# US 10,374,143 B2 · Semiconductor integrated circuit, and sensor system and vehicle including the same

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- Number: US 10,374,143 B2
- Document ID: US10374143B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/691,993
- Filed: 2017-08-31
- Published: 2018-03-08
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-05
- Assignees: Rohm Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Rohm Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Akihiro Ota; Yuzo Mizushima; Yuji Kaneda; Isao Niwa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374143B2

## CPC

- H10N 30/302: {Sensors}
- G01H 11/08: using piezoelectric devices
- H02N 2/181: {Circuits; Control arrangements or methods}
- H10N 30/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 30/20: with electrical input and mechanical output, e.g. functioning as actuators or vibrators
- H10N 30/802: {Circuitry or processes for operating piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices not otherwise provided for, e.g. drive circuits}
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit constituting a part of a sensor signal processing apparatus for processing sensor signal output from a sensor includes: a first terminal where one end of a vibrator externally attached to the semiconductor integrated circuit is connected and a second terminal where the other end of the vibrator is connected; and an oscillation circuit oscillating the vibrator connected via the first and second terminals, wherein the oscillator circuit intermittently oscillating the vibrator based on control signal, wherein a first period where the oscillation circuit oscillates the vibrator and a second period where the oscillation circuit does not oscillate the vibrator are alternately switched, wherein, during the first period, potentials of the first and second terminals are alternately switched complementarily to high level and low level, and wherein, during the second period, the potentials of the first terminal and the second terminal are fixed to the low level.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor integrated circuit constituting a part of a sensor signal processing apparatus for processing a sensor signal output from a sensor, the circuit comprising:
a first terminal to which one end of a vibrator externally attached to the semiconductor integrated circuit is connected;
a second terminal to which the other end of the vibrator is connected; and
an oscillation circuit configured to oscillate the vibrator connected via the first terminal and the second terminal,
wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to intermittently oscillate the vibrator based on a control signal,
wherein a first period during which the oscillation circuit oscillates the vibrator and a second period during which the oscillation circuit does not oscillate the vibrator are alternately switched,
wherein, during the first period, potentials of the first terminal and the second terminal are alternately switched complementarily to a high level and a low level, and
wherein, during the second period, the potentials of the first terminal and the second terminal are fixed to the low level.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first period is shorter than the second period.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor signal processing apparatus is configured to process the sensor signal a plurality of times during the first period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the oscillation circuit is configured to oscillate the vibrator to generate the clock signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The circuit of claim 4, wherein a length of the first period is determined based on the clock signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the vibrator is incorporated in the sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein a start timing of the first period is determined based on a trigger signal supplied from the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit to the semiconductor integrated circuit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the oscillation circuit comprises:
an NAND circuit;
a first switch installed between an output terminal of the NAND circuit and the second terminal;
a second switch installed between a portion where a potential is fixed to the low level and the second terminal; and
a resistor whose one end is connected to the first terminal and other end is connected to the second terminal,
wherein during the first period, the first switch is turned on and the second switch is turned off, and
wherein, during the second period, the first switch is turned off and the second switch is turned on.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The circuit of claim 8, wherein the first switch and the second switch are controlled based on the control signal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The circuit of claim 8, wherein the NAND circuit is a CMOS type NAND circuit.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A sensor system, comprising:
a sensor; and
a sensor signal processing apparatus comprising the semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1 and configured to process a sensor signal output from the sensor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A vehicle comprising the sensor system of claim 11.