Patent Application
20170026730
This application relates to microphones and, more specifically, to microphones that include sensors.
Different types of acoustic devices have been used through the years. One type of device is a microphone. In a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone, a MEMS die includes a diagram and a back plate. The MEMS die is supported by a substrate and enclosed by a housing (e.g., a cup or cover with walls). A port may extend through the substrate (for a bottom port device) or through the top of the housing (for a top port device). In any case, sound energy traverses through the port, moves the diaphragm and creates a changing potential of the back plate, which creates an electrical signal. Microphones are deployed in various types of devices such as personal computers or cellular phones.
In many different situations, it is desirable to have sensors deployed with, within, or at the microphone. For example, in cellular phones it is often desirable to know the outside temperature for various reasons or applications. Sensor chip-like elements have been deployed in microphones. However, these sensors are bulky and take up space. Because of their size, they increase the microphone size, and this is not desirable in many situations. In many situations, the size of the microphone is fixed, and so placing a sensor in the microphone may be impossible to do within the size constraints.
The problems of previous approaches have resulted in some user dissatisfaction with these previous approaches.
The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure.
The present approaches provide a temperature sensor that is in, on, integrated with, and/or at the lid of a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) microphone. In disposing the sensor on the lid, significant space savings are achieved. Consequently, a small-sized microphone is provided and achieved allowing the microphone deployed in applications where miniaturization is required or advantageous.
Referring now to
It will be appreciated that the lid 102 in this example is a one-piece can type device. Alternatively, the lid 102 may have walls with a flat cover over the walls. In any case, the lid 102 encloses the MEMS device 106 and the integrated circuit 108. A port 110 extends through the base 104. Sound enters through the port 104, moves the diaphragm of the MEMS device 106, and electrical signal is created and this is transmitted by wires 111 to the integrated circuit 108. The lid 102 acts as a ground shield 113.
The lid has a temperature sensor structure 112. The temperature sensor structure 112 is a material with a known temperature coefficient that is on the lid opposite the integrated circuit 108. The structure 112 is in one aspect a winding, snake-like structure. Other configurations are possible. The metal of the structure 112 is formed in any convenient way in the lid 102, on the lid 102, or integrated with the lid 102. The structure 112 is a metallic structure in one example.
The integrated circuit 108 is coupled to the temperature sensor structure 112. The integrated circuit 108 drives the sensor structure 112 with a current. A delta voltage (voltage difference or differential) is measured. The delta voltage relates to the temperature. The temperature sensor structure 112 forms an equivalent resistance and the delta voltage is measured across this resistance.
In one example, laser direct structuring (LDS) approaches can be used to form the sensor structure 112. In LDS approaches, plated metal traces are applied to the inside surface of a molded plastic cover. In one example, this structure will have a positive temperature coefficient (resistance increases as temperature increases). An inrush of current from the integrated circuit 108 is used to measure the voltage drop across the trace. This approach effectively turns the inside of the microphone assembly into a resistive temperature device (RTD).
It will also be appreciated that the approaches can also be applied to MEMS on lid configurations. In this case, the MEMS device may be disposed on the lid of the microphone. A port may extend through the lid to allow sound to actuate the MEMS device. The integrated circuit 108 may also be disposed on the lid. The temperature sensor structure 112 is disposed on the base (rather than on the lid).
In one example of the operation of the examples of
Referring now to
The integrated circuit 502 is coupled to a resistive temperature device (RTD) 516. The RTD 516 is in one example is a temperature sensor structure disposed at, in, or integrated with the lid of a microphone (e.g., the structure 112) of the example of
In one example of the operation of the integrated circuit of
Referring now to
In other approaches and now referring to
The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).
It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).
Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” Further, unless otherwise noted, the use of the words “approximate,” “about,” “around,” “substantially,” etc., mean plus or minus ten percent.
The foregoing description of illustrative embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and of description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/195,879, filed July 23, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62195879 | Jul 2015 | US |
