Differential outputs in multiple motor MEMS devices

• US 9,503,814 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Knowles Electronics Llc (Knowles Corporation)
• Inventors: Schultz, Jordan T., Dai, Weiwen, Van Kessel, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Kenny
• Application Number:
  US14/225,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

An the acoustic apparatus comprising a first MEMS motor that includes a first diaphragm and a first back plate, and a second MEMS motor that includes a second diaphragm and a second back plate. The first motor is biased with a first electrical polarity and a second motor is biased with a second electrical polarity such that the first electrical polarity and the second electrical polarity are opposite. At the first motor, a first signal is created that is representative of received sound energy. At the second motor, a second signal is created that is representative of the received sound energy. A differential output signal that is the representative of the difference between the first signal and the second signal is obtained. In obtaining the differential output signal, common mode noise between the first motor and the second motor is rejected.

Claims

1. An acoustic apparatus, comprising:

a first MEMS motor including a first diaphragm and a first back plate, the first motor configured to create a first differential signal representative of sound energy, wherein a first positive potential is applied to the first diaphragm;

a second MEMS motor including a second diaphragm and a second back plate, the second motor configured to create a second differential signal representative of the sound energy, wherein the second diaphragm and the second back plate are flipped mechanically compared to the first diaphragm and the first back plate, and wherein a second positive potential is applied to the second back plate;

a first preamplifier circuit coupled to the first MEMS motor, the first preamplifier circuit configured to produce a first pre-amplified signal from the first differential signal;

a second preamplifier circuit coupled to the second MEMS motor, the second preamplifier circuit configured to produce a second pre-amplified signal from the second differential signal; and

a differential stage coupled to the first preamplifier circuit and the second preamplifier circuit, the differential stage configured to obtain a difference between the first pre-amplified signal and the second pre-amplified signal, wherein the differential stage is disposed on an integrated chip that is different from one or more other integrated chips that include the first preamplifier circuit and the second preamplifier circuit, wherein a first differential bias voltage is created between the first diaphragm and the first back plate to create the first differential signal and a second differential voltage is created between the second diaphragm and the second back plate to create the second differential signal, and wherein common mode noise between the first motor and the second motor is rejected by the differential stage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first preamplifier and the second preamplifier are disposed on separate integrated chips.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first preamplifier and the second preamplifier are disposed on the same integrated chip.

4. The acoustic apparatus of claim 1, wherein common mode noise between the first MEMS motor and the second MEMS motor is approximately 0 degrees out of phase.

5. The acoustic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first differential signal and the second differential signal are approximately 180 degrees out of phase.

6. A method of operating an acoustic apparatus, the acoustic apparatus comprising a first MEMS motor including a first diaphragm and a first back plate, and a second MEMS motor including a second diaphragm and a second back plate, the method comprising:

applying a first positive potential to the first diaphragm;

applying a second positive potential to the second back plate, wherein the second diaphragm and the second back plate are flipped mechanically compared to the first diaphragm and the first back plate;

at the first MEMS motor, creating a first signal representative of received sound energy;

at the second MEMS motor, creating a second signal representative of the received sound energy; and

obtaining a differential output signal representative of the difference between the first signal and the second signal, wherein in obtaining the differential output signal common mode noise between the first MEMS motor and the second MEMS motor is rejected wherein the first MEMS motor is mechanically inverted with respect to the second MEMS motor to create an 180 degree phase shift between the first signal and the second signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein common mode noise between the first motor and the second motor is approximately 0 degrees out of phase.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the approximate 180 degree phase shift is achieved without negative bias.

9. An acoustic apparatus comprising:

a first MEMS motor including a first diaphragm and a first back plate, the first motor configured to create a first differential signal representative of sound energy, wherein a first positive potential is applied to the first diaphragm;

a second MEMS motor including a second diaphragm and a second back plate, the second motor configured to create a second differential signal representative of sound energy, wherein the second diaphragm and the second back plate are flipped mechanically compared to the first diaphragm and the first back plate, wherein a second positive potential is applied to the second back plate;

a first preamplifier circuit coupled to the first motor, the first preamplifier circuit configured to produce a first pre-amplified signal from the first differential signal;

a second preamplifier circuit coupled to the second motor, the second preamplifier circuit configured to produce a second pre-amplified signal from the second differential signal; and

a differential stage coupled to the first preamplifier circuit and the second preamplifier circuit, the differential stage configured to obtain a difference between the first pre-amplified signal and the second pre-amplified signal, wherein the differential stage is disposed on an integrated chip that is different from one or more other integrated chips that include the first preamplifier circuit and the second preamplifier circuit, wherein a first differential bias voltage is created between the first diaphragm and the first back plate to create the first differential signal and a second differential voltage is created between the second diaphragm and the second back plate to create the second differential signal and wherein common mode noise between the first motor and the second motor is rejected by the differential stage.

10. The acoustic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first preamplifier and the second preamplifier are disposed on a single integrated chip.

11. The acoustic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first preamplifier and the second preamplifier are disposed on separate integrated chips.

12. The acoustic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the common mode noise between the first MEMS motor and the second MEMS motor is approximately 0 degrees out of phase.

13. The acoustic apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first differential signal and the second differential signal are approximately 180 degrees out of phase.