Air quality sensing module for handheld device and air pump

Abstract

To provide an air quality sensing module for sensing air quality.SOLUTION: An air quality sensing module includes a chamber, an air quality sensor, and an air pump. The air quality sensing module is disposed within a handheld device or will be disposed within the handheld device. The air pump generates an air flow toward or away from the chamber so that the air quality sensor can perform an air quality sensing operation. The direction of the air flow generated by the air pump within the handheld device is reversible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an air quality sensing module and an air pump, and particularly to an air quality sensing module and an air pump in a handheld device.

Background Art

[0002] Air quality plays an important role in our health and well-being. The air people breathe is a complex mixture of gases and particulate matter, and the presence of pollutants can have significant impacts on health, both short-term and long-term.

[0003] Poor air quality is associated with various respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. Harmful pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) can irritate the airways, reduce lung function, and cause inflammation. Vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and people with existing health conditions are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution.

[0004] Therefore, air quality sensors are essential for such groups of people.

[0005] Unfortunately, current air quality sensors are often bulky and inconvenient for personal use. This limits their ability to provide real-time, proximity, or even air quality data in the breathing zone, which is essential for personal health decisions.

[0006] For example, current gas / dust / particle sensing units are often implemented in air purifiers and vacuum cleaners where sufficient air flow is driven by a fan. The fan module requires a rotor to drive it, whether it has blades or not. Due to size and noise, it is difficult to implement gas / particle sensors for close use.

[0007] On the one hand, a CO (carbon monoxide) sensor requires air diffusion and sufficient concentration to obtain sufficient accuracy and acceptable response. Usually, it takes more than 30 seconds to measure the air and acquire data once. Such a slow response is not sufficient for real-time use. From another perspective, CO sensors are usually placed in the kitchen or places where fire may burn incompletely (i.e., the sensor follows the machine). It would be much safer if the sensor could follow the person / user and deliver a warning message when the person / user encounters a high (higher) CO concentration environment, which means that proximity use is important.

[0008] There is an urgent need to improve the prior art.

Summary of the Invention

[0009] Therefore, the first objective of this application is to provide an air quality sensing module within a handheld device. Further, this application further provides a related air pump.

[0010] One embodiment of this application discloses an air quality sensing module including a chamber, an air quality sensor, and an air pump. The air quality sensing module is disposed or to be disposed within a handheld device. The air pump generates an air flow towards or away from the chamber for the air quality sensor to perform an air quality sensing operation. The direction of the air flow generated by the air pump within the handheld device is reversible.

[0011] One embodiment of the present application discloses an air pump including a first flap, a second flap, a first actuator, a second actuator, and an anchor structure. The first flap and the second flap are opposite to each other along the top view direction in a top view. The first actuator is disposed on the first flap, and the second actuator is disposed on the second flap. The first flap includes a first fixed edge fixed to the anchor structure, and the first flap includes a first free edge other than the first fixed edge that is not fixed. The second flap includes a second fixed edge fixed to the anchor structure, and the second flap includes a second free edge other than the second fixed edge that is not fixed.

[0012] These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments shown in the various figures and drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] In the present invention, the technical features described in the embodiments can be mixed or combined in various ways as long as there is no contradiction between them.

[0025] In the present invention, the air flow generation component is configured to generate an air flow, and the air flow generation component can be applied to applications such as cooling, drying, dehumidifying, heat dissipation, ventilation, air sampling, and / or air pumping by generating the air flow. In the present invention, the air flow generation component can be designed based on requirements (s), and the air flow generation component can be formed by any suitable method. Hereinafter, some embodiments of the air flow generation component will be described.

[0026] For example, the air flow generating component can be an air pump or an air flow generating chip, and the air pump or the air flow generating chip can be formed by a semiconductor manufacturing process. For example, the air flow generating chip can be, but is not limited to, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) chip including an MEMS structure.

[0027] In the present application, "air pump" and "air flow generating component / chip" refer to the same component and are used interchangeably. Further, the "air pump" and / or "air flow generating component / chip" can realize the concept of fan-on-chip, that is, a small component capable of generating an air flow (as small as the chip size that can be realized such that the length / width of the chip is less than 15 millimeters (mm)).

[0028] Due to the small size (as small as the chip size with a chip length / width of less than 15 mm), an air quality sensing module having an air flow generating component / chip can be arranged in a handheld electronic device, and thus, real-time proximity air quality sensing can be realized.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the common mode movement and differential mode movement of the air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air pump AFC shown in FIG. 1 is in an intermediate state S1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air pump AFC is configured to generate an air flow. In some embodiments, the air pump AFC can be configured to generate a plurality of air pulses, the air flow can consist of air pulses, and the air pump AFC can generate air pulses at any suitable pulse rate. For example, the air pump AFC can generate air pulses at an ultrasonic (pulse) rate higher than the maximum audible frequency of a human (for example, 16 KHz, 20 KHz, or 22 KHz) so that a user cannot hear the operation of the air pump AFC configured to generate an air flow and / or air pulses, but is not limited thereto.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, the air pump AFC may include at least one anchor structure AR and at least one film structure 10 fixed by / on the anchor structure AR, and the anchor structure AR may be disposed outside the film structure 10. The film structure 10 and the anchor structure AR may include any suitable material(s). In some embodiments, the film structure 10 and the anchor structure AR may individually include, but are not limited to, silicon (e.g., single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon), silicon compounds (e.g., silicon carbide, silicon oxide), germanium, germanium compounds, gallium, gallium compounds (e.g., gallium nitride or gallium arsenide), other suitable materials, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the film structure 10 and the anchor structure AR may have the same material.

[0031] In the operation of the air pump AFC, the film structure 10 can be actuated to move, and the anchor structure AR can be immobilized. That is, the anchor structure AR can be a fixed end (or fixed edge) with respect to the film structure 10 during the operation of the air pump AFC. In some embodiments, the film structure 10 can be actuated to move up and down, but is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the terms "move up" and "move down" represent that the film structure 10 moves substantially along the Z direction. Further, "up" can represent the Z direction (i.e., the +Z direction), and "down" can represent the direction opposite to the Z direction (i.e., the -Z direction). That is, the actuation direction of the film structure 10 is parallel to the Z direction. In one embodiment, the Z direction can be the vertical direction and / or the top view direction.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the film structure 10 of the air pump AFC includes at least one slit SL, and the film structure 10 is divided by the slit(s) SL into a plurality of flaps (e.g., flaps 101 and 103) (i.e., the flaps are separated from each other by the slit(s) SL, and the slit(s) SL can be the boundaries of the flaps), and the number of flaps can be designed based on the requirement(s). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the film structure 10 can be divided by the slit(s) SL into flap 101 and flap 103, and flap 101 and flap 103 can be arranged opposite to each other, and at least one slit SL can be between flap 101 and flap 103. It should be noted that the flaps 101 and 103 facing each other can form a flap pair in the film structure 10.

[0033] In FIG. 1, each of the flaps 101 and 103 of the film structure 10 has at least one anchor edge (or anchor end) fixed to the anchor structure AR and at least one free edge (or free end) not permanently fixed to any component within the air pump AFC, and the anchor edge(s) and free edge(s) of each of the flaps 101 and 103 can be designed based on the requirement(s). For example (as shown in FIG. 1), the slit SL can define one free edge of flap 101 (e.g., the first free edge 101n1) and one free edge of flap 103 (e.g., the second free edge 103n1), and this free edge of flap 101 (e.g., the first free edge 101n1) can face the anchor edge of flap 101, and this free edge of flap 103 (e.g., the second free edge 103n1) can face the anchor edge of flap 103, but is not limited thereto.

[0034] In the present invention, the number of slits (s) SL included in the film structure 10 can be adjusted based on requirements (s), and the slit (s) SL can be disposed at any suitable position of the film structure 10 and can have any suitable top view pattern. For example, the slit SL can be a straight slit, a curved slit, a combination of straight slits, a combination of curved slits, or a combination of straight slit(s) and curved slit(s).

[0035] The air pump AFC can include an actuator AT configured to operate the film structure 10 to generate an air flow and / or an air pulse. The actuator AT can be disposed at any suitable position, and the position of the actuator AT can be related to the operation method of the actuator AT. For example, in FIG. 1, the actuator AT can overlap the film structure 10 in the direction Z, but is not limited thereto. For example, in FIG. 1, the actuator AT can be disposed on the film structure 10, but is not limited thereto. For example, in FIG. 1, the actuator AT can contact the film structure 10, but is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 1, the actuator AT can be divided into an actuator AT1 disposed on the flap 101 and an actuator AT2 disposed on the flap 103.

[0036] Actuator AT has a monotonic electromechanical conversion function with respect to the movement of the film structure 10 along the direction Z. In some embodiments, actuator AT may include, but is not limited to, a piezoelectric actuator, an electrostatic actuator, a nanoscopic-electrostatic-drive (NED) actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, or any other suitable actuator. For example, in one embodiment, actuator AT may include a piezoelectric actuator, which may include, for example, two electrodes and a piezoelectric material layer (e.g., lead zirconate titanate, PZT) disposed between the electrodes, and the piezoelectric material layer may actuate the film structure 10 based on a drive signal received by the electrodes (e.g., a drive voltage and / or a drive voltage difference between the two electrodes), but is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, actuator AT may include an electromagnetic actuator (such as a planar coil), and the electromagnetic actuator may actuate the film structure 10 based on a received drive signal (e.g., a drive current) and a magnetic field (i.e., the film structure 10 may be actuated by an electromagnetic force), but is not limited thereto. For example, in yet another embodiment, actuator AT may include an electrostatic actuator (such as a conductive plate) or an NED actuator, and the electrostatic actuator or the NED actuator may actuate the film structure 10 based on a received drive signal (e.g., a drive voltage) and an electrostatic field (i.e., the film structure 10 may be actuated by an electrostatic force), but is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, actuator AT may be, for example, a piezoelectric actuator.

[0037] For example, if the air pump AFC is a MEMS chip, the film structure 10, the anchor structure AR, and the actuator AT are MEMS structures within the MEMS chip, but are not limited thereto. Further, since the air pump AFC generates an air flow and / or an air pulse by actuating the film structure 10 via the actuator AT, the air pump AFC may be a fan without blades, but is not limited thereto.

[0038] In the present invention, the film structure 10 (flaps 101, 103) is actuated / controlled to move up and down by the actuator AT, whereby the vent opening OPV associated with the slit SL is formed / opened or closed (i.e., the film structure 10 is configured to form / open or close the vent opening OPV), and the vent opening OPV is formed between the opposing sidewalls of the slit SL (i.e., the vent opening OPV is formed between the flap 101 and the flap 103). That is, the vent opening OPV is formed by the slit SL. In the state where the "vent opening OPV is closed / sealed", air hardly flows through the space between the two opposing sidewalls of the slit SL, that is, the flow resistance of the vent opening OPV is large or greater than the threshold value. In the state where the "vent opening OPV is formed / opened", air easily flows through the space between the two opposing sidewalls of the slit SL, and the flow resistance of the vent opening OPV is low or lower than another threshold value.

[0039] In the present invention, the air pump AFC can generate an air flow and / or an air pulse by any suitable air flow generation method. For example, the air flow generation method related to FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described below. This air flow generation method generates an air flow and / or an air pulse by changing the state of the vent opening OPV and changing the air pressure on the two opposite side surfaces of the film structure 10.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, in the intermediate state S1 of the air pump AFC, the film structure 10 (flap pair) can be actuated and maintained in a first position that is substantially horizontal in cross-section, and the vent opening OPV can be temporarily closed (or even temporarily sealed) so that air flow between the two opposing side walls of the slit SL can be made difficult. In FIG. 1, the two opposing side walls of the slit SL (i.e., the first free edge 101n1 of the flap 101 and the second free edge 103n1 of the flap 103) partially or completely overlap each other in the horizontal direction so as to close the vent opening OPV and have a greater flow resistance (the gap of the slit SL is shown in FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the horizontal direction generally means a direction parallel to the horizontal plane, for example, the directions X and Y perpendicular to the direction Z.

[0041] In FIG. 1, since the size of the gap GP of the slit SL (or the width of the slit SL) needs to be sufficiently small, the air flow through the gap GP (i.e., the narrow channel) can be highly attenuated due to the viscous force / resistance along the wall of the air channel known as the boundary layer effect in the field of fluid dynamics. Therefore, the air flow through the gap GP in the intermediate state S1 is extremely small or negligible. In other words, when the air pump AFC is in the intermediate state S1, the vent opening OPV is closed and even sealed. The size of the gap GP of the slit SL (or the width of the slit SL) can be designed based on the requirement(s). For example, the size of the gap GP of the slit SL (or the width of the slit SL) can be 5 μm or less, 3 μm or less, 2 μm or less, or can be in the range of 1 μm to 2 μm, but is not limited thereto. Note that the size of the vent opening OPV in the intermediate state S1 is equal to the size of the gap GP.

[0042] In FIG. 2, the film structure 10 (flap pair) can be actuated such that the flaps 101 and 103 are actuated simultaneously and move in the same direction. For example, the flaps 101 and 103 can be actuated simultaneously to move up and down along the Z direction. For example, at the end of the common mode movement S2, the distance between the flap 101 and the first position is the same as the distance between the flap 103 and the first position.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, when the film structure 10 (flap pair) is actuated to perform the common mode movement S2, the vent opening OPV can be temporarily closed (or even temporarily sealed) so that air flow between the two opposing side walls of the slit SL becomes difficult. In FIG. 2, the two opposing side walls of the slit SL (i.e., the first free edge 101n1 of the flap 101 and the second free edge 103n1 of the flap 103) partially or completely overlap each other in the horizontal direction so that the vent opening OPV is closed and has a greater flow resistance.

[0044] When the film structure 10 (flap pair) is actuated to perform the common mode movement S2, the vent opening OPV is temporarily closed and has a greater flow resistance, so that the air pressures on the two opposite sides of the film structure 10 are different and an air pressure difference is generated. That is, the film structure 10 (flap pair) performs the common mode movement S2 to form air pressure fluctuations.

[0045] In FIG. 2, the film structure 10 (flap pair) can be actuated to perform the differential mode movement S3 such that the flaps 101 and 103 are actuated simultaneously and move in opposite directions. For example, the flap 101 can be actuated to move downward while the flap 103 can be actuated to move upward (as shown in FIG. 2), or the flap 101 can be actuated to move upward while the flap 103 can be actuated to move downward. For example, at the end of the differential mode movement S3, the distance between the flap 101 and the first position is the same as the distance between the flap 103 and the first position.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, when the film structure 10 (flap pair) is actuated to perform the differential mode movement S3, the vent opening OPV can be temporarily opened so that air can easily pass through the space between the two opposing sidewalls of the slit SL. In FIG. 2, the two opposing sidewalls of the slit SL (i.e., the first free edge 101n1 of the flap 101 and the second free edge 103n1 of the flap 103) do not overlap horizontally with each other so as to open the vent opening OPV and have a lower flow resistance.

[0047] When the film structure 10 (flap pair) is actuated to perform the differential mode movement S3, if there is an air pressure difference between the two opposing side surfaces of the film structure 10, air will naturally flow through the vent opening OPV due to this air pressure difference and the low flow resistance of the vent opening OPV, and an air flow and / or an air pulse can be generated.

[0048] Therefore, the air flow generation method of the present embodiment can generate an air flow and / or an air pulse by operating the film structure 10 (flap pair) so as to execute the common mode movement S2 and the differential mode movement S3. For example, one cycle of the air flow generation method of the present embodiment may include four steps, but is not limited thereto. The first step of the air flow generation method may be that the film structure 10 (flap pair) is operated so as to execute the common mode movement S2, creating an air pressure difference between two opposite sides of the film structure 10. The second step of the air flow generation method may be that the film structure 10 (flap pair) is operated so as to recover to the intermediate state S1. The third step of the air flow generation method may be that the film structure 10 (flap pair) is operated so as to execute the differential mode movement S3, and due to this air pressure difference and the lower flow resistance of the vent opening OPV, air is caused to flow naturally through the vent opening OPV so as to be able to generate an air flow and / or an air pulse. The fourth step of the air flow generation method may be that the film structure 10 (flap pair) is operated so as to recover to the intermediate state S1. By repeating the cycle of the air flow generation method of the present embodiment, the air pulse can continuously form an air flow.

[0049] The frequency of the period can be designed based on the pulse rate of the air pulse, and the frequency of the period can be synchronized with the pulse rate of the air pulse. In the present invention, when a frequency / rate is synchronized with another frequency / rate, it generally means that this frequency / rate is the product of this other frequency / rate multiplied by a rational number (i.e., N / M, where N and M represent integers). In some embodiments, the frequency of the period can be the same as the pulse rate of the air pulse. In some embodiments, the film structure 10 (flap pair) performs a common-mode movement S2 to form an air pressure fluctuation at a pressure fluctuation frequency synchronized with the frequency of the period, and the film structure 10 (flap pair) performs a differential-mode movement S3 to form a vent opening OPV at an opening rate synchronized with the pressure fluctuation frequency and the frequency of the period. For example, the frequency of the period, the pulse rate of the air pulse, the pressure fluctuation frequency, and the opening rate are the same. For example, when the air pump AFC generates an air pulse at an ultrasonic rate, the pressure fluctuation frequency and the opening rate are synchronized with this ultrasonic rate.

[0050] The flow direction of the air flow and the air pulse is determined by the direction of the common-mode movement S2 performed by the film structure 10 (flap pair). When the film structure 10 (flap pair) is actuated to move upward (or downward) to perform only one type of common-mode movement S2 in the first step of several periods, the type of air pressure difference in the first step of these periods is the same, thereby making the flow direction of the air pulses generated in these periods (the third step) the same. Therefore, the air pump AFC generates a single-ended (SE) air pulse or an SE-like air pulse. Also, the air pulse can be asymmetric.

[0051] In the present invention, the waveform of the SE air pulse or the waveform of the SE-like air pulse may refer to that the waveform is (substantially) unipolar with respect to a certain level. For example, the SE air pulse or the SE-like air pulse may refer to that the waveform is (substantially) unipolar with respect to the ambient pressure (e.g., 1 ATM). That is, the SE air pulse or the SE-like air pulse constitutes a net air movement or a net airflow in a single direction.

[0052] The air flow generation method of the present invention is not limited to the above. In one cycle of the air flow generation method, the number and order of the operating motions of the film structure 10 (flap pair) can be designed based on the requirement(s).

[0053] In another aspect, for any common mode movement S2 of the flap pair, a pair of sound pressure waves are generated, one in the space on the side of the film structure 10 and one in the space on the opposite side of the film structure 10. These two sound pressure waves are of the same magnitude but opposite polarities. As a result, when the vent opening OPV is opened, the air pressure difference between the two air volumes near the vent opening OPV is neutralized with each other. Therefore, when the timing at which the differential mode movement S3 reaches its peak (i.e., the timing at which the vent opening OPV is maximized) coincides with the timing of the acceleration at which the common mode movement S2 reaches its peak, the sound pressure assumed to be generated by the common mode movement S2 is suppressed / removed by the opening of the vent opening OPV, resulting in an automatic neutralization between the two sound pressures on the two opposite sides of the film structure 10, and the two sound pressures have the same magnitude but opposite polarities. This means that when the vent opening OPV is opened, the air pump AFC generates (substantially) zero net air pressure. Therefore, when the opening period of the vent opening OPV overlaps with one of the (two) polarities of the acceleration of the common mode movement S2 of the flap pair, the air pump AFC generates an SE air pulse or an SE-like air pulse.

[0054] Furthermore, by matching the timing of the opening of the vent opening OPV with the timing of the acceleration of the common mode movement S2 of the flap pair, the air pump AFC can generate an asymmetric air pulse.

[0055] In some embodiments, the film structure 10 (flap pair) can be operated to perform the common mode movement S2 and the differential mode movement S3 simultaneously, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the film structure 10 may include other parts that cause the common mode movement S2 and the differential mode movement S3 to be performed simultaneously by the film structure 10, but is not limited thereto.

[0056] In the present invention, the actuator AT can receive any suitable signal to operate the film structure 10. In some embodiments, the film structure 10 is operated by a modulation drive signal SM to perform a common mode movement S2 to form an air pressure fluctuation, and the film structure 10 is operated by a demodulation drive signal SV to perform a differential mode movement S3 to form a vent opening OPV, and both the modulation drive signal SM and the demodulation drive signal SV are related to the output amplitude of the air pulse. Note that the demodulation drive signal SV can be +SV or -SV shown in FIG. 4.

[0057] Furthermore, the modulation frequency of the modulation drive signal SM and the demodulation frequency of the demodulation drive signal SV are related to the pulse rate of the air pulse. For example, the modulation frequency and the demodulation frequency can be synchronized with the pulse rate of the air pulse such that the modulation frequency and the demodulation frequency can be synchronized with the pressure fluctuation frequency of the air pressure fluctuation, the opening rate of the vent opening OPV, and the frequency of the period, but is not limited thereto.

[0058] In some embodiments, the actuator AT may receive the modulation drive signal SM and the demodulation drive signal SV at different times, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the actuator AT may include a plurality of sub-parts in a top view, one sub-part may receive the modulation drive signal SM, and another sub-part may receive the demodulation drive signal SV, but is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the actuator AT may include a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode may receive the modulation drive signal SM, and the second electrode may receive the demodulation drive signal SV, but is not limited thereto.

[0059] Furthermore, by controlling the modulation drive signal SM and / or the demodulation drive signal SV, the flow direction of the air flow (air pulse) generated by the air pump AFC can be reversible. Details thereof can be referred to U.S. Application No. 18 / 624,105, which will not be described herein for the sake of brevity.

[0060] Details of the air flow generating MEMS device (which can be manufactured by a semiconductor process), namely the air pump AFC (e.g., structure, drive signal, movement) and its design / operating principle, can be referred to U.S. Patent No. 11,943,585, U.S. Application No. 18 / 321,757 and U.S. Application No. 18 / 624,105 by the same applicant. Therefore, the contents of these U.S. patents and U.S. applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0061] As described above, the air pump AFC of the present application can generate an asymmetric air pulse and can be applied to applications such as cooling, drying, dehumidifying, heat dissipation, ventilation, air sampling and / or air pumping. In this case, the (asymmetric) air pulse is always generated to form a net air movement in one direction.

[0062] Furthermore, the air pump AFC of the present invention for air flow applications can be disposed, for example, within an air quality sensing device that senses the density of specific particle(s) (e.g., PM2.5 or PM10 (PM: particulate matter)) or compound(s) (e.g., ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO)) in the air. Accordingly, the size of the air quality detection device can be significantly reduced.

[0063] For example, FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an air pulse AP according to an embodiment of the present invention. The air pulse can be generated by the air pump AFC of the present application having a film structure 10. As described above, the film structure 10 of the air pump AFC has, for example, an ultrasonic carrier frequency f UC and an operating cycle T CY and can be operated to execute a movement for generating an air pulse AP at an ultrasonic rate f pulse (e.g., 96 KHz or 192 KHz). In this case, the ultrasonic rate f pulse can be the ultrasonic carrier frequency f UC . The air pulse AP can generate a net air flow in a single direction.

[0064] In one embodiment, a first air pulse AP1 can always generate a first net air flow in a single direction, for example, a first direction D1. Taking FIG. 3 as an example, during a first period T1, all of the air pulses AP are directed in the first direction D1. If the first period T1 is at least the reciprocal of the minimum audible frequency or longer, the first net air flow generated by the first air pulse AP1 can be considered to always be directed in the single direction D1. For example, if the minimum audible frequency is recognized as 10 Hz, when the first period T1 is at least 0.1 second or longer, the first net air flow can be considered to always be directed in the first direction D1. It should be noted that the first amplitude(s) corresponding to the first air pulse AP1 directed in the first direction D1 may or may not be the same.

[0065] On the one hand, the air pump AFC can generate a second air pulse AP2, and the second air pulse AP2 can always generate a second net air flow in a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1. In one embodiment, if the air pump AFC generates a large air flow or air movement and the air pulses toggling between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are not distinguishable, the first net air flow can be considered to always be in the direction D1 during the period T1, and / or the second net air flow can be considered to always be in the direction D2 during the period T2.

[0066] The film structure can be driven by a demodulation drive signal (e.g., ±SV) and a modulation drive signal (e.g., SM). It should be noted that in this application, SM can be called a modulation signal which is also a kind of drive signal. Similarly, ±SV can be called a demodulation signal which is also a kind of drive signal.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a schematic waveform ignoring the transitions between the high / low voltages of the demodulation signal (±SV) and the modulation signal (SM) according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the modulation / drive signal (SM) can be generated according to an input signal (e.g., input audio signal S IN ) that includes or is a (non-zero) direct current (DC) offset (e.g., a (non-zero) DC voltage). In other words, the input signal can be simply a DC signal, but is not limited thereto.

[0068] In one embodiment, the DC offset can be related to the direction of the net air flow. For example, during the first period T1, the air pulse (AP) can always generate a first net air flow in the first direction D1 in response to the DC offset being positive. On the other hand, during the second period T2, the air pulse generated by the air pump AFC can always generate a second net air flow in a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1 in response to the DC offset being negative. In this regard, the air pump AFC or the air flow generating device of the present invention can be regarded as a voltage-air flow converter that can convert voltage into air flow.

[0069] In addition to the polarity of the DC offset, the direction of the net air flow can be determined / regulated by the phase between the modulation signal (SM) and the demodulation signal (±SV). For example, in FIG. 4, the transitions of the demodulation signal (±SV) are matched to the low spacing of the modulation signal (SM). In this case, the air pump AFC can generate, for example, an air flow directed in a third direction. When the phase of the demodulation signal (±SV) is shifted such that the transitions of the demodulation signal (±SV) are matched to the high spacing of the modulation signal (SM), the air pump AFC can generate an air flow directed in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction. In short, the direction of the net air flow generated by the air pump AFC can be determined / regulated by the phase (difference) between the modulation signal (SM) and the demodulation signal (±SV).

[0070] The strength / amount of the net air flow can be related to or be a function of the magnitude of the DC offset. By maintaining the direction of the air flow (either the first direction or the second direction), the air pump AFC can dissipate heat, can dehumidify, can provide ventilation, can provide an air sampling application, can provide an air pumping application, and / or can facilitate air circulation. In this case, the air pump AFC can be regarded as a fanless blower (bladeless fan). That is, in particular, when the drive signal or modulation drive signal applied thereto is generated according to an input signal including a non-zero DC component / offset, the air pump AFC can also be regarded as a fanless blower. In the present invention, the terms air pulse generation device, air flow generation device, air pump, and blower can be used interchangeably.

[0071] Due to the small size of the air pump of the present invention, it is possible to arrange (incorporate therein) an air quality sensing module including the air pump within a handheld device. For example, the handheld device can be a (smart) phone, a (smart) watch, or other suitable handheld portable device.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an air quality sensing module according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the air quality sensing module 26A includes a housing HSS in which a chamber CB is present. The housing HSS can be of a one-piece structure or can be formed from a plurality of sub-structures.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 5, the air quality sensing module 26A includes an air quality sensor AQ, which is disposed within the housing HSS and performs an air quality sensing operation of sensing at least one detection target DTT, thereby sensing the air quality of the chamber CB. For example, the air quality sensor AQ can sense the density of the detection target DTT, and the detection target DTT can include, but is not limited to, specific particle(s) (e.g., PM2.5 or PM10) or compound(s) (e.g., ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO)) in the air.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 5, the air quality sensing module 26A includes an air pump Q00, which is any one of the aforementioned air pumps AFC, and the air pump Q00 generates an air flow toward or away from the chamber CB for the air quality sensor AQ to perform an air quality sensing operation. For example, the air pump Q00 can be disposed within or corresponding to a hole H1 of the housing HSS such that the air pump Q00 can generate an air flow from the atmosphere toward the chamber CB or from the chamber CB toward the atmosphere.

[0075] The direction of the air flow can be designed based on the type of the air quality sensing module 26A and other requirements (if any). For example (as shown in FIG. 5), the air pump Q00 generates a first air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB so that the air quality sensor AQ can detect the ambient air quality during the first time, and the air pump Q00 generates a second air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings so as to refresh the chamber CB during the second time (that is, the direction of the air flow generated by the air pump Q00 of the present invention is reversible). That is, the air pump Q00 can send air into the chamber CB and send air out of the chamber CB at different times. It should be noted that the pressure of the chamber CB during the first time can be greater than the pressure of the chamber CB during the second time. For example, the pressure of the chamber CB during the first time can be greater than the ambient pressure, but is not limited thereto.

[0076] As described above, the direction of the air flow can be reversed by changing the phase (difference) between the modulation signal (SM) and the demodulation signal (±SV), or by changing the DC offset embedded in the input signal (for example, the input audio signal S IN ) in which the modulation drive signal SM is generated.

[0077] In addition, the strength of the air flow generated by the air pump Q00 of the present invention is also adjustable. The strength of the air flow can be adjusted by adjusting the amplitude of the modulation signal (SM) or the amplitude of the demodulation signal (±SV). The strength of the air flow can also be adjusted by adjusting the frequency of the modulation signal (SM) or the demodulation signal (±SV) by utilizing the resonance gain of the film structure 10 (for example, flap pair), especially when the frequency of the modulation signal (SM) or the demodulation signal (±SV) approaches the resonance frequency of the film structure 10.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an air quality sensing module according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, other types of the air quality sensing module 27A are provided. In FIG. 6, the air quality sensing module 27A may include another air pump Q01 disposed in or corresponding to the hole H2 of the housing HSS, and the structure of the air pump Q01 may be the same as or different from the structure of the air pump Q00. In the present invention, the direction of the air flow generated by the air pumps Q00 and Q01 may be designed based on the requirement(s). As an example, during a first time period, the air pump Q00 may generate a first air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB, and the air pump Q01 may generate a third air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB. During a second time period, the air pump Q00 may generate a second air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, and the air pump Q01 may generate a fourth air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, but it is not limited thereto. It should be noted that the pressure in the chamber CB during the first time period may be greater than the pressure in the chamber CB during the second time period.

[0079] As another example, the air pump Q00 may generate an air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB, and the air pump Q01 may simultaneously generate another air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, or the air pump Q00 may generate an air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, and the air pump Q01 may simultaneously generate another air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB (i.e., the direction of the air flow generated by the air pumps Q00 and Q01 of the present invention is reversible). Thus, the chamber CB may be an air channel, but it is not limited thereto.

[0080] Furthermore, the air pumps of the present invention may be incorporated into the air quality sensing module at the package level, and embodiments of the package-level air quality sensing module may be shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. It should be noted that the package-level air quality sensing module may be formed by a semiconductor manufacturing process (the semiconductor manufacturing process includes a packaging process).

[0081] In FIG. 7, the housing HSS of the air quality sensing module 28A may include a base BS, and the air pump Q00 and the air quality sensor AQ may be disposed on the base BS. The base BS may be rigid or flexible, and the base BS may include glass, plastic, quartz, sapphire, metal, polymer (e.g., polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), any other suitable material, or a combination thereof. As an example, the base BS may be a circuit board including a laminate (e.g., a copper-clad laminate, CCL), a land grid array (LGA) substrate, or any other suitable substrate including a conductive material, but is not limited thereto. In FIG. 7, the normal direction of the base BS may be parallel to the direction Z.

[0082] In FIG. 7, the housing HSS of the air quality sensing module 28A may include a cover structure CV used to cover and protect the air pump Q00 and the air quality sensor AQ. In FIG. 7, the air pump Q00 and the air quality sensor AQ may be disposed between the base BS and the cover structure CV. For example, the cover structure CV may include glass, plastic, quartz, sapphire, metal, polymer, any other suitable material, or a combination thereof. For example, the cover structure CV may be a one-piece structure or may be formed of a plurality of sub-structures (e.g., a plurality of substrates).

[0083] In FIG. 7, the base BS may have a hole H1, the air pump Q00 corresponds to the hole H1, and the air pump Q00 may generate an air flow from the surroundings toward the chamber CB or from the chamber CB toward the surroundings. For example, in FIG. 7, the air pump Q00 generates a first air flow from the surroundings toward the chamber CB so that the air quality sensor AQ senses the ambient air quality during the first time, and the air pump Q00 generates a second air flow from the chamber CB toward the surroundings to refresh the chamber CB during the second time. It should be noted that the pressure in the chamber CB during the first time may be greater than the pressure in the chamber CB during the second time.

[0084] Compared with the air quality sensing module 28A shown in FIG. 7, the cover structure CV of the air quality sensing module 29A shown in FIG. 8 may further have another hole H2, so that the air flow generated by the air pump Q00 can flow between the two holes H1 and H2, and the chamber CB can be an air channel. The direction of the air flow generated by the air pump Q00 of the present invention is reversible, and the air pump Q00 can generate an air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB in a certain time segment, and the air pump Q00 can generate an air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings in another time segment, but is not limited thereto.

[0085] Compared with the air quality sensing module 28A shown in FIG. 7, the air quality sensing module 30A shown in FIG. 9 may include another air pump Q01, and the base BS may further have another hole H2. As an example (FIG. 9), during the first time, the air pump Q00 can generate a first air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB, and the air pump Q01 can generate a third air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB so that the pressure in the chamber CB during the first time can be greater than the pressure in the chamber CB during the second time. During the second time, the air pump Q00 can generate a second air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, and the air pump Q01 can generate a fourth air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, but is not limited thereto.

[0086] As another example (FIG. 9), the air pump Q00 can generate an air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB, and the air pump Q01 can simultaneously generate another air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings so that the chamber CB can be an air channel, or the air pump Q00 can generate an air flow from the chamber CB towards the surroundings, and the air pump Q01 can simultaneously generate another air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber CB (that is, the directions of the air flows generated by the air pumps Q00 and Q01 of the present invention are reversible), but is not limited thereto.

[0087] Note that FIG. 10 shows three designs of the air quality sensing module. In the first design DS1, the air pump Q00 can send air into the chamber CB through the hole H1, and can send air out of the chamber CB through the hole H1 at different times. The air quality sensing module 26A shown in FIG. 5 and the air quality sensing module 28A shown in FIG. 7 belong to the first design DS1. In the second design DS2, the air pump Q00 can send air into the chamber CB through the hole H1, and the air can flow out of the chamber CB through the hole H2, or the air pump Q00 can send air out of the chamber CB through the hole H1, and the air can flow into the chamber CB through the hole H2. The air quality sensing module 29A shown in FIG. 8 belongs to the second design DS2. In the third design DS3, the air pumps Q00 and Q01 can send air into the chamber CB through the holes H1 and H2, and can send air out of the chamber CB through the holes H1 and H2 at different times, or the air pump Q00 can send air into the chamber CB through the hole H1, and the air pump Q01 can send air out of the chamber CB through the hole H2 at the same time. The air quality sensing module 27A shown in FIG. 6 and the air quality sensing module 30A shown in FIG. 9 belong to the third design DS3.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 11, FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an air pump according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the air pump Q00 shown in FIG. 11 can be an example used in the air quality sensing module, and the air pump Q00 can be, for example, a MEMS chip. As shown in FIG. 11, the two flaps 101 and 103 of the air pump Q00 face each other in a top view along the top view direction (i.e., the direction Z), and the actuators AT1 and AT2 are respectively arranged on the flaps 101 and 103. Note that the two flaps 101 and 103 form a flap pair.

[0089] In FIG. 11, flap 101 includes a first anchor edge 101r fixed to the anchor structure AR, and flap 101 includes a first free edge 101n other than the non-fixed first anchor edge 101r. Similarly, flap 103 includes a second anchor edge 103r fixed to the anchor structure AR, and flap 101 includes a second free edge 103n other than the non-fixed second anchor edge 103r. That is, each of flaps 101 and 103 has only one fixed edge, and the other edges are free edges.

[0090] In FIG. 11, a slit SL is formed between flaps 101 and 103 such that flaps 101 and 103 are divided by the slit SL, and a first free edge 101n1 of flap 101 and a second free edge 103n1 of flap 103 are defined by the slit SL (the first free edge 101n1 and the second free edge 103n1 are opposing sidewalls of the slit SL). A vent opening OPV formed between flaps 101 and 103 is formed by the slit SL.

[0091] A simulation is performed to verify the effectiveness of an air pump or an air flow generating component / chip, and the air pump or the air flow generating component / chip is used to generate an air flow toward a sealed chamber, and the simulation results show that the air pressure in the chamber can be raised to a steady state in less than 0.5 milliseconds (ms). This means that it does not take much time for the air quality sensing module to acquire air quality data regarding the measurement results. Therefore, in addition to proximity air quality sensing, real-time air quality sensing is achievable.

[0092] In summary, by applying a small air pump or an air flow generating chip to the air quality sensing module, it is possible to incorporate the air quality sensing module into a handheld electronic device such as a smartphone or a smartwatch. Therefore, epoch-making real-time proximity air quality sensing is achievable.

[0093] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications and changes can be made to the devices and methods while maintaining the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as being limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Claim 1 An air quality sensing module, comprising: a chamber; an air quality sensor; and an air pump; and the air quality sensing module is or will be disposed within a handheld device; the air pump generates an air flow toward or away from the chamber for the air quality sensor to perform an air quality sensing operation; the direction of the air flow generated by the air pump within the handheld device is reversible, an air quality sensing module. Claim 2 The air pump generates a first air flow from the surroundings toward the chamber so that the air quality sensor senses the surrounding air quality during a first time period; the air pump generates a second air flow from the chamber toward the surroundings to refresh the chamber during a second time period. The air quality sensing module according to claim 1. Claim 3 The air pump has a film structure configured to operate to generate a plurality of air pulses at an ultrasonic rate; the plurality of air pulses generate a net air flow in a single direction, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1. Claim 4 The air pump has a film structure; the film structure has a flap pair having a first flap and a second flap disposed opposite each other; the flap pair is operated to perform a movement to form an opening at an opening rate synchronized with the ultrasonic rate, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1. Claim 5 The air pump has a film structure; the film structure is operated by a drive signal; the drive signal is generated according to an input signal including a non-zero direct current (DC) voltage or being a non-zero direct current (DC) voltage, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1. Claim 6 The air pump has a film structure; the film structure is operated by a modulation signal to perform a common mode movement; the modulation signal is generated according to an input signal including a non-zero DC voltage or being a non-zero DC voltage, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1. Claim 7 The air pump has a film structure; the film structure is operated by a demodulation signal to perform a differential mode movement to form an opening at an opening rate synchronized with the ultrasonic pulse rate, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1.

8. The air pump has a film structure; The film structure is actuated by a modulation signal to perform common-mode movement; The film structure is actuated by a demodulation signal to perform differential-mode movement to form an opening; The direction of the air flow generated by the air pump is controlled by the phase between the modulation signal and the demodulation signal, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1.

9. The strength of the air flow generated by the air pump in the handheld device is adjustable, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1.

10. The air pump has a film structure; The film structure is actuated by a modulation signal to perform common-mode movement; The film structure is actuated by a demodulation signal to perform differential-mode movement to form an opening; The strength of the air flow is adjusted by adjusting the amplitude of the modulation signal or the demodulation signal, or by adjusting the frequency of the modulation signal or the demodulation signal, The air quality sensing module according to claim 9.

11. Further comprising another air pump. During a first time period, the air pump generates a first air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber, and the another air pump generates a third air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber. During a second time period, the air pump generates a second air flow from the chamber towards the surroundings, and the another air pump generates a fourth air flow from the chamber towards the surroundings. The air quality sensing module according to claim 1.

12. Further comprising another air pump. The air pump generates an air flow from the surroundings towards the chamber, and the another air pump simultaneously generates another air flow from the chamber towards the surroundings. The air quality sensing module according to claim 1.

13. The air pump is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) chip, The air quality sensing module according to claim 1.

14. A first flap and a second flap, wherein the first flap and the second flap face each other in a top view along the top view direction; A first actuator disposed on the first flap; A second actuator disposed on the second flap; and An anchor structure; having, the first flap has a first anchor edge fixed to the anchor structure, and the first flap has a first free edge other than the first anchor edge that is not fixed; the second flap has a second anchor edge fixed to the anchor structure, and the second flap has a second free edge other than the second anchor edge that is not fixed, an air pump.

15. a slit is formed between the first flap and the second flap; one of the first free edges of the first flap and one of the second free edges of the second flap are defined by the slit, the air pump according to claim 14.

16. the first flap and the second flap are actuated to perform differential mode movement to form an opening; the opening is formed by the slit, the air pump according to claim 14.

17. the first flap and the second flap perform common mode movement to form air pressure fluctuations, and the first flap and the second flap perform differential mode movement to form an opening, the air pump according to claim 14.

18. the first flap and the second flap perform the common mode movement to form the air pressure fluctuations at a frequency, and the first flap and the second flap perform the differential mode movement to form the opening at an opening rate synchronized with the frequency, the air pump according to claim 17.

19. the first flap and the second flap are actuated to generate a plurality of air pulses, and the air pulses are asymmetric, the air pump according to claim 14.

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