Galvanically-isolated data transmission device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537582-B2
Application number	US-201213675847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2012
Priority date	Nov 25, 2011
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A data transmission device includes a coder configured to code the data into a multifrequency signal. A first array of ultrasonic transducers with a vibrating membrane is disposed on a first surface of a wafer. The first array configured to convert the signal into a multifrequency acoustic signal propagating in the wafer. A second array of ultrasonic transducers is disposed on a second surface of the wafer. The second array includes at least two assemblies of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers having resonance frequencies equal to two different frequencies of the multifrequency signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data transmission device, comprising:
a coder configured to code data into a signal that has successive frequencies comprising a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency;
a first array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers with a vibrating membrane, disposed on a first surface of a wafer, the first array configured to convert the signal into a acoustic signal propagating in the wafer, the acoustic signal having successive frequencies comprising the first frequency and the second frequency;
a controller configured to control a D.C. voltage applied to the first array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers, wherein the controller is configured to successively apply a first D.C. voltage and a second D.C. voltage different from the first D.C. voltage to a plurality of cells of the first array, wherein the plurality of cells is used for transmission of the first frequency and the second frequency; and
a second array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers disposed on a second surface of the wafer opposing the first surface, the second array comprising at least two assemblies of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers, a first assembly of the at least two assemblies having a resonance frequency equal to the first frequency and a second assembly of the at least two assemblies having a resonance frequency equal to the second frequency.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to act on the D.C. voltage applied to the first array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers in order to:
apply the first D.C. voltage so that the resonance frequency of the first array corresponds to the first frequency of the signal, and
apply the second D.C. voltage so that the resonance frequency of the first array corresponds to the second frequency of the signal.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array has a different geometry than the second assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array is configured to receive a third D.C. voltage different from a fourth D.C. voltage applied to the second assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first assembly of the vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the at least two assemblies of the second array and the second assembly of the vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the at least two assemblies of the second array alternate at the second surface of the wafer.

6. A data transmission device, comprising:
a coder configured to code data into a signal that has successive frequencies comprising a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency;
a first array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers with a vibrating membrane, disposed on a first surface of a wafer, the first array configured to convert the signal into a acoustic signal propagating in the wafer, the acoustic signal having successive frequencies comprising the first frequency and the second frequency;
a controller configured to control a D.C. voltage applied to the first array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers; and
a second array of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers disposed on a second surface of the wafer opposing the first surface, the second array comprising at least two assemblies of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers, a first assembly of the at least two assemblies having a resonance frequency equal to the first frequency and a second assembly of the at least two assemblies having a resonance frequency equal to the second frequency;
wherein the data comprises binary data, and wherein the coder is configured to convert the binary data into a first signal having the first frequency on each rising edge of the binary data and into a second signal having the second frequency on each falling edge of the binary data, and wherein there is a delay between the first signal and the second signal.

7. A galvanically-isolated data transmission device, comprising:
a coder configured to code data into a signal having successive frequencies comprising a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency;
a first array of ultrasonic transducers with a vibrating membrane, formed on a first surface of a wafer, capable of converting the signal into an acoustic signal propagating in the wafer, the acoustic signal having successive frequencies comprising the first frequency and the second frequency, wherein a first D.C. voltage is applied to cells of the first array when a frequency of the signal is the first frequency, and a second D.C. voltage different from the first D.C. voltage is applied to the cells of the first array when a frequency of the signal is the second frequency; and
a second array of ultrasonic transducers formed on a second surface of the wafer opposing the first surface, the second array comprising at least two assemblies of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers, a first assembly of the at least two assemblies having a resonance frequency equal to the first frequency of the signal and a second assembly of the at least two assemblies having a resonance frequency equal to the second frequency of the signal.

8. The device of claim 7 , further comprising a controller configured to control a D.C. voltage applied to the first array of ultrasonic transducers, according to the frequency of the signal, the D.C. voltage applied being according to the first frequency of the signal and the second frequency of the signal.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array has a different geometry than the second assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array receives a third D.C. voltage different from a fourth D.C. voltage applied to the second assembly of vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the second array.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first assembly of the vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the at least two assemblies of the second array and the second assembly of the vibrating membrane ultrasonic transducers of the at least two assemblies of the second array alternate at the second surface of the wafer.

12. A method of communicating data, the method comprising:
coding the data into a signal having successive frequencies comprising a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency;
applying the signal to a first array of ultrasonic transducers with a vibrating membrane, the first array disposed on a first surface of a wafer;
controlling a D.C. voltage applied to the first array of ultrasonic transducers, where the controlling comprises:
applying a first D.C. voltage to a plurality of cells of the first array when a frequency of the signal is the first frequency, and
applying a second D.C. voltage different from the first D.C. voltage to the plurality of cells of the first array when a frequency of the signal is the second frequency;

converting the signal into an acoustic signal propagating in the wafer using the plurality of cells; and
receiving the acoustic signal at a second array of ultrasonic transducers disposed on a second surface of the wafer opposing the first surface, wherein the second array comprises at least two assemblies of vibrating

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Tours Sas
• Univ Rabelais Francois

Inventors

• Ngo Sophie
• Florence Arnaud
• Alquier Daniel
• Jeanne Edgard

Classifications

• H04B11/00 Primary

  Transmission systems employing ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title