Sensor Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016007101-A1
Application number	US-201414321475-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	Jul 1, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensor and a method for sensing a signal are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sensor device includes a first sensor circuitry configured to provide a first sensor signal in a first frequency band, a second sensor circuitry configured to provide at least one second sensor signal in a second frequency band and a combiner circuitry configured to combine the first and the at least one second sensor signal into a combined sensor signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensor device comprising:
a first sensor circuitry configured to provide a first sensor signal in a first frequency band; a second sensor circuitry configured to provide at least one second sensor signal in a second frequency band; and a combiner circuitry configured to combine the first and the at least one second sensor signal into a combined sensor signal.

2 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising an interface to output the combined sensor signal via a single output line.

3 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the combiner circuitry is configured to provide the combined sensor signal as a binary signal.

4 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the combiner circuitry comprises a Pulse Density Modulator (PDM) configured to convert an analog or n-ary digital combined sensor signal, n>2, to a binary combined sensor signal.

5 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor circuitry is configured to measure a first physical quantity causing signal variations above a frequency threshold, wherein the second sensor circuitry is configured to measure a second physical quantity causing signal variations below the frequency threshold.

6 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor circuitry comprises a microphone.

7 . The sensor device of claim 6 , wherein the microphone is coupled to a Sigma-Delta Analog-to-Digital Converter (SDADC) configured to provide a digital first sensor signal.

8 . The sensor device of claim 7 , wherein an output of the SDADC is coupled to a digital high-pass filter.

9 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor circuitry comprises at least one of a barometric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor.

10 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising a sampling rate conversion circuitry configured to adapt a sampling rate of the second sensor signal to a sampling rate of the first sensor signal, or vice versa.

11 . The sensor device of claim 1 , further comprising a circuitry configured to shift the first and/or the at least one second sensor signal to first and second non-overlapping frequency bands.

12 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second sensor circuitry are arranged within a common semiconductor package.

13 . The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the first and the second sensor circuitry are disposed on a common semiconductor die.

14 . A method comprising:
providing a first sensor signal in a first frequency band; providing at least a second sensor signal in a second frequency band; and combining the first and the at least one second sensor signal into a combined sensor signal.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising transmitting the combined sensor signal via a single signal line.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the combined sensor signal is transmitted as a binary signal.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and the second sensor signals are provided in first and second non-overlapping frequency bands.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first frequency band comprises frequencies higher than 20 Hz and wherein the second frequency band comprises frequencies lower than 20 Hz.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first sensor signal is an acoustic sensor signal and wherein the second sensor signal is a pressure or temperature sensor signal.

20 . A receiver device comprising:
a receiver circuitry configured to receive a combined sensor signal comprising a first sensor signal in a first frequency band and at least a second sensor signal in a second frequency band; and a separation circuitry configured to separate the combined sensor signal into the first and the second sensor signal.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Straeussnigg Dietmar
• Wiesbauer Andreas
• Jenkner Christian

Classifications

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04Q9/14 Primary

  Calling by using pulses · CPC title

• G08C15/02

  simultaneously, i.e. using frequency division · CPC title