METHODS AND DEVICES FOR COMPENSATING A SIGNAL USING RESONATORS

• US 20090243747A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sand9, Inc.
• Inventors: Mohanty, Pritiraj, Schoepf, Klaus Juergen, Gaidarzhy, Alexei
• Granted Patent: US 7,990,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/17.100
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02409 by application of a DC-bias voltage H03H9/02417 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02448 of temperature influence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2447 Beam resonators H03H9/2468 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 1/00 Stabilisation of generator output against variations of physical values, e.g. power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/00 Automatic control of frequency or phase; Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/06 using a reference signal applied to a frequency- or phase-locked loop

Abstract

Compensation of a signal using resonators as well as related methods and devices are described. Some embodiments include methods and devices for performing frequency compensation on a signal.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a primary resonating structure having a first output signal;

a reference resonating structure;

a comparison element configured to compare a characteristic of the primary resonating structure to a characteristic of the reference resonating structure and to provide an output related to a comparison between the characteristics; and

a compensation circuit adapted to adjust the first output signal from the primary resonating structure based on the output from the comparison element.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a drive circuit adapted to send an input signal that drives the primary resonating structure.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the drive circuit is adapted to send an input signal that drives the reference resonating structure.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the comparison element is configured to provide an output related to a difference between the characteristics.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary resonating structure is a mechanical resonator.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the mechanical resonator comprises a major element and minor elements coupled to the major element.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the reference resonating structure is an electrical resonator

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary resonating structure is an electrical resonator.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the reference resonating structure is a mechanical resonator.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and/or the reference resonating structure is related to frequency.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and/or the reference resonating structure is a measured frequency.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the characteristic the primary resonating structure and/or the reference resonating structure is a difference between a measured frequency and a desired frequency.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and the characteristic of the reference resonating structure is selected from the group of characteristics consisting of velocity, acceleration, displacement, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and torque.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the compensation circuit is adapted to adjust a frequency of the first output signal from the primary resonating structure based on the output from the comparison element.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary resonating structure and the reference resonating structure comprise the same material.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary resonating structure has a critical dimension aligned along a first direction and the reference resonating structure has a critical dimension aligned along a second direction.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the comparison element comprises a look-up table.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary resonating structure comprises more than one resonator.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the reference resonating structure comprises more than one resonator.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sensor designed to measure a value of at least one characteristic of at least one of the primary resonating structure and the reference resonating structure.

21. The device of claim 1, further comprising a detector designed to measure a value of at least one characteristic of at least one of the primary resonating structure and the reference resonating structure.

22. The device of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring mechanism designed to monitor external and internal conditions of the device.

23. The device of claim 1, further comprising a monitoring mechanism designed to monitor signal quality factors of the first output signal.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary resonating structure and the reference resonating structure are respective portions of the same resonating structure.

25. The device of claim 1, comprising a first substrate and a second substrate.

26. The device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of primary resonating structures, each having respective output signals.

27. A method comprising:

comparing a characteristic of a primary resonating structure to a characteristic of a reference resonating structure;

providing an output related to the comparison between the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and a characteristic of the reference resonating structure; and

adjusting a first output signal from the primary resonating structure based on the output related to the comparison between the characteristics.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising measuring the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and the characteristic of the reference resonating structure.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing comprises determining a first difference between the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and a desired value of the characteristic.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing comprises determining a second difference between the characteristic of the reference resonating structure and a desired value of the characteristic.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein providing an output comprises correlating the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and the characteristic of the reference resonating structure with biasing parameters.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the output related to the comparison between the characteristics comprises information related to the biasing parameters.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the adjusting comprises modifying at least one biasing parameter of the primary resonating structure based on the information related to the biasing parameters.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising monitoring the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and the characteristic of the reference resonating structure.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the monitoring is accomplished using sensors and/or detectors.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein primary resonating structure is a mechanical resonator comprising a major element and minor elements coupled to the major element.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein the characteristic of the primary resonating structure and/or the reference resonating structure is related to frequency.

38. The method of claim 27, wherein adjusting the output signal of the primary resonating structure comprises adjusting the frequency of the primary resonating structure.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein comparing is accomplished using a comparison element comprising a look-up table.

40. A device comprising:

a resonating structure having a primary mode and a reference mode;

a comparison element configured to compare a characteristics of the primary mode to a characteristic of the reference mode and to provide an output related to a comparison between the characteristics; and

a compensation circuit adapted to adjust an output signal from the resonating structure based on the output from the comparison element.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the resonating structure is a mechanical resonator comprising major elements and minor elements.

42. The device of claim 40, wherein the resonating structure has more than two modes.

43. The device of claim 40, wherein the reference mode produces a second output signal.

44. The device of claim 40, wherein the primary mode has a first strain distribution and the reference mode has a second strain distribution.

45. A timing oscillator comprising:

a primary resonating structure having a first output signal;

a reference resonating structure;

a drive circuit coupled to the primary resonating structure;

a comparison element configured to compare a characteristic of the primary resonating structure to a characteristic of the reference resonating structure and to provide an output related to a comparison between the characteristics; and

a compensation circuit adapted to adjust the first output signal from the primary resonating structure based on the output from the comparison element.