Capacitive acceleration sensor system

• US 20050210980A1
• Filed: 03/08/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ito, Hirokazu, Umemura, Akinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,287,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.320
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

An acceleration sensor system includes: a first and a second fixed electrodes; a movable electrode for providing a first and a second capacitors; a detection capacitor for detecting a capacitance difference between the first and the second capacitors; a charge voltage conversion circuit for converting a capacitance change of the detection capacitor to an output voltage; a detection bias voltage applying means; a vibrating means for vibrating the movable electrode such that a displacement bias voltage is applied in a first period and no displacement bias voltage is applied in a second period; a sampling means for sampling the output voltage during the second period when the movable electrode is stationarily vibrated; and an acceleration signal generating and outputting means for generating an acceleration signal on the basis of a sampling result.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor system comprising:

a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode;

a movable electrode disposed between the first and the second fixed electrodes for providing a first capacitor between the first fixed electrode and the movable electrode and a second capacitor between the second fixed electrode and the movable electrode;

a detection capacitor for detecting a capacitance difference between the first capacitor and the second capacitor;

a charge voltage conversion circuit for outputting and converting a capacitance change of the detection capacitor to an output voltage, the capacitance change being derived from a displacement of the movable electrode caused by an acceleration applied to the sensor;

a detection bias voltage applying means for applying a detection bias voltage between the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode;

a vibrating means for vibrating the movable electrode in an acceleration detection direction in such a manner that the movable electrode is displaced in a first period in which the vibrating means applies a displacement bias voltage to the movable electrode, the movable electrode is returned in a second period in which no displacement bias voltage is applied to the movable electrode, and the first and the second periods are repeated alternately;

a sampling means for sampling the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit to detect the acceleration in such a manner that the sampling means selectively samples the output voltage during the second period in a case where the movable electrode is steadily vibrated; and

an acceleration signal generating and outputting means for generating and outputting an acceleration signal on the basis of a sampling result of the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the first capacitor and the second capacitor are connected in series,

the displacement bias voltage is repeatedly applied to the movable electrode for vibrating the movable electrode in a state where the detection bias voltage is applied to the detection capacitor, and

the movable electrode is disposed in a neutral position between the first and the second fixed electrodes, the neutral position corresponding to a state where no acceleration is applied to the sensor and no displacement bias voltage is applied to the movable electrode.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein

the second period has a length, which is determined to stabilize the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit to a predetermined constant value after the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit in the second period just before the first period is gradually increased in accordance with repetitive vibration of the movable electrode when no acceleration is applied to the sensor.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the detection bias voltage applying means sets a primary term and a secondary term in the second period,

the detection bias voltage has a first polarity in the primary term of the second period, and the detection bias voltage has a second polarity in the secondary term of the second period,

the first polarity is opposite to the second polarity,

the sampling means samples a first data of the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit in the primary term, and samples a second data of the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit in the secondary term, and

the acceleration signal generating and outputting means generates and outputs the acceleration signal on the basis of a difference between the first and the second data.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein

the detection bias voltage applying means sets a primary term and a secondary term,

the detection bias voltage has a first polarity in the primary term, and the detection bias voltage has a second polarity in the secondary term,

the first polarity is opposite to the second polarity,

the vibrating means performs the first period of the displacement bias voltage during the primary term of the detection bias voltage applying means, and switches the first period to the second period before the detection bias voltage applying means is changed from the primary term to the secondary term,

the sampling means samples a first data of the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit in the primary term after the vibrating means switches from the first period to the second period, and samples a second data of the output voltage of the charge voltage conversion circuit in the secondary term, and

the acceleration signal generating and outputting means generates and outputs the acceleration signal on the basis of a difference between the first and the second data.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein

the primary term is longer than the secondary term.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein

the sampling means samples the first data of the output voltage in the primary term after a predetermined time passes from a time when the vibrating means switches from the first period to the second period.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein

the secondary term is disposed in the second period, and

the vibrating means switches from the second period to the first period just after the secondary term.

9. An acceleration sensor system for an automotive vehicle comprising:

a detection capacitor including a pair of electrodes, which is changeable in accordance with an acceleration applied to the sensor;

an acceleration signal generating circuit including a charge voltage conversion circuit for outputting an acceleration signal;

a memory for memorizing a reference offset output value, which is defined as a reference value of an offset output value of the acceleration signal generating circuit when both ends of the detection capacitor are short-circuited; and

a zero point correcting means, wherein

the charge voltage conversion circuit includes an operational amplifier with a negative feedback capacitor for detecting a charge of the detection capacitor,

the charge voltage conversion circuit converts a charge output change of the detection capacitor to a voltage change as the acceleration signal, and

the zero point correcting means short-circuits both ends of the negative feedback capacitor at a predetermined check time when the sensor is operated, detects the offset output value of the acceleration signal generating circuit as a current offset output value, and corrects a zero point of the acceleration signal on the basis of a comparison between the reference offset output value and the current offset output value.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the reference offset output value is defined as the offset output value measured at a reference time prior to the check time, and

the zero point correcting means corrects the zero point in such a manner that the zero point correcting means compensates a time drift of the offset output value detected between the reference time and the check time.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the charge voltage conversion circuit further includes a switch for short-circuiting both ends of the negative feedback capacitor, and

the zero point correcting means further includes a switch control means for closing the switch of the charge voltage conversion circuit at the check time.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein

the zero point correcting means further includes a temperature compensating means for compensating a sensor output on the basis of a temperature of the sensor.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein

the reference offset output value is measured at a reference temperature, and

the temperature compensating means includes a temperature sensor, a compensation data memory for memorizing a compensation data of the sensor output in accordance with different temperatures, and a compensation computing means for computing a compensation value of the sensor output on the basis of the temperature detected by the temperature sensor at the check time with reference to the compensation data of the sensor output.