Pressure sensor, microphone, and acoustic processing system

• US 9,488,541 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Masatoshi, Otsu, Kenji, Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Kii, Masayuki, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Hara, Michiko, Higashi, Yoshihiro, Yuzawa, Akiko, Okamoto, Kazuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/584,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0051 using variations in ohmic resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/16 by making use of variations in the magnetic properties of material resulting from the application of stress
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor includes: a base body; a sensor section; and a processing circuit. The sensor section includes: a transducing thin film; a first strain sensing element; and a second strain sensing element. The transducing thin film has a film surface and is flexible. The processing circuit is configured to output as an output signal at least one of a first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of external pressure to the transducing thin film and a second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a base body;

a sensor section provided on the base body; and

a processing circuit configured to process a signal obtained from the sensor section,

the sensor section including;

a flexible transducing thin film having a film surface;

a first strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position being different from barycenter of the film surface; and

a second strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position spaced from the first strain sensing element and being different from the barycenter, and

the processing circuit being configured to output as an output signal at least one of a first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of external pressure to the transducing thin film and a second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film,

wherein

the first strain sensing element is included in a first strain sensing element group in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and

the second strain sensing element is included in a second strain sensing element group in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the second strain sensing element group being different from the first strain sensing element group.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein distance between the first strain sensing element and the barycenter is different from distance between the second strain sensing element and the barycenter.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first strain sensing element group and the second strain sensing element group are each placed on the transducing thin film having a circular shape or the transducing thin film having a rectangular shape.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein distance between the first strain sensing element group and the barycenter is different from distance between the second strain sensing element group and the barycenter.

5. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein

the first strain sensing element group includes a first line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a second line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the second line being provided at a position symmetric to the first line with respect to the barycenter,

the second strain sensing element group includes a third line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a fourth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the fourth line being provided at a position symmetric to the third line with respect to the barycenter,

the first line is electrically connected in series or parallel to the second line, and

the third line is electrically connected in series or parallel to the fourth line.

6. The sensor according to claim 4, wherein

the first strain sensing element group includes a first line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a second line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the second line being provided at a position symmetric to the first line with respect to the barycenter,

the second strain sensing element group includes a third line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a fourth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the fourth line being provided at a position symmetric to the third line with respect to the barycenter,

the first line and the second line form a first bridge circuit, and

the third line and the fourth line form a second bridge circuit different from the first bridge circuit.

7. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein

a control signal for selecting the first strain sensing element group is generated when an output signal of the first strain sensing element group is not larger than a first threshold, and

a control signal for selecting the second strain sensing element group is generated when the output signal is larger than the first threshold.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first strain sensing element and the second strain sensing element each include a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

9. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor section further includes a third strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position spaced from the first strain sensing element and the second strain sensing element and being different from the barycenter, and

the processing circuit is configured to output as an output signal at least one of the first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film, the second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film, and a third signal obtained from the third strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film,

the third strain sensing element is included in a third strain sensing element group in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the third strain sensing element group being different from the first strain sensing element group and the second strain sensing element group,

the first strain sensing element group includes a first line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a second line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the second line being provided at a position symmetric to the first line with respect to the barycenter,

the second strain sensing element group includes a third line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a fourth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the fourth line being provided at a position symmetric to the third line with respect to the barycenter,

the third strain sensing element group includes a fifth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a sixth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the sixth line being provided at a position symmetric to the fifth line with respect to the barycenter,

the first line is electrically connected in series or parallel to the second line,

the third line is electrically connected in series or parallel to the fourth line, and

the fifth line is electrically connected in series or parallel to the sixth line.

10. The sensor according to claim 9, wherein

a control signal for selecting the first strain sensing element group is generated when an output signal of the first strain sensing element group is not larger than a first threshold,

a control signal for selecting the second strain sensing element group is generated when the output signal of the first strain sensing element group is larger than the first threshold and an output signal of the second strain sensing element group is not larger than a second threshold, and

a control signal for selecting the third strain sensing element group is generated when the output signal of the first strain sensing element group is larger than the first threshold and the output signal of the second strain sensing element group is larger than the second threshold.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the sensor section further includes a third strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position spaced from the first strain sensing element and the second strain sensing element and being different from the barycenter, and

the processing circuit is configured to output as an output signal at least one of the first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film, the second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film, and a third signal obtained from the third strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film,

the third strain sensing element is included in a third strain sensing element group in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the third strain sensing element group being different from the first strain sensing element group and the second strain sensing element group,

the first strain sensing element group includes a first line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a second line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the second line being provided at a position symmetric to the first line with respect to the barycenter,

the second strain sensing element group includes a third line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a fourth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the fourth line being provided at a position symmetric to the third line with respect to the barycenter,

the third strain sensing element group includes a fifth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and a sixth line in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the sixth line being provided at a position symmetric to the fifth line with respect to the barycenter,

the first line and the second line form a first bridge circuit,

the third line and the fourth line form a second bridge circuit different from the first bridge circuit, and

the fifth line and the sixth line form a third bridge circuit different from the first bridge circuit and the second bridge circuit.

12. A microphone comprising the pressure sensor according to claim 1.

13. A pressure sensor comprising:

a base body;

a sensor section provided on the base body; and

a processing circuit configured to process a signal obtained from the sensor section,

the sensor section including;

a flexible transducing thin film having a film surface;

a first strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position being different from barycenter of the film surface; and

a second strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position spaced from the first strain sensing element and being different from the barycenter, and

the processing circuit being configured to output as an output signal at least one of a first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of external pressure to the transducing thin film and a second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film,

wherein the processing circuit outputs the second signal as an output signal when the first signal is larger than a prescribed threshold, and outputs the first signal as an output signal when the first signal is not larger than the prescribed threshold.

14. A pressure sensor comprising:

a base body; and

a sensor section provided on the base body,

the sensor section including;

a flexible transducing thin film having a film surface;

a first strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position being different from barycenter of the film surface; and

a second strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position spaced from the first strain sensing element and being different from the barycenter, and

the pressure sensor including an electrical wiring configured to output as an output signal only one of a first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of external pressure to the transducing thin film and a second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film,

wherein

the first strain sensing element is included in a first strain sensing element group in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, and

the second strain sensing element is included in a second strain sensing element group in which a plurality of strain sensing elements are connected in series, the second strain sensing element group being different from the first strain sensing element group.

15. The sensor according to claim 14, wherein the electrical wiring includes an electrical switch configured to output only one of the first signal and the second signal as the output signal.

16. The sensor according to claim 14, wherein the electrical wiring includes a broken portion and is configured to output only one of the first signal and the second signal as the output signal.

17. The sensor according to claim 14, wherein

the sensor section further includes a third strain sensing element provided on the film surface at a position spaced from the first strain sensing element and the second strain sensing element and being different from the barycenter, and

the electrical wiring is configured to output as an output signal at least one of the first signal obtained from the first strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film, the second signal obtained from the second strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film, and a third signal obtained from the third strain sensing element upon application of the external pressure to the transducing thin film.

18. An acoustic processing system comprising a plurality of the pressure sensors according to claim 14, wherein

the plurality of the pressure sensors are connected to each other by an electrical wiring and configured to perform signal processing.