US 11,738,994 B2
Systems and methods for operating a mems device based on sensed temperature gradients
David deKoninck, Brossard (CA); Varun Subramaniam Kumar, San Jose, CA (US); Matthew Julian Thompson, Beaverton, OR (US); Vadim Tsinker, Belmont, CA (US); Logeeswaran Veerayah Jayaraman, Milpitas, CA (US); Sarah Nitzan, Palo Alto, CA (US); Houri Johari-Galle, Los Gatos, CA (US); Jongwoo Shin, Pleasanton, CA (US); and Le Jin, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to InvenSense, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by InvenSense, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/80,169.
Application 18/080,169 is a continuation of application No. 17/516,245, filed on Nov. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,548,780.
Application 17/516,245 is a continuation of application No. 16/547,257, filed on Aug. 21, 2019, granted, now 11,186,479, issued on Nov. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0107211 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01L 19/04 (2006.01); G01K 1/20 (2006.01); B81B 7/00 (2006.01); G01L 9/00 (2006.01)
CPC B81B 7/0019 (2013.01) [B81B 7/0087 (2013.01); G01K 1/20 (2013.01); G01L 9/0072 (2013.01); G01L 19/04 (2013.01); B81B 2201/0242 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:
a first layer comprising a first plane;
a second layer comprising a second plane, wherein the second layer is located below the first layer;
at least one anchor, wherein the at least one anchor couples the first layer to the second layer;
a plurality of temperature sensors located within the second plane; and
one or more switching elements, wherein the one or more switching elements selectively monitor the plurality of temperature sensors, wherein the one or more switching elements selectively combine temperature sensor outputs from a first subset of the plurality of temperature sensors to measure a first temperature characteristic corresponding to the first subset, and wherein the one or more switching elements switch a second subset of the plurality of temperature sensors to reject a second temperature characteristic corresponding to the second subset, wherein the first temperature characteristic is a vertical thermal gradient perpendicular to the second layer and the second temperature characteristic is a lateral thermal gradient parallel to the second layer.