Method, apparatus and system for providing metering of acceleration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9250261-B2
Application number	US-201213730634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms to provide for metering acceleration. In an embodiment, a microelectromechanical accelerometer includes a magnet, a mass, and a first support beam portion and second support beam portion for suspension of the mass. Resonance frequency characteristics of the first support beam portion and second support beam portion, based on the magnet and a current conducted by the first support beam portion and second support beam portion, are indicative of acceleration of the mass. In another embodiment, the accelerometer further includes a first wire portion and a second wire portion which are each coupled to the mass and further coupled to a respective anchor for exchanging a signal with the first wire portion and the second wire portion. The first wire portion and the second wire portion provide for biasing of the mass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a microelectromechanical accelerometer including:
a mass;
a first magnet to generate a magnetic field;
a first support beam portion and a second support beam portion each to conduct a time varying signal which traverses the magnetic field along a first dimension, wherein a resonance frequency for the time varying signal is based on the magnetic field, wherein the mass is suspended with the first support beam portion and the second support beam portion;
a first wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a first anchor; and
a second wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a second anchor, wherein the first anchor and the second anchor to exchange a first signal with the first wire portion and the second wire portion, wherein, based on the first signal and the magnetic field, the first wire portion and the second wire portion to impose a force on the mass along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first signal includes a direct current signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first wire portion is flexibly coupled to the first anchor via a spring structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the spring structure includes coils or corrugations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising detector logic to receive a first input indicating a bias of the microelectromechanical accelerometer, wherein the first input indicates the force, to receive a second input indicating the resonance frequency, to evaluate an acceleration of the mass based on the first input and the second input, and to generate a signal representing the evaluated acceleration.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first signal includes a periodic wave signal and wherein the detector logic to evaluate the acceleration based on the first input and the second input includes the detector logic to evaluate one of a differential resonance frequency and an average resonance frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the detector logic further to select between the differential resonance frequency and the average resonance frequency for evaluation of the acceleration, wherein the detector logic to select based on the first input and the second input.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the microelectromechanical accelerometer further comprising:
a second magnet;
a third support beam portion and a fourth support beam portion;
a third wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a third anchor; and
a fourth wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a fourth anchor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a delay circuit including a resistor and a capacitor coupled to the mass, the delay circuit to reduce a ringing of the mass.

10. A system comprising:
a microelectromechanical accelerometer including:
a mass;
a first magnet to generate a magnetic field;
a first support beam portion and a second support beam portion each to conduct a time varying signal which traverses the magnetic field along a first dimension, wherein a resonance frequency for the time varying signal is based on the magnetic field, wherein the mass is suspended with the first support beam portion and the second support beam portion;
a first wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a first anchor; and
a second wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a second anchor, wherein the first anchor and the second anchor to exchange a first signal with the first wire portion and the second wire portion, wherein, based on the first signal and the magnetic field, the first wire portion and the second wire portion to impose a force on the mass along a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension; and

a touchscreen display device coupled to the microelectromechanical accelerometer, the touchscreen display device to provide in a user display information indicating an acceleration of the mass.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first signal includes a direct current signal.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first wire portion is flexibly coupled to the first anchor via a spring structure.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the spring structure includes coils or corrugations.

14. The system of claim 10 , the microelectromechanical accelerometer further comprising detector logic to receive a first input indicating a bias of the microelectromechanical accelerometer, wherein the first input indicates the force, to receive a second input indicating the resonance frequency, to evaluate an acceleration of the mass based on the first input and the second input, and to generate a signal representing the evaluated acceleration.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first signal includes a periodic wave signal and wherein the detector logic to evaluate the acceleration based on the first input and the second input includes the detector logic to evaluate one of a differential resonance frequency and an average resonance frequency.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the detector logic further to select between the differential resonance frequency and the average resonance frequency for evaluation of the acceleration, wherein the detector logic to select based on the first input and the second input.

17. The system of claim 10 , the microelectromechanical accelerometer further comprising:
a second magnet;
a third support beam portion and a fourth support beam portion;
a third wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a third anchor; and
a fourth wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a fourth anchor.

18. The system of claim 10 , the microelectromechanical accelerometer further comprising a delay circuit including a resistor and a capacitor coupled to the mass, the delay circuit to reduce a ringing of the mass.

19. A method comprising:
receiving a first input indicating a bias of an accelerometer including a first magnet, a mass, a first support beam portion, a second support beam portion, a first wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a first anchor, and a second wire portion coupled to the mass and flexibly coupled to a second anchor, wherein the mass is suspended with the first support beam portion and the second support beam portion, wherein the first anchor and the second anchor exchange a first signal, and wherein, based on the first signal and a magnetic field of the magnet, the first wire portion and the second wire portion to impose a force on the mass, wherein the first input indicates the force;
receiving a second input indicating a resonance frequency of the first support beam portion and the second support beam portion, the resonance frequency based on the magnetic field and time varying signal conducted with the first support beam portion and the second support beam portion while the force is imposed on the mass;
based on the first input and the second input, evaluating an acceleration of the mass; and
generating a signal representing the evaluated acceleration.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first signal includes a direct current signal.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first wire portion is flexibly coupled to the first anchor via a spring structure.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the spring structure includes coils or corrugations.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first signal includes

Assignees

• Lin kevin l
• Eid Feras
• Ma Qing
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Lin kevin l
• Eid Feras
• Ma Qing

Classifications

• G01P15/08

  with conversion into electric or magnetic values · CPC title

• G01P15/105 Primary

  by magnetically sensitive devices · CPC title

• B81B3/00

  Devices comprising flexible or deformable elements, e.g. comprising elastic tongues or membranes (B81B5/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01C19/56

  Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces · CPC title