Accelerometer sensor system
First Claim
1. An accelerometer system comprising:
- an accelerometer sensor comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second electrode configurations, the accelerometer sensor being fabricated as symmetrically arranged about each of three orthogonal mid-planes associated with the accelerometer sensor; and
an accelerometer controller configured to apply control signals that correspond to a first and second voltage that have equal and opposite amplitudes to each of the first and second electrode configurations to provide respective forces to maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and second electrode configurations, the accelerometer controller being further configured to measure a first pickoff signal and a second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and second electrode configurations, the first and second pickoff signals being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to the null position, and to calculate an acceleration based on the first and second pickoff signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include an accelerometer system. The system includes an accelerometer sensor comprising first and second electrode configurations and an inertial mass between the first and second electrode configurations. In one example, the accelerometer sensor being fabricated as symmetrically arranged about each of three orthogonal mid-planes. The system also includes an accelerometer controller configured to apply control signals to each of the first and second electrode configurations to provide respective forces to maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and second electrode configurations. The accelerometer controller can measure a first pickoff signal and a second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and second electrode configurations. The first and second pickoff signals can be indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to the null position. The accelerometer controller can calculate an acceleration based on the first and second pickoff signals.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An accelerometer system comprising:
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an accelerometer sensor comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second electrode configurations, the accelerometer sensor being fabricated as symmetrically arranged about each of three orthogonal mid-planes associated with the accelerometer sensor; and an accelerometer controller configured to apply control signals that correspond to a first and second voltage that have equal and opposite amplitudes to each of the first and second electrode configurations to provide respective forces to maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and second electrode configurations, the accelerometer controller being further configured to measure a first pickoff signal and a second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and second electrode configurations, the first and second pickoff signals being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to the null position, and to calculate an acceleration based on the first and second pickoff signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An accelerometer system comprising:
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an integrated circuit (IC) chip configured as an accelerometer sensor comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second electrode configurations; an accelerometer controller configured to apply control signals that correspond to a first and second voltage that have equal and opposite amplitudes to each of the first and second electrode configurations to provide respective forces to maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and second electrode configurations, the accelerometer controller being further configured to measure a first pickoff signal and a second pickoff signal associated with the respective first and second electrode configurations, the first and second pickoff signals being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to the null position, and to calculate an acceleration based on the first and second pickoff signals; a mounting interposer on which the IC chip is mounted via a mechanically compliant adhesive along a first plane that separates the IC chip and the mounting interposer, the adhesive being arranged in a pattern that is symmetric about two orthogonal planes that are orthogonal to the first plane, the mounting interposer is fabricated from a non-electrically conductive material having a thermal expansion characteristic that is approximately equal to the IC chip; and an accelerometer case that at least partially encloses the IC chip, the accelerometer controller, and the mounting interposer, the mounting interposer being mounted on a surface of the accelerometer case via the mechanically compliant adhesive, such that the mounting interposer interconnects the IC chip and the accelerometer case. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for calculating an acceleration, the method comprising:
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providing a charge to each of a first electrode assembly and a second electrode assembly associated with an accelerometer sensor based on a first voltage having a positive amplitude, the first and second electrode assemblies being arranged opposite an inertial mass; measuring first pickoff voltages associated with the respective first and second electrode assemblies in a first measurement cycle; providing a charge to the first and second electrode assemblies based on a second voltage having an amplitude that is equal and opposite the first voltage; measuring second pickoff voltages associated with the respective first and second electrode assemblies in a second measurement cycle; calculating an average of differences between the respective first and second pickoff voltages associated with each of the first and second measurement cycles; and calculating a displacement of the inertial mass resulting from the acceleration. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An accelerometer system comprising:
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an accelerometer sensor comprising a first electrode configuration, a second electrode configuration, and an inertial mass between the first and second electrode configurations; and an accelerometer controller comprising; a signal generator comprising a first charge amplifier system configured to generate a first voltage to provide a first charge on the first electrode configuration in response to an input voltage and a second charge amplifier system configured to generate a second voltage having an amplitude that is equal and opposite to the an amplitude of the first voltage to provide a second charge on the second electrode configuration in response to the input voltage to maintain the inertial mass at a null position between the first and second electrode configurations, each of the first and second charge amplifier systems comprising a first amplifier and a second amplifier in a cascaded arrangement; and an acceleration processor configured to calculate an acceleration based on a first pickoff signal associated with the first charge and a second pickoff signal associated with the second charge, the first and second pickoff signals being indicative of a displacement of the inertial mass relative to the null position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification