Plurality of mems for increased bandwidth
AssigneeInvenSense, Inc.
InventorsMatthew Julian Thompson, Joseph Seeger, Gavin Ho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A MEMS device incorporates a first sensor and a second sensor to receive an external excitation and respectively output signals to processing circuitry. The processing circuitry combines the first and second signals to create a third signal, which includes an output from the first sensor when the external excitation is between a first and second frequency relatively close to DC and an output from the second sensor when the external excitation is between a third and fourth frequency at a higher frequency range.
Claims24
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:
- a first sensor configured to output a first signal;
- a second sensor configured to output a second signal, wherein the first and the second sensors are configured to receive an external excitation to generate the first and the second signals, respectively;
- and
- processing circuitry that receives a signal based on the first signal and a signal based on the second signal and outputs a third signal in response to the external excitation, wherein the third signal includes the first signal within a first frequency range between a first frequency and a second frequency, and wherein the third signal includes the second signal in a second frequency range between a third frequency and a fourth frequency, wherein the first frequency is less than the second, the third, and the fourth frequencies, and wherein the fourth frequency is greater than the first, the second, and the third frequencies.
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:
- a first sensor configured to output a first signal based upon a movement of a first proof mass of the first sensor relative to a first sensing element having a first voltage and a variable first charge;
- a second sensor configured to output a second signal based upon a movement of a second proof mass the second sensor relative to a second sensing element, wherein the second signal is based upon a variable voltage signal provided to the second sensing element, and wherein the first and the second sensors are configured to receive an external excitation to generate the first and the second signals, respectively;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to receive the first signal and the variable voltage signal, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate a third signal, wherein the third signal includes a portion of the first signal between a first frequency and a second frequency, and wherein the third signal includes a portion of the variable voltage signal between a third frequency and a fourth frequency.
A method, comprising:
- receiving an external excitation at a MEMS device comprising a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is configured to output a first signal in response to the external excitation, and wherein the second sensor is configured to output a second signal in response to the external excitation;
- and
- generating a third signal from a signal based on the first signal and a signal based on the second signal, wherein the third signal includes the first signal when the external excitation is between a first frequency and a second frequency, and wherein the third signal includes the second signal when the external excitation is between a third frequency and a fourth frequency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.