Electronic devices having pressure sensors with heaters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11054329-B2
Application number	US-201816012700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 18, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to electronic devices with pressure sensors. A pressure sensor in a portable electronic device may include an integrated heater or may be co-operated with an external heater for the pressure sensor. The heater may be operated to heat some or all of the pressure sensor for pressure sensor testing, calibration, or temperature-controlled pressure sensing operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a pressure sensor comprising a resistive element on a semiconductor die;
a heating element associated with the pressure sensor; and
processing circuitry configured to:
heat the pressure sensor with the heating element;
obtain pressure sensor data from the pressure sensor while heating the pressure sensor with the heating element; and
determine exercise data for a user of the portable electronic device by identifying a change in elevation based on the obtained pressure sensor data,

wherein:
the processing circuitry is disposed on a sensor circuitry substrate of the pressure sensor.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor associated with the pressure sensor, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
obtain temperature data from the temperature sensor;
detect a change in a temperature of the pressure sensor as indicated by a corresponding change in the obtained temperature data; and
heat the pressure sensor with the heating element responsive to the detected change in temperature.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to heat the pressure sensor with the heating element responsive to the detected change in temperature to control a rate of a decrease of the temperature of the pressure sensor.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor associated with the pressure sensor, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine an error associated with each of several pressure measurements in the pressure sensor data obtained while heating the pressure sensor; and
obtain a temperature measurement associated with each of the several pressure measurements while heating the pressure sensor.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate calibration data that maps the determined errors associated with each of the several pressure measurement to the associated obtained temperatures.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor associated with the pressure sensor, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
heat the pressure sensor with the heating element, using temperature feedback from the temperature sensor, according to a previous heating of the pressure sensor at a time prior to assembly of the pressure sensor into the portable electronic device; and
compare the obtained pressure sensor data to stored pressure sensor data obtained during the previous heating of the pressure sensor at the time prior to assembly of the pressure sensor into the portable electronic device.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises:
a pressure sensing element mechanically and electrically coupled to the sensor circuitry substrate.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the heating element is integrated with the pressure sensing element.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the heating element is formed on or within the sensor circuitry substrate.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising a support substrate coupled to the sensor circuitry substrate, wherein the heating element is formed on or within the support substrate.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising a printed circuit communicatively coupled between the pressure sensor and system circuitry for the portable electronic device, wherein the pressure sensor is mounted on the printed circuit and wherein the heating element is disposed on the printed circuit.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry for the pressure sensor is the processing circuitry that is configured to operate the heating element.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising a temperature sensor associated with the pressure sensor, wherein the system circuitry for the portable electronic device is the processing circuitry that is configured to operate the heating element, and wherein the system circuitry is configured to operate the heating element to control a temperature of the pressure sensor using temperature feedback data from the temperature sensor.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the temperature sensor is thermally coupled to a pressure sensing element of the pressure sensor.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a housing and wherein the heating element is mounted on the pressure sensor housing.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a housing and wherein the heating element is mounted in the pressure sensor housing, wherein the pressure sensor housing, wherein the pressure sensor housing is further encapsulated to protect the pressure sensor and the heating element from moisture.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising
a pressure sensor, comprising:
a pressure sensing element comprising a resistive element on a semiconductor die;
a heating element integrated with the pressure sensing element; and
processing circuitry configured to obtain pressure sensor data and determine exercise data for a user of the portable electronic device by identifying a change in elevation based on the obtained pressure sensor data,

wherein the processing circuitry is disposed on a sensor circuitry substrate of the pressure sensor.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the pressure sensing element has a pressure sensing membrane and one or more sensing elements on the semiconductor die to sense deformations of the pressure sensing membrane due to changes in ambient pressure.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the pressure sensor further comprises a temperature sensor on the semiconductor die.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the pressure sensor further comprises an application specific integrated circuit communicatively coupled to the pressure sensing element, the application specific integrated circuit formed on a substrate.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 20 , further comprising a thermal insulating layer disposed between the pressure sensing element and the substrate.

22. A method, comprising:
obtaining pressure sensor data from a pressure sensor of a portable electronic device, the pressure sensor comprising a resistive element on a semiconductor die;
heating the pressure sensor with the heating element;
detecting, by a temperature sensor of the portable electronic device, a change in a temperature of the pressure sensor;
operating a temperature control element, responsive to detecting the change in the temperature, wherein operating the temperature control element comprises controlling a rate of change of the temperature of the pressure sensor; and
determining exercise data for a user of the portable electronic device by identifying a change in elevation indicated by the obtained pressure sensor data.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the temperature control element is a resistive heating element and is configured to control a rate of change of the temperature of the pressure sensor by operating the resistive heating element to slow a fall in the temperature of t

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Macneil David
• Arndt Gregory B
• Ribeiro Roberto M
• Mickelson William E
• Yeh Richard

Classifications

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• G01K1/20

  Compensating for effects of temperature changes other than those to be measured, e.g. changes in ambient temperature · CPC title

• G01L19/04

  Means for compensating for effects of changes of temperature {, i.e. other than electric compensation} · CPC title

• G01L27/002 Primary

  Calibrating, i.e. establishing true relation between transducer output value and value to be measured, zeroing, linearising or span error determination · CPC title

• G01L9/025

  with temperature compensating means (non electric temperature compensating means G01L19/04) · CPC title