An ultrasound imaging device includes: a first transmitter configured to transmit a transmission signal to at least one piezoelectric element; a receiver configured to receive a reception signal from the at least one piezoelectric element; a second transmitter configured to transmit a given signal to the at least one piezoelectric element; a timing controller configured to control a transmitting timing at which the first transmitter transmits the transmission signal and a receiving timing at which the receiver receives the reception signal; and a signal controller configured to cause the second transmitter to transmit the given signal to a first area to which the first transmitter does not transmit the transmission signal at the transmitting timing or cause the second transmitter to transmit the given signal to a second area from which the receiver does not receive the reception signal at the receiving timing.

An array of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducers (PMUTs) has a layer of piezoelectric material that requires poling during fabrication in order to properly align the piezoelectric dipoles to create a desired ultrasonic signal. The PMUT may have an interconnected set of lower electrodes that are fabricated between a processing layer of the PMUT and the piezoelectric layer. An upper electrode is fabricated overlaying the piezoelectric layer, and a poling voltage is applied between the upper electrode and the interconnected set of lower electrodes. After poling is complete, portions of the interconnected set of lower electrodes are removed to permanently isolate permanent lower electrodes from each other.

Methods and systems for calibrating a haptic system in an electronic device are provided. The calibration of the haptic system may be performed in a facility prior to a shipment to a user. The calibration may also be performed by a user prior to or after his/her use of the haptic system in the electronic device over time. A method for performing a calibration process in an electronic device includes generating a drive signal from a haptic driver in a haptic system disposed in an electronic device, transmitting the drive signal to an actuator in the haptic system, detecting a back Electromotive Force (bEMF) signal from the actuator in the haptic system, analyzing an output waveform from the bEMF signal, and adjusting a scale of the drive signal generated from the haptic driver.

Described herein are methods and systems for testing transducers and associated integrated circuits. In some cases, a method or system described herein can comprise modulating a bias voltage using a test signal in order to produce a modulated bias voltage signal useful in testing a plurality of transducers of a transducer array in parallel.

A system and method for detecting an anomaly in a structure using an adaptive filter to compensate for variations in piezoelectric transducer performance due to environmental factors such as temperature. A first voltage signal having a first amplitude is sent to a reference piezoelectric actuator. Thereafter, a first reference voltage signal is received from a reference piezoelectric receiver which is acoustically coupled to detect the guided wave generated by the reference piezoelectric actuator. A second amplitude is determined using an optimization algorithm of an adaptive filter to compensate for nonlinear behavior of the reference piezoelectric actuator and receiver based on the first reference voltage signal. Then the adaptive filter sends a second voltage signal having the second amplitude to the reference and test piezoelectric actuators. Reference and test voltage signals are received from the reference and test piezoelectric receivers in response to the second voltage signal. A difference voltage signal representing differences between the reference and test voltage signals received is then recorded.

An ultrasound system, probe and method are provided. The ultrasound system includes a transducer with piezoelectric transducer elements polarized in a poling direction. A bipolar transmit circuit is configured to generate a transmit signal having first and second polarity segments. The first and second polarity segments have corresponding first and second peak amplitudes. A bias generator is configured to generate a bias signal in a direction of the poling direction. The bias signal is combined with the transmit signal to form a biased transmit signal that is shifted in the direction of the poling direction and still includes both of positive and negative voltages over a transmit cycle.

Electroacoustic device (5) comprising: an ultrasonic wave transducer (15) comprising a piezoelectric substrate (10) and first (30) and second (35) electrodes in contact with the piezoelectric substrate, and a carrier (10), the transducer being attached to the carrier and acoustically coupled to the carrier, and the first and second electrodes being sandwiched, at least partly, between the piezoelectric substrate and the carrier, the device being configured to generate an ultrasonic surface wave (W) propagating through the carrier at a distance from the transducer when an electric current passes through the first and second electrodes.

An ultrasound transducer unit including a plurality of ultrasound transducers transmits and receives ultrasound waves to and from an inside of a subject. In a case where a checking operation unit is operated, a controller controls a driving voltage supply unit such that a driving voltage is supplied with all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as driving target transducers. In a case where the checking operation unit is operated, a depolarization determination unit calculates, for each ultrasound transducer, a reception sensitivity in a case where an ultrasound wave is received by driving all of the plurality of ultrasound transducers as the driving target transducers, and determines whether or not a depolarization determination value calculated from the reception sensitivity of each ultrasound transducer satisfies numerical conditions. If the numerical conditions are satisfied, a polarization voltage supply unit supplies a polarization voltage to each of the plurality of ultrasound transducers.

Methods and systems for calibrating a haptic system in an electronic device are provided. The calibration of the haptic system may be performed in a facility prior to a shipment to a user. The calibration may also be performed by a user prior to or after his/her use of the haptic system in the electronic device over time. A method for performing a calibration process in an electronic device includes generating a drive signal from a haptic driver in a haptic system disposed in an electronic device, transmitting the drive signal to an actuator in the haptic system, detecting a back Electromotive Force (bEMF) signal from the actuator in the haptic system, analyzing an output waveform from the bEMF signal, and adjusting a scale of the drive signal generated from the haptic driver.

In a vibration unit, a first electrode of a sensor circuit of a control unit is electrically connected to a first external electrode of a first piezoelectric element, a second electrode of the sensor circuit is electrically connected to a second external electrode of the first piezoelectric element, a first electrode of a drive circuit is electrically connected to a first external electrode of a second piezoelectric element, and a second electrode of the drive circuit is electrically connected to a second external electrode of the second piezoelectric element. Only a relatively small voltage induced by an electromotive force occurring due to the flexure of the first piezoelectric element is applied to the sensor circuit. In addition, only a relatively large drive voltage to be applied to the second piezoelectric element is applied to the drive circuit.