Invensense, Inc.

Inspire Medical Systems, Inc.

Tim Piessens

Chung-Hsien Lin

Jye Ren

Calin Miclaus

Pei-Wen Yen

Manish Sharma-Kulamarva

John Rondoni

David Todd Dieken

Wim Gewillig

Athanasios Sarafianos

Bert Serneels

Wouter Bracke

A continuous time single drive capacitance-to-voltage (C2V) converter can be employed for single sensor, balanced single sensor, or differential sensor. First sensor and/or second sensor can be employed to sense a condition. A capacitive bridge can comprise a first capacitive digital-to-analog-converter (DAC) and second capacitive DAC as a differential node. First capacitive DAC can be associated with first sensor, and second capacitive DAC can be associated with a third capacitive DAC, in series with first sensor, if single sensor is implemented or the second sensor if balanced single sensor or differential sensor is implemented. Capacitive bridge can be connected to differential input of a capacitive feedback amplifier that can be a continuous time amplifier with no signal sampling and no noise folding. Capacitive feedback amplifier can comprise capacitively coupled input common mode feedback, which can remove noise from a sensor drive, and output common mode feedback.

Techniques for reduced noise capacitance-to-voltage converter

An output signal driver includes a positive output node, a negative output node, a power supply input node, a power supply common node, a charging capacitor, a discharging capacitor, a current source, a current sink, a first switch, a second switch, and a controller. The charging capacitor is coupled to the power supply input node. The discharging capacitor is coupled to the negative output node. The current source is coupled between the power supply input node and the positive output node. The current sink is coupled between the positive output node and the power supply common node. The first switch is coupled in parallel with the current source. The second switch is coupled in parallel with the current sink. The controller is coupled to the current source, the current sink, the first switch, and the second switch to apply either complementary constant current pulses or complementary constant voltage pulses to the positive output node.

Output signal drivers

A device includes a housing unit with an internal volume. The device further includes a sensor coupled to a substrate via an electrical coupling, wherein the sensor is disposed within the internal volume of the housing unit, and wherein the sensor is in communication with an external environment of the housing unit from a side other than a side associated with the substrate. The device also includes a moisture detection unit electrically coupled to the sensor, wherein the moisture detection unit comprises at least two looped wires at different heights, and wherein the moisture detection unit is configured to detect presence of a moisture within an interior environment of the housing unit when the moisture detection unit becomes in direct contact with the moisture.

Liquid detection in a sensor environment and remedial action thereof

A device includes a sensor die, an electrical coupling, a substrate, a liquid detection unit, and a housing unit. The sensor die is coupled to the substrate via the electrical coupling. The liquid detection unit electrically is coupled to the sensor die. The housing unit and the substrate are configured to house the sensor die, the liquid detection unit, and the electrical coupling. The housing unit comprises an opening that exposes the sensor die to an environment external to the housing unit. The liquid detection unit detects presence of liquid within an interior environment of the housing unit. In some embodiments, the device further includes a gel filled within the interior environment of the housing unit covering the sensor die and the substrate. The gel, e.g., silicone, fluoro silicone, etc., is configured to protect the sensor die, the electrical coupling, and the substrate from exposure to the liquid.

Growing community of inventors

Bornem, Belgium

Tim Piessens