Multichannel Gyroscopic Sensor

• US 20130247663A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Parin
• Application Number:
  US13/430,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20130247663A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5776 Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

An electronic device may have a gyroscopic sensor. The gyroscopic sensor may produce angular velocity data in response to movement of the electronic device. The gyroscopic sensor may have a first and second parallel branches of circuitry that are configured to produce angular velocity data from microelectromechanical systems output signals. When performing functions such as gaming or navigation functions, the electronic device may use the first branch of circuitry to produce angular velocity data with a large dynamic range. When performing functions such as image stabilization operations, the electronic device may use the second branch of circuitry to produce angular velocity data that is characterized by a relatively small amount of noise.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a gyroscopic sensor; and

control circuitry, wherein the gyroscopic sensor and control circuitry are configured to operate in a first mode in which the control circuitry receives gyroscopic data from the gyroscopic sensor that is characterized by a first amount of dynamic range and a first amount of noise and a second mode in which the control circuitry receives gyroscopic data from the gyroscopic sensor that is characterized by a second amount of dynamic range and a second amount of noise, wherein the first amount of dynamic range is larger than the second amount of dynamic range, and wherein the first amount of noise is greater than the second amount of noise.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the gyroscopic sensor comprises:

a microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least one output signal;

a first branch of circuitry that processes the at least one output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise; and

a second branch of circuitry that processes the at least one output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the first branch of circuitry includes a first analog signal processing circuit and a first analog-to-digital converter to process the at least one output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise and wherein the second branch of circuitry includes a second analog signal processing circuit and a second analog-to-digital converter to process the at least one output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein:

the first branch comprises a first communications interface with which the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise is communicated to a second communications interface; and

the second branch comprises a third communications interface with which the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise is communicated to a fourth communications interface.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the first communications interface comprises a serial single-ended bus.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the third communications interface comprises an interface that supports synchronous serial data.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising a camera controller that receives the gyroscopic data using the fourth communications interface.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise in performing digital image stabilization.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising:

a lens; and

a lens positioner that positions the lens, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise in controlling the lens positioner to perform image stabilization.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise to implement at least one function selected from the group consisting of:

a gaming function and a navigation function.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the gyroscopic sensor comprises:

a first microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least a first output signal;

a first branch of circuitry that processes the first output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise;

a second microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least a second output signal; and

a second branch of circuitry that processes the second output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the first branch of circuitry includes a first analog signal processing circuit and a first analog-to-digital converter to process the first output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise and wherein the second branch of circuitry includes a second analog signal processing circuit and a second analog-to-digital converter to process the second output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the first branch comprises a first communications interface with which the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise is communicated to a second communications interface, wherein the second branch comprises a third communications interface with which the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise is communicated to a fourth communications interface, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise in performing digital image stabilization.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 11 wherein the first branch comprises a first communications interface with which the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise is communicated to a second communications interface, wherein the second branch comprises a third communications interface with which the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise is communicated to a fourth communications interface, and wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a lens; and

a lens positioner that positions the lens, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise in controlling the lens positioner to perform image stabilization.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the first communications interface comprises a serial single-ended bus.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the third communications interface comprises an interface that supports synchronous serial data.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive gyroscopic data from the gyroscopic sensor that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise during the second mode while simultaneously receiving the gyroscopic data from the gyroscopic sensor that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

18. A method of operating an electronic device having control circuitry and having a gyroscopic sensor, comprising:

with the control circuitry, receiving gyroscopic data that is characterized by a first amount of dynamic range and a first amount of noise when operating in a first mode of operation; and

with the control circuitry, receiving gyroscopic data that is characterized by a second amount of dynamic range and a second amount of noise when operating in a second mode of operation, wherein the first amount of dynamic range is larger than the second amount of dynamic range, and wherein the first amount of noise is greater than the second amount of noise.

19. The method defined in claim 18 wherein the electronic device has a lens and a lens positioner, the method further comprising positioning the lens with the lens positioner using the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

20. The method defined in claim 19 further comprising:

with the control circuitry, using the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise to implement at least one function selected from the group consisting of;

a gaming function and a navigation function.

21. The method defined in claim 18 wherein the gyroscopic sensor includes a first microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least a first output signal and a second microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least a second output signal, the method comprising:

using a first branch of circuitry to process the first output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the first amount of dynamic range and the first amount of noise; and

using the second branch of circuitry to process the second output signal to produce the gyroscopic data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise.

22. A gyroscopic sensor comprising:

a first branch of circuitry that produces angular velocity data that is characterized by a first amount of dynamic range and a first amount of noise;

a second branch of circuitry that produces angular velocity data that is characterized by the second amount of dynamic range and the second amount of noise, wherein the first amount of dynamic range is greater than the second amount of dynamic range and wherein the first amount of noise is greater than the second amount of noise.

23. The gyroscopic sensor defined in claim 22 further comprising:

a first microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least a first output signal that is processed by the first branch of circuitry;

a second microelectromechanical systems device that produces at least a second output signal that is processed by the second branch of circuitry;

a package in which at least the first and second microelectronic systems devices are mounted; and

circuitry mounted within the package that includes the first and second branches of circuitry.