Variable capacitance device

• US 9,224,536 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Kumada, Akira, Shibahara, Teruhisa, Tanaka, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramaswamy, Arun
• Application Number:
  US13/568,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 361/281, 361/280, 361/277, 361/331, 324/661, 200/181, 381/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/16 using variation of distance between electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/19 Resonator in MEMS technology
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 3/20 of single resonant circuit by varying inductance only or capacitance only

Abstract

A variable capacitance device that achieves a desired capacitance even when factors causing varied capacitances are generated is configured such that a capacitance detection pulse signal is applied from a capacitance detection signal generation unit to a driving capacitor and a reference capacitor of a MEMS mechanical unit. The device voltage of the driving capacitor based on the capacitance detection signal and a driving voltage is applied to the inverting input terminal of a comparator. The device voltage of the reference capacitor based on the capacitance detection signal and the driving voltage is applied to the non-inverting input terminal of the comparator. The comparator generates a comparison output signal including “Hi” and “Low” values from the difference between these device voltages, and applies the output signal to a driving voltage generation unit. The driving voltage generation unit increases or decreases the driving voltage based on the comparison output signal.

Claims

1. A variable capacitance device comprising:

a fixed plate including a first driving electrode and a first variable capacitance electrode;

a movable plate including a second driving electrode facing the first driving electrode and a second variable capacitance electrode facing the first variable capacitance electrode;

a driving voltage applying unit that applies a driving voltage between the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode;

a reference capacitor having a predetermined capacitance;

a capacitance detection signal generation unit that applies a capacitance detection pulse signal to a driving capacitance portion including the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode and to the reference capacitor; and

a voltage change comparator that compares a voltage change of the driving capacitance portion and a voltage change of the reference capacitor caused by the capacitance detection pulse signal and outputs a comparison result;

wherein

the driving voltage applying unit controls the driving voltage based on the comparison result.

2. The variable capacitance device according to claim 1, further comprising an offset compensation signal generation unit that applies a compensation signal obtained by reversing a sign of the capacitance detection pulse signal supplied to the driving capacitance portion and the reference capacitor.

3. The variable capacitance device according to claim 2, further comprising a timing generation unit that applies application timing signals to the capacitance detection signal generation unit and the offset compensation signal generation unit, wherein the capacitance detection signal generation unit and the offset compensation signal generation unit apply the respective signals in accordance with the timing signals.

4. The variable capacitance device according to claim 3, further comprising a sample/hold circuit on an input side or an output side of the voltage change comparator, wherein the timing generation unit provides a hold timing to the sample/hold circuit and the sample/hold circuit performs sampling/holding based on the provided hold timing.

5. The variable capacitance device according to claim 1, further comprising a current ratio control unit that controls a ratio of a current supplied to the driving capacitance portion to a current supplied to the reference capacitor.