APPARATUS AND A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING A PHYSICAL VARIABLE

• US 20160025529A1
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Astegher, Berthold, Wietschorke, Helmut
• Application Number:
  US14/802,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20160025529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/028 mitigating undesired influences, e.g. temperature, pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/16 using properties of piezoelectric devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0092 Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 25/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus for measuring force, torque, work, mechanical power, or mechanical efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 27/007 Malfunction diagnosis, i.e. diagnosing a sensor defect
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/08 by making use of piezoelectric devices , i.e. electric circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/12 by making use of variations in capacitance , i.e. electric circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/07 Hall effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/072 Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/09 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/091 Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/005 Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting a physical variable has a first sensor unit and a second sensor unit. The first sensor unit detects a physical variable on the basis of a first detection principle. Furthermore, the second sensor unit detects the physical variable on the basis of a second detection principle. In this case, the first detection principle differs from the second detection principle. The first sensor unit the second sensor unit are accommodated in a common housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a physical variable, having the following features:

a first sensor unit which is designed to detect a physical variable on the basis of a first detection principle; and

a second sensor unit which is designed to detect the physical variable on the basis of a second detection principle, the first detection principle differing from the second detection principle, and the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit being accommodated in a common housing.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the first sensor unit being a first semiconductor-based sensor unit and the second sensor unit being a second semiconductor-based sensor unit.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the physical variable being a magnetic field.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the first sensor unit having a Hall element which is designed to detect a magnetic field on the basis of the Hall effect.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the second sensor unit having a magnetoresistive element which is designed to detect a magnetic field on the basis of the giant magnetoresistance effect, the magnetic tunnel resistance effect or the anisotropic magnetoresistive effect.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the physical variable being a pressure.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the first sensor unit having a piezoelectric pressure element which is designed to detect a pressure on the basis of the piezoelectric effect.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the second sensor unit having a capacitive pressure element which is designed to detect a pressure on the basis of a capacitance which can be changed by pressure.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit being implemented on different semiconductor chips.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, the semiconductor chip of the first sensor unit and the semiconductor chip of the second sensor unit being arranged beside one another on the same side of a common leadframe or being arranged opposite one another on different sides of a common leadframe.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit being implemented on the same semiconductor chip.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the common housing having molding compound which at least partially surrounds one or more semiconductor chips of the first sensor unit and of the second sensor unit.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the common housing being a surface-mounted device gullwing, a surface-mounted device flat lead, a leadless QFN, a leadless TSLP or a P-SSO.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the first sensor unit being designed to output a first sensor signal having information relating to the physical variable detected on the basis of the first detection principle, and the second sensor unit being designed to output a second sensor signal having information relating to the physical variable detected on the basis of the second detection principle.

15. A system for detecting a physical variable, having the following features:

an apparatus as claimed in claim 1; and

an error recognition unit which is designed to recognize an error in the first sensor unit and/or in the second sensor unit on the basis of at least one first sensor signal provided by the first sensor unit and/or at least one second sensor signal provided by the second sensor unit.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, the error recognition unit being designed to recognize an error on the basis of a comparison of the first sensor signal with the second sensor signal.

17. The system as claimed in claim 15, the error recognition unit being designed to recognize a change in an air gap between the common housing and a magnetic element on the basis of at least one first sensor signal provided by the first sensor unit and/or at least one second sensor signal provided by the second sensor unit.