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US 8,875,578 B2Granted
Electronic damper circuit for MEMS sensors and resonators
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorEric B. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device including a mass anchored to a substrate. The MEMS device is configured to generate an output signal indicative of motion of the mass with respect to the substrate. The MEMS device includes a feedback module configured to provide a control signal to the MEMS device. The control signal is based on the output signal. The MEMS device is configured to apply a damping force to the mass in response to the control signal.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising a mass suspended from a substrate, the MEMS device being configured to generate an output signal indicative of motion of the mass with respect to the substrate;
- and
- a feedback module configured to provide a control signal to the MEMS device, the control signal being based on the output signal, the MEMS device being configured to apply a damping force to the mass in response to the control signal, the control signal being proportional to a velocity of the mass.
A method comprising:
- damping a mass suspended from a substrate of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device, the damping being based on sensed motion of the mass with respect to a substrate of the MEMS device, the damping comprising applying a damping force to the mass of the MEMS device proportional to a velocity of the MEMS device.
An apparatus comprising:
- a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising a mass suspended from a substrate, the MEMS device being configured to sense motion of the mass with respect to a substrate of the MEMS device and configured to apply a damping force to the mass in response to a control signal, the damping force being determined according to a velocity of the mass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.