Patent attributes
An ultrasonic sensor includes a two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers including a plurality of sub-arrays of ultrasonic transducers, wherein a sub-array of ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of sub-arrays of ultrasonic transducers is independently controllable, and wherein a sub-array of ultrasonic transducers has an associated receive channel. A plurality of shift registers is configured to select a receive pattern of ultrasonic transducers of the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers to activate during a receive operation. An array controller is configured to control selection of the ultrasonic transducers during the receive operation according to the receive pattern and configured to shift a position of the receive pattern within the plurality of shift registers such that the ultrasonic transducers activated during the receive operation moves relative to and within the two-dimensional array of ultrasonic transducers.
