IP Library Granted Patent US 10,393,526
Granted Patent B2
US 10,393,526 · App. 15/365,851 · Granted Aug 27, 2019

Integrated MEMS inertial sensing device

Inventors: Ali J. Rastegar (San Jose, CA); Sanjay Bhandari (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: mCube, Inc.
G01C19/5776G01C19/5712G01C19/5783
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,393,526
App. No.
15/365,851
Granted
Aug 27, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated MEMS inertial sensing device can include a MEMS inertial sensor with a drive loop configuration overlying a CMOS IC substrate. The CMOS IC substrate can include an AGC loop circuit coupled to the MEMS inertial sensor. The AGC loop acts in a way such that generated desired signal amplitude out of the drive signal maintains MEMS resonator velocity at a desired frequency and amplitude. A benefit of the AGC loop is that the charge pump of the HV driver inherently includes a ‘time constant’ for charging up of its output voltage. This incorporates the Low pass functionality in to the AGC loop without requiring additional circuitry.

Claims (49)

1. A MEMS inertial sensing device, the device comprising:

a MEMS inertial sensor; and

an AGC loop circuit electrically coupled to the MEMS inertial sensor, the AGC loop circuit including:

a rectifier,

a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, an input of the PID controller being electrically connected to an output of the rectifier,

a comparator having an input electrically connected to an output of the PID controller,

a charge pump having an input electrically connected to an output of the comparator, and

a high-voltage (HV) driver having an input electrically connected to an output of the charge pump.

2. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 1 wherein the PID controller includes an integrator and a differentiator, wherein the integrator uses a programmable time constant to determine a variable operational speed of the AGC loop circuit, and wherein the differentiator is configured to change a current for charging and discharging a capacitor in the charge pump in a start-up duration so the programmable time constant is reduced and a capacitor voltage changes faster to reduce a start-up time of the AGC loop circuit.

3. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 1 wherein the PID controller is configured to output a differential PWM signal having a PWM signal and an inverted PWM signal, and wherein the output of the charge pump is configured to be proportional to a duty cycle of the PWM signal.

4. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 3 wherein the charge pump is a first charge pump, and the AGC loop circuit further comprises a second charge pump coupled to a charge pump node, wherein a first current source is coupled to the charge pump node, the PWM signal, and a supply voltage, and wherein a second current source is coupled to the charge pump node, the inverted PWM signal, and a ground.

5. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 3 further comprising a charge pump capacitor coupled to the charge pump node, the second charge pump, the first and second current sources, and the charge pump capacitor being configured to maintain a desired voltage on the charge pump node.

6. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 1 further comprising a triangle wave generator coupled to the comparator and configured to generate triangular pulses, wherein the output of the PID is compared to the triangular pulses by the comparator.

7. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 1 wherein the charge pump is configured as a power supply to the HV driver.

8. A MEMS inertial sensing device, the device comprising:

a MEMS inertial sensor;

an AGC loop circuit electrically coupled to the MEMS inertial sensor, the AGC loop circuit including:

a rectifier,

a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, an input of the PID controller being electrically connected to an output of the rectifier,

a comparator having an input electrically connected to an output of the PID controller,

a charge pump having an input electrically connected to an output of the comparator, and

a high-voltage (HV) driver having an input electrically connected to an output of the charge pump; and

a sense path electrically coupled to the MEMS inertial sensor, the sense path including a Charge Sense Amplifier (CSA_SNS), a Programmable Gain Amplifier (PGA 1 ), a mixer, a second Programmable Gain Amplifier (PGA 2 ), an A/D converter (ADC), and digital processing circuits.

9. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 8 wherein the PID controller includes an integrator and a differentiator, wherein the integrator uses a programmable time constant to determine a variable operational speed of the AGC loop circuit, and wherein the differentiator is configured to change a current for charging and discharging a capacitor in the charge pump in a start-up duration so the programmable time constant is reduced and a capacitor voltage changes faster to reduce a start-up time of the AGC loop circuit.

10. The MEMS inertial sensing device of claim 8 wherein the PID controller is configured to output a differential PWM signal having a PWM signal and an inverted PWM signal, and wherein the output of the charge pump is configured to be proportional to a duty cycle of the PWM signal.

11. An AGC loop circuit, comprising:

a rectifier,

a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, an input of the PID controller being electrically connected to an output of the rectifier,

a comparator having an input electrically connected to an output of the PID controller,

a charge pump having an input electrically connected to an output of the comparator, and

a high-voltage (HV) driver having an input electrically connected to an output of the charge pump.

12. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the PID controller includes an integrator and a differentiator, wherein the integrator uses a programmable time constant to determine a variable operational speed of the AGC loop circuit, and wherein the differentiator is configured to change a current for charging and discharging a capacitor in the charge pump in a start-up duration so the programmable time constant is reduced and a capacitor voltage changes faster to reduce a start-up time of the AGC loop circuit.

13. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the PID controller is configured to output a differential PWM signal having a PWM signal and an inverted PWM signal, and wherein the output of the charge pump is configured to be proportional to a duty cycle of the PWM signal.

14. The circuit of claim 13 wherein the charge pump is a first charge pump, and the AGC loop circuit further comprises a second charge pump coupled to a charge pump node, wherein a first current source is coupled to the charge pump node, the PWM signal, and a supply voltage, and wherein a second current source is coupled to the charge pump node, the inverted PWM signal, and a ground.

15. The circuit of claim 14 further comprising a charge pump capacitor coupled to the charge pump node, the second charge pump, the first and second current sources, and the charge pump capacitor being configured to maintain a desired voltage on the charge pump node.

16. The circuit of claim 11 further comprising a triangle wave generator coupled to the comparator and configured to generate triangular pulses, wherein the output of the PID is compared to the triangular pulses by the comparator.

17. The circuit of claim 11 wherein the charge pump is configured as a power supply to the HV driver.

18. An AGC loop circuit, comprising:

a rectifier,

a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, an input of the PID controller being electrically connected to an output of the rectifier,

a comparator having an input electrically connected to an output of the PID controller,

a charge pump having an input electrically connected to an output of the comparator, and

a high-voltage (HV) driver having an input electrically connected to an output of the charge pump;

wherein the PID controller includes an integrator and a differentiator, wherein the integrator uses a programmable time constant to determine a variable operational speed of the AGC loop circuit, and wherein the differentiator is configured to change a current for charging and discharging a capacitor in the charge pump in a start-up duration so the time constant is reduced and a capacitor voltage changes faster to reduce a start-up time of the AGC loop circuit.

19. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the PID controller is configured to output a differential PWM signal having a PWM signal and an inverted PWM signal, and wherein the output of the charge pump is configured to be proportional to a duty cycle of the PWM signal.

20. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the charge pump is a first charge pump, and the AGC loop circuit further comprises a second charge pump coupled to a charge pump node, wherein a first current source is coupled to the charge pump node, the PWM signal, and a supply voltage, and wherein a second current source is coupled to the charge pump node, the inverted PWM signal, and a ground.

21. The circuit of claim 18 further comprising a charge pump capacitor coupled to the charge pump node, the second charge pump, the first and second current sources, and the charge pump capacitor being configured to maintain a desired voltage on the charge pump node.

22. The circuit of claim 18 further comprising a triangle wave generator coupled to the comparator and configured to generate triangular pulses, wherein the output of the PID is compared to the triangular pulses by the comparator.

23. The circuit of claim 18 wherein the charge pump is configured as a power supply to the HV driver.

Assignments (5)
PARTIAL TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS AT REEL/FRAME NO. 61948/0764 Recorded May 2, 2025
From: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS AGENT
To: MOVELLA INC.
Reel/Frame 071161/0930 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Nov 15, 2022
From: MOVELLA INC.
To: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 061948/0764 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: MOVELLA INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS MCUBE, INC.)
Reel/Frame 061763/0864 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: MOVELLA INC. (FKA MCUBE, INC.)
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 059147/0471 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2016
From: RASTEGAR, ALI J.; BHANDARI, SANJAY
To: MCUBE INC.
Reel/Frame 040998/0719 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14158756 · Jan 17, 2014
Provisional Application 61755451 · Jan 22, 2013
Provisional Application 61755450 · Jan 22, 2013
Related Publication 20170082438A1 · Mar 23, 2017