Ultrasonic sound pressure control device and control method thereof

Abstract

In ultrasonic sound pressure control devices and methods, ultrasonic sound pressure control technology can more accurately adjust tactile resolution and suppress unnecessary tactile feedback caused by grating lobes and side lobes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an ultrasonic sound pressure control device and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the development of non-contact interface technology, ultrasonic air tactile feedback technology has been actively studied.

[0003] Traditional haptic interfaces are based on physical buttons, touchscreens, or wearable haptic devices. However, this approach is limited by the fact that it requires direct contact with the user's body.

[0004] Therefore, a technology has been developed that uses ultrasound to adjust sound pressure in the air and provide tactile feedback at a specific location. Ultrasonic-based tactile feedback technology works on the principle of amplifying sound pressure at a specific location using an array of ultrasonic transducers, allowing the user to feel touch. This technology can be applied to various fields, such as interfaces used in vehicles, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments, medical simulations, and games.

[0005] However, in previous ultrasonic array-based haptic feedback technologies, the haptic resolution is fixed by a certain frequency and the size of the ultrasonic transducer, which may result in the following limitations: it is difficult to finely adjust the haptic feedback in a specific area, and due to the presence of grating lobes and side lobes, users may experience haptic feedback in unexpected locations or the haptic effect may be distorted.

[0006] To overcome the aforementioned limitations, there is a need for an ultrasonic sound pressure control device and its control method that can adjust tactile resolution and control the grating lobes and side lobes. Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to various aspects of this disclosure, this disclosure provides an ultrasonic sound pressure control device and control method thereof, the device being configured to variably adjust tactile resolution and suppress unwanted tactile feedback caused by grating lobes and side lobes.

[0008] The technical objectives to be solved by this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will clearly understand any unmentioned technical objectives.

[0009] According to various aspects of this disclosure, an ultrasonic sound pressure control device is provided, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer array including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers; an ultrasonic control circuit including a processor and controlling the ultrasonic transducer array; and a user input interface operatively connected to the ultrasonic control circuit, detecting the position and posture of a user's hand, and providing the detected information related to the position and posture of the user's hand to the ultrasonic control circuit, wherein the ultrasonic control circuit divides a control window set based on the hand position into a target region and a suppression region, and controls the ultrasonic transducer array such that the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region is adjusted to be greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0010] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the ultrasonic control circuit can also be configured to control an ultrasonic transducer array by performing phase control or amplitude control on pressure waves generated from a plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

[0011] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the ultrasonic control circuit can also be configured to: control the ultrasonic transducer array to generate a first sound pressure in the target region by aligning the phase of the pressure wave and increasing the amplitude of the pressure wave in the target region; and control the ultrasonic transducer array to generate a second sound pressure in the suppression region by dispersing the phase of the pressure wave and reducing the amplitude of the pressure wave in the suppression region, wherein the difference between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0012] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the ultrasonic control circuit can also be configured to reduce the grid lobes and side lobes in the suppression region.

[0013] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the ultrasonic control circuit can also be configured to apply acoustic filtering to the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

[0014] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the ultrasonic control circuit can also be configured to: generate a third sound pressure transfer function (RB-αRD) based on a first sound pressure transfer function (RB) for the target region and a second sound pressure transfer function (RD) for the suppression region, and use an eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue of the third sound pressure transfer function, where α represents a weighting coefficient for adjusting the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

[0015] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the ultrasonic control circuit can also be configured to adjust the size of the control window to adjust the tactile resolution.

[0016] According to various aspects of this disclosure, a method for controlling an ultrasonic sound pressure control device includes: generating ultrasonic waves using an ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers; detecting the position and posture of a user's hand to provide the detected information to an ultrasonic control circuit; dividing a control window set based on the hand position into a target region and a suppression region; and controlling the ultrasonic transducer array such that the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region is greater than or equal to a set threshold.

[0017] According to various aspects of this disclosure, generating ultrasonic waves may include controlling an array of ultrasonic transducers by performing phase control or amplitude control on pressure waves generated from a plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

[0018] According to various aspects of this disclosure, controlling an ultrasonic transducer array may include: controlling the ultrasonic transducer array to generate a first sound pressure in a target region by aligning the phase of a pressure wave and increasing the amplitude of the pressure wave in the target region; and controlling the ultrasonic transducer array to generate a second sound pressure in a suppression region by dispersing the phase of the pressure wave and decreasing the amplitude of the pressure wave, wherein the difference between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0019] According to various aspects of this disclosure, controlling the ultrasonic transducer array to generate a second sound pressure in the suppression region may include reducing the grating lobes and side lobes in the suppression region.

[0020] According to various aspects of this disclosure, controlling the ultrasonic transducer array may include applying acoustic filtering to the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

[0021] According to various aspects of this disclosure, applying acoustic filtering may include: generating a third sound pressure transfer function (RB-αRD) based on a first sound pressure transfer function (RB) for a target region and a second sound pressure transfer function (RD) for a suppression region, and using an eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue of the third sound pressure transfer function, where α represents a weighting coefficient for adjusting the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

[0022] According to various aspects of this disclosure, the method may further include adjusting the haptic resolution by adjusting the size of the control window and the size of the focus.

[0023] Furthermore, according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a vehicle including the aforementioned ultrasonic sound pressure control device is provided. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating an ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2A and Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram comparing the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with conventional techniques.

[0026] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram comparing the amplitude changes of each transducer when acoustic filtering is applied to the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure with those of conventional techniques.

[0027] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram used to visually compare the improvement in tactile resolution achieved by the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure with the effect achieved by conventional techniques.

[0028] Figure 5A and Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram that visually compares the acoustic filtering effect achieved by the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure with the effect achieved by conventional techniques.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of generating acoustic filter values ​​in an ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Because this disclosure may have various modified embodiments, exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the detailed description of this disclosure. However, this is not intended to limit this disclosure to the specific embodiments, and it should be understood that this disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the scope of the concept and technology of this disclosure.

[0031] In this specification, the suffixes “module” and “unit” are used only to distinguish between components nominally and should not be construed as implying that the components are physically or chemically separable or that they can be separable.

[0032] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another in name, and their sequential meaning should be understood through the context of the specification rather than the names themselves.

[0033] The term "and / or" is used to include all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three cases: "A", "B", and "A and B".

[0034] It should also be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected to" or "joined to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component, or there may be an intermediate component.

[0035] In the following description, technical terms are used only to describe particular exemplary embodiments without limiting this disclosure. Unless otherwise stated, singular terms include plural forms. The meaning of “comprising” or “including” is to specify attributes, areas, fixed quantities, steps, processes, elements and / or components, but does not exclude other attributes, areas, fixed quantities, steps, processes, elements and / or components.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terms used are to be understood as having meanings known to those skilled in the art. Terms such as those commonly used and already included in dictionaries should be understood as having meanings matching the context in this art. In this specification, terms should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formalized manner unless explicitly defined.

[0037] Furthermore, terms such as unit, control unit, control device, or control circuit are widely used to name devices that control specific functions and do not refer to general functional units. In addition, the devices referred to by these names may include communication devices that communicate with another control circuit or sensor to control corresponding functions; computer-readable recording media that store operating systems, logic commands, and input / output information; and at least one processor that performs the judgments, decisions, and calculations required to perform functional control.

[0038] On the other hand, a processor may include semiconductor integrated circuits and / or electronic components for performing at least one or more of comparison, judgment, calculation, and decision-making to achieve programmed functions. For example, a processor may be a computer, a microprocessor, a CPU, an ASIC, an electronic circuit (logic circuit), or a combination thereof.

[0039] The processor can be electrically connected to the memory, and the processor can be configured to fetch data from the memory and record data therein. The memory and the processor can be integrated with each other or physically separated from each other.

[0040] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle 1 including an ultrasonic sound pressure control device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Reference Figure 1 An ultrasonic sound pressure control device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include an ultrasonic transducer array 110 and an ultrasonic control circuit 120.

[0043] The ultrasonic transducer array 110 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 111 spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and receives control signals supplied from the ultrasonic control circuit 120 to emit ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic transducer array 110 may include a structure arranging the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 111 in a matrix configuration, and each transducer 111 may be designed to individually adjust the phase and amplitude of a corresponding pressure wave. According to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, sound pressure can be concentrated at a focal point 160 where the user's hand is located by using the ultrasonic transducer array 110 to provide tactile feedback.

[0044] To improve focal resolution, conventional techniques require increasing the number of ultrasonic transducers 111, which can lead to increased costs and system complexity. However, according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a control method can be employed to improve focal resolution without increasing the number of transducers 111. This method will be described in detail later with reference to FIG2.

[0045] The ultrasonic control circuit 120 is configured to control the phase and amplitude of each of the plurality of transducers 111 in the ultrasonic transducer array 110, such that the sound pressure is concentrated at the target focus 160.

[0046] The ultrasonic control circuit 120 includes a signal generation unit 121, an acoustic filtering unit 122, and a resolution adjustment unit 123.

[0047] The signal generation unit 121 can perform the following functions: generate an electrical signal to be supplied to each ultrasonic transducer 111, set the frequency and amplitude of the ultrasonic wave, and adjust the signal based on the target focus 160.

[0048] The acoustic filtering unit 122 can be configured with a control window 170 dividing the ultrasonic transducer array 110 into a target region 171 and a suppression region 172, and apply an acoustic filtering method to adjust the sound pressure difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172. The sound pressure transfer function can be configured to increase the sound pressure in the target region 171 and minimize the sound pressure in the suppression region 172, and the optimal acoustic filtering value can be determined by using the eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue of the sound pressure transfer function. The determined acoustic filtering value can be used to determine the phase and amplitude values ​​of each transducer 111 to maximize the energy difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172. This effectively eliminates grating lobes and side lobes appearing in the suppression region 172 and more clearly maintains the tactile feedback appearing in the target region 171.

[0049] The resolution adjustment unit 123 can adjust the size of the control window 170 to change the size of the target area 171. When the user needs fine haptic feedback, the sound pressure can be concentrated into a smaller area by shrinking the control window 170. On the other hand, when a wider range of haptic feedback is needed, the size of the focus 160 can be increased by expanding the control window 170.

[0050] The resolution adjustment unit 123 can be designed to adjust the resolution in real time based on the user's hand position and operating environment.

[0051] User input interface module 130 can detect the user's hand posture and position to provide this information to ultrasonic control circuit 120. User input interface module 130 may include motion sensor 131 and camera 132. Motion sensor 131 can measure the 3D coordinates of the fingers and track hand movements to move focus 160. Camera 132 can recognize finger postures using an RGB or depth camera and adjust ultrasonic signals based on specific movements. This allows users to perform intuitive operations while moving their hands in the air and receives accurate tactile feedback even in contactless interface environments.

[0052] In various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the signal generation unit 121, acoustic filtering unit 122, and resolution adjustment unit 123 of the ultrasonic control circuit 120 may be implemented by one or more processors in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0053] Figure 2A and Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram comparing the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure with a comparative method.

[0054] Figure 2A A comparative ultrasonic sound pressure control method is shown. Figure 2B An ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0055] Reference Figure 2A In the contrast method, a single focal point 160 is formed below the finger 151. In the contrast method, the ultrasonic beam is concentrated at a specific location. As can be seen from the lower figure, the sound pressure is formed only with a fixed spatial resolution. By using a fixed frequency and a fixed phase array, the tactile resolution can be kept constant and can be adjusted by the user.

[0056] exist Figure 2BEven when finger 151 is in the same position, the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to the exemplary embodiment of this disclosure can have adjustable resolution. The focus 160 is not a single position; its size and area can be adjusted using a control window. Acoustic filtering maximizes the sound pressure difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172. The following mathematical algorithm 1 can be applied to this acoustic filtering method.

[0057] [Formula 1]

[0058] q = Ф(R B – αR D )

[0059]

[0060] R B = Z B × Z B

[0061] (Here, q represents the final determined filtered sound pressure (the sound pressure value that provides the tactile feedback location), Φ(A) represents the eigenvector derived from the largest eigenvalue of matrix A (this is the mathematical model used for the filtering process, making the ultrasonic signal directional), R B R represents the ultrasonic wave propagation transfer function of the target region 171. D Z represents the ultrasonic wave propagation transfer function of the suppression region 172, α represents the weighting coefficient (which adjusts the sound pressure difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172), and Z represents the ultrasonic wave propagation transfer function of the suppression region 172. D Z represents the spatial transfer function between the ultrasonic element and the suppression region (the spatial propagation characteristics of the suppression region). B This represents the spatial transfer function (spatial propagation characteristics of the target region) between the ultrasonic element and the target region, and N represents the number of ultrasonic transducer arrays.

[0062] Equation 1 shows that a more precise focus 160 than previous techniques can be formed by: filtering to maximize the sound pressure difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172, thereby adjusting the drive signal to control strong tactile feedback to appear only at the desired location; suppressing unnecessary sound pressure outside the focus 160; and using eigenvalues ​​for filtering.

[0063] Reference Figure 2B In the lower image, focus 160 is not just a single point. The area of ​​focus 160 can be adjusted to change its resolution. Focus 160 can be adjusted in real time as the user moves their hand.

[0064] Figure 3A and Figure 3BThis is a schematic diagram comparing the amplitude change of each transducer with a comparison method when acoustic filtering is applied in the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Figure 3A The amplitude distribution of the comparison method is shown, and Figure 3B An amplitude distribution according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0066] Reference Figure 3A The amplitude distribution of the comparative method shows that the amplitude of each transducer is uniform (in Figure 3A In this context, "array number" indicates each transducer. That is to say, because the amplitude of all transducers is uniform, the focal point 160 spreads more widely. Therefore, when forming the focal point 160, it may be difficult to concentrate the sound pressure at a specific location, and the probability of grating lobes and side lobes may increase.

[0067] However, refer to Figure 3B The amplitude distribution according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure shows that the amplitude is selectively enhanced in some transducers, while the amplitude of a particular transducer is relatively low. This indicates that not only simple phase control, but also amplitude level can be adjusted to perform additional control. This is to increase the sound pressure concentration at the target focus 160 and suppress grating lobes and side lobes to minimize unwanted sound pressure outside the focus.

[0068] Since both phase control and amplitude control are performed in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the sound pressure concentration in the target region 171 can be increased, and the sound pressure in the suppression region 172 can be minimized.

[0069] Figure 4A and Figure 4B This is a schematic diagram that visually compares the improvement in tactile resolution achieved by the ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure with the effect achieved by a comparison method.

[0070] Figure 4A The beam focusing pattern of the comparison method is shown. The beamwidth is relatively large, and the resolution is low.

[0071] Figure 4B The beam focusing pattern of this disclosure is shown. Compared to the contrast method, the beamwidth is relatively reduced and the tactile resolution is improved. As the focal size decreases, more precise tactile feedback can be provided. While the contrast method may not be able to precisely adjust the focal size, this disclosure allows setting a control window 170 to use a target region 171 and a suppression region 172, thereby precisely adjusting the focal size. Therefore, tactile resolution can be improved to provide more precise tactile feedback.

[0072] Figure 5A and Figure 5BThis is a schematic diagram that visually compares the acoustic filtering effect with a comparison method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] exist Figure 5A In this system, the difference between the main lobe and the grating lobe is relatively small. This can lead to unwanted acoustic interference, thus reducing the accuracy of haptic feedback.

[0074] exist Figure 5B In this design, the difference between the main lobe and the grating lobe is relatively large due to the reduction of grating lobes by optimizing the arrangement of the suppression region 172. Therefore, a more precise focus can be formed, and the sound pressure concentration can be improved to provide stronger tactile feedback in the target region 171.

[0075] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of generating acoustic filter values ​​in an ultrasonic sound pressure control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] Reference Figure 6 In step S101, the array number of control windows 170 is initialized. Here, control windows 170 are elements related to the size of the focal spot in the ultrasonic transducer array 110, and they determine the resolution of the focal spot. The focal spot can be formed more precisely by increasing the array number of control windows 170.

[0077] After performing step S101 of initializing the array size of control window 170, in step S102, the width of control window 170 is selected based on the target resolution. The width of control window 170 is selected to adjust the size and resolution of the focus point. To increase the focus resolution, the width of control window 170 is set to be smaller than the width of the ultrasonic array, while to decrease the focus resolution, the width of control window 170 is set to be larger than the width of the ultrasonic array. The user can adjust the focus resolution based on their tactile experience.

[0078] After selecting the width of the control window 170 based on the target resolution in step S102, the weight of the suppression region 172 is adjusted in step S103. This is a process of minimizing the ultrasonic signal in a specific region to suppress grating lobes and side lobes. This process can maximize the sound pressure at a specific focal point while reducing the sound pressure in unnecessary regions.

[0079] After adjusting the weights of the suppression regions in step S103, the phase and amplitude values ​​of each element are determined in step S104 to maximize the acoustic energy difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172. This is an optimization process for individually adjusting the phase and amplitude of each transducer 111 to maximize the sound pressure in the target region 171 and minimize the sound pressure in the suppression region 172. In other words, adjusting the phase and amplitude can maximize the acoustic energy difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172.

[0080] After determining the phase and amplitude values ​​of each element in step S104 to maximize the acoustic energy difference between the target region 171 and the suppression region 172, the sound field is predicted or measured in step S105. This can be a process of performing simulations or actual measurements to check whether the ultrasound waves are correctly formed at the desired focal point.

[0081] In step S106, it is checked whether the change in the effective area of ​​the main lobe is greater than 20%. If the above condition is not met ("No" in step S106), step S103 is executed again to adjust the weight of the suppression region 172. When the above condition is met, that is, when the change in the effective area of ​​the main lobe is greater than 20%, it can be understood that the sound pressure concentration is not optimal. Therefore, it is necessary to readjust the target region 171 and the suppression region 172 to optimally form the focal point.

[0082] If the above condition is met in step S106 ("Yes") when checking whether the change in the effective area of ​​the main lobe is greater than 20%, and if the above condition is not met in step S107 ("No") when checking whether the sound pressure is greater than 6 dB higher than the sidelobe in the uncontrolled region, then step S103, which adjusts the weight of the suppression region 172, is executed again. Here, the uncontrolled region refers to the external region unaffected by the adjustments of the target region 171 and the suppression region 172, and is the region where no additional filtering or signal adjustment is performed. However, when the sidelobe (subfocal point) in the uncontrolled region is too large, the user may experience unexpected tactile feedback. Therefore, when the sidelobe in the uncontrolled region is too large, additional adjustment of the acoustic filter is required to suppress unwanted signals.

[0083] When the above conditions are met in step S106 (step S106 is "Yes") for checking whether the change in the effective area of ​​the main lobe is 20% or more, and when the above conditions are met in step S107 (step S107 is "Yes") for checking whether the sound pressure is 6 dB or more higher than that of the sidelobe in the uncontrolled region, the acoustic filter value for the corresponding target space is confirmed in step S108. When both of the above conditions are met, an acoustic filter optimized for the corresponding target space can be used. Here, the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the references of the change in effective area and the sound pressure.

[0084] According to at least one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the haptic resolution can be freely adjusted by setting a control window. Therefore, high-resolution, precise haptic feedback can be provided in narrow areas for fine manipulation, while smooth haptic feedback can be provided in wide areas for a more natural user experience.

[0085] According to at least one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, by applying acoustic filtering to effectively suppress grating lobes and side lobes, a user can experience tactile perception only at the desired specific points. Therefore, since tactile feedback is provided only at the correct locations, the risk of accidental operation can be reduced, and the reliability of user interface operation can be improved.

[0086] According to at least one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, tactile resolution can be improved without increasing the number of ultrasonic transducers. Therefore, since high-resolution tactile feedback can be provided using fewer ultrasonic transducers compared to conventional devices, hardware costs can be reduced and the size and complexity of the system can be decreased. Thus, tactile feedback can be implemented even in small devices.

[0087] According to at least one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, when applied to interfaces of in-vehicle infotainment systems, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR), the ease of user operation can be improved.

[0088] The technical objectives to be addressed in this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains will clearly understand any unmentioned technical objectives.

[0089] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the detailed description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of this disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation set forth in the claims, and all modifications and alterations to this disclosure are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0090] The method according to the above embodiments can be implemented as a computer-executable program, and the program can be stored on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, and carrier wave (such as for data transmission via the Internet).

[0091] Computer-readable recording media can also be distributed across network-connected computer systems, enabling computer-readable code to be stored and executed in a distributed manner. Furthermore, programmers in the art to which these exemplary embodiments pertain can readily deduce the functional programs, code, and code segments used to implement the methods described above.

[0092] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

[0093] Therefore, the detailed description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of this disclosure should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the claims, and modifications and variations thereof fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic sound pressure control device, comprising: An ultrasonic transducer array, comprising multiple ultrasonic transducers; An ultrasonic control circuit, including a processor, is operatively connected to and controls the ultrasonic transducer array. and A user input interface is operably connected to the ultrasonic control circuit for detecting the position and posture of the user's hand and providing the detected information related to the user's hand position and posture to the ultrasonic control circuit. The ultrasonic control circuit divides the control window, which is set based on the hand position, into a target area and a suppression area, and controls the ultrasonic transducer array so that the sound pressure difference between the target area and the suppression area is adjusted to be greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

2. The ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to claim 1, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit controls the ultrasonic transducer array by performing phase control or amplitude control on the pressure waves generated from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

3. The ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to claim 2, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit: By aligning the phase of the pressure wave in the target region and increasing the amplitude of the pressure wave, the ultrasonic transducer array is controlled to generate a first sound pressure in the target region. as well as By dispersing the phase of the pressure wave and reducing its amplitude in the suppression region, the ultrasonic transducer array is controlled to generate a second sound pressure in the suppression region. Wherein, the difference between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

4. The ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to claim 3, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit reduces the grid lobes and side lobes in the suppression region.

5. The ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to claim 1, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit applies acoustic filtering to the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

6. The ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to claim 5, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit: Based on the first sound pressure transfer function RB for the target region and the second sound pressure transfer function RD for the suppression region, a third sound pressure transfer function is generated, determined by the equation RB-αRD, where α represents a weighting coefficient adjusting the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region; and Use the eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue of the third sound pressure transfer function.

7. The ultrasonic sound pressure control device according to claim 1, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit adjusts the size of the control window to adjust the tactile resolution.

8. A method for controlling an ultrasonic sound pressure control device, the method comprising the following steps: Ultrasonic waves are generated by using an ultrasonic transducer array that includes multiple ultrasonic transducers. The position and posture of the user's hand are detected to provide the detected information related to the position and posture of the user's hand to an ultrasonic control circuit, the ultrasonic control circuit including a processor and operatively connected to the ultrasonic transducer array. The ultrasonic control circuit divides the control window, set based on the hand position, into a target area and a suppression area; and The ultrasonic control circuit controls the ultrasonic transducer array so that the sound pressure difference between the target area and the suppression area is adjusted to be greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The steps to generate ultrasound include: The ultrasonic transducer array is controlled by performing phase control or amplitude control on the pressure waves generated from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The steps of controlling the ultrasonic transducer array include: By aligning the phase of the pressure wave in the target region and increasing the amplitude of the pressure wave, the ultrasonic transducer array is controlled to generate a first sound pressure level in the target region; and By dispersing the phase of the pressure wave and reducing its amplitude in the suppression region, the ultrasonic transducer array is controlled to generate a second sound pressure in the suppression region. Wherein, the difference between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The step of controlling the ultrasonic transducer array to generate the second sound pressure in the suppression region includes: Reduce the grating lobe and side lobe in the suppression region.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The steps of controlling the ultrasonic transducer array include: Acoustic filtering is applied to the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, The steps for applying the acoustic filter include: Based on the first sound pressure transfer function RB for the target region and the second sound pressure transfer function RD for the suppression region, a third sound pressure transfer function is generated, determined by the equation RB-αRD, where α represents a weighting coefficient adjusting the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region; and Use the eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue of the third sound pressure transfer function.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of: The ultrasonic control circuit adjusts the tactile resolution by adjusting the size of the control window and the size of the focus.

15. A vehicle comprising: An ultrasonic transducer array, comprising multiple ultrasonic transducers; An ultrasonic control circuit, including a processor, is operatively connected to and controls the ultrasonic transducer array. as well as A user input interface is operably connected to the ultrasonic control circuit to detect the position and posture of the user's hand and provide the detected information related to the user's hand position and posture to the ultrasonic control circuit. The ultrasonic control circuit divides the control window, which is set based on the hand position, into a target area and a suppression area, and controls the ultrasonic transducer array so that the sound pressure difference between the target area and the suppression area is adjusted to be greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit controls the ultrasonic transducer array by performing phase control or amplitude control on the pressure waves generated from the plurality of ultrasonic transducers.

17. The vehicle according to claim 16, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit: By aligning the phase of the pressure wave in the target region and increasing the amplitude of the pressure wave, the ultrasonic transducer array is controlled to generate a first sound pressure in the target region. as well as By dispersing the phase of the pressure wave and reducing its amplitude in the suppression region, the ultrasonic transducer array is controlled to generate a second sound pressure in the suppression region. Wherein, the difference between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit reduces the grid lobes and side lobes in the suppression region.

19. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit applies acoustic filtering to the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19, wherein, The ultrasonic control circuit: Based on the first sound pressure transfer function RB for the target region and the second sound pressure transfer function RD for the suppression region, a third sound pressure transfer function is generated, determined by the equation RB-αRD, where α represents a weighting coefficient adjusting the sound pressure difference between the target region and the suppression region; and Use the eigenvector corresponding to the maximum eigenvalue of the third sound pressure transfer function.

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