EP0447076A3

Improvements in acoustic ranging systems

Abstract

In an acoustic pulse-echo ranging system, a transmitter (18) and a receiver (20), are electronically tuned (114,60,70,80) to determine their operating frequency, the electronic tuning being controlled responsive to stored data relating to a particular transducer (4) being utilized to transmit and receive a pulse. A single transmitter (18) and receiver (20) can be utilized to service a number of different transducers (4), being automatically tuned to an appropriate frequency for each transducer as it is used to transmit and receive a pulse. The system can verify the nominal operating frequency of each transducer, and can also adjust the operating frequency used with any particular transducer to optimize its performance.

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 1 March 2011, 15.6 years ago.

Every citation, both ways

Citations
Document	Relation	Office	Category	Cited during
US4596144A	Cites	United States of America	AD	Search report
US4905208A	Cites	United States of America	X	Search report
WO8905442A1	Cites	World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)	X	Search report

19 members in 11 offices

This recordMember, by publication datePriority claim1 more office is in the list below

Priority claims3

Priority claims
Document	Office	Kind	Date
9005722	United Kingdom	A	1990-03-14
9005722	United Kingdom	–	1990-03-14
GB19900005722	–	–	–

Members19

Family members, oldest first
Document	Office	Kind
GB9005722D0	United Kingdom	D0	1990-05-09
CA2036738A1	Canada	A1	1991-09-15
EP0447076A2	European Patent Office (EPO)	A2	1991-09-18
GB2242023A	United Kingdom	A	1991-09-18
AU7288191A	Australia	A	1991-09-19
US5079751A	United States of America	A	1992-01-07
ZA911890B	South Africa	B	1992-02-26
JPH04230883A	Japan	A	1992-08-19
AU627685B2	Australia	B2	1992-08-27
EP0447076A3This record	European Patent Office (EPO)	A3	1992-09-16
GB2242023B	United Kingdom	B	1993-09-08
CA2036738C	Canada	C	1994-10-18
EP0447076B1	European Patent Office (EPO)	B1	1996-08-14
AT141416T	Austria	T	1996-08-15
DE69121264D1	Germany	D1	1996-09-19
ES2090236T3	Spain	T3	1996-10-16
DK0447076T3	Denmark	T3	1996-12-09
DE69121264T2	Germany	T2	1997-01-30
JP3037779B2	Japan	B2	2000-05-08

55 legal events, as 5 offices reported them to INPADOC

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Events

Legal events, newest first
	Event	Code	Office
2005-03-01	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
2002-10-01	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
2001-07-01	Announcement of lapse in spainLapsedFD2A	FD2A	ES
2001-05-30	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
2000-03-06	Ep patent lapsedLapsedEBP	EBP	DK
1999-12-31	Notification of lapseLapsedST	ST	FR
1999-12-06	Se: european patent has lapsedLapsedEUG	EUG	EP
1999-12-01	Nl: lapsed or anulled due to non-payment of the annual feeLapsedNLV4	NLV4	EP
1999-11-30	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1999-11-01	Se: european patent has lapsedLapsedEUG	EUG	EP
1999-10-01	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1999-09-30	Be: lapsedLapsedBERE	BERE	EP
1999-03-31	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1999-03-31	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1999-03-02	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1999-03-02	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1999-03-01	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1998-11-13	Patent ceasedCeasedPL	PL	CH
1998-04-08	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1998-03-31	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1998-03-31	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1998-03-31	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1998-03-30	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1998-03-27	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1998-03-25	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1998-03-24	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1998-03-16	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1997-08-06	No opposition filedOpposition26N	26N	EP
1997-06-20	No opposition filed within time limitOppositionORIGINAL CODE: 0009261PLBE	PLBE	EP
1997-06-20	Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patentGrantedSTATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMITSTAA	STAA	EP
1997-04-11	Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]GrantedPGFP	PGFP	EP
1997-03-31	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1996-12-09	Ep patent with danish claimsT3	T3	DK
1996-11-16	Definitive protectionFG2A	FG2A	ES
1996-11-15	Fr: translation filedET	ET	EP
1996-10-16	Definitive protectionFG2A	FG2A	ES
1996-09-19	Corresponds to:REF	REF	EP
1996-09-04	It: translation for a ep patent filedITF	ITF	EP
1996-09-04	It: translation for a ep patent filedITF	ITF	EP
1996-08-15	New agentNV	NV	CH
1996-08-14	Designated contracting statesAK	AK	EP
1996-08-14	Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]LapsedPG25	PG25	EP
1996-08-14	Corresponds to:REF	REF	EP
1996-06-28	(expected) grantORIGINAL CODE: 0009210GRAA	GRAA	EP
1996-04-19	Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patentORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRAGRAH	GRAH	EP
1996-02-14	Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patentORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS IGRAGRAH	GRAH	EP
1996-01-05	Despatch of communication of intention to grantORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRAGRAG	GRAG	EP
1994-08-03	First examination report despatched17Q	17Q	EP
1994-03-16	Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred)RAP1	RAP1	EP
1993-01-07	Request for examination filed17P	17P	EP
1992-09-16	Designated contracting statesAK	AK	EP
1992-07-28	Search report despatchedORIGINAL CODE: 0009013PUAL	PUAL	EP
1992-01-15	Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred)RAP1	RAP1	EP
1991-09-18	Designated contracting statesAK	AK	EP
1991-08-02	Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phaseORIGINAL CODE: 0009012PUAI	PUAI	EP

Improvements in acoustic ranging systems

Abstract

Term

Priority claims3

Members19

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Events

Numbers

Titles3

Classification

Designated states13