Regional gain control for segmented thin-film acoustic imaging systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12546873-B2
Application number	US-202418645177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2024
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

An acoustic imaging system coupled to an acoustic imaging medium to define an imaging surface. The acoustic imaging system includes an array of piezoelectric acoustic transducers formed at least in part from a thin-film piezoelectric material, such as PVDF. The array is coupled to the acoustic imaging medium opposite the imaging surface and formed using a thin-film manufacturing process over an application-specific integrated circuit that, in turn, is configured to leverage the array of piezoelectric actuators to generate an image of an object at least partially wetting to the imaging surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing defining a rectangular shape and comprising:
a first exterior surface portion;
a second exterior surface portion opposite the first exterior surface portion; and
a sidewall exterior surface portion coupling the first exterior surface portion and the second exterior surface portion; and
an acoustic fingerprint imaging system disposed within the housing and comprising:
an array of acoustic transducers positioned along the sidewall;
an integrated circuit supporting the array of acoustic transducers configured to receive a voltage signal from at least one acoustic transducer of the array of acoustic transducers and to provide a digital value as output corresponding to the voltage signal; and
a regional gain controller configured to adjust a gain profile of at least one amplifier of the integrated circuit at least in part on a location within the array of acoustic transducers of the at least one acoustic transducer.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall has a concave profile.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the concave profile defines a recess configured to receive a fingertip of a user of the electronic device.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the digital value corresponds to a pixel of an image of a fingerprint portion of the fingertip of the user.

5 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the electronic device is a wearable electronic device.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device is a wrist-worn wearable electronic device.

7 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the electronic device is a laptop computing device.

8 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic fingerprint imaging system is disposed along a lower portion of the sidewall, aligned at least in part with an input device of the electronic device.

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the input device is a trackpad device.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed at least in part from glass.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed at least in part from metal.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the metal is titanium.

13 . A portable electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a sidewall formed from metal; and an acoustic fingerprint imaging system disposed within the housing along the sidewall and comprising:
a substrate;
an integrated circuit formed on the substrate below an array of acoustic transducers, the integrated circuit configured to receive a voltage signal from at least one acoustic transducer of the array of acoustic transducers and to provide a digital value as output corresponding to the voltage signal; and
a regional gain controller configured to adjust a gain profile of at least one amplifier of the integrated circuit at least in part on a location within the array of acoustic transducers of the at least one acoustic transducer.

14 . The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the regional gain controller is configured to adjust the gain profile in response to a determination that the at least one acoustic transducer is within a defined region of the array of acoustic transducers.

15 . The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the regional gain controller is configured to retrieve the gain profile from a database in communication with the regional gain controller.

16 . The portable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the regional gain controller comprises the database.

17 . The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the array of acoustic transducers is defined by:
a thin-film piezoelectric layer; a first electrode layer defining a first array of electrodes formed below the thin-film piezoelectric layer; and a second electrode layer defining a second array of electrodes formed below the thin-film piezoelectric layer.

18 . The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the thin-film piezoelectric layer is formed from PVDF.

19 . A portable electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising a sidewall defining an interface surface to receive a user's fingertip, the interface surface having a convex profile; and an acoustic fingerprint imaging system disposed within the housing along the interface surface and comprising:
an integrated circuit formed below an array of acoustic transducers, the integrated circuit configured to receive a voltage signal from at least one acoustic transducer of the array of acoustic transducers and to provide a digital value as output corresponding to the voltage signal; and
a gain controller configured to adjust a gain profile of at least one amplifier of the integrated circuit at least in part on a location within the array of acoustic transducers of the at least one acoustic transducer.

20 . The portable electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the gain controller is configured to select the gain profile from a database coupled to the gain controller.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Franza Gordon S
• Minteer Gregory T
• YEKE YAZDANDOOST Mohammad
• Setlak Dale
• Yip Marcus C
• Khajeh Ehsan
• Tucker Aaron S
• Joyce Andrew W
• King Brian M
• Gozzini Giovanni
• Griesbach Jason S

Classifications

• G10K11/346

  using phase variation · CPC title

• G01S15/8927

  using simultaneously or sequentially two or more subarrays or subapertures · CPC title

• G01S7/52036

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation · CPC title

• G01S15/892

  the array being curvilinear · CPC title

• G01S15/8925

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