Image generation in an electronic device using ultrasonic transducers

• US 10,643,052 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invensense Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Invensense Incorporated (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Garlepp, Bruno W., Salvia, James Christian, Daneman, Michael, Apte, Nikhil, Tsai, Julius Ming-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US15/636,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/064 with multiple active layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1347 Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/34 using electrical steering of transducer arrays, e.g. beam steering constructional aspects B06B1/0607, B06B1/085

Abstract

A method for generating a composite image having an increased image pixel density by an array of ultrasonic transducers having a given spatial density is provided. The method comprises capturing a first set of pixels at an ultrasonic sensor using a first beamforming pattern, wherein the first beamforming pattern comprises a first pattern of ultrasonic transducers of the ultrasonic sensor. The method further comprises capturing a second set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a second beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern comprises a second pattern of ultrasonic transducers. The first beamforming pattern and the second beamforming pattern are different. Pixels of the second set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels. The method additionally comprises combining the first and second sets of pixels to form the composite image. An electronic device and a method of generating an image of a fingerprint are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for generating a composite image having an increased image pixel density by an array of ultrasonic transducers having a given spatial density, the method comprising:

capturing a first set of pixels at an ultrasonic sensor using a first beamforming pattern, wherein the first beamforming pattern comprises a first pattern of ultrasonic transducers of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first beamforming pattern activates transducers with different signal delays to focus a beam to a single point over a center of an ultrasonic transducer of the array of ultrasonic sensors;

capturing a second set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a second beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern comprises a second pattern of ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second beamforming pattern is different than the first beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern activates different transducers with different signal delays to focus a beam to at least one point over a corner between adjacent ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic sensors, and wherein pixels of the second set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels; and

combining the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels to form the composite image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first beamforming pattern focuses ultrasonic energy above a center of an ultrasonic transducer and wherein the second beamforming pattern focuses energy at a corner between four adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein two scans per image are taken, a first scan capturing the first set of pixels and a second scan capturing the second set of pixels.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the beamforming pattern of the first scan is X-Y symmetrical around the center of the ultrasonic transducer and the beamforming pattern of the second scan is X-Y symmetrical around the corner between four adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first beamforming pattern focuses ultrasonic energy above a center of an ultrasonic transducer and wherein the second beamforming pattern focuses energy at a corner between three adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein three scans per image are taken, a first scan capturing the first set of pixels, a second scan capturing the second set of pixels, and a third scan capturing a third set of pixels.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the beamforming pattern of the first scan is X-Y symmetrical around the center of the ultrasonic transducer and the beamforming pattern of the second scan is X-Y symmetrical around the corner between three adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a third set of pixels and a fourth set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a third beamforming pattern and a fourth beamforming pattern, wherein the third beamforming pattern and the fourth beamforming pattern comprise, respectively, a third pattern of ultrasonic transducers and a fourth pattern of ultrasonic transducers, wherein the third beamforming pattern and the fourth beamforming pattern are different than the first beamforming pattern and the second beamforming pattern and from each other, and wherein pixels of the third set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels and wherein pixels of the fourth set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels different than the pixels of the third set of pixels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first beamforming pattern focuses ultrasonic energy above a center of the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the second beamforming pattern focuses energy at a corner between four adjacent ultrasonic transducers, wherein the third beamforming pattern focuses energy at a midpoint of an edge along a first axis between two adjacent ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the fourth beamforming pattern focuses energy at a midpoint of an edge along a second axis between two adjacent ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the combining the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels to form the composite image comprises:

combining the first set of pixels, the second set of pixels, the third set of pixels, and the fourth set of pixels to form the composite image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducers are Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one PMUT device comprises:

a substrate;

an edge support structure connected to the substrate; and

a membrane connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies, the membrane comprising;

a piezoelectric layer,

first and second electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer, and

a mechanical support layer connected to the first electrode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one PMUT device further comprises an interior support structure disposed within the cavity and connected to the substrate and the membrane.

14. An electronic device comprising:

an ultrasonic sensor;

a processing logic module; and

a processor connected to the processing logic module and configured to perform the steps of generating a composite image having an increased image pixel density by an array of ultrasonic transducers having a given spatial density by;

capturing a first set of pixels at an ultrasonic sensor using a first beamforming pattern, wherein the first beamforming pattern comprises a first pattern of ultrasonic transducers of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first beamforming pattern activates transducers with different signal delays to focus a beam to a single point over a center of an ultrasonic transducer of the array of ultrasonic sensors;

capturing a second set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a second beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern comprises a second pattern of ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second beamforming pattern is different than the first beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern activates different transducers with different signal delays to focus a beam to at least one point over a corner between adjacent ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic sensors, and wherein pixels of the second set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels; and

combining the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels to form the composite image.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the ultrasonic transducers are Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) devices.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein at least one PMUT device comprises:

a substrate;

an edge support structure connected to the substrate; and

a membrane connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies, the membrane comprising;

a piezoelectric layer,

first and second electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer, and

a mechanical support layer connected to the first electrode.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the at least one PMUT device further comprises an interior support structure disposed within the cavity and connected to the substrate and the membrane.

18. A method of generating a composite image of a fingerprint with a fingerprint sensor comprising an ultrasonic sensor comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers to transmit a first ultrasonic beam from sets of ultrasonic transducers toward a surface configured to receive a finger having the fingerprint thereon and to receive a second ultrasonic beam reflected from the fingerprint, the second ultrasonic beam to generate a signal for processing in a signal processor, the method comprising generating an image having an increased image pixel density by an array of ultrasonic transducers having a given spatial density, the method comprising:

capturing a first set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a first beamforming pattern, wherein the first beamforming pattern comprises a first pattern of ultrasonic transducers of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the first beamforming pattern activates transducers with different signal delays to focus a beam to a single point over a center of an ultrasonic transducer of the array of ultrasonic sensors;

capturing a second set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a second beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern comprises a second pattern of ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second beamforming pattern is different than the first beamforming pattern, wherein the second beamforming pattern activates different transducers with different signal delays to focus a beam to at least one point over a corner between adjacent ultrasonic transducers of the array of ultrasonic sensors, and wherein pixels of the second set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels; and

combining the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels to form the image.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first beamforming pattern focuses ultrasonic energy above a center of an ultrasonic transducer and wherein the second beamforming pattern focuses energy at a corner between four adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein two scans per image are taken, a first scan capturing the first set of pixels and a second scan capturing the second set of pixels.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the beamforming pattern of the first scan is X-Y symmetrical around the center of the ultrasonic transducer and the beamforming pattern of the second scan is X-Y symmetrical around the corner between four adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first beamforming pattern focuses ultrasonic energy above a center of an ultrasonic transducer and wherein the second beamforming pattern focuses energy at a corner between three adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein three scans per image are taken, a first scan capturing the first set of pixels, a second scan capturing the second set of pixels, and a third scan capturing a third set of pixels.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the beamforming pattern of the first scan is X-Y symmetrical around the center of the ultrasonic transducer and the beamforming pattern of the second scan is X-Y symmetrical around the corner between three adjacent ultrasonic transducers.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

capturing a third set of pixels and a fourth set of pixels at the ultrasonic sensor using a third beamforming pattern and a fourth beamforming pattern, wherein the third beamforming patter comprises a third pattern of ultrasonic transducers and the fourth beamforming pattern comprises a fourth pattern of ultrasonic transducers, wherein the third beamforming pattern and the fourth beamforming pattern are different than the first beamforming pattern and the second beamforming pattern and from each other, and wherein pixels of the third set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels and wherein pixels of the fourth set of pixels correspond to positions between pixels of the first set of pixels different than the pixels of the third set of pixels.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first beamforming pattern focuses ultrasonic energy above a center of the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the second beamforming pattern focuses energy at a corner between four adjacent ultrasonic transducers, wherein the third beamforming pattern focuses energy at a midpoint of an edge along a first axis between two adjacent ultrasonic transducers, and wherein the fourth beamforming pattern focuses energy at a midpoint of an edge along a second axis between two adjacent ultrasonic transducers, wherein the second axis is orthogonal to the first axis.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the combining the first set of pixels and the second set of pixels to form the composite image comprises:

combining the first set of pixels, the second set of pixels, the third set of pixels, and the fourth set of pixels to form the composite image.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the ultrasonic transducers are Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) devices.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one PMUT device comprises:

a substrate;

an edge support structure connected to the substrate; and

a membrane connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies, the membrane comprising;

a piezoelectric layer,

first and second electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer, and

a mechanical support layer connected to the first electrode.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one PMUT device further comprises an interior support structure disposed within the cavity and connected to the substrate and the membrane.