Granted Patent B2

US 12,261,567 · App. 18/396,678 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Inventors: Jemm Yue Liang (Sunnyvale, CA); Jing-Meng Liu (San Jose, CA); Jye Ren (Taipei, TW)

Assignee: xMEMS Labs, Inc.

H03B5/1243H03B5/1206H03B5/30

Abstract

Claims (78)

1. A demodulation signal generator, coupled to an air-pulse generator, the demodulation signal generator comprising:

a first node coupled to a first flap and a second node coupled to a second flap; and

a resonance circuit, coupled to the first and second nodes, configured to produce a first demodulation signal on the first node and a second demodulation signal on the second node;

wherein the air-pulse generator comprises a film structure, the film structure comprises a flap pair, the flap pair comprises the first flap and the second flap;

wherein the resonance circuit and the flap pair co-perform a resonance operation, such that the first demodulation signal and the second demodulation signal are generated via the co-performed resonance operation;

wherein the first and the second demodulation signals have opposite polarity;

wherein the first flap receives the first demodulation signal and the second flap receives the second demodulation signal, such that the flap pair performs a differential movement;

wherein the differential movement is configured to form a virtual valve or an opening to perform a demodulation operation on a modulated air pressure variation generated by the film structure;

wherein the virtual valve is closed corresponding to a period within a first transition time of the first demodulation signal and a second transition time of the second demodulation signal.

2. The demodulation signal generator of claim 1 ,

wherein the resonance circuit comprises a swapping module;

wherein the swapping module is configured to be conducted during a conduction period;

wherein a first voltage level of the first demodulation signal and a second voltage level of the second demodulation signal swap after the conduction period.

3. The demodulation signal generator of claim 2 , wherein the swapping module comprises an inductor and a switching unit, coupled between the first node and the second node.

4. The demodulation signal generator of claim 3 , comprising:

a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch;

wherein the first and second switches are coupled to the first node, and the third and fourth switches are coupled to the second node.

5. The demodulation signal generator of claim 4 ,

wherein during a first period before the conduction period, the first and the fourth switches are conducted and the second and the third switches are cutoff;

wherein during a second period after the conduction period, the first and the fourth switches are cutoff and the second and the third switches are conducted.

6. The demodulation signal generator of claim 5 ,

wherein during the first period or during the second period, the switching unit is cutoff.

7. The demodulation signal generator of claim 4 ,

wherein the first and the third switches receive a first voltage;

wherein the second and the fourth switches receive a second voltage.

8. The demodulation signal generator of claim 3 , wherein the switching unit comprises:

a fifth switch and a sixth switch, coupled between the first node and the second node.

9. The demodulation signal generator of claim 8 ,

wherein during the conduction period, the fifth and the sixth switches are conducted.

10. The demodulation signal generator of claim 8 ,

wherein the fifth switch comprises a first body diode with a first anode coupled to the first node;

wherein the sixth switch comprises a second body diode with a second anode coupled to the second node;

wherein during the conduction period, a first voltage at the first node decreases and a second voltage at the second node increases;

wherein at an end of the conduction period, the first voltage is less than the second voltage, and the fifth switch is turned off.

11. The demodulation signal generator of claim 8 ,

wherein at the end of the conduction period, the sixth switch remains conducted.

12. The demodulation signal generator of claim 8 ,

wherein during the first period, the sixth switch is cutoff;

wherein during the second period, the fifth switch is cutoff.

13. The demodulation signal generator of claim 1 ,

wherein the air-pulse generator comprises a first actuator disposed on the first flap and a second actuator disposed on the second flap;

wherein the first actuator comprises a first electrode and the second actuator comprises a second electrode;

wherein the first node is coupled to the first electrode and the second node is coupled to the second electrode.

14. The demodulation signal generator of claim 13 ,

wherein the first actuator comprises a third electrode and the second actuator comprises a fourth electrode;

wherein the third and the fourth electrodes receive a modulation signal, such that the flap pair performs a common-mode movement to generate the modulated air pressure variation.

15. The demodulation signal generator of claim 1 ,

wherein the air-pulse generator produces a plurality of air pulses at a pulse rate;

wherein the plurality of air pulses is generated according to the modulated air pressure variation;

wherein a demodulation frequency of the first demodulation signal is a half of the pulse rate.

16. The demodulation signal generator of claim 1 ,

wherein the resonance circuit comprises a start-up circuit;

wherein an oscillation is produced by the start-up circuit and the flap pair.

17. The demodulation signal generator of claim 16 ,

wherein the start-up circuit comprises a transimpedance amplifier;

wherein the transimpedance amplifier comprises a first input terminal coupled to the first flap and a second input terminal coupled to the second flap;

wherein the transimpedance amplifier is configured to receive a first current corresponding to the first flap and receives a second current corresponding to the second flap;

wherein the transimpedance amplifier outputs a first output signal according to the first current and the second current;

wherein the first and second demodulation signals are generated according to the first output signal of the transimpedance amplifier.

18. The demodulation signal generator of claim 17 , wherein the start-up circuit further comprises

a detection-and-control circuit, coupled to an output terminal of the transimpedance amplifier, and configured to perform a detection operation according to the first output signal of the transimpedance amplifier; and

a variable gain amplifier (VGA), controlled by the detection-and-control circuit;

wherein the first demodulation signal is generated according to a second output signal of the variable gain amplifier.

19. The demodulation signal generator of claim 18 ,

wherein the detection-and-control circuit comprises an amplitude control circuit;

wherein an automatic gain control (AGC) loop is formed by the amplitude control circuit and the VGA.

20. The demodulation signal generator of claim 18 , wherein the detection-and-control circuit comprises a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit, configured to perform a frequency detection operation to track a resonance frequency of the first flap.

21. The demodulation signal generator of claim 17 , wherein the transimpedance amplifier comprises an operational amplifier.

22. The demodulation signal generator of claim 21 , wherein the transimpedance amplifier comprises a feedback resistor coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of the operational amplifier.

23. The demodulation signal generator of claim 21 , wherein the transimpedance amplifier comprises a feedback capacitor coupled between an input terminal and an output terminal of the operational amplifier.

24. The demodulation signal generator of claim 16 , further comprising:

a phase shifter, coupled to the first flap and the second flap;

wherein the phase shifter configures a phase difference between the first demodulation signal and the second demodulation signal as 180 °.

25. The demodulation signal generator of claim 16 , further comprising:

a frequency multiplier, coupled to the start-up circuit and receiving a third output signal of the start-up circuit, configured to generate a fourth output signal;

wherein a frequency of the fourth output signal is twice of a frequency of the third output signal;

wherein a modulation signal is generated according to the fourth output signal;

wherein the modulation signal is configured to drive the film structure, such that the film structure generates the modulated air pressure variation.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (23)

References Cited (85)

Cited By (1)

US 12,598,423