US 12,000,967 B2
Regional gain control for segmented thin-film acoustic imaging systems
Gordon S. Franza, Rockledge, FL (US); Gregory T. Minteer, Indian Harbour Beach, FL (US); Mohammad Yeke Yazdandoost, San Francisco, CA (US); Dale Setlak, Merritt Island, FL (US); Marcus C. Yip, San Carlos, CA (US); Ehsan Khajeh, Los Gatos, CA (US); Aaron S. Tucker, Redwood City, CA (US); Andrew W. Joyce, San Jose, CA (US); Brian M. King, Saratoga, CA (US); Giovanni Gozzini, Berkeley, CA (US); and Jason S. Griesbach, Sausalito, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/709,270.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/169,067, filed on Mar. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0317271 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/52 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01); G10K 11/34 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/52033 (2013.01) [G01S 7/52025 (2013.01); G01S 7/52036 (2013.01); G01S 15/8925 (2013.01); G10K 11/346 (2013.01); G01S 15/892 (2013.01); G01S 15/8927 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An acoustic imaging system comprising:
an array of acoustic transducers;
an integrated circuit formed below the array of acoustic transducers and comprising:
a first amplifier stage configured to receive a voltage signal from at least one acoustic transducer of the array of acoustic transducers;
a band pass filter stage to receive a first amplified output of the first amplifier stage;
a rectifier stage to receive a filtered output of the band pass filter stage;
an integrator stage to receive a rectified output of the rectifier stage; and
a second amplifier stage configured to receive an integrated offset output of the integrator stage; and
an analog to digital converter configured to receive a second amplified output of the second amplifier stage, the analog to digital converter stage configured to output a digital value corresponding to the voltage signal; and
a regional gain controller conductively coupled to at least one of the first amplifier or the second amplifier and configured to adjust a gain profile of at least one of the first amplifier or the second amplifier based at least in part on a location within the array of acoustic transducers of the at least one acoustic transducer.