US 11,630,121 B2Granted

Sensor and electronic device

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsKei Masunishi, Yasushi Tomizawa, Etsuji Ogawa, Ryunosuke Gando, Shiori Kaji, Hiroki Hiraga, Fumito Miyazaki

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Abstract

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a first detection element, and a processing part. The first detection element includes a base body, a first supporter fixed to the base body, a first movable part, first and second counter conductive parts. The first movable part is supported by the first supporter and separated from the base body. The first movable part includes a first movable base part supported by the first supporter, a second movable base part connected with the first movable base part, a first movable beam including a first beam, and a second movable beam including a second beam. The first beam includes a first end portion and a first other end portion. The second beam includes a second end portion and a second other end portion. The first counter conductive part faces the first movable beam. The second counter conductive part faces the second movable beam.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A sensor, comprising:

a first detection element;
and
a processing part,
the first detection element including
a base body,
a first supporter fixed to the base body,
a first movable part supported by the first supporter and separated from the base body, the first movable part including
a first movable base part supported by the first supporter,
a second movable base part connected with the first movable base part,
a first movable beam including a first beam, and
a second movable beam including a second beam, the first beam including a first end portion and a first other end portion, the first end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the first other end portion being connected with the second movable base part, the second beam including a second end portion and a second other end portion, the second end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the second other end portion being connected with the second movable base part,
a first counter conductive part facing the first movable beam, and
a second counter conductive part facing the second movable beam,
the processing part being configured to perform a first operation, the first operation comprising outputting information regarding an acceleration applied to the first detection element and a temperature of the first detection element based on a first signal obtained from the first counter conductive part and a second signal obtained from the second counter conductive part,
wherein
a first direction from the base body toward the first movable part crosses a second direction from the first end portion toward the first other end portion,
a direction from the second end portion toward the second other end portion is along the second direction,
the first movable beam further includes
a first movable conductive part, and
a first connection region,
the first beam includes a first intermediate region between the first end portion and the first other end portion,
the first connection region connects the first intermediate region and the first movable conductive part, and
a length along the second direction of the first movable conductive part is longer than a length along the second direction of the first connection region.

20 more elements

A sensor, comprising:

a first detection element;
and
a processing part,
the first detection element including
a base body,
a first supporter fixed to the base body,
a first movable part supported by the first supporter and separated from the base body, the first movable part including
a first movable base part supported by the first supporter,
a second movable base part connected with the first movable base part,
a first movable beam including a first beam, and
a second movable beam including a second beam, the first beam including a first end portion and a first other end portion, the first end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the first other end portion being connected with the second movable base part, the second beam including a second end portion and a second other end portion, the second end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the second other end portion being connected with the second movable base part,
a first counter conductive part facing the first movable beam, and
a second counter conductive part facing the second movable beam,
the processing part being configured to perform a first operation, the first operation comprising outputting information regarding an acceleration applied to the first detection element and a temperature of the first detection element based on a first signal obtained from the first counter conductive part and a second signal obtained from the second counter conductive part,
wherein
the first operation includes deriving the information based on a difference and a sum of a first resonance frequency of the first movable beam and a second resonance frequency of the second movable beam, the first resonance frequency being obtained from the first signal, the second resonance frequency being obtained from the second signal,
the first detection element includes a first drive conductive part and a second drive conductive part,
the first drive conductive part faces the first movable beam,
the second drive conductive part faces the second movable beam,
the first operation includes applying a first voltage including an AC component to the first drive conductive part to vibrate the first movable beam, and applying a second voltage including an AC component to the second drive conductive part to vibrate the second movable beam, and
a DC component of the first voltage is different from a DC component of the second voltage.

18 more elements

A sensor, comprising:

a first detection element;
and
a processing part,
the first detection element including
a base body,
a first supporter fixed to the base body,
a first movable part supported by the first supporter and separated from the base body, the first movable part including
a first movable base part supported by the first supporter,
a second movable base part connected with the first movable base part,
a first movable beam including a first beam, and
a second movable beam including a second beam, the first beam including a first end portion and a first other end portion, the first end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the first other end portion being connected with the second movable base part, the second beam including a second end portion and a second other end portion, the second end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the second other end portion being connected with the second movable base part,
a first counter conductive part facing the first movable beam, and
a second counter conductive part facing the second movable beam,
the processing part being configured to perform a first operation, the first operation comprising outputting information regarding an acceleration applied to the first detection element and a temperature of the first detection element based on a first signal obtained from the first counter conductive part and a second signal obtained from the second counter conductive part,
wherein
the first detection element includes first to fourth drive conductive parts,
the first drive conductive part faces the first movable beam,
the second drive conductive part faces the second movable beam,
the third drive conductive part faces the first movable beam,
the fourth drive conductive part faces the second movable beam, and
the first operation includes applying a first voltage including an AC component to the first drive conductive part to vibrate the first movable beam, applying a second voltage including an AC component to the second drive conductive part to vibrate the second movable beam, and applying a DC voltage to at least one of the third drive conductive part or the fourth drive conductive part.

18 more elements

A sensor, comprising:

a first detection element;
and
a processing part,
the first detection element including
a base body,
a first supporter fixed to the base body,
a first movable part supported by the first supporter and separated from the base body, the first movable part including
a first movable base part supported by the first supporter,
a second movable base part connected with the first movable base part,
a first movable beam including a first beam, and
a second movable beam including a second beam, the first beam including a first end portion and a first other end portion, the first end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the first other end portion being connected with the second movable base part, the second beam including a second end portion and a second other end portion, the second end portion being connected with the first movable base part, the second other end portion being connected with the second movable base part,
a first counter conductive part facing the first movable beam, and
a second counter conductive part facing the second movable beam,
the processing part being configured to perform a first operation, the first operation comprising outputting information regarding an acceleration applied to the first detection element and a temperature of the first detection element based on a first signal obtained from the first counter conductive part and a second signal obtained from the second counter conductive part,
wherein
the first operation includes deriving the information based on a difference and a sum of a first resonance frequency of the first movable beam and a second resonance frequency of the second movable beam, the first resonance frequency being obtained from the first signal, the second resonance frequency being obtained from the second signal,
the first operation includes acquiring data from a storage part storing the data regarding a relationship between the acceleration and the temperature, and the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency, and includes deriving the information based on the data,
the acceleration and the temperature are represented by following a first equation and a second equation,
G(f1,f2)=a1f1+b1f2+c1 (1)
T(f1,f2)=a2f1+b2f2+c2 (2)
the G (f1, f2) is the acceleration, the T (f1, f2) is the temperature, the f1 is the first resonance frequency, the f2 is the second resonance frequency, the a1, the b1, the c1, the a2, the b2, and the c2 are coefficients, and
the data includes at least one of values of the a1, the b1, the c1, the a2, the b2, and the c2.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/446,587Filed 31 Aug 2021
Priority: JP JP2020-1848915 Nov 2020
Published: US 2022/0137085 A15 May 2022
Granted: 18 Apr 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01P 15/08
By making use of inertia forces using solid seismic masses: with conversion into electric or magnetic values
G01P 15/097
With conversion into electric or magnetic values: by vibratory elements
G01K 7/32
Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat ; Power supply therefor, e.g. using…: using…
G01P 15/0802
With conversion into electric or magnetic values: details