公开(公告)号：HK1076653A1

公开(公告)日：2006-01-20

申请号：HK05108572

申请日：2005-09-29

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： ADAMS SCOTT G ,  MILLER SCOTT A ,  JOHNSON WENDY JO H

IPC: G01P20060101 ,  G01P9/04 ,  G01P15/125 ,  H01L20060101

Abstract: An accelerometer. A silicon wafer is etched to form a fixed portion, a movable portion, and a resilient coupling between, the fixed and movable portions generally arranged in the plane of the wafer, the mass of the movable portion being concentrated on one side of the resilient coupling. One of the fixed and moveable portions of the silicon structure includes a first electrode. The other of the fixed and moveable portions includes a second electrode oriented parallel to the axis of acceleration, and an electrically-conductive layer electrically connected as a third electrode coplanar and mechanically coupled with the second electrode. The second and third electrodes are arranged in capacitive opposition to the first electrode, the capacitance between the first electrode and third electrode increasing as the movable portion moves in a direction along the axis of acceleration relative to the fixed portion and decreasing as the movable portion moves in an opposite direction. A resilient coupling retains the first and third electrodes in capacitive opposition to each other across a capacitance gap while allowing motion of the first electrode relative to the second and third electrodes in response to acceleration along an axis of acceleration perpendicular to the plane of the wafer, and resiliently restores the first electrode to an equilibrium position when the acceleration ceases. The second electrode is in opposition to a majority of the surface area of the first electrode when the electrodes are in the equilibrium position. Capacitance between the first and third electrodes is measured to obtain a measurement of acceleration along the axis.

公开(公告)号：AU2002368527A1

公开(公告)日：2004-07-22

申请号：AU2002368527

申请日：2002-12-26

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： MILLER SCOTT A ,  ADAMS SCOTT G

IPC: B81B3/00 ,  H01L21/762 ,  H01H51/22

Abstract: A relay for switching an electrical signal includes switching elements, an actuator for closing the switch, and an actuator for opening the switch, the latter two of which are mechanically decoupled when the relay is in a mechanical rest position. When a relay close signal is applied, the closing actuator electrostatically drives the switching elements to complete a signal path between two terminals for the switched signal. In the process of closing the switch, the opening actuator remains stationary, i.e., no mass is displaced. Application of a switch open signal electrostatically drives the opening actuator, optionally in combination with a mechanical restoring force on the closing actuator, to open the switch to break the signal conduction path for the switched signal.

公开(公告)号：CA2232409A1

公开(公告)日：1999-09-17

申请号：CA2232409

申请日：1998-03-17

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： MACDONALD NOEL C ,  GALVIN GREGORY J ,  DAVIS TIMOTHY J

IPC: B81B3/00 ,  B81C1/00 ,  B81C99/00 ,  G01P1/00 ,  G01P15/08 ,  G01P15/125 ,  G01P15/13 ,  B62D1/00 ,  B60G17/00 ,  B60T8/00 ,  B60R21/32

Abstract: A micromechanical capacitive accelerometer is provided from a single silicon wafer. The basic structure of the micromechanical accelerometer is etched in the wafer to form a released portion in the substrate, and the released and remaining portions of the substrate are coated with metal under conditions sufficient to form a micromechanical capacitive accelerometer. The substrate is preferably etched using reactive-ion etching for at least the first etch step in the process that forms the basic structure, although in another preferred embodiment, all etching is reactive-ion etching. The accelerometer also may comprise a signal-conditioned accelerometer wherein signal-conditioning circuitry is provided on the same wafer from which the accelerometer is formed, and VLSI electronics may be integrated on the same wafer from which the accelerometer is formed. The micromechanical capacitive accelerometer can be used for airbag deployment, active suspension control, active steering control, anti-lock braking, and other control systems requiring accelerometers having high sensitivity, extreme accuracy and resistance to out of plane forces.

公开(公告)号：CA2757284A1

公开(公告)日：2010-10-07

申请号：CA2757284

申请日：2010-03-30

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： KIM DONG YOON ,  MILLER SCOTT

IPC: G01P15/18 ,  G06F3/041 ,  H04W88/02

Abstract: A directional tap detection algorithm and a single tri-ax?s accelerometer (10) are employed to extend the number of unique button less input commands available for a small mobile electronic device (12) such as a cell phone or a MP3 player. The algorithm analyzes acceleration data from the tri-axis accelerometer (10) to detect the direction and number of taps imparted to any of the six sides (14) of a housing (13) of the device (12), yielding 12 unique inputs. The algorithm employs a parameter referred to as the performance index (Pl) to identify tap induced movements. The Pl is determined by calculating the time derivative of each acceleration signal for each axis and then calculating the sum of the absolute values of the calculated acceleration derivatives. A tap is determined to have occurred if the sum exceeds a threshold value for a predetermined amount of time.

公开(公告)号：AT476638T

公开(公告)日：2010-08-15

申请号：AT00960094

申请日：2000-09-13

Applicant: KIONIX INC ,  MILLISENSOR SYSTEMS AND ACTUAT

Inventor： ADAMS SCOTT ,  GROVES JAMES ,  CARDARELLI DONATO ,  CARROLL RAYMOND ,  DAUWALTER CHARLES

IPC: G01C19/56 ,  H01L29/84

Abstract: An oscillatory gyroscope is described with decoupled drive and sense oscillators and reduced cross-axis sensitivity. The gyroscope is fabricated using a plasma micromachining process on standard silicon wafers. The electrical isolation of the drive and sense functions of the gyroscope, contained within the same micromechanical element, reduce cross-coupling while obtaining high inertial mass and high sensitivity.

公开(公告)号：CA2681413A1

公开(公告)日：2008-10-09

申请号：CA2681413

申请日：2008-03-27

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： MILLER SCOTT A ,  KIM DONG YOON

IPC: G01P15/18

Abstract: A system (10) and method detect freefall associated with an object that i s spinning or tumbling as it falls. Two tri-axis accelerometers (14, 16) pro vide inputs to an algorithm (28) that detects the freefall of a spinning obj ect that would not otherwise be detected by a conventional freefall detectio n system, due to the centrifugal and centripetal forces being placed on the falling object as it spins. The system can be used to detect the freefall of portable devices with onboard memory or hard disk drives, allowing the devi ces to have time to park the read/write head and reduce the potential of los ing data that can be damaged by impact. This freefall detection system may b e applied to such portable devices as notebook computers, PDAs, MP3 players, digital cameras, mobile phones and even automobiles.

公开(公告)号：CA2232409C

公开(公告)日：2008-06-03

申请号：CA2232409

申请日：1998-03-17

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： MACDONALD NOEL C ,  GALVIN GREGORY J ,  DAVIS TIMOTHY J

IPC: G01P15/125 ,  B60G17/00 ,  B60T8/00 ,  B62D1/00 ,  B81B3/00 ,  B81C1/00 ,  B81C99/00 ,  G01P1/00 ,  G01P15/08 ,  G01P15/13

Abstract: A micromechanical capacitive accelerometer is provided from a single silicon wafer. The basic structure of the micromechanical accelerometer is etched in the wafer to form a released portion in the substrate, and the released and remaining portions of the substrate are coated with metal under conditio ns sufficient to form a micromechanical capacitive accelerometer. The substrate is preferably etched using reactive-ion etching for at least the first etch ste p in the process that forms the basic structure, although in another preferred embodiment, all etching is reactive-ion etching. The accelerometer also may comprise a signal-conditioned accelerometer wherein signal-conditioning circuitry is provided on the same wafer from which the accelerometer is formed, and VLSI electronics may be integrated on the same wafer from which the accelerometer is formed. The micromechanical capacitive accelerometer can be used for airbag deployment, active suspension control, active steerin g control, anti-lock braking, and other control systems requiring acceleromete rs having high sensitivity, extreme accuracy and resistance to out of plane forces.

公开(公告)号：NO20073803A

公开(公告)日：2007-10-17

申请号：NO20073803

申请日：2007-07-20

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： ADAMS SCOTT G ,  MILLER SCOTT A ,  SHEN-EPSTEIN JUNE ,  EPSTEIN KEITH

IPC: G01P15/18 ,  G01P15/125

CPC classification number: G01P15/125 ,  G01P15/0802 ,  G01P15/18 ,  G01P2015/0828

公开(公告)号：AU2006320916A1

公开(公告)日：2007-06-07

申请号：AU2006320916

申请日：2006-10-03

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： ZHOU PENG ,  YOUNG LICOLN

IPC: B01L3/00 ,  B32B27/00 ,  F04B43/04 ,  F04B53/10

Abstract: Plastic microfluidic structures having a substantially rigid diaphragm that actuates between a relaxed state wherein the diaphragm sits against the surface of a substrate and an actuated state wherein the diaphragm is moved away from the substrate. As will be seen from the following description, the microfluidic structures formed with this diaphragm provide easy to manufacture and robust systems, as well readily made components such as valves and pumps.

公开(公告)号：CA2595755A1

公开(公告)日：2007-05-31

申请号：CA2595755

申请日：2006-11-16

Applicant: KIONIX INC

Inventor： EPSTEIN KEITH ,  ADAMS SCOTT G ,  MILLER SCOTT A ,  SHEN-EPSTEIN JUNE

IPC: G01P15/18 ,  G01P15/125 ,  H01L21/00

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention there is provided a micro-electromechanical (MEMS) accelerometer, including a substrate, a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is configured to measure an acceleration along a first axis parallel to a plane of the substrate. The second sensor is configured to measure an acceleration along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The second sensor comprises a first beam, a second beam and a single support structure. The single support structure supports the first and second beams relative to the substrate, wherein the first and second beams circumscribe the first sensor.