Microphone with integrated gas sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11104571-B2
Application number	US-201716312324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Aug 31, 2021
Grant date	Aug 31, 2021

Abstract

Systems and apparatuses for a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device. The MEMS device includes a housing, a transducer, and a sensor. The housing includes a substrate defining a port and a cover. The substrate and the cover cooperatively form an internal cavity. The port fluidly couples the internal cavity to an external environment. The transducer is disposed within the internal cavity and positioned to receive acoustic energy through the port. The transducer is configured to convert the acoustic energy into an electrical signal. The sensor is disposed within the internal cavity and positioned to receive a gas through the port. The sensor is configured to facilitate detecting at least one of an offensive odor, smoke, a volatile organic compound, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, a nitrogen oxide, methane, and ozone.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:
a housing including a substrate and a cover, the substrate and the cover cooperatively forming an internal cavity, the substrate comprising:
an exterior surface defining a port, wherein the port fluidly couples the internal cavity to an external environment; and
an interior surface defining a first aperture and a second aperture, the interior surface spaced apart from the exterior surface to form a cavity therebetween different from the internal cavity, wherein the first aperture, the second aperture, and the cavity fluidly couple the port to the internal cavity;
a transducer disposed within the internal cavity and positioned over the first aperture to receive acoustic energy through the port and the first aperture, the transducer configured to convert the acoustic energy into an electrical signal; and
a sensor disposed within the internal cavity and positioned over the second aperture to receive a gas through the port and the second aperture.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the transducer is coupled to the interior surface of the substrate and disposed over the first aperture, and wherein the sensor is coupled to the interior surface of the substrate and disposed over the second aperture.

3. The MEMS device of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer disposed within the internal cavity and disposed along the substrate surrounding the port, the spacer defining a cavity, a first aperture, and a second aperture, wherein the cavity, the first aperture, and the second aperture fluidly couple the port to the internal cavity of the housing.

4. The MEMS device of claim 3 , wherein the transducer is coupled to the spacer and disposed over the first aperture, and wherein the sensor is coupled to the spacer and disposed over the second aperture.

5. The MEMS device of claim 2 , wherein the transducer includes a transducer housing defining a cavity, a first motor having a diaphragm, and a backplate.

6. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the transducer includes a transducer housing defining a cavity and at least one of (i) a first motor having a first diaphragm and a first backplate or (ii) a second motor having a second diaphragm and a second backplate, wherein the transducer housing is disposed along the substrate surrounding the port such that the cavity, the first motor, and the second motor of the transducer fluidly couple the port to the internal cavity of the housing, and wherein the sensor is coupled to the transducer housing and disposed over one of the first motor and the second motor.

7. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the port includes a first port and a second port, the first port and the second port fluidly coupling the internal cavity of the housing to the external environment, wherein the transducer is coupled to the substrate and disposed over the first port, and wherein the sensor is coupled to the substrate and disposed over with the second port.

8. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the transducer includes a MEMS microphone.

9. The MEMS device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, or a temperature sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to facilitate detecting at least one of an offensive odor, smoke, a volatile organic compound, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, a nitrogen oxide, methane, ozone, humidity, or temperature.

10. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:
a housing including a substrate and a lid, the substrate and the lid cooperatively forming an internal cavity, the housing comprising:
an exterior surface defining a port that fluidly couples the internal cavity to an external environment; and
an interior surface defining a first aperture and a second aperture, the interior surface spaced apart from the exterior surface to form a cavity therebetween different from the internal cavity, wherein the first aperture, the second aperture and the cavity fluidly couple the port to the internal cavity;

a transducer disposed within the internal cavity and positioned over the first aperture to receive acoustic energy through the port and the first aperture, the transducer configured to convert the acoustic energy into an electrical signal; and
a sensor disposed within the internal cavity and positioned over the second aperture to receive a gas through the port and the second aperture, the sensor configured to facilitate detecting at least one of an offensive odor, smoke, a volatile organic compound, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, a nitrogen oxide, methane, or ozone.

11. The MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the transducer and the sensor are coupled to the substrate.

12. The MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the substrate includes the exterior surface and the interior surface spaced from the exterior surface thereby forming a cavity therebetween.

13. The MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the lid includes the exterior surface and the interior surface spaced from the exterior surface thereby forming a cavity therebetween.

14. The MEMS device of claim 13 , wherein the transducer is coupled to the interior surface of the lid and disposed over the first aperture, and wherein the sensor is coupled to the interior surface of the lid and disposed over the second aperture.

15. The MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the port includes a first port and a second port, the first port and the second port fluidly coupling the internal cavity of the housing to the external environment, wherein the transducer is disposed over the first port, and wherein the sensor is disposed over with the second port.

16. The MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the transducer includes a MEMS microphone.

17. The MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the sensor includes at least one of a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, or a temperature sensor.

18. A microphone device comprising:
a substrate;
a lid coupled to the substrate, the substrate and the lid cooperatively forming an internal cavity, wherein at least one of the substrate or the lid comprises:
an exterior surface defining a port fluidly coupling the internal cavity to an external environment; and
an interior surface defining a first aperture and a second aperture, the interior surface spaced apart from the exterior surface thereby forming a cavity therebetween different than the internal cavity, wherein the first aperture, the second aperture, and the cavity fluidly connect the port to the internal cavity;

a microphone transducer disposed within the internal cavity and positioned over the first aperture to receive acoustic energy through the port and the first aperture, the microphone transducer configured to generate a first electrical signal based on the acoustic energy; and
a gas sensor disposed within the internal cavity and positioned over the second aperture to receive a gas through the port and the second aperture, the gas sensor configured to interact with the gas and generate a second electrical signal based on the gas.

19. The microphone device of claim 18 , further comprising an integrated circuit coupled to the microphone transducer and the gas sensor, the integrated circuit configured to:
receive the first electrical signal from the microphone transducer;
transmit the first electrical signal to a speaker device;
receive the second electrical signal from the gas sensor;
determine a composition of the gas based on the second electrical signal; and
provide a signal to a device to generate a notification in response to

Assignees

• Knowles Electronics Llc

Inventors

• Chandrasekaran Venkataraman
• Szczech John
• Watson Joshua
• Furst Claus

Classifications

• B81B2207/012

  the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package · CPC title

• B81B7/0061 Primary

  suitable for fluid transfer from the MEMS out of the package or vice versa, e.g. transfer of liquid, gas, sound · CPC title

• B81B2201/0214

  Biosensors; Chemical sensors · CPC title

• B81B2201/0278

  Temperature sensors · CPC title

• H04R2201/003

  Mems transducers or their use · CPC title