Digital angular rate and acceleration sensor
First Claim
1. A transducer for providing one or more electrical signals having a frequency modulation indicative of angular rate of rotation about a longitudinal axis of the transducer, the transducer comprising:
- at least one cantilevered structure having a base and a free end, the cantilevered structure having a neutral bending plane;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structure to periodically move back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane; and
at least one force-sensitive resonator sensor mounted on the cantilevered structure at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure such that bending of the cantilevered structure imparts a force to the resonator sensor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A digital angular rate and acceleration sensor is constructed with force-sensitive resonators positioned longitudinally on one or both sides of the neutral bending plane of a cantilevered structure. The cantilevered structure has an inertial proof mass at its free end with a periodic velocity applied sideways to the bending plane. Rotation about the longitudinal axis, which produces periodic Coriolis acceleration, as well as inertial acceleration applied perpendicular to the bending plane, generate tensile and compressive forces on the resonators thereby altering the resonant frequencies that are thus a measure of angular rate of rotation and acceleration.
32 Citations
80 Claims
-
1. A transducer for providing one or more electrical signals having a frequency modulation indicative of angular rate of rotation about a longitudinal axis of the transducer, the transducer comprising:
-
at least one cantilevered structure having a base and a free end, the cantilevered structure having a neutral bending plane;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structure to periodically move back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane; and
at least one force-sensitive resonator sensor mounted on the cantilevered structure at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure such that bending of the cantilevered structure imparts a force to the resonator sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A transducer for providing one or more electrical signals indicative of angular rate of rotation about a longitudinal axis of the transducer, the transducer comprising:
-
at least one cantilevered structure having a base and a free end, the cantilevered structure having a neutral bending plane;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structure to periodically move back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane; and
at least one force-sensitive sensor positioned at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure such that bending of the cantilevered structure imparts a strain-induced force to the force-sensitive sensor. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
23. A system for providing an output indicative of angular rate of rotation about a first axis, the system comprising:
-
at least one cantilevered structure having a base and a free end, the cantilevered structure having a neutral bending plane;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structure to periodically move back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane; and
at least one force-sensitive resonator sensor mounted on the cantilevered structure at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure such that bending of the cantilevered structure imparts a force to the resonator sensor; and
an electronic interface device coupled to the resonator, the electronic interface device being operable to generate the output indicative of angular rate of rotation by determining the magnitude of variation in the resonant frequency of the resonator as the resonant frequency periodically varies responsive to rotation of the cantilevered structure about the first axis.
-
-
38. A system for providing an output indicative of angular rate of rotation about a first axis, the system comprising:
-
at least one cantilevered structure having a base and a free end, the cantilevered structure having a neutral bending plane;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structure to periodically move back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane;
at least one force-sensitive sensor positioned at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure, the force sensitive sensor being operable to generate an output signal indicative of a force imparted to the force-sensitive sensor resulting from bending of the cantilevered structure; and
an electronic interface device coupled to the force-sensitive sensor, the electronic interface device being operable to generate the output indicative of angular rate of rotation based on the output signal generated by the force-sensitive sensor.
-
-
43. A transducer for providing one or more electrical signals having a frequency modulation indicative of angular rate of rotation about a longitudinal axis of the transducer, the transducer comprising:
-
at least one pair of cantilevered structures, each cantilevered structure having a fixed base, a free end, and a neutral bending plane, the cantilevered structures in each pair being mass-balanced to each other so that the momentum of one cantilevered structure is substantially cancelled by the other;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structures to periodically flex back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane; and
at least one force-sensitive resonator mounted on at least one of the cantilevered structures at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure on which it is mounted such that bending of the cantilevered structure imparts a force to the resonator. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
-
-
64. A system for providing an output indicative of angular rate of rotation about a first axis, the system comprising:
-
at least one pair of cantilevered structures, each cantilevered structure having a fixed base, a free end, and a neutral bending plane, the cantilevered structures in each pair being mass-balanced to each other so that the momentum of one cantilevered structure is substantially cancelled by the other;
a drive mechanism to cause the cantilevered structures to periodically flex back-and-forth along an axis parallel to the neutral bending plane;
at least one force-sensitive resonator mounted on at least one of the cantilevered structures at a location spaced apart from a neutral bending plane of the cantilevered structure on which it is mounted such that bending of the cantilevered structure imparts a force to the resonator; and
an electronic interface device coupled to the resonator, the electronic interface device being operable to generate the output indicative of angular rate of rotation by determining the magnitude of variation in the resonant frequency of the resonator as the resonant frequency periodically varies responsive to rotation of the cantilevered structure about the first axis. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
-
Specification