Sonic sensors and packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9239386-B2
Application number	US-201113253534-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2011
Priority date	Oct 5, 2011
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments relate to integrated sonic sensors having a transmitter, a receiver and driver electronics integrated in a single, functional package. In one embodiment, a piezoelectric signal transmitter, a silicon microphone receiver and a controller/amplifier chip are concomitantly integrated in a semiconductor housing. The semiconductor housing, in embodiments, is functional in that at least a portion of the housing can comprise the piezoelectric element of the transmitter, with an inlet aperture opposite the silicon microphone receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor system comprising:
a silicon microphone;
a controller integrated circuit coupled to the microphone;
a transmitter coupled to the controller integrated circuit and comprising a piezoelectric element; and
a housing comprising a cover portion, wherein the cover portion comprises an aperture and the piezoelectric element, and each of the microphone, the controller integrated circuit and the transmitter are provided concomitantly and without a printed circuit board within the housing.

2. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the microphone is arranged opposite the aperture.

3. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a transmitter portion for the transmitter and a receiver portion for the receiver, the cover portion comprises a transmitter cover portion and a receiver cover portion, the transmitter cover portion comprises the piezoelectric element, and the aperture is formed in the receiver cover portion.

4. The sensor system of claim 3 , wherein the receiver cover portion comprises metal.

5. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric element comprises at least one of metal, ceramic, plastic or foil.

6. The sensor system of claim 5 , wherein the piezoelectric element comprises a polyvinylidenfluorid (PVDF) foil.

7. The sensor system of claim 5 , wherein the piezoelectric element comprises lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and metal.

8. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the cover portion comprises a metal shielding portion.

9. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the silicon microphone comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone.

10. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the controller integrated circuit comprises an amplifier.

11. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter comprises an ultrasonic transmitter.

12. The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter comprises one of a supersonic, a sonar or a radar transmitter.

13. A sensor system comprising:
a silicon microphone;
a controller integrated circuit coupled to the microphone;
a transmitter coupled to the controller integrated circuit and comprising a piezoelectric element; and
a housing comprising a cover portion, wherein the cover portion comprises an aperture and the piezoelectric element, and the transmitter and the controller are integrated in a single chip and then integrated concomitantly within the housing with the microphone.

Assignees

• Elian Klaus
• Theuss Horst
• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Elian Klaus
• Theuss Horst

Classifications

• H01L41/0973

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B81B2207/012

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

• G01S15/08 Primary

  Systems for measuring distance only (indirect measurement G01S15/46) · CPC title

• B81B2201/0257

  Microphones or microspeakers · CPC title

• G01S7/521 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title