# US 11,077,843 B2 · Sensor module, measurement system, electronic apparatus, and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,843 B2 - Document ID: US11077843B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/356,012 - Filed: 2019-03-18 - Published: 2019-09-19 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-19 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Fumikazu Otani; Yoshikuni Saito; Taketo Chino; Nobuyuki Imai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077843B2 ## CPC - G01C 21/183: {Compensation of inertial measurements, e.g. for temperature effects} - B60W 30/02: Control of vehicle driving stability - G01C 9/06: Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means - B60W 2520/18: Roll - 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) - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT ## Abstract A sensor module includes a first sensor device, a second sensor device, and a microcontroller. The first sensor device includes a first synchronization terminal to which an external synchronization signal or a synchronization signal which is a signal based on the external synchronization signal is input, a first interface outputs first measurement data to the microcontroller on the basis of the synchronization signal which is input to the first synchronization terminal, the second sensor device includes a second synchronization terminal to which the synchronization signal is input, and a second interface outputs second measurement data to the microcontroller on the basis of the synchronization signal which is input to the second synchronization terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor module comprising: a first sensor device that includes a first sensor element, a first measurement circuit which receives a signal from the first sensor element and performs a measurement process, and a first interface which outputs first measurement data from the first measurement circuit; a second sensor device that includes a second sensor element, a second measurement circuit which receives a signal from the second sensor element and performs a measurement process, and a second interface which outputs second measurement data from the second measurement circuit; and a microcontroller that receives the first measurement data from the first sensor device and the second measurement data from the second sensor device, wherein the first sensor device further includes a first synchronization terminal to which a synchronization signal corresponding to an external synchronization signal is input, wherein the first interface outputs the first measurement data to the microcontroller on the basis of the synchronization signal which is input to the first synchronization terminal, wherein the second sensor device further includes a second synchronization terminal to which the synchronization signal is input, and wherein the second interface outputs the second measurement data to the microcontroller on the basis of the synchronization signal which is input to the second synchronization terminal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the first interface outputs the first measurement data which is fetched from the first measurement circuit at a synchronization timing of the synchronization signal, to the microcontroller, and wherein the second interface outputs the second measurement data which is fetched from the second measurement circuit at the synchronization timing of the synchronization signal, to the microcontroller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes a synchronization terminal to which the external synchronization signal is input. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes an interruption controller, and wherein the external synchronization signal is input to the interruption controller. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The sensor module according to claim 4, wherein the microcontroller includes a processing circuit, and wherein the processing circuit performs a process of issuing a command for acquiring the first measurement data from the first sensor device and the second measurement data from the second sensor device, with the external synchronization signal as an interruption cause. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes a processing circuit, and wherein the processing circuit performs a process of issuing a command for acquiring the first measurement data from the first sensor device and the second measurement data from the second sensor device, with the external synchronization signal as an interruption cause. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes a signal processing circuit that performs a digital signal process on the first measurement data from the first sensor device and the second measurement data from the second sensor device, and wherein the signal processing circuit performs the digital signal process every synchronization timing of the external synchronization signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sensor module according to claim 7, wherein, in a case where the digital signal process is completed, the microcontroller outputs a signal indicating completion of the digital signal process to the outside. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sensor module according to claim 8, wherein the microcontroller further includes a host interface, and wherein the microcontroller outputs the first measurement data and the second measurement data having undergone the digital signal process to the outside via the host interface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The sensor module according to claim 7, wherein the microcontroller further includes a host interface, and wherein the microcontroller outputs the first measurement data and the second measurement data having undergone the digital signal process to the outside via the host interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the external synchronization signal is a signal generated on the basis of a time reference signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sensor module according to claim 11, wherein the time reference signal is a signal acquired from a satellite positioning system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A measurement system comprising: the sensor module according to claim 1; and a host device that is electrically connected to the sensor module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A vehicle comprising: the sensor module according to claim 1; and a control device that controls a posture of a vehicle on the basis of posture information of the vehicle obtained through a process based on an output signal from the sensor module.