Sliding range gate for large area ultrasonic sensor

A method for operating an ultrasonic sensor array, the ultrasonic array including a first portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels and a second portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels, the method comprising:

• setting, with a sensor controller, a first range gate window (RGW) for the first portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels;
• setting, with the sensor controller, a second RGW for the second portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels so as to establish a first temporal delay between the first RGW and the second RGW;
• wherein
• each sensor pixel includes an ultrasonic receiver and a receiver bias electrode and is operable in one or both of a transmit mode of operation or a read mode of operation;
• the sensor controller is electrically coupled with the receiver bias electrodes;
• and
• setting the first RGW and the second RGW includes modulating a bias voltage applied to the receiver bias electrode.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code to be executed by a sensor controller of an ultrasonic sensor array, the ultrasonic array including a first portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels and a second portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels, the program code comprising instructions configured to cause the sensor controller to:

• set, with a sensor controller, a first range gate window (RGW) for the first portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels;
• set, with the sensor controller, a second RGW for the second portion of ultrasonic sensor pixels so as to establish a first temporal delay between the first RGW and the second RGW;
• wherein
• each sensor pixel includes an ultrasonic receiver and a receiver bias electrode and is operable in one or both of a transmit mode of operation or a read mode of operation;
• the sensor controller is electrically coupled with the receiver bias electrodes;
• and
• setting the first RGW and the second RGW includes modulating a bias voltage applied to the receiver bias electrode.

An apparatus comprising:

• an ultrasonic sensor array including a plurality of ultrasonic sensor pixels, each sensor pixel including an ultrasonic receiver and a receiver bias electrode and being operable in one or both of a transmit mode of operation or a read mode of operation;
• and, electrically coupled with the receiver bias electrodes, and means for controlling the ultrasonic sensor array, the means configured to:
• set, at each sensor pixel, a range gate window (RGW) by modulating a bias voltage applied to the receiver bias electrode;
• set, for a first portion of the ultrasonic sensor pixels, a first RGW;
• and
• set, for a second portion of the ultrasonic sensor pixels, a second RGW, and establish a first temporal delay between the first RGW and the second RGW.