Highly directional sound projector and receiver apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION We claim: 1.
An acoustic apparatus equally suitable for use in both a sound projector mode and a sound receiver mode; wherein the acoustic apparatus comprises an acoustic unit comprising an acoustic driver when the apparatus is used in the sound projector mode; and, an acoustic detector when the apparatus is used in the sound receiver mode; a support unit including a platform having one side operatively attached to the acoustic unit; and, a tube array comprising a bundle of individual sound tubes wherein each individual sound tube is secured on their lower ends to the platform and each individual tube only provided on their upper ends with a plurality of discrete sound ports to both create a phased source region distributed along a given tube length when used as a sound detector; and, to provide effective side lobe suppression when used as a sound projector.
2.
The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the number spacing and array of the plurality of spaced sound ports on the individual tubes in said bundle are uniform.
3.
The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said at least one sound tube is provided with an end cap.
4.
The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein each of the individual tubes in said bundle has a different length "L".
5.
The apparatus as in claim 4 wherein the value of "L" for each individual tube increases by a fraction of a wavelength ".
lambda.
" as determined by a known medium and frequency.
6.
The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein, said sound tubes have a spacing "s" between the axis of the individual sound ports, said spacing should be a small fraction of a wavelength ".
lambda.
" as determined by a known medium and frequency.
7.
The apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the value of "s" is less than .
lambda.
/10.
8.
The apparatus as in claim 1; wherein, each of the individual tubes in the bundle have the same inside diameters.
9.
The apparatus as in claim 1; wherein in the sound detector mode the individual tubes in said bundle are divided into groups of tubes, wherein each group of tubes has a different inside diameter than the inside diameter of the tubes in the other groups, wherein the larger diameter tubes are greater in length than the smaller diameter tubes