US 12,000,748 B2
Frequency-modulating sensor array
Paul M. Hagelin, Saratoga, CA (US); Charles I. Grosjean, Los Gatos, CA (US); and Lev Goncharov, St. Petersburg (RU)
Assigned to SiTime Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by SiTime Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/350,713.
Application 17/712,095 is a division of application No. 15/702,717, filed on Sep. 12, 2017, granted, now 11,320,329, issued on May 3, 2022.
Application 18/350,713 is a continuation of application No. 18/080,243, filed on Dec. 13, 2022, granted, now 11,747,229, issued on Sep. 5, 2023.
Application 18/080,243 is a continuation of application No. 17/712,095, filed on Apr. 2, 2022, granted, now 11,609,136, issued on Mar. 21, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/438,987, filed on Dec. 23, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/393,640, filed on Sep. 12, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0011854 A1, Jan. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G01L 5/16 (2020.01); G01L 1/14 (2006.01); G01L 1/20 (2006.01); G01L 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 5/16 (2013.01) [G01L 1/146 (2013.01); G01L 1/205 (2013.01); G01L 9/001 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device comprising:
a surface;
one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonators mounted in proximity to the surface, so as to be stressed and thereby change in resonance frequency as the surface is engaged by a force, the one or more MEMS resonators sufficient to produce at least two electronic signals each representing a different orientation of a resonance mode axis relative to a direction of the force relative to the surface; and
circuitry to receive the at least two electronic signals, and to generate therefrom a signal representing the direction of the force relative to the surface.