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US 12,000,748 B2Granted
Frequency-modulating sensor array
AssigneeSiTime Corporation
InventorsPaul M. Hagelin, Charles I. Grosjean, Lev Goncharov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Spatially-distributed resonant MEMS sensors are coordinated to generate frequency-modulated signals indicative of regional contact forces, ambient conditions and/or environmental composition.
Claims22
A device comprising:
- a surface;
- one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators mounted in proximity to the surface, so as to be stressed and thereby change in resonance frequency as the surface is engaged by a force, the one or more MEMS resonators sufficient to produce at least two electronic signals each representing a different orientation of a resonance mode axis relative to a direction of the force relative to the surface;
- and
- circuitry to receive the at least two electronic signals, and to generate therefrom a signal representing the direction of the force relative to the surface.
1 more element
A device comprising:
- a surface;
- one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators mounted in proximity to the surface, so as to be stressed and thereby change in resonance frequency as the surface is engaged by a force, the one or more MEMS resonators sufficient to produce at least two electronic signals each representing a different orientation of a resonance mode axis relative to a direction of the force relative to the surface;
- and
- circuitry to sample each MEMS resonator of the one or more MEMS resonators during time intervals, so as to obtain for each MEMS resonator samples taken at respective times, and to generate therefrom a signal representing the direction of the force relative to the surface.
1 more element
A device comprising:
- a surface;
- one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators mounted in proximity to the surface, so as to be stressed and thereby change in resonance frequency as the surface is engaged by a force, the one or more MEMS resonators sufficient to produce at least two electronic signals each representing a different orientation of a resonance mode axis relative to a direction of the force relative to the surface;
- and
- circuitry to
- for each of the at least two electronic signals, provide at least one reference, and detect a frequency deviation, if any, using the at least one reference, and
- generate, from each detected frequency deviation, a signal representing the direction of the force.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.