Signal processing method of multiple mirco-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices and combo MEMS device applying the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9563102-B2
Application number	US-201514676216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2015
Priority date	Jun 10, 2014
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

This invention provides a signal processing method of multiple micro-electro-mechanical system devices. The signal processing method includes: providing at least two MEMS devices; applying driving or modulating signals of different frequencies to the MEMS devices such that the MEMS devices generate respective MEMS signals with respective frequencies; and combining the MEMS signals with respective frequencies into one or more multi-frequency signals and outputting the multi-frequency signals, wherein a number of the multi-frequency signals is less than a number of the MEMS signals with respective frequencies. This invention also provides a combo MEMS device integrating two or more MEMS devices and two or more vibration sources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing signals of multiple micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices, comprising:
providing at least two MEMS devices of different functions including at least two of the following functions: sensing gravity, sensing acceleration, sensing angular velocity, and sensing angular acceleration;
applying a plurality of driving or modulating signals of different frequencies to the MEMS devices of different functions such that the MEMS devices of different functions respectively generate a plurality of MEMS signals of corresponding different functions with respective frequencies; and
combining the MEMS signals of corresponding different functions with respective frequencies into one or more multi-frequency signals, and outputting the multi-frequency signals;
wherein a number of the multi-frequency signals is less than a number of the MEMS signals of different functions with respective frequencies.

2. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 1 , further comprising: transmitting the multi-frequency signals to a demodulator for separating the multi-frequency signals into a plurality of frequency responses; and analyzing sensing results of the MEMS devices according to the frequency responses.

3. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the MEMS signals with respective frequencies includes a major frequency response and at least one minor frequency response.

4. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 3 , wherein the MEMS device generating the major frequency response and the at least one minor frequency response is an angular velocity sensor, and there is a 90° phase difference between the major frequency response and one of the at least one minor frequency response.

5. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the MEMS devices is a multi-dimensional acceleration sensor, which generates sensing signals having components in two or more dimensions.

6. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 5 , further comprising: applying at least two different driving or modulating signals of two different frequencies to at least two of the components.

7. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 5 , further comprising: applying one same vibration signal of one same frequency to at least two of the components.

8. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 1 , wherein the step of applying driving or modulating signals of different frequencies to the MEMS devices includes: applying the driving or modulating signals by a mechanical vibration source or an electrical oscillation source.

9. The method of multiple MEMS devices of claim 1 , wherein the at least two MEMS devices are integrated in a combo MEMS device.

10. A combo MEMS device, comprising:
a plurality of MEMS devices of different functions including at least two of the following functions: sensing gravity, sensing acceleration, sensing angular velocity, and sensing angular acceleration;
a plurality of vibration sources, for respectively generating a plurality of driving or modulating signals of different frequencies applied to the MEMS devices of different functions, such that the MEMS devices of different functions generate MEMS signals of corresponding different functions with respective frequencies; and
at least one common node, for collecting the MEMS signals of corresponding different functions with respective frequencies generated by the MEMS devices when the MEMS devices receive the driving or modulating signals, combining the MEMS signals of corresponding different functions with respective frequencies into at least one multi-frequency signal, and outputting the multi-frequency signal;
wherein a number of the common node is less than a number of the MEMS signals of corresponding different functions with respective frequencies.

11. The combo MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein the at least two MEMS devices are integrated in a combo MEMS device.

12. The combo MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein a number of the driving or modulating signals is the same as a number of the MEMS devices.

13. The combo MEMS device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the MEMS devices generates sensing signals having components in two or more dimensions, and a number of the driving or modulating signals is the same as a total number of the components of all the MEMS devices.

14. The combo MEMS device of claim 10 , further comprising a processing unit, configured to receive the multi-frequency signals by a demodulator for separating the multi-frequency signals into a plurality of frequency responses, and configured to analyze sensing results of the MEMS devices according to the frequency responses.

15. A method for processing signals of multiple micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices, comprising:
providing at least two MEMS devices;
applying a plurality of driving or modulating signals of different frequencies to the MEMS devices such that the MEMS devices respectively generate a plurality of MEMS signals with respective frequencies;
combining the MEMS signals with respective frequencies into one or more multi-frequency signals, and outputting the multi-frequency signals;
separating the multi-frequency signals into a plurality of frequency responses; and
analyzing sensing results of the MEMS devices of different functions according to the frequency responses;
wherein a number of the multi-frequency signals is less than a number of the MEMS signals with respective frequencies.

Assignees

• Hsu Yu-Wen
• Lo Ying-Che
• Liao Lu-Po
• Wu Chia-Yu
• Richtek Technology Corp

Inventors

• Hsu Yu-Wen
• Lo Ying-Che
• Liao Lu-Po
• Wu Chia-Yu

Classifications

• G01C19/5776 Primary

  Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719 · CPC title

• B81B7/008

  MEMS characterised by an electronic circuit specially adapted for controlling or driving the same (B81B7/0087 takes precedence; arrangements for starting, regulating, braking, or otherwise controlling an actuator H02N; control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators G09G3/00) · CPC title

• G02F2/00 Primary

  Demodulating light; Transferring the modulation of modulated light; Frequency-changing of light (G02F1/35 takes precedence) · CPC title