Solid-state gyroscopes and planar three-axis inertial measurement unit
First Claim
1. A z-axial solid-state gyroscope, manufactured by a conductive material, two sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies suspended between two parallel plates by an elastic beam assembly so that they can move along a first axis and a second axis parallel to the surface of the plates;
- each surface of each driver body being formed a plurality of grooves perpendicular to the first axis, the surface of each plate corresponding to each driver body being formed two sets of driving electrodes, respectively including a number of stripe electrodes perpendicular to the first axis, the two sets of driving stripe electrodes being interposed each other and being formed two sets of driving capacitors with the corresponding surface of the driver body;
each surface of each proof mass being formed a plurality of grooves perpendicular to the second axis, the surface of each plate corresponding to the proof mass being formed two sets of sensing electrodes, respectively including a number of stripe electrodes parallel to the grooves of the proof mass, the two sets of sensing stripe electrodes being interposed each other and being formed two sets of sensing capacitors with the corresponding surface of the proof mass;
the capacitances thereof changing with the movement of the proof masses along the second axis;
each driving capacitor being excited with a DC bias and an AC voltage at the mechanical resonant frequency with proper phase thereof;
the displacement and vibration of each proof mass being able to be obtained by sense the change in the capacitances of the corresponding sensing capacitors thereof;
the output signals of each proof mass induced by an angular velocity and an acceleration being respectively a AC signal and a DC signal, which can be separated into an angular velocity signal and an acceleration signal by a signal processing technique.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a z-axial solid-state gyroscope. Its main configuration is manufactured with a conductive material and includes two sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies suspended between two plates by an elastic beam assembly. Both surfaces of the driver bodies and the proof masses respectively include a number of grooves respectively perpendicular to a first axis and a second axis. The surfaces of the driver bodies and the proof masses and the corresponding stripe electrodes of the plates thereof are respectively formed a driving capacitors and a sensing capacitors. The driving capacitor drives the proof masses to vibrate in the opposite direction along the first axis. If a z-axial angular velocity input, a Coriolis force makes the two masses vibrate in the opposite direction along the second axis. If a second axial acceleration input, a specific force makes the two masses move in the same direction along the second axis. Both inertial forces make the sensing capacitances change. Two z-axial solid-state gyroscopes and two in-plane axial gyroscopes can be designed on a single chip to form a complete three-axis inertial measurement unit.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A z-axial solid-state gyroscope, manufactured by a conductive material, two sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies suspended between two parallel plates by an elastic beam assembly so that they can move along a first axis and a second axis parallel to the surface of the plates;
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each surface of each driver body being formed a plurality of grooves perpendicular to the first axis, the surface of each plate corresponding to each driver body being formed two sets of driving electrodes, respectively including a number of stripe electrodes perpendicular to the first axis, the two sets of driving stripe electrodes being interposed each other and being formed two sets of driving capacitors with the corresponding surface of the driver body;
each surface of each proof mass being formed a plurality of grooves perpendicular to the second axis, the surface of each plate corresponding to the proof mass being formed two sets of sensing electrodes, respectively including a number of stripe electrodes parallel to the grooves of the proof mass, the two sets of sensing stripe electrodes being interposed each other and being formed two sets of sensing capacitors with the corresponding surface of the proof mass;
the capacitances thereof changing with the movement of the proof masses along the second axis;
each driving capacitor being excited with a DC bias and an AC voltage at the mechanical resonant frequency with proper phase thereof;
the displacement and vibration of each proof mass being able to be obtained by sense the change in the capacitances of the corresponding sensing capacitors thereof;
the output signals of each proof mass induced by an angular velocity and an acceleration being respectively a AC signal and a DC signal, which can be separated into an angular velocity signal and an acceleration signal by a signal processing technique. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A solid-state gyroscope, manufactured by a conductive material, two sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies suspended between two parallel plates by an elastic beam assembly so that the proof masses can move along a first axis parallel to the surface of the plates and along a z-axis perpendicular to the surface of the plates;
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each surface of each driver body being formed a plurality of grooves perpendicular to the first axis, the surface of each plate corresponding to each driver body being formed two sets of driving electrodes, respectively including a number of stripe electrodes perpendicular to the first axis, the two sets of driving stripe electrodes being interposed each other and being formed two sets of driving capacitors with the corresponding surface of the driver body;
the surface of each plate corresponding to each proof mass being formed a sensing electrode;
the sensing electrodes and the surfaces of each proof mass being formed two sensing capacitors, the capacitances thereof changing with the movement of the proof masses along the z-axis;
each driving capacitor being excited with a DC bias and an AC voltage at the mechanical resonant frequency with proper phase thereof;
the displacement and vibration of each proof mass being able to be obtained by sense the change in the capacitances of the corresponding sensing capacitors thereof;
the output signals of each proof mass induced by an angular velocity and an acceleration being respectively a AC signal and a DC signal, which can be separated into an angular velocity signal and an acceleration signal by a signal processing technique. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A planar solid-state three-axis inertial measurement unit, manufactured mainly by a conductive material, a number of solid-state inertial sensors installed between two parallel plates;
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a first solid-state gyroscope, the angular velocity sensing axis thereof being parallel to the x-axis of the plate surfaces, the configuration thereof comprising;
a first and second sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies, a first elastic beam assembly, a first drivers assembly and a first sensors assembly;
the first and second sets of proof mass and driver bodies suspended between the two plates by the first elastic beam assembly so that the first and second sets of proof mass and driver bodies can move along the y-axis parallel to the plate surfaces, and the first and second proof masses can also move along the z-axis perpendicular to the plate surfaces;
the first drivers assembly driving the first and second sets of proof mass and driver bodies to vibrate in the opposite direction along the y-axis;
the first sensors assembly being able to sense the vibration in the opposite direction and the displacement in the same direction of the first and second proof masses along the z-axis, that meaning the x-axial angular velocity and the z-axial acceleration;
a second solid-state gyroscope, the angular velocity sensing axis thereof being parallel to the y′
-axis of the plate surfaces, the configuration thereof comprising;
a third and fourth sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies, a second elastic beam assembly, a second drivers assembly and a second sensors assembly;
the third and fourth sets of proof mass and driver bodies suspended between the two plates by the second elastic beam assembly so that the third and fourth sets of proof mass and driver bodies can move along the x′
-axis parallel to the plate surfaces, and the third and fourth proof masses can also move along the z-axis;
the second drivers assembly driving the third and fourth sets of proof mass and driver bodies to vibrate in the opposite direction along the x′
-axis;
the second sensors assembly being able to sense the vibration in the opposite direction and the displacement in the same direction of the third and fourth proof masses along the z-axis, that meaning the y′
-axial angular velocity and the z-axial acceleration;
the preceding x′
, y′
, and z axes are orthogonal;
a third solid-state gyroscope, the angular velocity sensing axis thereof, z-axial, being perpendicular to the plate surfaces, the configuration thereof comprising;
a fifth and sixth sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies, a third elastic beam assembly, a third drivers assembly and a third sensors assembly;
the fifth and sixth sets of proof mass and driver bodies suspended between the two plates by the third elastic beam assembly so that the fifth and sixth sets of proof mass and driver bodies can move along the y-axis parallel to the plate surfaces, and the fifth and sixth proof masses can also move along the x′
-axis;
the third drivers assembly driving the fifth and sixth sets of proof mass and driver bodies to vibrate in the opposite direction along the y-axis;
the third sensors assembly being able to sense the vibration in the opposite direction and the displacement in the same direction of the fifth and sixth proof masses along the x′
-axis, that meaning the z-axial angular velocity and the x′
-axial acceleration;
one of a fourth solid-state gyroscope and a y-axial solid-state accelerometer;
the fourth solid-state gyroscope, which the angular velocity sensing axis thereof, z-axial, is perpendicular to the plate surfaces, the configuration thereof comprising;
a seventh and eighth sets of a proof mass and two driver bodies, a fourth elastic beam assembly, a fourth drivers assembly and a fourth sensors assembly;
the seventh and eighth sets of proof mass and driver bodies respectively suspended between the two plates by the fourth elastic beam assembly so that the seventh and eighth sets of proof mass and driver bodies can move along the x′
-axis parallel to the plate surfaces, and the seventh and eighth proof masses can also move along the y-axis;
the fourth drivers assembly driving the seventh and eighth sets of proof mass and driver bodies to vibrate in the opposite direction along the x′
-axis;
the fourth sensors assembly being able to sense the vibration in the opposite direction and the displacement in the same direction of the seventh and eighth proof masses along the y-axis, that meaning the z-axial angular velocity and the y-axial acceleration;
the configuration of the y-axial solid-state accelerometer comprising;
a ninth proof mass, a fifth elastic beam assembly, and a fifth sensors assembly;
the ninth proof mass suspended between the two plates by the fifth elastic beam assembly so that the ninth proof mass can move along the y-axis;
the fifth sensors assembly being able to sense the y-axial acceleration signal. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification