Patent ID: 9398897
Filing Date: 2016-07-26
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. An ultrasonic sensor comprising: a substrate having a surface and a plurality of sides such that the surface is disposed between the sides; three or more ultrasonic arrays disposed on the surface of the substrate; and a control unit configured to control ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic arrays, each of the three or more ultrasonic arrays including a linear array structure in which a plurality of ultrasonic elements are aligned in an alignment direction in a corresponding one of three or more straight lines, with the three or more straight lines collectively enclosing a single closed area on a plane that contains the surface of the substrate, the linear array structure having a length in the alignment direction, the length being less than a distance in the alignment direction between one edge of the linear array structure in the alignment direction and one of the sides of the substrate, which is closest to the one edge in the alignment direction, the single closed area having a polygonal shape, the three or more straight lines partially defining different sides of the polygonal shape of the single closed area, respectively, the control unit being configured to control the ultrasonic waves transmitted from each of the three or more ultrasonic arrays so that the ultrasonic waves are transmitted within a scanning plane that contains the corresponding one of the three or more straight line and that is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.