Low-power MEMS wakeup system
| DWPI Title: Low-power micro electromechanical system (MEMS) wakeup apparatus for use in wireless sensor network, has flexures connected to integrated circuit such that mechanically induced voltages in flexures are coupled as input to integrated circuit |
| Abstract: There is provided a near-zero-power wakeup system in which a MEMS sensor for mechanical or acoustic signals is coupled to a very-low-power complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Power consumption can be minimized by operating the ASIC with sub-threshold gate voltages. |
| Use: Low-power micro electromechanical system (MEMS) wakeup apparatus for use in wireless sensor network for secure asset and site protection, and long-term monitoring of infrequent events as well as for low-power pulse monitor used for detecting incidents of cardiac arrhythmia. |
| Advantage: The threshold of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) comparator is adjustable relative to the output signal level from the MEMS device. The system can be tuned as desired to either increase the probability that a target signal is detected, or reduce the probability of a false alarm. The power consumption can be minimized by operating the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) with sub-threshold gate voltages and long channel transistors. The resonance is lowered into the operational bandwidth while maintaining a high Q. |
| Novelty: The apparatus has a resonant micro electromechanical system (MEMS) device such as a microphone. An integrated circuit (IC) is electrically connected to the resonant MEMS device which has a mass element such as a diaphragm (300) suspended by flexures from a substrate. Each of the flexures contains a piezoelectric layer. The flexures are electrically connected to the IC such that mechanically induced voltages in the flexures are coupled as input to the IC, in use. The IC comprises a comparator (600) latch circuit (602) that produces a latched output voltage in response to an input signal that exceeds a threshold. The suspended diaphragm has a resonant frequency of vibration that lies within an operating frequency range of the apparatus. |
| Filed: 2/13/2019 |
| Application Number: US16274455A |
| Tech ID: SD 14598.1 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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