Physical quantity measurement apparatus, electronic apparatus, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10884041-B2
Application number	US-201715715719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

A physical quantity measurement apparatus includes a first resonator, a second oscillator, and an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a first oscillation circuit that causes the first resonator to oscillate, and thus generate a first clock signal having a first clock frequency, a second oscillation circuit that causes the second oscillator to oscillate, and thus generate a second clock signal having a second clock frequency which is different from the first clock frequency, and a measurement unit that is provided with a time-to-digital conversion circuit which converts time into a digital value by using the first clock signal and the second clock signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A physical quantity measurement apparatus comprising:
a first resonator;
a second oscillator; and
an integrated circuit device,
wherein the integrated circuit device includes:
a first oscillation circuit configured to cause the first resonator to oscillate and generate a first clock signal having a first clock frequency,
a second oscillation circuit configured to cause the second oscillator to oscillate and generate a second clock signal having a second clock frequency, the second clock frequency being different from the first clock frequency, and
a measurement unit having a time-to-digital conversion circuit configured to convert time into a digital value based on the first clock signal and the second clock signal,

wherein the time-to-digital conversion circuit is configured to convert a time difference between transition timings of a first signal and a second signal into a digital value,
wherein an inter-clock time difference is a time difference between transition timings of the first clock signal and the second clock signal in a first clock cycle to an i-th clock cycle,
wherein the inter-clock time difference is Δt to i×Δt, where Δt is a resolution and i is an integer of 2 or more, after a phase synchronization timing of the first clock signal and the second clock signal, and
wherein the time-to-digital conversion circuit is configured to specify that the time difference of the first signal and the second signal corresponds to one of Δt to i×Δt.

2. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the integrated circuit device includes:
a first terminal that connects one end of the first resonator to the first oscillation circuit;
a second terminal that connects the other end of the first resonator to the first oscillation circuit;
a third terminal that connects one end of the second oscillator to the second oscillation circuit; and
a fourth terminal that connects the other end of the second oscillator to the second oscillation circuit.

3. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a package in which the first resonator, the second oscillator, and the integrated circuit device are accommodated; and
internal wires of the package,
wherein one end of the first resonator and the first terminal, the other end of the first resonator and the second terminal, one end of the second oscillator and the third terminal, and the other end of the second oscillator and the fourth terminal are connected to each other via the internal wires.

4. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the integrated circuit device includes a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side,
the first oscillation circuit is disposed along the first side, and
the second oscillation circuit is disposed along one of the second side, the third side, and the fourth side.

5. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measurement unit includes a processing circuit configured to perform signal processing on a detection signal corresponding to a physical quantity.

6. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the physical quantity is at least one of a time, a distance, a flow rate, a flow velocity, and a frequency.

7. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform a waveform shaping process on the detection signal.

8. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a light emitter configured to irradiate a target object with light or a sonic wave transmitter configured to transmit a sonic wave to the target object; and
a light receiver configured to receive light from the target object or a sonic wave receiver configured to receive a sonic wave from the target object.

9. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the processing circuit is configured to perform the signal processing on the detection signal from the light receiver or the sonic wave receiver.

10. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the integrated circuit device includes a controller configured to control at least one of the first oscillation circuit and the second oscillation circuit.

11. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of an oscillation frequency and a phase of an oscillation signal of the at least one oscillation circuit.

12. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the controller is configured to control the at least one oscillation circuit so that the first clock signal and the second clock signal have a predetermined frequency relationship or a predetermined phase relationship with each other.

13. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first update period is from a first phase synchronization timing to a second phase synchronization timing of the first clock signal and the second clock signal,
a second update period is from the second phase synchronization timing to a third phase synchronization timing,
an inter-clock time difference is a time difference between transition timings of the first clock signal and the second clock signal, and
the time-to-digital conversion circuit is configured to:
in the first update period, generate the first signal in an m-th clock cycle, where m is an integer of 1 or more, acquire the second signal whose signal level changes so as to correspond to the generated first signal, and compare the time difference of the first signal and the second signal with the inter-clock time difference in the m-th clock cycle, and
in the second update period, generate the first signal in an n-th clock cycle, where n is an integer of 1 or more, and the n-th clock cycle is set according to a result of the comparison in the first update period, acquire the second signal whose signal level changes so as to correspond to the generated first signal, and compares the time difference of the first signal and the second signal with the inter-clock time difference in the n-th clock cycle.

14. The physical quantity measurement apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the integrated circuit device includes:
a first PLL circuit configured to perform phase synchronization between the first clock signal and a reference clock signal; and
a second PLL circuit configured to perform phase synchronization between the second clock signal and the reference clock signal.

15. A physical quantity measurement apparatus comprising:
a first resonator;
a second oscillator; and
an integrated circuit device,
wherein the integrated circuit device includes:
a first oscillation circuit configured to cause the first resonator to oscillate and generate a first clock signal having a first clock frequency,
a second oscillation circuit configured to cause the second oscillator to oscillate and generate a second clock signal having a second clock frequency, the second clock frequency being different from the first clock frequency, and
a measurement unit having a time-to-digital conversion circuit configured to convert time into a digital value based on the first clock signal and the second clock signal,

wherein the time-to-digital conversion circuit is configured to convert a time difference between transition timings of a first signal and a second signal into a digital value,
wher

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Maki Katsuhiko
• Haneda Hideo
• Kurashina Takashi
• Tsutsumi Akio
• Sudo Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G04F10/005 Primary

  Time-to-digital converters [TDC] (analog-to-digital converters with intermediate conversion to time or phase H03M1/50, H03M1/60) · CPC title

• G01R23/12

  by converting frequency into phase shift · CPC title

• G01R23/10 Primary

  by converting frequency into a train of pulses, which are then counted {, i.e. converting the signal into a square wave} · CPC title

• G04F10/04

  by counting pulses or half-cycles of an AC {(G04F10/005 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H03K21/023

  comprising pulse shaping or differentiating circuits · CPC title