# US 11,440,050 B2 · Programmable ultrasonic transceiver

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- Number: US 11,440,050 B2
- Document ID: US11440050B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/908,240
- Filed: 2020-06-22
- Published: 2020-10-15
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-18
- Assignees: InvenSense, Inc.
- Applicants: Invensense, Inc.
- Inventors: Richard Przybyla; Mitchell Kline; David Horsley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440050B2

## CPC

- B06B 1/0207: {Driving circuits (specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclass, e.g. G01; circuits for steering transducer arrays G10K11/34; basic circuits H03)}
- G01S 7/523: Details of pulse systems {(short-range imaging G01S7/52017; methods or devices for transmitting, conducting or directing sound G10K11/18)}
- G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- H04B 11/00: Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
- H04L 9/0869: {involving random numbers or seeds}
- H04L 9/30: Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
- H04L 27/36: Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
- H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)}
- H04W 12/037: of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
- H04L 9/0861: {Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords}
- H04L 27/34: Amplitude- and phase-modulated carrier systems, e.g. quadrature-amplitude modulated carrier systems
- H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
- H04W 88/02: Terminal devices
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

An ultrasonic transceiver system includes a transmitter block, a receiver block, a state machine, a computer unit. The transmitter block contains circuitry configured to drive an ultrasound transducer. The receiver block contains circuitry configured to receive signals from the ultrasound transducer and convert the signals into digital data. The state machine is coupled to the transmitter and receiver blocks and contains circuitry configured to act as a controller for those blocks. The computing unit is coupled to the transmitter block, the receiver block, and the state machine and is configured to drive the transmitter block and process data received from the receiver block by executing instructions of a program. The program memory is coupled to the computing unit and is configured to store the program. The computing unit is configured to be reprogrammed with one or more additional programs stored in the program memory.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ultrasonic transceiver system, comprising:
a transmitter block containing circuitry configured to drive an ultrasound transducer;
receiver block containing circuitry configured to receive signals from the ultrasound transducer and convert the signals into digital data;
a state machine coupled to the transmitter block and the receiver block, wherein the state machine contains circuitry configured to act as a controller for the transmitter and receiver blocks;
a computing unit coupled to the transmitter block, the receiver block, and the state machine, wherein the computing unit is configured to drive the transmitter block and process data received from the receiver block by executing instructions of a program,
a program memory coupled to the computing unit configured to store the program;
wherein the system is configured to operate in a low power state upon execution of a first program code loaded into the program memory and, upon detection of an ultrasonic signal, load a different program code into the program memory and execute the different program code.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the first program causes the transmitter block to transmit the ultrasonic signal and the receiver block to respond to an echo of the transmitted signal from a target.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising the ultrasound transducer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the transmitter block, the receiver block, and the state machine are mounted to a common circuit board.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the transmitter block, the receiver block, and the state machine are part of a common integrated circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more clocks coupled to the transmitter block, the receiver block, and the state machine.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the transmitter block and/or the receiver block includes a buffer controlled by the state machine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the buffer contains a command queue.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing unit is configured to update firmware stored in the program memory in response to instructions and/or data from a host processor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter block, the receiver block, and the state machine are part of a common device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the common device is a cell phone.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the different program is a data transfer program.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a digital interface coupled to the computing unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein the computing unit is configured to update firmware stored in the program memory in response to instructions and/or data received from a host processor via the digital interface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the computing unit is configured to reprogram the system for different functions by updating the firmware stored in the program memory in response to the instructions and/or data received from the host processor via the digital interface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the computing unit is configured to update firmware stored in the program memory in response to instructions and/or data received from a host processor via the ultrasound transducer and receiver block.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a digital interface coupled to the computing unit, wherein the computing unit is configured to update firmware stored in the program memory in response to instructions and/or data from a host processor via a network coupled to the digital interface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter block includes a quadrature amplitude modulation circuit.