Ultrasonic device and ultrasonic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11378670-B2
Application number	US-201916690527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2019
Priority date	Nov 22, 2018
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

An ultrasonic device includes nine ultrasonic array units arranged in a grid pattern of three rows and three columns, nine drive bypass wires that input and output drive signals to and from the respective ultrasonic array units, a first common bypass wire to which a common potential is applied, coupled to the eight ultrasonic array units, a second common bypass wire coupled to the ultrasonic array unit to which the first common bypass wire is not coupled, and a third common bypass wire coupling the first and the second common bypass wires. One of the drive bypass wires, the first common bypass wire, and the second common bypass wire is placed between the ultrasonic array units placed adjacent to each other. The third common bypass wire is placed inside of the ultrasonic array unit placed adjacent to the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second common bypass wire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasonic device comprising:
nine ultrasonic array units arranged in a grid pattern of three rows and three columns, the grid pattern being rectangular;
pluralities of ultrasonic transducers arranged in two-dimensional array forms in the respective ultrasonic array units so that the ultrasonic array units are rectangular;
nine drive wires that input and output drive signals to and from the respective ultrasonic array units;
a first section of common wire to which a common potential is applied, coupled to eight of the ultrasonic array units of the nine ultrasonic array units;
a second section of common wire coupled to the ultrasonic array unit to which the first section of common wire is not coupled; and
a third section of common wire coupling the first section of common wire and the section of second common wire, wherein
one of the drive wires, the first section of common wire, and the second section of common wire is between and parallel to a side of each of the ultrasonic array units that are adjacent to each other in each of the three rows,
one of the drive wires, the first section of common wire, and the second section of common wire is between and parallel to a side of each of the ultrasonic array units that are adjacent to each other in each of the three columns, and
the third section of common wire is inside of the ultrasonic array unit adjacent to the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second section of common wire.

2. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1 , wherein
all adjacent ultrasonic transducers of the pluralities of ultrasonic transducers are equally spaced apart both within each respective one of the ultrasonic array units and between adjacent ones of the ultrasonic array units.

3. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the third section of common wire extends from one end portion to the other end portion of the ultrasonic array unit in which the third section of common wire is placed.

4. An ultrasonic apparatus comprising:
the ultrasonic device according to claim 1 ; and
a drive circuit that inputs drive signals to the ultrasonic transducers.

5. The ultrasonic device according to claim 1 , wherein the drive wires, the first section of common wire, the second section of common wire and the third section of common wire are coplanar.

6. The ultrasonic device according to claim 5 , wherein the second section of common wire is between the ultrasonic array unit adjacent to the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second section of common wire and the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second section of common wire.

7. The ultrasonic device according to claim 6 , wherein the second section of common wire and the third section of common wire are coupled in an end portion of the ultrasonic array unit adjacent to the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second section of common wire at a side where the ultrasonic array unit coupled to the second section of common wire is.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kojima Chikara
• Ohashi Koji
• Suzuki Hironori
• Onogi Tomohide

Classifications

• G01S7/521 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title

• G01S15/8925 Primary

  the array being a two-dimensional transducer configuration, i.e. matrix or orthogonal linear arrays · CPC title

• H04R19/00

  Electrostatic transducers · CPC title

• B06B1/0629

  Square array · CPC title

• G01S15/08

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) · CPC title