Self-calibrating microelectromechanical system devices
AssigneeInvenSense, Inc.
InventorsMatthew Julian Thompson, Joseph Seeger, Sarah Nitzan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for self-adjusting calibration of offset and sensitivity of a MEMS accelerometer are provided. In one example, a system comprises a first microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor. The first MEMS sensor comprises: a proof mass coupled to an anchor connected to a reference plane, wherein the proof mass is coupled to the anchor via a first spring and a second spring; a plurality of reference paddles coupled to the anchor; and a plurality of acceleration sensing electrodes disposed on the reference plane, wherein a first area of each of the acceleration sensing electrodes is larger than a second area of each of a plurality of reference electrodes associated with the plurality of reference paddles.
Claims26
A system, comprising:
- a first microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor comprising:
- an anchor connected to a reference plane;
- a proof mass coupled to the anchor via at least one spring, wherein the proof mass is configured to move along a first direction in response to a sense excitation and along the first direction in response to an exogenous excitation;
- a plurality of sensing elements coupled between the reference plane and the proof mass and configured to be responsive to motion of the proof mass in the first direction,
- a plurality of reference paddles coupled to the anchor, wherein the reference paddles are configured to move along a second direction in response to an exogenous excitation;
- a plurality of reference elements coupled between the reference plane and the reference paddles and configured to be responsive to motion of the reference paddles in the second direction;
- wherein,
- the sensitivity level of the sensing elements in the first direction is different from the sensitivity level of the reference elements in the second direction.
A system, comprising:
- a microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor comprising:
- a first anchor connected to a reference plane;
- a proof mass coupled to the first anchor via at least one spring, wherein the proof mass is configured to move along a first direction in response to a sense excitation and wherein the proof mass is configured to move along a first direction in response to an exogenous excitation;
- a plurality of sensing elements coupled between the reference plane and the proof mass and configured to be responsive to motion of the proof mass in the first direction;
- a plurality of reference paddles coupled to the reference plane via a second anchor, wherein the reference paddles are configured to move along a second direction in response to an exogenous excitation;
- and,
- a plurality of reference elements coupled between the reference plane and the reference paddles and configured to be responsive to motion of the reference paddles in the second direction;
- wherein,
- the sensitivity of the sensing elements in the first direction is different from the sensitivity of the reference elements in the second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.