An ultrasonic sensor device including a plurality of ultrasonic sensors and a control unit for operating the ultrasonic sensors, the control unit being configured to activate selectively either a first group of the ultrasonic sensors or a second group of the ultrasonic sensors at the same time, so that the activated ultrasonic sensors emit an ultrasonic signal, each ultrasonic sensor of the first group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the second group and each ultrasonic sensor of the second group being situated adjacent to at least one ultrasonic sensor of the first group, and the control unit being configured to operate adjacent active ultrasonic sensors using different frequency-modulated excitation patterns.