110). ​ The window (115) is disposed in front of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The plurality of substrates (120) are further includes a fifth substrate (125) having a processing circuit (180) configured to recognize the functions of the plurality of substrates (120) and control data exchange between at least some of the plurality of substrates (120) based thereon. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The processing circuit (180) is further configured to determine one or more predetermined characteristic quantities based on the respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140) processed by the receiving circuit (160). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to claim 5.

7. The processing circuit (180) is further configured to determine the one or more predetermined characteristic quantities using a model trained using machine learning. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to claim 6.

8. The plurality of substrates (120) are further includes a sixth substrate (126) having a data memory (185) configured to store the respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140) after processing by the receiving circuit (160). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The plurality of substrates (120) are further includes a seventh substrate having a position detection circuit configured to determine the absolute position of the modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) and / or the relative position of the modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) with respect to a predetermined object. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The receiving circuit (160) is configured to at least amplify and digitize the respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140) when processing. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The second substrate (122) further includes an accumulator (175) coupled to the power supply circuit (170), The power supply circuit (170) is configured to generate the respective power supply signals based on the energy stored in the accumulator (175). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A socket for connecting to a charging cable is incorporated in the housing (110), The power supply circuit (170) is configured to generate the respective power supply signals based on the electrical energy received at the socket. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. An attachment element for attaching the modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) to a test object is incorporated in the housing (110). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The housing (110) extends in three mutually perpendicular spatial directions, The extension of the housing (110) is less than 15 cm in each of the three mutually perpendicular spatial directions. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) further includes an energy converter configured to convert ambient energy from the surroundings into electrical energy, The power supply circuit (170) is configured to generate the respective power supply signals based on the electrical energy provided by the energy converter. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The plurality of plug connectors (131, 132) are configured to send the respective power supply signals from the second substrate among the plurality of substrates (120) to each other different substrates of the plurality of substrates (120). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The plurality of plug connectors (131, 132) include signal paths for exchanging data between at least a part of the plurality of substrates (120). The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) further includes a user interface incorporated in the housing (110). The user interface optically and / or acoustically outputs information about the modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) to the user, and / or receives user input from the user is configured as such. The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. The plurality of substrates (120) further include an eighth substrate having a transmission / reception circuit. The transmission / reception circuit generates a transmission signal based on data to be transmitted by the mobile ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500), determines received data of the mobile ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) based on a received signal, applies the transmission signal to the antenna of the modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) for radiation around the modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500), and / or applies the transmission signal to the interface of the mobile ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) for wired communication with an external device, and / or generates respective control signals for the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140) based on the transmission signal, and thereby transfers the transmission signal to the transmission circuit (150) to encode data to be transmitted by the mobile ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) into ultrasonic waves radiated by the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140), and Receiving the received signal by the antenna and / or receiving the received signal from the interface for wired communication with the external device and / or the receiving circuit (160) configured to derive the received signal from the respective measurement signals of the at least one ultrasonic transducer (140), receiving the received signal from the receiving circuit (160), being configured, The modular ultrasonic device (100, 300, 400, 500) according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. An ultrasonic system (600, 700, 800), The plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5) according to claim 19, A device (620, 720, 730, 740) for evaluating measurement data, comprising, The plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5) transfer their respective measurement data directly or via at least one other of the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5) to one or more predetermined modular ultrasonic devices among the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5), The one or more predetermined modular ultrasonic devices (610-2, 610-4, 710-1) are configured to transmit the collected measurement data of the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5) to the device (620, 720, 730, 740) for evaluating the measurement data, The device for evaluating the measurement data is configured to determine one or more predetermined characteristic quantities based on the measurement data. Ultrasonic system.

21. The plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5) wirelessly transmit the measurement data by short-range wireless and / or encode the measurement data in the ultrasonic waves respectively radiated, and transmit the measurement data to one or a plurality of predetermined modular ultrasonic devices (610-2, 610-4, 71-1) among the plurality of modular ultrasonic devices (610-1,..., 610-5, 710-1, 710-2, 810-1,..., 810-5). The ultrasonic system (600, 700, 800) according to claim 20.

22. The device (620, 720, 730, 740) for evaluating the measurement data is configured to determine the one or the plurality of predetermined characteristic quantities from the measurement data using a model trained by machine learning. The ultrasonic system (600, 700, 800) according to claim 20 or claim 21.

23. A method (1000) for modifying a modular ultrasonic device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, separating one of the plurality of substrates from the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates non-destructively by removing at least a part of the plug connector (1002); separably connecting a new substrate to the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates using one or a plurality of plug connectors (1004); A method including.

24. The new substrate has the same function as one of the plurality of substrates separated from the remaining substrates of the plurality of substrates by removing at least a part of the plug connector. The method (1000) according to claim 23.

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