Keith L Kraver

8156805, Apr 17, 2012

Apr 15, 2009

12/424281

David A. Hayner - Austin TX, US
Keith L. Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US
Dejan Mijuskovic - Chandler AZ, US

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. - Austin TX

G01C 19/00
G01P 3/44
G01P 9/00
G01P 15/08

7350412, 329360, 702104, 708819, 708827

An inertial sensor has a transducer with a sense resonator. The sense resonator is oscillated. A signal responsive to the oscillation is provided. A first baseband signal and a second baseband signal are provided responsive to the signal responsive to the oscillation of the sense resonator. A signal for controlling a resonance frequency of the sense resonator is provided responsive to performing a Goertzel algorithm on the first baseband signal and the second baseband signal. One use of controlling the resonance frequency is to control an offset between the resonance frequency of the sense resonator and the frequency of the oscillation of drive masses in the sense resonator. Using the Goertzel algorithm is particularly efficient in controlling the resonance frequency.

20080178671, Jul 31, 2008

Jan 25, 2007

11/626924

Todd F. Miller - Scottsdale AZ, US
Marco Fuhrmann - Mesa AZ, US
Keith L. Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US

G01P 15/00

73488

An apparatus () and method () for sensing acceleration are provided. The method includes producing () a first signal in response to an acceleration sensed by a transducer, producing () a second signal based on the first signal, and actuating () the transducer in response to the second signal to remove offset in the transducer. The first signal represents the acceleration, and the second signal represents a low frequency component associated with an offset in the transducer. The apparatus () includes a transducer () producing a capacitance in response to the acceleration, a sensing system () producing a first signal from the capacitance representing the acceleration, and a compensation system () coupled between the sensing system and transducer. The compensation system produces a second signal based on the first signal for substantially removing an offset of the transducer.

20130192363, Aug 1, 2013

Jan 31, 2012

13/362873

Heinz Loreck - Idstein, DE
Keith L. Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US
Gary G. Li - Chendler AZ, US
Yizhen Lin - Gilbert AZ, US

G01C 19/56

7350412

A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) transducer () is adapted to use lateral axis vibration to generate non-planar oscillations in a pair of teeter-totter sense mass structures () in response to rotational movement of the transducer about the rotation axis () with sense electrodes connected to add pickups (e.g., ) diagonally from the pair of sense mass structures to cancel out signals associated with rotation vibration.

20220326044, Oct 13, 2022

Mar 8, 2022

17/654057

- AUSTIN TX, US
Gerhard Trauth - Muret, FR
Keith L. Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US
Sung Jin Jo - Gilbert AZ, US

G01C 25/00
G01C 19/5762
G01C 19/5726
H04L 27/12
B81B 7/02

An oscillator drive circuit and a trim circuit are implemented inside an integrated circuit of a sensor. The drive circuit provides an oscillating drive signal at a resonant frequency to drive a movable mass of the sensor. The drive circuit includes a phase shift circuit having an input for receiving a first signal indicative of an oscillation of the movable mass and having an output. The phase shift circuit adds a phase shift component to the first signal and produces a second signal shifted in phase by the phase shift component. The trim circuit includes a first comparator for receiving the first signal, a second comparator for receiving the second signal, and a processing element. The processing element determines a phase lag between the first and second signals and produces trim code for use by the phase shift circuit, the trim code being configured to adjust the phase shift component.

20200278205, Sep 3, 2020

Feb 28, 2019

16/288566

- Austin TX, US
Keith L. Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US

G01C 19/56
G01C 25/00
B81B 7/02

Systems and methods are provided for continuously monitoring operation of a sensing device, in which the sensing device includes a MEMS gyroscope and a quadrature feedback loop coupled to the MEMS gyroscope, the quadrature feedback loop including a quadrature feedback controller. A test signal generator is configured to generate and apply a test signal to the quadrature feedback loop at an input of the quadrature feedback controller. A fault detector is coupled to an output of the quadrature feedback controller. The fault detector is configured to receive a quadrature feedback signal, detect effects of the test signal in the quadrature feedback signal, and generate a monitor output indicative of the operation of the sensing device base on the detected effects of the test signal.

20180052185, Feb 22, 2018

Aug 22, 2016

15/243767

- AUSTIN TX, US
KEITH KRAVER - GILBERT AZ, US

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR INC. - AUSTIN TX

G01P 21/00
G01P 15/125

Devices, systems and methods are provided for calibrating a transducer. One exemplary method involves determining a transfer function for the transducer based on a measured response of the transducer to an applied electrical signal, determining a set of values for a plurality of response parameters associated with the transducer based on the transfer function, determining a calibration coefficient value associated with the transducer based at least in part on the set of values and a correlation between physical sensitivity and the plurality of response parameters, and storing the calibration coefficient value in association with the transducer.

20170322098, Nov 9, 2017

May 3, 2016

15/144985

- Austin TX, US
Keith Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US
Shiraz Contractor - Phoenix AZ, US

G01L 9/00
G01L 27/00

A pressure sensor device and a method for testing the pressure sensor device is provided. The pressure sensor device includes a first pressure sensor cell having a first capacitance value, and a second pressure sensor cell having a second capacitance value, the second capacitance value being different from the first capacitance value. In one embodiment, the method includes determining a temperature coefficient offset to test for faults in the pressure sensor device. In another embodiment, the method includes determining a differential mode calculation and a common mode calculation. A fault exists if the differential and common mode calculations do not agree.

20150268268, Sep 24, 2015

Jun 17, 2013

13/919638

- AUSTIN TX, US
Keith L. Kraver - Gilbert AZ, US
Andrew C. McNeil - Chandler AZ, US

G01P 15/125

An inertial sensor () includes a movable element () coupled to a substrate () and adapted for motion about a rotational axis (). The sensor () further includes a trim elements (). The trim elements () are spaced away from a surface () of the substrate () and are symmetrically positioned on opposing sides of the rotational axis (). The trim elements () are largely insensitive to acceleration about the rotational axis (), but are sensitive to asymmetrical bending of the substrate (). Trim signals () are received via the trim elements () and sense signals () are received via sense elements (). The trim signals () are applied to the sense signals () to trim an offset error in an output signal of the inertial sensor () to produce a compensated sense signal ().