Accoustic imaging system for a portable computing device

Abstract

A portable acoustic imaging system includes a casing selectively attachable to a portable computer device and a plurality of microphones disposed in the casing. The microphones are arranged in a defined array for capturing acoustic data.

Description

ACCOUSTIC IMAGING SYSTEM FOR A PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 624,835 filed on January' 25, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND

[0002] Acoustic imaging devices can include acoustic sensors for detecting acoustic signals of interest and visual sensors for capturing visible images of an inspection area with the acoustic signals of interest. The acoustic imaging devices can overlay an acoustic image on the visible image to assist with identifying a location or source of the acoustic signal of interest in the inspection area.

[0003] While conventional acoustic imaging systems can provide detailed acoustic images, conventional acoustic imaging systems also have drawbacks. For instance, conventional acoustic imaging systems are dedicated systems that are often incompatible with typical consumer electronic devices, such as smartphones or tablets. Thus, conventional acoustic imaging systems can be difficult to couple with consumer electronic devices due to the large form and complex integration requirements of the conventional acoustic imaging systems. Moreover, the portability' and accessibility of conventional acoustic imaging systems can be limited by the large form and complex integration requirements of the conventional acoustic imaging systems.

[0004] Accordingly, a technical challenge exists in developing an acoustic imaging system that can be seamlessly integrated with consumer electronic devices, while maintaining portability and ease-of-use, without compromising on the quality of acoustic images generated.SUMMARY

[0005] The above-referenced challenge may be addressed with an acoustic imaging system or array attachment that includes a small microphone array, which can be seamlessly integrated with standard portable computer devices, such as smartphones or tablets. The array attachment can facilitate generation of detailed acoustic images by utilizing a combination of the microphone array and either a built-in camera on the portable computer device or an integrated camera within the array attachment. This solution can advantageously provide a high-quality acoustic imaging system that is compatible withconsumer portable computer device, thus increasing accessibility and portability7without compromising the quality of the acoustic images generated.

[0006] By providing an auxiliary or attachment-type solution for a portable computer device, acoustic imaging applications can be more accessible to the average consumer due to the significantly lower cost of the array attachment relative to the dedicated conventional acoustic imaging systems in addition to the smaller, more portable form factor of the array attachment.

[0007] The array attachment may or may not include an integrated camera located onboard the array attachment. In example embodiments where the array attachment does not include the integrated camera, the array attachment may utilize the built-in camera on the portable computer device to capture visible images to be merged with audio data from the microphone array to produce acoustic images. When the array attachment is equipped with the integrated camera, the array attachment may utilize image data captured from the integrated camera to be merged with audio data from the microphone array to produce acoustic images. In example embodiments where the array attachment is equipped with the integrated camera, the array attachment may utilize image data captured from the integrated camera on the array attachment as well as utilizing the built-in camera on the portable computer device to capture visible images to be merged with audio data from the microphone array to produce acoustic images. Thus, both the integrated camera on the array attachment and the built-in camera on the portable computer device may be used to capture visual data in some example embodiments, and the visual data from two (or more) cameras may be used in combination with the audio data from the microphone array to generate acoustic images.

[0008] The array attachment may also vary in terms of onboard computing resources. Thus, e.g., the array attachment may include a variety of numbers, size, and capabilities of processors and memories located onboard the array attachment. In some example embodiments, the array attachment may include minimal computing resources onboard the array attachment, e.g., such that audio data is captured by the array attachment and then sent to the portable computer device for processing and visualization. In other example embodiments, the array attachment may include full computing resources onboard the array attachment, e.g., such that acoustic images are generated by the array attachment and then sent to portable computer device for display to the user.

[0009] The array attachment may take a variety of form factors. For example, the arrayattachment may have a sleeve form factor, e.g., such that the portable computer device isattachable within the sleeve shape of the array attachment. As another example, the array attachment may have a bottom-mount form factor, e.g., such that the array attachment is attachable to the portable computer device at a bottom of the portable computer device. As another example, the array attachment may have a hinged form factor, e.g., such that the array attachment is pivotally attachable to the portable computer device. Other form factors may also be used depending upon the desired arrangement. Thus, the array attachment may be advantageously flexible in design to meet different user needs.

[0010] In example embodiments, the array attachment may be configured for calibration, such as parallax correction, either manually by the user interacting with an application running on the portable computer device or automatically when the array attachment has an integrated camera. The calibrations can advantageously ensure the accuracy of the generated acoustic images, which can thus provide a highly effective solution for integrating acoustic imaging capabilities with portable computer devices.

[0011] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary7skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.

[0013] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a portable acoustic imaging system according to an example embodiment of the present subject matter attached to a portable computer device.

[0014] FIG. 2 is another isometric view of the example portable acoustic imaging system of FIG. 1 with the example portable acoustic imaging system shown unmounted from the portable computer device.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the example portable acoustic imaging system of FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a portable acoustic imaging system according to another example embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0017] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a portable acoustic imaging system according to another example embodiment of the present subject matter attached to the portable computer device.

[0018] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a portable acoustic imaging system according to another example embodiment of the present subject matter attached to the portable computer device.

[0019] FIG. 7 is another isometric view of the example portable acoustic imaging system of FIG. 6 with the example portable acoustic imaging system shown unmounted from the portable computer device.

[0020] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a portable acoustic imaging system according to another example embodiment of the present subject matter attached to the portable computer device.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of certain components of an acoustic imaging system according to an example embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0022] FIGS. 10 through 12 illustrate various portions of a parallax correction process for a portable acoustic imaging system according to an example embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0023] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an acoustic imaging method according to an example embodiment of the present subject matter.

[0024] Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawing is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The present disclosure is generally directed to a portable acoustic imaging system that is selectively attachable to a portable computer device, such as a smartphone or tablet. Thus, in one example embodiment, a portable acoustic imaging system includes a casing selectively attachable to a portable computer device and a plurality of microphones disposed in the casing. The microphones are arranged in a defined array for capturing acoustic data.

[0026] Selectively attachable refers to the capability of the portable acoustic imaging system to be easily and interchangeably connected to and disconnected from multiple types of portable computer devices, such as smartphones or tablets, at the discretion of the user. This feature provides users with the flexibility to choose when to integrate acoustic imaging capabilities with their chosen device, and the ability to remove the system when not in use. This is in contrast to being permanently or semi-permanently affixed to a single device or mount. The selective attachment facilitates enhanced portability’, convenience, and adaptability in various usage scenarios.

[0027] In some embodiments, a unique aspect of the portable acoustic imaging system is in its ability to be selectively attached with the portable computer device to form a singular, hand-held physical structure. For example, unlike alternative embodiments which may be separately mounted from but operably connected with a computing system (e.g., using communication cabling), some example embodiments of the portable acoustic imaging system can be attached to a portable device not merely using communication cabling, but instead using a physical integration that results in a singular, combined structure that can be easily held, moved, and manipulated by a user. This selective attachment to create a singular, combined structure not only facilitates data communication but also physically couples the acoustic imaging system with the portable device, thereby enhancing its portability, handling, and user interaction. The combined structure allows for streamlined operation, providing users the ability to simultaneously capture acoustic and visual data while manipulating the device in real time, further enhancing the system's ease-of-use and ergonomics. This unique feature distinguishes these example embodiments of proposed device from alternative acoustic imaging embodiments that plug into computers without providing an integrated, handheld form factor.

[0028] In example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system does not include an integrated camera. Thus, the portable acoustic imaging system may utilize the camera of the portable computer device to capture visible images that can be combined with audio data from the microphones to generate acoustic images. The camera of the portable computer device may be offset from the defined array of microphones. Moreover, a focal center of the camera on the portable computer device may be offset from a center of the defined array of microphones. In other example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system may include an integrated camera. Thus, the portable acoustic imaging system may utilize the camera of the portable acoustic imaging system and / or the camera of the portable computer device to capture visible images that can be combined with audio data from the microphones to generate acoustic images.

[0029] In some example embodiments, when both the integrated camera of the portable acoustic imaging system and the camera of the portable computer device are utilized, the integrated camera on the portable acoustic imaging system may be relatively lower resolution relative to the camera of the portable computer device. In some of these embodiments, the integrated camera on the portable acoustic imaging system can be used primarily for assisting with calibration of the microphones for acoustic imaging, and the camera of the portable computer device may be utilized for acoustic imaging. For example,if the offset between the camera of the portable computer device and the (lower-resolution) integrated camera is known, then the lower-resolution image can be pixel mapped to the higher-resolution image from the portable computer device (e.g.. using various known computer vision image registration techniques), and then the acoustic image could then be correspondingly mapped from the lower resolution to the higher resolution visible image using the determined mapping. Alternately or additionally, if the geometric relationship between the camera of the portable computer device and array of microphones is known, the acoustic image can be mapped directly to the higher resolution camera image (e.g., via parallax registration methods described in further detail elsewhere herein).

[0030] In example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system may include various onboard computing resources. Thus, e.g., the portable acoustic imaging system may include a variety of numbers, size, and capabilities of processors and memories located onboard the portable acoustic imaging system. For instance, the portable acoustic imaging system may include limited acoustic imaging processors and memories onboard the portable acoustic imaging system, and audio data captured by the microphones on the portable acoustic imaging system may be sent to the portable computer device for processing and visualization. As another example, the portable acoustic imaging system may include full acoustic imaging capabilities, and associated processors and memories may be located onboard the portable acoustic imaging system for generating acoustic image on the portable acoustic imaging system and then sending the acoustic image to the portable computer device for display to the user.

[0031] In example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system may have various form factors. For example, the portable acoustic imaging system may have a sleeve form factor, a bottom-mount form factor, or a hinged form factor. Other form factors may also be utilized.

[0032] In example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system may be configured for calibration, such as parallax correction, of the portable acoustic imaging system. Thus, e.g., a user can interact with an application running on the portable computer device to calibrate the image / audio data, such as when the portable acoustic imaging system does not have an integrated camera. In some embodiments, when the portable acoustic imaging system includes the integrated camera, the portable acoustic imaging system may perform an automated calibration procedure for the alignment of the camera of the portable computer device and the microphones. For example, a pixel mapping can be determined between the lower resolution image generated by the integrated camera and the higher resolution imagegenerated by the camera of the portable computer device. This mapping can then be applied to the data generated by the microphone array so as to align the data with the higher resolution camera. Alternatively or additionally, the data generated by the microphone array can be directly mapped to the higher resolution camera using parallax registration methods described elsewhere herein.

[0033] It is to be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present discussion is a description of exemplary embodiments only and is not intended as limiting the broader aspects of the present disclosure.

[0034] When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. As used herein, the terms “includes” and “including” are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as “about,” “approximately,” and “substantially,” are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a ten percent (10%) margin.

[0035] The term “attached” refers to direct attachment, unless otherwise specified herein.Portable Acoustic Imaging System;

[0036] With reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, a portable acoustic imaging system 200 according to an example embodiment of the present subject matter will be described in greater detail below. In FIG. 1, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is shown attached or mounted to a portable computer device 100. In FIG. 2, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is shown removed or unmounted from the portable computer device 100. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be selectively attached to the portable computing device 100. Thus, e.g., a user may attach the portable acoustic imaging system 200 on the portable computing device 100 when the user utilizes the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to generate acoustic images, and the user may remove the portable acoustic imaging system 200 from the portable computing device 100when the user is not using the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to generate acoustic images.

[0037] Thus, e.g., the user may selectively attach the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100 and thereby adjust the portable computing device 100 and the portable acoustic imaging system 200 between the arrangement shown FIGS. 1 and 2 depending upon the desired arrangement. The portable acoustic imaging system 200 may define a vertical direction V, a lateral direction L. and a transverse direction T that are mutually perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system.

[0038] The portable computing device 100 may be any suitable portable computing device. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable computing device 100 may be a smartphone. In other example embodiments, the portable computing device 100 may be a tablet or other portable computing device, such as a smart watch or a single board computer. As shown, the portable computing device 100 may include a casing 110, e.g., that extends between a top portion 112 and a bottom portion 114 (FIG. 2), e.g., along the vertical direction V when the portable computing device 100 is oriented upright as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The portable computing device 100 may include a camera(s) 120 mounted to casing 1 10, e.g., at the top portion 112 of the casing 110. The camera(s) 120 may be positioned opposite a display 111 of the portable computing device 100, e.g., about the transverse direction T. Thus, the camera(s) 120 may be positioned and directed for capturing visible images in a direction opposite the display 111 of the portable computing device 100. As will be understood, a user of the portable computing device 100 may utilize the display 111 of the portable computing device 100 to orient the camera(s) 120 of the portable computing device 100 for capturing visible images of a desired area.

[0039] The portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include a casing 210 that houses various components of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 and that assists with attaching the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100. The casing 210 may also protect the portable computing device 100 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0040] The casing 210 may extend between atop portion 212 and a bottom portion 214, e.g., along the vertical direction V when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is oriented upright as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the casing 210 may have a sleeve-shaped form factor in certain example embodiments. Thus, e.g., the casing 210 may include a pair of side walls 211, a bottom wall 213, and a front wall 215. The side walls211 may be spaced apart along the lateral direction L and / or positioned at opposite sides of the casing 210 along the lateral direction L. The bottom wall 213 may be positioned at the bottom portion 214 of the casing 210, and the front wall 215 may extend along the vertical direction V between the top and bottom portions 212, 214 of the casing 210. The side walls 211, bottom wall 213, and front wall 215 may collectively define a slot 202, which is configured for receipt of the portable computing device 100. Moreover, the top portion 212 of casing 210 and / or the rear of the casing 210 may be open to allow for insertion of the portable computing device 100 into the slot 202. Thus, a user may slide the portable computing device 100 into the slot 202 in order to attach the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100. The user may also slide the portable computing device 100 from the slot 202 in order to unmount the portable acoustic imaging system 200 from the portable computing device 100. When the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100, a portion of the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may contact and / or couple with a portion of the casing 110 of the portable computing device 100. As one example, some or all of the side walls 211 and the bottom wall 213 may include a lip at an outer edge and extending into the slot 202. These lip(s) may securely hold the portable computing device 100 within the slot 202.

[0041] In example embodiments, a height of the front wall 215 along the vertical direction V may be about equal to a height of the casing 110 of the portable computing device 100 along the vertical direction V. and a width of the front wall 215 along the lateral direction L may be about equal to a width of the casing 1 10 of the portable computing device 100 along the lateral direction L. Thus, the front wall 215 may generally complement the shape of the casing 210. The casing 210 may include an opening or a transparent window 220 at the top portion 212 of the casing 210. The window 220 may be aligned with the camera(s) 120 of the portable computing device 100 and may allow the camera(s) 120 to capture visible images through the casing 210 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. A height of the side walls 211 along the vertical direction V may be less than the height of the front wall 215. The reduced height of the side walls 211 may permit the user to access inputs (such as buttons, switches, etc.) on the portable computing device 100 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. In addition, as noted above, the rear of the casing 210 opposite the front wall 215 may be open. Thus, the display 111 of the portable computing device 100 may be visible and accessible by the user when the portable acoustic imagingsystem 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. In example embodiments, the casing 210 may be flexible, include an elastic liner, or other features that deform to compress against the portable computing device 100 and assist with coupling the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100 and / or with coupling the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to various size portable computing devices.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 also includes a plurality of microphones 230. Microphones 230 may be disposed within the casing 210. For instance, microphones 230 may be disposed within the front wall 215 of the casing 210. Moreover, the casing 210 (e.g., the front wall 215) may define a plurality of openings, and the microphones 230 may be disposed within casing 210 such that each of the microphones 230 is aligned with a respective one or more of the openings in order to assist sound with passing through the casing 210 to the microphones 230. In example embodiments, the openings may be positioned at a front surface 216 of the casing 210, e.g., that faces away from the portable computing device 100 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. The microphones 230 may be positioned and directed for capturing and recording sound in a direction opposite the display 111 of the portable computing device 100. Thus, e.g., the microphones 230 may be positioned and directed for capturing audio data in a direction opposite the display 111 of the portable computing device 100. In example embodiments, the microphones 230 may be positioned and directed for capturing audio data in substantially the same direction as the camera(s) 120 of the portable computing device 100.

[0043] Microphones 230 may include a suitable number of microphones. For instance, the microphones 230 may include five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, fifteen, tw enty, or more microphones. The microphones 230 may be arranged in a defined array. The defined array may have a suitable shape, such as a circle, oval, square, rectangle, or other shape. The defined array may be generally planar, e.g., such that the microphones 230 are arranged coplanar with one another. Microphones 230 may be a suitable transducer for converting sound into electrical signals. For instance, the microphones 230 may be one or more of a MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) microphone, a condenser microphone, a dynamic microphone, a piezo microphone, a fiber-optic microphone, etc.

[0044] The positions of each microphone 230 may be known to assist with beamforming during acoustic imaging. In example embodiments, the position data for each microphone 230 may be stored as an M * 3 matrix, where M is the number of microphones 230 and each row contains an (x, y, z) triple describing the point in three-dimensional space where the mthmicrophone is located. The origin may be defined with respect to a reference location, such as the geometric center of the defined array.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a rear view of the portable acoustic imaging system 200. As shown in FIG. 3, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include a data transfer and power delivery plug 240. The plug 240 may be mounted to the casing 210, e.g., at the bottom portion 214 of the casing 210. In example embodiments, the plug 240 may be positioned on the bottom wall 213 of the casing 210. The plug 240 may be configured for receipt within a receptacle (not show n) of the portable computer device 100 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. The plug 240 and receptacle may be configured in a suitable standard, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Thunderbolt. Lightning, or another connector for electronic devices. The plug 240 may thus facilitate signal communication and / or power transfer between the portable acoustic imaging system 200 and the portable computer device 100. It will be understood that in other example embodiments, the portable computer device 100 and the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be configured for wireless communication, e.g., via Bluetooth or another suitable communications protocol.

[0046] In the example embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 does not include a camera integrated within the portable acoustic imaging system 200. Thus, as described in greater detail below, the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 may be utilized to capture visible images for forming combined images acoustic images with acoustic data from the microphones 230. However, as described in greater detail below, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include an integrated camera for capturing visible images in other example embodiments. The visible images from the integrated camera on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be used as an alternative to or in addition to visible images from the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100.

[0047] It will be understood that the arrangement of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 show n in FIGS. 1 through 3 is provided by way of example. The portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include other components and / or different arrangements in other example embodiments. Other example aspects of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 are described in greater detail below- in the context of FIGS. 4 through 12.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 4, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include a camera 250 for capturing a visible image. The camera 250 may be disposed in the casing 210. Thus, the camera 250 may be integrated within the portable acoustic imaging system200. For instance, camera 250 may be disposed within the front wall 215 of the casing 210. Moreover, the casing 210 (e.g., the front wall 215) may define an opening, and the camera 250 may be disposed within casing 210 such that the camera 250 is aligned with a respective opening in order to assist exposure of the camera 250 to light. In example embodiments, the opening may be positioned at the front surface 216 of the casing 210, e.g., that faces away from the portable computing device 100 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. The camera 250 may be positioned and directed for capturing visible images in a direction opposite the display 111 of the portable computing device 100. Thus, e.g., the camera 250 may be positioned and directed for capturing visible images in a direction opposite the display 111 of the portable computing device 100. In example embodiments, the camera 250 may be positioned and directed for capturing visible images in substantially the same direction as the camera(s) 120 of the portable computing device 100 and / or the microphones 230.

[0049] In example embodiments, the camera 250 may be disposed within an outer perimeter of the defined array of microphones 230. Thus, e.g., the camera 250 may be positioned between adjacent microphones 230 within the defined array. In particular, the camera 250 may be disposed at a center (e.g., centroid) of the defined array of microphones 230. In example embodiments, the camera 250 may be spaced from the defined array of microphones 230 by no more than five centimeters (5 cm). Thus, the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be positioned close to the microphones 230, e.g., relative to the camera(s) 120 on the portable computing device 100. Such positioning of the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may advantageously allow the camera 250 to assist with calibrating the alignment of the microphones 230 with the camera 250 and / or the camera 120. In particular, it is advantageous for the camera 250 to be located at the centroid of the array of microphones 230 because then any offset will be independent of distance to target (i.e., no parallax effect at all). If the camera 250 is not at the centroid, it is still advantageous to have it as close as possible to the centroid. The closer it is, the smaller the parallax offsets will be.

[0050] As noted above, visible images from the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be used as an alternative to or in addition to visible images from the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100. Thus, in example embodiments, the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may have a lower resolution than the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100. The lower resolution camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be used to assist with calibrating thealignment of the higher resolution camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 and the microphones 230 while the higher resolution camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 may be used for acoustic imaging. For example, if the offset between the camera 120 and the camera 250 is known, then the lower-resolution image from camera 250 can be pixel mapped to the higher-resolution image from the camera 120 (e.g., using various known computer vision image registration techniques), and then data obtained using the microphones 230 could then be correspondingly mapped from the lower resolution to the higher resolution visible image using the determined mapping. Alternately or additionally, if the geometric relationship between the camera 120 and microphones 230 is known, the data from the microphones 230 can be mapped directly to the camera 120 (e.g., via parallax registration methods described in further detail elsewhere herein).

[0051] In other example embodiments, the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may have the same or greater resolution than the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100, and the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be used both to assist with calibrating the alignment of the higher resolution camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 and the microphones 230 and for acoustic imaging. In general, the camera 250 may be utilized for capturing visible images, and the visible images from the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be used as an alternative to or in addition to visible images from the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100.

[0052] The addition of the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may allow for additional performance for acoustic imaging, such as by attaching higher quality supplemental photos from the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 that can be paired with acoustic images. For the portable acoustic imaging system 200 without the camera 250 (FIGS. 1 through 3), the location of the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 relative to each microphone 230 must be known to perform parallax correction and properly overlay visible images from the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 and acoustic images. In example embodiments: (1) the location of the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 relative to the microphones 230 may be stored in a database that is accessible on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 and / or the portable computer device 100, e.g., via a network; or (2) the user can manually adjust the FOV and w indow^ of the visible image until the visible image is properly overlaid with the acoustic map, as discussed in greater detail below. In the second case, the location of the camera on the computing device does not need to be known.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 5, the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may have a reduced height form factor in another example embodiment. For instance, the height of the front wall 215 along the vertical direction V may be less than the height of the casing 110 of the portable computing device 100 along the vertical direction V. Moreover, the top of the front wall 215 may be disposed below the camera(s) 120 along the vertical direction V when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100. Thus, the front wall 215 may be spaced from the camera(s) 120 of the portable computing device 100 along the vertical direction V to allow the camera(s) 120 to capture visible images without interference by the casing 210 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached to the portable computing device 100.

[0054] The sizing of the casing 210 may be selected to assist with receiving or mounting to the portable computing device 100. As an example, the height of the front wall 215 along the vertical direction V may be no less than five centimeters (5 cm) and no greater than twenty centimeters (20 cm) and the width of the front wall 215 along the lateral direction L may be no less than five centimeters (5 cm) and no greater than twelve centimeters (12 cm), e.g., when the portable computing device 100 is a smartphone. As an example, the height of the front wall 215 along the vertical direction V may be no less than five centimeters (5 cm) and no greater than fifty centimeters (50 cm) and the width of the front wall 215 along the lateral direction L may be no less than five centimeters (5 cm) and no greater than thirty-five centimeters (35 cm), e g., when the portable computing device 100 is a tablet. The thickness of the front wall 215 along the transverse direction T may be no less than two and a half millimeters (2.5 mm) and no greater than three centimeters (3 cm). It will be understood that such sizing is provided by way of example and may be different to account for the portable computing device 100.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6 and 7, the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may have a bottom-mount form factor in another example embodiment. Thus, the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be attached to the portable computing device 100 at the bottom portion 114 of the casing 110, and the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may extend downwardly from the bottom portion 114 of the casing 110. The plug 240 may be positioned at the top portion 212 of the casing 210 in such arrangement.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may have a hinged form factor in another example embodiment. Thus, the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be pivotally attached to the portable computingdevice 100 at the bottom portion 114 of the casing 110, and the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may extend downwardly from the bottom portion 114 of the casing 110. For instance, the plug 240 on a portion 260 of the casing 210 may be received within the receptacle (not shown) of the portable computer device 100, and the other portions of the casing 210 may pivot relative to the portion 260. The pivoting direction is shown with the curved double arrow in FIG. 8.

[0057] It will be understood that other form factors may be utilized in other example embodiments. For instance, the connection between the portable computer device 100 and the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be flexible, such as via a gooseneck that attaches to the portable computer device 100, which can allow independent movement of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 relative to the portable computer device 100.

[0058] The portable computer device 100 and the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may collectively implement broad-frequency acoustic imaging via an array of microphones 230 and a camera 120 and / or 250 to visualize and localize acoustic signals. In general, the data signals from the microphones 230 may be processed via algorithms to implement far- field array beamforming in the frequency domain to the acoustic data from the microphones 230. The output of the beamforming may be an acoustic map that describes the acoustic signal power at a series of locations in space, and the series of locations for the beamforming may cover the same field of view (FOV) as the camera 120 and / or 250 such that the acoustic map can be overlaid with the visible image, thus allowing the user to localize sound sources. The acoustic imaging can be applied to a wide array of applications, including reducing noise sources in product design, compressed air leak localization, wildlife localization, partial discharge localization, mechanical defect localization, etc. While localization is the primary' use of acoustic imaging, the technology can also be used for quantitative purposes, such as measuring sound pressure levels (SPL) and calculating distances to noise source under measurement.

[0059] As may be seen from the above, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may cooperate with the portable computer device 100 when the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is attached the portable computer device 100 to provide acoustic imaging. In example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 can leverage components of the portable computer device 100, such as the display 111, the camera(s) 120, and / or computing device to support the portable acoustic imaging system 200.Acoustic Imaging System Components:

[0060] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of certain components of an acoustic imaging system 300 according to an example embodiment. The acoustic imaging system 300 is described in greater detail below in the context of the portable computing device 100 and the portable acoustic imaging system 200 described above. However, it will be understood that the acoustic imaging system 300 may be used in or with other portable acoustic imaging system arrangements.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 9, the acoustic imaging system 300 may also include a processing device or computing device 350 that may be generally configured to facilitate operation of at least a portion of the acoustic imaging system 300. In this regard, as discussed in greater detail below, microphones 310, camera(s) 320, a display 330, and / or a battery 340 may be operated and / or controlled by the computing device 350.

[0062] The computing device 350 may generally include one or more processors 352 and one or more memories 354. As used herein, the terms “processing device,” “computing device,” or the like may generally refer to any suitable processing device, such as a general or special purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, an integrated circuit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a logic device, one or more central processing units (CPUs), a graphics processing units (GPUs), processing units performing other specialized calculations, semiconductor devices, etc. In addition, these “computing device” are not necessarily restricted to a single element but may include any suitable number, type, and configuration of processing devices integrated in any suitable manner to facilitate aircraft operation.

[0063] The computing device 350 may include, or be associated with, one or more memory elements or non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, such as RAM, ROM, EEPROM, EPROM, flash memory devices, magnetic disks, or other suitable memory devices (including combinations thereof). These memory devices may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. In addition, these memory devices may store information and / or data accessible by the one or more processors, including instructions that may be executed by the one or more processors. It should be appreciated that the instructions may be software written in any suitable programming language or may be implemented in hardware. Additionally, or alternatively, the instructions may be executed logically and / or virtually using separate threads on one or more processors.

[0064] For example, the computing device 350 may be operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of the acoustic imaging system300. In this regard, the instructions may be software or any set of instructions that when executed by the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations, such as running one or more software applications, adjusting the operating parameters of acoustic imaging system 300, etc. Moreover, it should be noted that the computing device 350 as disclosed herein is capable of and may be operable to perform any methods, method steps, or portions of methods as disclosed herein. For example, in some example embodiments, methods disclosed herein may be embodied in programming instructions stored in the memory and executed by the computing device 350.

[0065] The computing device 350 may be located onboard the portable computing device 100 and / or the portable acoustic imaging system 200. For example, one or more of the processors 352 and memories 354 may be located onboard the portable computing device 100 (e.g., within casing 110), and one or more of the processors 352 and memories 354 may be located onboard the portable acoustic imaging system 200 (e.g. within casing 210). Thus, e.g., the portable computing device 100 and / or the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include memory' elements and processors for performing operations for acoustic image generating. In example embodiments, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include various onboard computing resources. Thus, e.g., the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include a variety of numbers, size, and capabilities of processors 352 and memories 354 located onboard the portable acoustic imaging system 200. For instance, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include limited processors 352 and memories 354 onboard the portable acoustic imaging system 200. and audio data captured by the microphones 310 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may be sent to the portable computer device 100 for processing and visualization. As another example, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may include full acoustic imaging capabilities, and processors 352 and memories 354 may be located onboard the portable acoustic imaging system 200 for generating an acoustic image on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 and then sending the acoustic image to the portable computer device for presentation to the user on the display 330, such as the display 111 of the portable computer device 100. Other data processing configurations may also be implemented between the portable acoustic imaging system 200 and the portable computer device 100

[0066] In general, the memory(ies) 354 of computing device 350 may store instructions that are executable by the processor(s) 352 to perform operations. The operations may include accessing acoustic data from the microphones 310, such as the microphones 230 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200. Thus, e.g.. the microphones 310 may transmitdata corresponding to sounds at the microphones 310 to the processor(s) 352 and / or the memory(ies) 354. The processor(s) 352 may access the acoustic data from the microphones 310 directly from the microphones 310 and / or from the memory(ies) 354. The operations may also include computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphones 310. The methods utilized to compute the acoustic image, such as beamforming, will be generally understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and are not described in greater detail herein for the sake of brevity.

[0067] The operations may further include accessing data corresponding to a visible image from the camera(s) 320, such as the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 and / or the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200. Thus, e.g., the camera(s) 320 may transmit data corresponding to visible images at the camera(s) 320 to the processor(s) 352 and / or the memory(ies) 354. The processor(s) 352 may access the visible images from the camera(s) 320 directly from the camera(s) 320 and / or from the memory(ies) 354. The operations may also include computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image. The methods utilized to compute the combined image will be generally understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and are not described in greater detail herein for the sake of brevity. The operations may further include transmitting data corresponding to the combined image to the display 330, such as the display 111 of the portable computer device 100.

[0068] The battery 340 may supply electrical power to the various components of the acoustic imaging system 30. such as the microphones 310, camera(s) 320, display 330, and / or the computing device 350. The battery 340 may be located onboard the portable computing device 100 and / or the portable acoustic imaging system 200.

[0069] Depending upon the arrangement of the acoustic imaging system 300, alignment between the acoustic images and the visible images may be different. In example embodiments where the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is disposed at the center of the defined array of microphones 230, the alignment of the acoustic image and visible image can require that: (1) the scan region for the microphones 230 has the same horizontal and vertical field of view (FOV) as the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200; and (2) the acoustic image is scaled up to the higher resolution of the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200. In example embodiments where the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is offset from the center of the defined array of microphones 230 or when using the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100, parallax correction requires: (1) identification of the pixel in visible image thatcorresponds to a center of the acoustic image; and (2) cropping the visible image such that the FOV of the camera matches the acoustic image.Parallax Correction:

[0070] Where the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200 is offset from the center of the defined array of microphones 230 or when using the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 is used for visible images, parallax correction may be used to align the acoustic images and the visible images. An automated parallax correction scheme may require knowledge of the physical displacement between the center of the defined array of microphones 230 and the offset camera. A manual parallax correction scheme may be implemented by the user with guiding instructions. For both approaches, it is assumed that the FOV of the camera is large enough to fully contain the FOV of the acoustic image.

[0071] For the automated parallax correction scheme, FIG. 10 shows an example of both the acoustic FOV and the visual FOV in physical space at a certain fixed distance. Given these two FOVs the goal of parallax correction is to find the two coordinates in the visible light image space (vzS, vzS) and (xE, vzE) that correspond to the upper left and lower right scan point of the acoustic image, respectively. Once these two coordinates are found that portion of the visible image can be cropped out. and then overlaid with a scaled-up version of the acoustic image to achieve a parallax corrected / aligned final image.

[0072] Without loss of generality only the / -coordinates vzSand vzEwill be derived, as the process outlined is simply repeated for the x-coordinates. Assuming the vertical displacement between the camera and the center of the defined array of microphones 130 Az, the angle between both lines of sight can be computed with the following (see also FIG. 11)where d is the distance between the portable computer device 100 / portable acoustic imaging system 200 and either the noise source or the center of the scan region used in beamforming. If the microphones 230 are focused on different distances, this value is updated either by acoustic distance estimation or external distance measurement hardware. U.S. Pat. No.11.209,306 describes use of a laser distance meter for the purpose of parallax adjustment in an acoustic imager and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0073] Next, the number of pixels in visible light space that correspond to the angle 9 between the tw o lines of sight is computed. The instantaneous field of view of the VL camera in the z-direction 1FOVVdescribes the vertical FOV of a single pixel in the camera vcid with units ofvl-pixelgiven by the followingIFOVv, = -F0VVLZLzResVLzwhere FOVVLZis the FOV of the camera in the z-direction and ResVLzis resolution of the visible image in the z-direction (i.e. the number of rows in the visible image).

[0074] Using 1FOVVLZ, the pixel offset in the visible image space vAzthat corresponds to the angle 6 is given by the following8 v&AzZ= - IPOVVLZ■Now the visible image z-coordinate azthat corresponds to the center of the acoustic FOV in visible image space is given by the following az= vz+ vAzwhere vzis the z-coordinate of the center of the visual FOV.

[0075] Lastly, the crop height Cz. which describes the size in the z-direction of the acoustic FOV in terms of VL pixels, is computed. Czis given by the followingwhere FOVAzrefers to the FOV in the z-direction of the acoustic scan region.

[0076] The final VL coordinates used for parallax correction VzSand VzEcan be computed byCzVzs = az- —CzVZE— ctz+ 2 with reference to FIG. 12.

[0077] For the automated parallax correction scheme, all of the FOV and position information for the camera is predetermined, e.g.. via a model or database query.

[0078] If the FOV and position information for the camera cannot be determined automatically, then a manual parallax correction can be applied by the user. For the manual correction, the user first inputs the FOV and resolution information of the camera such that the following can be computedAgain, only the z-coordinates vzSand vzEwill be derived, but the process outlined is simply repeated for the x-coordinates.

[0079] With Czand Cx. the portable computer device 100 / portable acoustic imaging system 200 can crop out a portion of the visible image that covers the same FOV as the scan region. While user images a scene with a single distinct noise source, the cropped visible image is overlayed over the acoustic image while allowing the user to manually adjust VxSand VzS(and also automatically adjusting VxEand VzE) until the noise source on the acoustic image is properly aligned with the physical source object on the visible image.Acoustic Imaging Method;

[0080] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an acoustic imaging method 400 according to an example embodiment of the present subject matter. Method 400 is described in greater detail below in the context of the acoustic imaging system 300 (FIG. 9) as well as the portable computing device 100 and the portable acoustic imaging system 200 (FIGS. 1 through 3). As an example, the computing device 350 may be programmed to implement at least portions of the method 400. It will be understood that method 400 may be used in or with other acoustic imaging systems in example embodiments.

[0081] At 410. a portable acoustic imaging system is attached to a portable computer device. For example, a user may attach the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100 at 410. For instance, the user may slide the portable computing device 100 into the slot 202 in order to attach the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100 at 410. As noted above, the portable acoustic imaging system 200 may have other form factors. Thus, e.g., the user may attach the casing 210 of the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100 at the bottom portion 114 of the casing 110 at 410, or the user may pivotally attach the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100 at the bottom portion 1 14 of the casing 110. The plug 240 may also be received within the receptacle of the portable computer device 100 at 410, e.g., to establish signal communication between the portable acoustic imaging system 200 to the portable computing device 100.

[0082] At 420. audio data from microphones of the portable acoustic imaging system may be accessed. For example, the user may point the microphones 310 of the portable acoustic imaging system 300, such as the microphones 230 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200, tow ards a sound source, such as a leak, wildlife, discharge, mechanical defect, etc. The microphones 310 may transmit data corresponding to sounds at the microphones 310 to the computing device 350 at 420. As noted above, the processor(s) 352 and / or the memory(ies)354 of the computing device 350 may be located onboard the portable acoustic imaging system 200 or the portable computing device 100.

[0083] At 430. an acoustic image may be computed based at least in part on the audio data from the microphones at 420. For example, the computing device 350 may be configured to compute the acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphones 310 at 430. In example embodiments, the computing device 350 may be configured to implement beamforming processing for the audio data in order to compute the acoustic image at 430.

[0084] At 440, video data corresponding to visible images from a camera may be accessed. For example, the user may point the camera(s) 320, such as the camera(s) 120 on the portable computer device 100 and / or the camera 250 on the portable acoustic imaging system 200, towards the sound source, such as the leak, wildlife, discharge, mechanical defect etc. The video data may be accessed, captured, taken, etc. concurrently with the audio data from microphones at 420 in certain example embodiments. The camera(s) 320 may transmit data corresponding to visible images to the computing device 350 at 440.

[0085] At 450. a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image from 430 and the visible image from 440 may be computed. For example, the computing device 350 may be configured to compute the combined image by overlaying the acoustic image from 430 with the visible image from 440. Thus, the combined image may include both the acoustic image from 430 and the visible image from 440. Prior to computing the combined image, a parallax correction, such as the parallax correction described above, may be performed to calibrate for any offset between the acoustic image and the visible image.

[0086] At 460, the combined image is presented on a display of the portable computer device. For example, the combined image may be presented on the display 330, such as the display 111 of the portable computer device 100, at 460. The user may view the combined image on the display 330 to assist with reducing noise sources in product design, compressed air leak localization, wildlife localization, partial discharge localization, mechanical defect localization, etc. Thus, e.g., the user may see both the visual information from the visible images of the camera(s) 320 as well as the acoustic image on the display 330. The acoustic image can visually inform the user as to the location, magnitude, direction, etc. of the sounds captured by the microphones 310 at 420.

[0087] After viewing the combined image, the portable acoustic imaging system may be removed from the portable computer device. For example, the user may unmount theportable acoustic imaging system 200 from the portable computing device 100 after completion of method 400, e.g., and until the user subsequently begins method 400 again.

[0088] FIG. 13 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those of ordinary skill in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will understand that the steps of any of the methods discussed herein may be adapted, rearranged, expanded, omitted, or modified in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, although aspects of method 400 are explained using acoustic imaging system 300, portable computing device 100, and portable acoustic imaging system 200 as an example, it should be appreciated that these methods may be applied to other acoustic imaging systems.

[0089] These and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and is not intended to limit the invention so further described in such appended claims.EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0090] Further aspects of this disclosure are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses regarding portable acoustic imaging systems and acoustic imaging methods.

[0091] A portable acoustic imaging system optionally includes a casing selectively attachable to a portable computer device. Optionally, a plurality of microphones is disposed in the casing, the microphones arranged in a defined array for capturing acoustic data.

[0092] Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging system includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations. These operations optionally include accessing the acoustic data from the microphones and computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphones.

[0093] Optionally, the one or more processors and the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media are disposed in the casing. Alternatively, the one or moreprocessors and the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media are optionally disposed in the portable computer device.

[0094] Optionally, the operations further include accessing data corresponding to a visible image from a camera and computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image. Optionally, the operations further include transmitting data corresponding to the combined image to a display of the portable computer device.Optionally, the operations further include implementing an automatic calibration for aligning the visible image and the acoustic image. Optionally, the automatic calibration includes a parallax correction relative to a center of the camera.

[0095] Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging system includes a camera for capturing a visible image. The camera is optionally disposed in the casing. Optionally, the camera is disposed within an outer perimeter of the defined array. Optionally, the camera is spaced from the defined array by no more than five centimeters. Alternatively, the camera is optionally disposed in the portable computer device.

[0096] Optionally, the casing defines a plurality of openings on a front surface of the casing, each of the camera and the microphones disposed within the casing at a respective one or more of the openings, the front surface of the casing facing away from the portable computer device when the casing is attached to the portable computer device.

[0097] Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging system includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations. These operations optionally comprise accessing the acoustic data from the microphones, computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphones, accessing data corresponding to the visible image from the camera, and computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image.

[0098] Optionally, the operations further include transmitting data corresponding to the combined image to a display of the portable computer device. Optionally, the portable computer device includes a smartphone or a tablet. Optionally, the casing includes a sleeve configured for receipt of the portable computer device. Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging system includes a data transfer and power delivery plug mounted to the casing, the plug configured for receipt within a receptacle of the portable computer device when the casing is attached to the portable computer device.

[0099] Optionally, a portable acoustic imaging system includes a microphone arrayattachment configured to detachably connect to a portable computer device, wherein themicrophone array atachment includes a plurality of microphones arranged in a predefined patern for capturing acoustic data.

[0100] Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging system includes a processor, located either within the microphone array atachment or within the portable computer device, configured to process the acoustic data to generate an acoustic image. Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging sy stem includes a camera for capturing visible images, wherein the visible image and the acoustic image are processed to generate a combined image.

[0101] Optionally, the camera is built-in within the microphone array atachment or incorporated within the portable computer device. Optionally, the portable acoustic imaging system includes a user interface, run on the portable computer device, for displaying the combined image and for controlling the operation of the acoustic imaging system.

[0102] Optionally, the processor is configured to execute a calibration procedure for aligning a visible image from a camera and the acoustic image from the microphone array. Optionally, the calibration procedure includes a parallax correction relative to a center of a camera of the portable computer device.

[0103] Optionally, the portable computer device is a smartphone or a tablet. Optionally, the microphone array atachment includes a sleeve form factor, a botom mount form factor, or a hinged form factor.

[0104] Optionally, an acoustic imaging method includes accessing audio data from a microphone array atachment detachably connected to a portable computer device. The acoustic imaging method optionally includes computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphone array atachment. The acoustic imaging method optionally includes accessing video data corresponding to a visible image from one or more cameras. The acoustic imaging method optionally includes computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image, and transmiting data corresponding to the combined image to a display of the portable computer device.

[0105] Optionally, the one or more cameras is disposed in the portable computer device. Optionally, the one or more cameras is disposed in the microphone array attachment. The one or more cameras are optionally disposed in both the portable computer device and the microphone array atachment.

[0106] Optionally, the method further includes implementing a calibration for aligning the visible image and the acoustic image, which may include a parallax correction relative to a center of the camera. Optionally, the portable computer device is a smartphone or a tablet,and the microphone array attachment includes a sleeve form factor, a bottom mount form factor, or a hinged form factor.

[0107] Optionally, a portable acoustic imaging system is substantially as herein described. Optionally, an acoustic imaging method is substantially as herein described.

Claims

What Is Claimed:

1. A portable acoustic imaging system, comprising: a casing selectively attachable to a portable computer device; and a plurality of microphones disposed in the casing, the microphones arranged in a defined array for capturing acoustic data.

2. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 1, further comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising: accessing the acoustic data from the microphones; and computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphones.

3. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media are disposed in the casing.

4. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors and the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media are disposed in the portable computer device.

5. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise: accessing data corresponding to a visible image from a camera; and computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image.

6. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting data corresponding to the combined image to a display of the portable computer device.

7. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise implementing an automatic calibration for aligning the visible image and the acoustic image.

8. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 7, wherein the automatic calibration comprises a parallax correction relative to a center of the camera.

9. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a camera for capturing a visible image.

10. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 9, wherein the camera is disposed in the casing.

11. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 10, wherein the camera is disposed within an outer perimeter of the defined array.

12. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 10, wherein the camera is spaced from the defined array by no more than five centimeters.

13. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 9, wherein the camera is disposed in the portable computer device.

14. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 9, wherein the casing defines a plurality of openings a front surface of the casing, each of the camera and the microphones disposed within the casing at a respective one or more of the openings, the front surface of the casing facing away from the portable computer device when the casing is attached to the portable computer device.

15. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 9, further comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising: accessing the acoustic data from the microphones;computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the acoustic data from the microphones; accessing data corresponding to the visible image from the camera; and computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image.

16. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting data corresponding to the combined image to a display of the portable computer device.

17. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the portable computer device comprises a smartphone or a tablet.

18. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a sleeve for configured for receipt of the portable computer device.

19. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a data transfer and power delivery plug mounted to the casing, the plug configured for receipt within a receptacle of the portable computer device when the casing is attached to the portable computer device.

20. A portable acoustic imaging system, comprising: a microphone array attachment configured to detachably connect to a portable computer device, wherein the microphone array attachment comprises a plurality of microphones arranged in a predefined pattern for capturing acoustic data.

21. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 20, further comprising a processor, located either within the microphone array attachment or within the portable computer device, configured to process the acoustic data in order to generate an acoustic image.

22. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 21, further comprising a camera for capturing visible images, wherein the visible image and the acoustic image are processed to generate a combined image.

23. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 22, wherein the camera is built-in within the microphone array attachment.

24. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 22, wherein the camera is incorporated within the portable computer device.

25. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 22, further comprising a user interface, run on the portable computer device, for displaying the combined image and for controlling operation of the portable acoustic imaging system.

26. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to execute a calibration procedure for aligning a visible image captured by a camera of the portable computer device and the acoustic image from the microphone array attachment.

27. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 26, wherein the calibration procedure comprises parallax correction relative to a center of the camera of the portable computer device.

28. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 20, wherein the portable computer device is a smartphone or a tablet.

29. The portable acoustic imaging system of claim 20, wherein the microphone array attachment comprises a sleeve form factor, a bottom mount form factor, or a hinged form factor.

30. An acoustic imaging method, comprising: accessing audio data from a microphone array attachment detachably connected to a portable computer device; computing an acoustic image based at least in part on the audio data from the microphone array attachment; accessing video data corresponding a visible image from one or more cameras; computing a combined image based at least in part on the acoustic image and the visible image; andtransmitting data corresponding to the combined image to a display of the portable computer device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more cameras is disposed in the portable computer device.

32. The method of claim 30. wherein the one or more cameras is disposed in the microphone array attachment.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the one or more cameras are disposed in both the portable computer device and the microphone array attachment.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising implementing a calibration for aligning the visible image and the acoustic image.

35. The method of claim 34. wherein the calibration comprises a parallax correction relative to a center of a corresponding one of the one or more cameras.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the portable computer device is a smartphone or a tablet.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the microphone array attachment comprises a sleeve form factor, a bottom mount form factor, or a hinged form factor.

Images