Gyro-module

• US 20080178673A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Epson Toyocom Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kikuchi, Takayuki, Tateyama, Mitsuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.15
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719

Abstract

A gyro-module includes: a first gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis; a second gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis; a third gyro element component having a first detection axis; a first operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the first gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component; and a second operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component.

The first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component are arranged in such a way that the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component extend in a same direction and a direction in which the second detection axis of the first gyro element component is extended crosses with a direction in which the second detection axis of the second gyro element component is extended.

Claims

1. A gyro-module, comprising:

a first gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a second gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a third gyro element component having a first detection axis;

a first operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the first gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component; and

a second operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component,

wherein the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component are arranged in such a way that the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component extend in a same direction and a direction in which the second detection axis of the first gyro element component is extended crosses with a direction in which the second detection axis of the second gyro element component is extended.

2. The gyro-module according to claim 1, the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component respectively comprising:

a base part;

two connecting arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part;

a drive arm that extends from the connecting arm symmetrically with respect to the connecting arm; and

two detection arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part and in a direction orthogonal to the connecting arm, wherein the first gyro element component and the second gyro element component have a weight part on the detection arm.

3. The gyro-module according to claim 1, the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component respectively comprising:

a base part;

two connecting arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part;

a drive arm that extends from the connecting arm symmetrically with respect to the connecting arm; and

two detection arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part and in a direction orthogonal to the connecting arm, wherein the first gyro element component and the second gyro element component have a weight part on the detection arm, the weight part having a larger width than a width of the detection arm.

4. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component is a double-ended tuning fork shaped vibrating gyro sensor.

5. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the gyro element components are made from a quartz substrate and the two detection axes of each gyro element component are an optical axis and a mechanical axis.

6. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component have a same polarity in their detection sensitivity, and the first operation circuit and the second operation circuit are subtraction circuits.

7. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the first detection axis of the first gyro element component and the first detection axis of the second gyro element component have a same polarity in their detection sensitivity, the polarity in the detection sensitivity of the first detection axis of the first gyro element component is reversed to a detection sensitivity polarity of the first detection axis of the third gyro element component, and the first operation circuit and the second operation circuit are adder circuits.

8. The Gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the first detection axis of the first gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component have a same polarity in their detection sensitivity, a polarity in the detection sensitivity of the first detection axis of the second gyro element component is reversed to the detection sensitivity polarity of the first detection axis of the third gyro element component, the first operation circuit is a subtraction circuit, and the second operation circuit is an adder circuit.

9. A gyro-module, comprising:

a first gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a second gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a fourth gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a third operation circuit conducting subtraction of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the fourth gyro element component, and outputting a subtraction result;

a fourth operation circuit conducting addition of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the fourth gyro element component, and outputting an addition result; and

a fifth operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the first gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component, and outputting an operation result,

wherein the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the fourth gyro element component are arranged in such a way that the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the fourth gyro element component extend in a same direction, and a direction in which the second detection axis of the first gyro element component is extended crosses with a direction in which the second detection axis of the second gyro element component is extended.

10. The gyro-module according to claim 9, the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the fourth gyro element component respectively comprising:

a base part;

two connecting arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part;

a drive arm that extends from the connecting arm symmetrically with respect to the connecting arm;

two detection arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part and in a direction orthogonal to the connecting arm; and

a weight part that is provided on the detection arm.