A driver circuit for generating a driving signal by pulse-width modulation
(PWM) includes a half-bridge circuit formed essentially of a pair of
series-connected FETs. When the level of an ultrasonic signal, or of the
driving signal, is to be maximized, the individual FETs are switched at a
switching frequency matched to the frequency of the driving signal. When
the level of the ultrasonic signal, or the driving signal is to be
reduced, on the other hand, the individual FETs are switched with
specific timing determined based on the frequency of a clock signal of
which period is shorter than that of the driving signal.