Ultrasound lens structure cleaner architecture and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415795-B2
Application number	US-202016834632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Aug 1, 2016
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A lens structure system includes a lens structure and a multi-segmented transducer coupled to the lens structure. The multi-segmented transducer includes segments. Each segment is electrically coupled to a respective first conductor and a respective second conductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a lens structure;
first, second, third and fourth conductors;
a transducer coupled to the lens structure, the transducer including first and second segments of a piezoelectric material, in which:
the first segment is coupled to the first and second conductors; and
the second segment is coupled to the third and fourth conductors;

a first crossbar switch having a first control input, the first crossbar switch coupled: between an oscillating wave terminal and the first conductor; between the oscillating wave terminal and the second conductor; between a ground terminal and the first conductor; and between the ground terminal and the second conductor; and
a second crossbar switch having a second control input, the second crossbar switch coupled: between the oscillating wave terminal and the third conductor; between the oscillating wave terminal and the fourth conductor; between the ground terminal and the third conductor; and between the ground terminal and the fourth conductor;
in which the first and second crossbar switches are configured, responsive to the first and second control inputs, to connect the oscillating wave terminal to: both of the first and second segments at a same time; or different ones of the first and second segments at different times.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first crossbar switch is configured, responsive to the first control input, to either: connect the oscillating wave terminal to the first conductor while connecting the ground terminal to the second conductor; or connect the oscillating wave terminal to the second conductor while connecting the ground terminal to the first conductor; or have a high impedance to disconnect the first conductor from the oscillating wave terminal and from the ground terminal and to disconnect the second conductor from the oscillating wave terminal and from the ground terminal.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth conductors, in which:
the transducer includes third and fourth segments of the piezoelectric material;
the third segment is coupled to the fifth and sixth conductors;
the fourth segment is coupled to the seventh and eighth conductors;
the system further comprises:
a third crossbar switch having a third control input, the third crossbar switch coupled: between the oscillating wave terminal and the fifth conductor; between the oscillating wave terminal and the sixth conductor; between the ground terminal and the fifth conductor; and between the ground terminal and the sixth conductor; and
a fourth crossbar switch having a fourth control input, the fourth crossbar switch coupled: between the oscillating wave terminal and the seventh conductor; between the oscillating wave terminal and the eighth conductor; between the ground terminal and the seventh conductor; and between the ground terminal and the eighth conductor;

the lens structure has a center section, the first and second segments are located on opposite first sides of the center section, and the third and fourth segments are located on opposite second sides of the center section; and
the crossbar switches are configured, responsive to their respective control inputs, to:
connect the oscillating wave terminal to the first and third conductors while connecting the ground terminal to the second and fourth conductors; and
connect the oscillating wave terminal to the sixth and eighth conductors while connecting the ground terminal to the fifth and seventh conductors.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth crossbar switches are configured to connect the oscillating wave terminal to:
a first subset of the segments at a first time; and
a second subset of the segments at a second time.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second crossbar switches are configured to connect the oscillating wave terminal to both of the first and second segments at the same time.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first and second crossbar switches are configured to connect the oscillating wave terminal to different ones of the first and second segments at the different times.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first and second crossbar switches are configured to connect the oscillating wave terminal to achieve different oscillatory responses on the lens structure at the different times.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the different oscillatory responses have different mode shapes.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the different mode shapes include a mode (0,1) shape and a mode (1,1) shape.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the different mode shapes include a mode (0,1) shape, a mode (1,1) shape, and a mode (2,1) shape.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lens structure includes a lens cover.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lens structure includes a camera lens.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lens structure includes a circular lens structure.

14. A camera assembly, comprising:
a camera;
a lens structure adjacent the camera;
first, second, third and fourth conductors;
a transducer coupled to the lens structure, the transducer including first and second segments of a piezoelectric material, in which:
the first segment is coupled to the first and second conductors; and
the second segment is coupled to the third and fourth conductors;

a first crossbar switch having a first control input, the first crossbar switch coupled: between an oscillating wave terminal and the first conductor; between the oscillating wave terminal and the second conductor; between a ground terminal and the first conductor; and between the ground terminal and the second conductor; and
a second crossbar switch having a second control input, the second crossbar switch coupled: between the oscillating wave terminal and the third conductor; between the oscillating wave terminal and the fourth conductor; between the ground terminal and the third conductor; and between the ground terminal and the fourth conductor;
in which the first and second crossbar switches are configured, responsive to the first and second control inputs, to connect the oscillating wave terminal to: both of the first and second segments at a same time; or different ones of the first and second segments at different times.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the lens structure includes a lens cover or a camera lens.

Assignees

• Texas Instruments Inc

Inventors

• Fedigan Stephen John
• Magee David Patrick
• Li Yunhong

Classifications

• G02B27/0006 Primary

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• B08B7/028

  Using ultrasounds · CPC title

• G02B3/0075

  characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means · CPC title