Silicon Audio, Inc.

The University of Texas System

Silicon Audio Directional, LLC

Silicon Audio Seismic, LLC

Neal Allen Hall

Caesar Theodore Garcia

Donghwan Kim

Bradley Dean Avenson

Abidin Guclu Onaran

Randall P Williams

Kristofer L Gleason

Brad D Avenson

David P Gawalt

Michael Louis Kuntzman

Ahmad Zaatari

Nishshanka Hewa-Kasakarage

Karen Denise Kirk

Matthew Raymon Christensen

James Coe Schlicher

Solid-state stress sensors are presented herein. A sensor system may include a substrate, a first layer of sensing material disposed on a first surface of the substrate and at least two electrodes forming an electrode pair. The at least two electrodes may include a first electrode and a second electrode. The first and second electrodes may be offset from each other in a direction substantially parallel to the first surface. The sensing material may be a piezoelectric material and the sensor system may be configured to generate an output signal in response to shear stress experienced by the sensing material.

Solid-state shear stress sensors with high selectivity

Embodiments of solid-state stress sensors are presented herein. A sensor system may include a substrate, a first layer of sensing material disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and at least three electrodes forming a first and second electrode pair. The at least three electrodes may include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. The first electrode may be disposed in a first plane and the second electrode and the third electrode may be disposed in a second plane, the first and second planes associated with a first direction parallel to the first surface. The first and second electrodes may be at least partially offset in the first direction. The first and third electrodes may be at least partially offset in the first direction. The sensor system may be configured to generate an output signal in response to a shear stress within the sensing material.

A sensor systems including solid-state shear-stress sensors are presented. A solid-state shear-stress sensor system may include a substrate, a first layer of sensing material disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and at least two electrodes forming an electrode pair. The at least two electrodes may include a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode may be disposed in a first plane and the second electrode may be disposed in a second plane. The first and second planes may be associated with a first direction and may be substantially parallel to one another and the first surface. The first and second electrodes may be at least partially offset in the first direction. The sensor system may be configured to generate an output signal in response to a shear stress within the sensing material.

Solid-state shear-stress sensor

In some embodiments, a microphone system may include a deformable element that may be made of a material that is subject to deformation in response to external phenomenon. Sensing ports may be in contact with a respective region of the deformable element and may be configured to sense a deformation of a region of the deformable element and generate a signal in response thereto. The plurality of signals may be useable to determine spatial dependencies of the external phenomenon. The external phenomenon may be pressure and the signals may be useable to determine spatial dependencies of the pressure.

Entrained microphones

In one aspect, an apparatus is disclosed comprising: a housing; a proof mass movable within the housing; an optical element mounted on one of the housing and the proof mass; a reflective element on the other one of the housing and the proof mass; a light source configured to illuminate grating and minor; and one or more detectors configured to detect light incident from the reflective element and the diffractive element and generate a signal indicative of the relative displacement of proof mass and the housing.

Closed loop control techniques for displacement sensors with optical readout

In some embodiments, a sensor system may include a deformable structure and a sensing element. The deformable structure may include at least one layer of piezoelectric material and at least one actuator port disposed on the at least one layer of piezoelectric material. The deformable structure may deform in response to external phenomenon. The at least one actuator port may be configured to actuate the at least one layer of piezoelectric material via application of an electrical signal to the at least one layer of piezoelectric material. The at least one layer of piezoelectric material may be configured to apply a force to the deformable structure when actuated. The sensing element may be configured to sense deformation of the deformable structure capacitively, optically, or via a sensing port according to embodiments.

Multi-mode microphones

A method of designing and manufacturing an acoustic sensor having a high degree of directivity is disclosed. The sensor includes a rotatable plate that is attached to a substrate with mounts. In one aspect the mounts are freely rotatable and the torque on the plate is measured using detectors disposed on springs that provide a resistance to rotation of the plate. In another aspect the plate is mounted to the substrate with mounts that torsionally deform during rotation of the plate. These detectors measure the torque on the plate according to the torsional deformation of the mounts. Methods of improving the signal to noise ratio of acoustic sensors having multiple detectors are also disclosed.

Acoustic sensor

A vacuum sealed directional microphone and methods for fabricating said vacuum sealed directional microphone. A vacuum sealed directional microphone includes a rocking structure coupled to two vacuum sealed diaphragms which are responsible for collecting incoming sound and deforming under sound pressure. The rocking structure's resistance to bending aids in reducing the deflection of each diaphragm under large atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the rocking structure exhibits little resistance about its pivot thereby enabling it to freely rotate in response to small pressure gradients characteristic of sound. The backside cavities of such a device can be fabricated without the use of the deep reactive ion etch step thereby allowing such a microphone to be fabricated with a CMOS compatible process.

Differential microphone with sealed backside cavities and diaphragms coupled to a rocking structure thereby providing resistance to deflection under atmospheric pressure and providing a directional response to sound pressure

Method for performing signal processing for an optical microphone. First and second signals corresponding to at least two beams may be generated or received. The first and second signals may be complementary, and may be based on signals provided by one or more photo detectors that receive the at least two beams after the beams return from a sensing structure. The first signal and the second signal may be subtracted to produce a third signal. A position of the sensing structure may be adjusted to cause the third signal to reach a first value, where the adjusting may be performed based on the third signal, and an audio output signal may be provided based on the third signal.

Signal processing within an optical microphone

An optical microphone that may include a first substrate with one or more acoustic entry ports and a die over the one or more acoustic entry ports. The die may include a sensing structure for detecting acoustic vibrations received via the acoustic entry port(s) and may form a first cavity between the first substrate and the sensing structure. The microphone may include a light source within the first cavity, which may transmit laser light. The optical microphone may include photo detector(s) within the first cavity. The one or more photodetectors may be configured to receive the laser light after reflection from the sensing diaphragm to measure the acoustic vibrations of the sensing diaphragm. The microphone may also include a circuit and a lid, where the die, light source, photo detectors, and circuit are comprised within the cavity of the microphone. The circuit may perform signal processing signals from the photodetector(s).

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Neal Allen Hall