Package with acoustic sensing device(s) and millimeter wave sensing elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11039231-B2
Application number	US-201916682468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment a package includes: a package structure which defines inner surfaces delimiting an inner volume and outer surfaces directed towards an exterior of the package; at least one acoustic sensor element applied to at least one of the inner surfaces, to convert acoustic waves arriving from the exterior of the package into acoustic information in the form of electric signals; a plurality of millimeter wave sensing elements applied to at least one of the outer surfaces, to receive reflected radar signals from objects in the exterior of the package; and a circuitry applied to at least one of the inner surfaces of the package structure, wherein the circuitry is electrically connected to the at least one acoustic sensor element and the plurality of millimeter wave sensing elements to process the acoustic information and the reflected radar signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising:
a package structure which defines inner surfaces delimiting an inner volume and outer surfaces directed towards an exterior of the package;
at least one acoustic sensor element disposed on at least one of the inner surfaces, the at least one acoustic sensor element configured to convert acoustic waves arriving from the exterior of the package into electric signals representing acoustic information;
a plurality of millimeter wave sensing elements disposed on at least one of the outer surfaces, to receive reflected radar signals from objects in the exterior of the package; and
circuitry disposed on at least one of the inner surfaces of the package structure, wherein the circuitry is electrically connected to the at least one acoustic sensor element and the plurality of millimeter wave sensing elements to process the acoustic information and the reflected radar signals.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises a first planar element, which defines a first inner surface, and a second planar element, which defines a second inner surface facing the first inner surface,
wherein at least part of the circuitry is arranged on the second inner surface and is electrically connected to at least one of the millimeter wave sensing elements by at least one columnar connection prolonged towards the first inner surface.

3. The package of claim 2 , wherein the at least one acoustic sensor element comprises a package acoustic sensor element abutting the first and second planar elements.

4. The package of claim 3 , wherein the package comprises a filling material filling at least part of the inner volume defined between the first and second planar elements,
wherein the package acoustic sensor element includes a third package acoustic sensor element planar element adhering to the filling material.

5. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises a first planar element, which defines a first outer surface and a first inner surface, and a second planar element, which defines a second inner surface facing the first inner surface,
wherein the package further comprises at least one external metal trace arranged on the first outer surface and electrically connected to at least one of the millimeter wave sensing elements,
wherein the at least one external metal trace is electrically connected to the circuitry through a via connection which passes through the first planar element from the first outer surface to the first inner surface.

6. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises at least one lateral element extending in a direction of a thickness of the package structure, the at least one lateral element defining at least one lateral outer surface,
wherein at least one of the millimeter wave sensing elements is placed on the at least one lateral outer surface.

7. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises a first planar element, which defines a first inner surface, and a second planar element, which defines a second inner surface facing the first inner surface,
wherein at least part of the circuitry is arranged on the first inner surface,
wherein the at least one acoustic sensor element is arranged to sense acoustic waves arriving from the exterior of the package through the second planar element.

8. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises a first planar element, which defines a first inner surface, and a second planar element, which defines a second inner surface facing the first inner surface,
wherein at least part of the circuitry is arranged on the second inner surface,
wherein the at least one acoustic sensor element is arranged to sense acoustic waves arriving from a direction entering from the of the package through the first planar element.

9. The package of claim 8 , wherein the at least one acoustic sensor element is connected to the circuitry through at least one columnar connection prolonged along a direction parallel to the direction of a thickness of the package.

10. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises at least one second planar element defining a second inner surface,
wherein the package further comprises at least one second inner metal trace arranged on the second inner surface,
wherein the circuitry comprises at least one digital processor connected to the at least one acoustic sensor element and/or at least one of the millimeter wave sensing elements using the at least one second inner metal trace.

11. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package structure comprises a first planar element, which defines a first inner surface, and a second planar element, which defines a second inner surface facing the first inner surface,
wherein the package comprises a filling material filling at least part of the inner volume defined between the first and second inner surfaces, so as to thermally shield at least one acoustic sensor element from the circuitry.

12. The package of claim 11 , wherein the filling material encapsulates at least part of the circuitry.

13. The package of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lid forming a first planar element which defines a first inner surface and at least one lateral element; and
a laminate forming a second planar element which defines a second inner surface,
wherein the circuitry is arranged on the second inner surface.

14. The package of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first laminate forming a first planar element which defines a first inner surface; and a second laminate forming a second planar element which defines a second inner surface,
wherein the circuitry is arranged on the second inner surface.

15. A voice recognition system comprising the package of claim 1 .

16. A method of manufacturing a package, the method comprising:
applying circuitry to a substrate;
applying millimeter wave radar element(s) and external metal trace(s) to an external surface and/or external lateral surfaces of a lid or of a further substrate;
applying first internal metal trace(s) to an internal surface of the lid or of the further substrate, the first internal metal trace(s) being electrically connected to the external metal trace(s);
applying microphone element(s) to the substrate or to the internal surface of the lid or of the further substrate;
preparing electric connection element(s) in preparation of an electrical connection between the millimeter wave radar element(s) and the circuitry; and
mechanically connecting the lid or further substrate to the substrate, so as to obtain the electrical connection between the millimeter wave radar element(s) and the circuitry.

17. A method of manufacturing a package, the method comprising:
applying circuitry to a substrate;
applying first internal metal trace(s) to an internal surface of a further substrate, the first internal metal trace(s) being electrically connected to external metal trace(s);
applying package acoustic sensor element(s) to the substrate or to the further substrate;
preparing electric connection element(s) in preparation of an electrical connection with the circuitry;
mechanically connecting the further substrate to the substrate, so as to obtain the electrical connection between the electric connection element(s) and the circuitry;
inserting liquid filling material in a void space between the further substrate and the substrate; and
applying millimeter wave radar element(s) and external metal trace(s) to an external surface and/or external lateral surfaces of the further substrate.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Chua Kok Yau
• Ng Chee Yang

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W76/12 Primary

  characterised by their shape · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G01S13/86

  Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder · CPC title

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title