Trajectory estimation system
Granted: November 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10823555
A system and method for efficiently determining trajectory and/or location of a device (or user thereof). In a non-limiting example, rotation matrix coefficients may be analyzed in conjunction with stepping information to determine device trajectory and/or location. The system and method may, for example, be implemented in a MEMS sensor system, for example comprising a MEMS gyroscope, MEMS accelerometer, MEMS compass and/or MEMS pressure sensor.
Heading confidence interval estimation
Granted: October 27, 2020
Patent Number:
10816570
An inertial measurement system is disclosed. The inertial measurement system has an accelerometer processing unit that generates a calibrated accelerometer data. The inertial measurement system further includes a magnetometer processing unit generates a calibrated magnetometer data, and a gyroscope processing unit generates a calibrated gyroscope data. Using the calibrated accelerometer data, the calibrated magnetometer data, and the calibrated gyroscope data, the inertial measurement…
Pressure sensor
Granted: October 27, 2020
Patent Number:
10816422
A pressure sensor comprises a first substrate and a cap attached to the first substrate. The cap includes a processing circuit, a cavity and a deformable membrane separating the cavity and a port open to an outside of the pressure sensor. Sensing means are provided for converting a response of the deformable membrane to pressure at the port into a signal capable of being processed by the processing circuit. The cap is attached to the first substrate such that the deformable membrane…
Smart sensor for always-on operation
Granted: October 20, 2020
Patent Number:
10812900
Smart sensors comprising one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and a digital signal processor (DSP) in a sensor package are described. An exemplary smart sensor can comprise a MEMS acoustic sensor or microphone and a DSP housed in a package or enclosure comprising a substrate and a lid and a package substrate that defines a back cavity for the MEMS acoustic sensor or microphone. Provided implementations can also comprise a MEMS motion sensor housed in the package or…
Device and method for sensor calibration
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10794728
A device and method for a MEMS device with at least one sensor is disclosed. A thermal element is disposed in the MEMS device to selectively adjust a temperature of the MEMS device. A calibration operation is initiated for the sensor to determine a correction value to be applied to the sensor measurement based on the temperature. The correction value is stored.
On-chip gap measurement
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10794702
A MEMS gyroscope includes a proof mass of a suspended spring mass system that is driven at a drive frequency. The proof mass moves relative to a sense electrode such that an overlap of the proof mass and sense electrode changes during the drive motion. A Coriolis force causes the proof mass to move relative to the sense electrode. The overlap and the movement due to the Coriolis force are sensed, and angular velocity is determined based on the magnitude of a signal generated due to a…
Device and method for a threshold sensor
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10793424
A device with a first MEMS device and a second MEMS device is disclosed. The first MEMS device is configured to sense at least one external influence. The second MEMS device is responsive to the at least one external influence. The first MEMS device is configured to change a state when the at least one external influence exceeds a threshold value. The first MEMS device is configured to retain the state below the threshold value, wherein the change in state of the first MEMS device is…
Enhancing quality of a fingerprint image
Granted: September 22, 2020
Patent Number:
10783346
In a method for enhancing quality of a fingerprint image, a plurality of images is received, where the plurality of images comprises fingerprint images. An image of the plurality of images is selected as a reference image. Subsections of each image of the plurality of images are compared to corresponding subsections of the reference image. Based on the comparing, subsections of each image of the plurality of images are selected to utilize in generating an image average of the plurality…
CMOS MEMS integrated device with increased shield vertical gap
Granted: September 15, 2020
Patent Number:
10773947
An apparatus includes a MEMS wafer with a device layer and a handle substrate bonded to the device layer. A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (“CMOS”) wafer includes an oxide layer, and a passivation layer overlying the oxide layer. A bonding electrode overlies the passivation layer. A eutectic bond is between a first bonding metal on the bonding electrode and a second bonding metal on the MEMS wafer. A sensing electrode overlies the passivation layer. A shield electrode is…
CMOS-MEMS integrated device without standoff in MEMS
Granted: September 15, 2020
Patent Number:
10773951
An apparatus includes a MEMS wafer with a device layer and a handle substrate bonded to the device layer. The apparatus also includes a CMOS wafer including an oxide layer, and a passivation layer overlying the oxide layer. A bonding electrode overlies the passivation layer and a bump stop electrode overlies the passivation layer. A eutectic bond is between a first bonding metal on the bonding electrode and a second bonding metal on the MEMS wafer. A sensing electrode is positioned…
MEMS sensor compensation for off-axis movement
Granted: September 8, 2020
Patent Number:
10766764
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor includes a MEMS layer that includes fixed and movable electrodes. In response to an in-plane linear acceleration, the movable electrodes move with respect to the fixed electrodes, and acceleration is determined based on the resulting change in capacitance. A plurality of auxiliary electrodes are located on a substrate of the MEMS sensor and below the MEMS layer, such that a capacitance between the MEMS layer and the auxiliary loads changes in…
Operating a fingerprint sensor comprised of ultrasonic transducers
Granted: August 25, 2020
Patent Number:
10755067
In a method for operating a fingerprint sensor including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, receiving a plurality of images corresponding to different subsets of the ultrasonic transducers of the fingerprint sensor are received, wherein the plurality of images are non-adjacent. For each image of the plurality of images, it is determined whether the image of the plurality of images is indicative of a fingerprint. Provided a number of images of the plurality of images that are…
Demodulation phase calibration
Granted: August 18, 2020
Patent Number:
10746565
A method includes receiving a signal from a sensor. The signal includes a first in-phase component and a first quadrature component. The first in-phase and quadrature components are identified. A rate signal is applied to the sensor and the sensor generates a sensed rate signal. A second in-phase and quadrature components associated with the sensed rate signal are determined. A phase error based on the first and the second in-phase components, and the first and the second quadrature…
Actuator layer patterning with topography
Granted: August 18, 2020
Patent Number:
10745270
Provided herein is a method including fusion bonding a handle wafer to a first side of a device wafer. A hardmask is deposited on a second side of the device wafer, wherein the second side is planar. The hardmask is etched to form a MEMS device pattern and a standoff pattern. Standoffs are formed on the device wafer, wherein the standoffs are defined by the standoff pattern. A eutectic bond metal is deposited on the standoffs, the device wafer, and the hardmask. A first photoresist is…
Asymmetric out-of-plane accelerometer
Granted: August 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10732196
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) accelerometer senses linear acceleration perpendicular to a MEMS device plane of the MEMS accelerometer based on a rotation of a proof mass out-of-plane about a rotational axis. A symmetry axis is perpendicular to the rotational axis. The proof mass includes a symmetric portion that is symmetric about the symmetry axis and that is contiguous with an asymmetric portion that is asymmetric about the symmetry axis.
Identification and compensation of MEMS accelerometer errors
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10725068
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) accelerometer has a proof mass, a sense electrode, and an auxiliary electrode. The sense electrode is located relative to the proof mass such that a capacitance formed by the sense electrode and the proof mass changes in response to a linear acceleration along a sense axis of the accelerometer. The auxiliary electrode is located relative to the proof mass such that a capacitance formed by the auxiliary electrode and proof mass is static in response to the…
Method for improving die area and power efficiency in high dynamic range digital microphones
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10727798
Exemplary multipath digital microphones described herein can comprise exemplary embodiments of automatic gain control and multipath digital audio signal digital signal processing chains, which allow low power and die size to be achieved as described herein, while still providing a high DR digital microphone systems. Further non-limiting embodiments can facilitate switching between multipath digital audio signal digital signal processing chains while minimizing audible artifacts…
Method and apparatus for user and moving vehicle detection
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10726281
An apparatus and method are disclosed for user and moving vehicle detection in which sensor data for a portable device is processed to determine whether the portable device is in a moving vehicle. Following a determination the portable device is in a moving vehicle, the sensor data is to characterize an association between the user and the portable device to determine whether the portable device is connected to the user. If the user is connected to the portable device, it is then…
Integrated piezoelectric microelectromechanical ultrasound transducer (PMUT) on integrated circuit (IC) for fingerprint sensing
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10726231
Microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices and associated methods are disclosed. Piezoelectric MEMS transducers (PMUTs) suitable for integration with complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit (IC), as well as PMUT arrays having high fill factor for fingerprint sensing, are described.
Maintaining data coherency utilizing a holding stage memory component
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10725916
A system includes sensors, a first memory component, a second memory component, and an interface. The sensors are configured to generate data responsive to stimuli. Each sensor may transmit its associated data as it becomes available. The first memory component may receive and store sensor data. The second memory component may receive data from the first memory component. The interface may receive data from the second memory component. The sensor data generated during a time which the…
