# US 10,766,764 B2 · MEMS sensor compensation for off-axis movement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,764 B2 - Document ID: US10766764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/538,166 - Filed: 2019-08-12 - Published: 2019-11-28 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-13 - Assignees: InvenSense, Inc. - Applicants: Invensense, Inc. - Inventors: Ilya Gurin; Joseph Seeger; Matthew Thompson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766764B2 ## CPC - B81B 3/0013: {Structures dimensioned for mechanical prevention of stiction, e.g. spring with increased stiffness} - B81B 3/0008: {Structures for avoiding electrostatic attraction, e.g. avoiding charge accumulation} - B81B 3/0027: {Structures for transforming mechanical energy, e.g. potential energy of a spring into translation, sound into translation} - B81B 3/0086: {Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage} - B81C 99/003: {Characterising MEMS devices, e.g. measuring and identifying electrical or mechanical constants} - G01C 19/5719: using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis - G01P 15/0802: {Details} - G01P 15/125: by capacitive pick-up - G01P 15/131: {with electrostatic counterbalancing means} - G01P 21/00: Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups - B81B 2201/0235: Accelerometers - B81B 2203/04: Electrodes - B81B 2203/055: Translation in a plane parallel to the substrate, i.e. enabling movement along any direction in the plane - G01P 2015/0808: {for defining in-plane movement of the mass, i.e. movement of the mass in the plane of the substrate} - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract 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 response to an out-of-plane movement of the MEMS layer or a portion thereof. The MEMS sensor compensates for the acceleration value based on the capacitance sensed by the auxiliary electrodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device, comprising: applying one or more first potentials to a plurality of movable electrodes of a MEMS layer; applying one or more second potentials to a plurality of fixed electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of fixed electrodes is located adjacent to at least one of the plurality of movable electrodes in at least a portion of the MEMS layer, wherein the movable electrodes move within the MEMS layer relative to the plurality of fixed electrodes in response to a first force in a first direction to generate a sense signal, and wherein the movable electrodes move outside of the MEMS layer relative to a substrate plane facing a lower plane of the MEMS layer in response to a second force in a second direction; applying one or more third potentials to a plurality of auxiliary electrodes located on a substrate layer; compensating for a second movement due to the second force based on an auxiliary signal from the auxiliary electrodes; and generating an output signal representative of the first force based on the sense signal and the compensation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the third potentials is the same potential as at least one of the second potentials. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fixed electrodes output the sense signal in response to at least the movement in the first direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable electrodes output the sense signal in response to at least the movement in the first direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation is performed by directly combining the sense signal and the auxiliary signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation is performed by an application-specific integrated circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation is performed by a programmable microprocessing unit.