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US 10,705,656 B2Granted
System and method for ultrasonic sensing
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsJames Anthony Miranto, Jack Conway Kitchens, Stephen Michael Gojevic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for ultrasonic sensing, wherein an ultrasonic receiver array includes multiple ultrasonic sensor pixels, and each sensor pixel includes an ultrasonic receiver configured to read an ultrasonic signal. An ultrasonic transmitter array, composed of multiple elements, transmits ultrasonic signals which may be reflected from an object and received at the ultrasonic receivers, wherein a sensor controller applies excitation signals to the transmitter array with a temporal delay between excitation signals.
Claims23
An apparatus for ultrasound sensing, the apparatus comprising:
- an ultrasonic receiver array including a plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels, each ultrasonic sensor pixel including an ultrasonic receiver, and each ultrasonic sensor pixel configured to operate in a read mode of operation;
- an ultrasonic transmitter array including a set of at least two distinct separately controllable ultrasonic transmitter strip elements, wherein the at least two ultrasonic transmitter strip elements are physically proximate, each ultrasonic transmitter strip element controllable to operate in a transmit mode of operation;
- and
- a sensor controller operably coupled with the ultrasonic transmitter array and the ultrasonic receiver array and configured to apply excitation signals to the ultrasonic transmitter array and read received signals from the ultrasonic sensor pixels;
- wherein:
- the sensor controller is configured to apply a first excitation signal to a first ultrasonic transmitter strip element of the ultrasonic transmitter array at a first time;
- the sensor controller is configured apply a second excitation signal to a second ultrasonic transmitter strip element of the ultrasonic transmitter array at a second time with a nonzero first temporal delay between the first time and second time;
- and
- the sensor controller is configured to set a first and second range gate window (RGW) to accommodate the first temporal delay.
6 more elements
A method for ultrasound sensing, the method comprising:
- applying, with a sensor controller, a first excitation signal to a first ultrasonic transmitter strip element of an ultrasonic transmitter array at a first time, wherein the first ultrasonic transmitter strip element is a first strip element of a set of at least two parallel ultrasonic transmitter strip elements, wherein the at least two ultrasonic transmitter strip elements are distinct, separately controllable, and physically proximate;
- setting, by the sensor controller, a first range gate delay (RGD) for a first plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels;
- applying, with the sensor controller, a second excitation signal to a second ultrasonic transmitter strip element of an ultrasonic transmitter array, wherein the second ultrasonic transmitter strip element is a second strip of the set of at least two parallel ultrasonic transmitter strip elements, at a second time, and wherein there is a nonzero first temporal delay between the first and second time;
- and
- receiving, with an ultrasonic receiver array including a plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels, reflected ultrasonic signals;
- and
- setting, by the sensor controller, a second RGD for a second plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels;
- and wherein the first and second RGD are set by the sensor controller to accommodate the first temporal delay between the first and second time.
5 more elements
An apparatus for sensing ultrasound, the apparatus comprising:
- means for applying a first excitation signal to a first portion of an ultrasonic transmitter means, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter means comprises parallel strips of at least two separately controllable physically proximate ultrasonic transmitting means;
- means for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals;
- means for setting a first range gate delay (RGD) for a first portion of means for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals;
- means for applying a second excitation signal to a second portion of an ultrasonic transmitter means at a second time, and wherein there is a first nonzero temporal delay between the first and second time;
- and
- means for setting an RGD for a second portion of means for receiving reflected ultrasonic signals;
- and wherein the first and second RGD are set to accommodate the first temporal delay between the first and second time.
4 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions thereon for causing one or more processors to:
- apply, with a sensor controller, a first excitation signal to a first strip element of an ultrasonic transmitter array at a first time, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter array comprises a set of at least two distinct separately controllable parallel strip elements;
- receive, with an ultrasonic receiver array include a plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels, reflected ultrasonic signals;
- set, by the sensor controller, a first range gate delay (RGD) for a first plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels;
- apply, with the sensor controller, a second excitation signal to a second strip element of an ultrasonic transmitter array at a second time, and wherein there is a first nonzero temporal delay between the first and second time;
- and
- receive, with the ultrasonic receiver array include a plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels, reflected ultrasonic signals;
- and
- set, by the sensor controller, a RGD for a second plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels;
- and
- wherein the first and second RGD are set by the sensor controller to accommodate the first temporal delay between the first and second time.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.