DISC RESONATOR INTEGRAL INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT
First Claim
1. A method of sensing, comprising the steps of:
- driving a disc resonator to excite a common driven mode of the disc resonator that induces three sensing modes of the disc resonator; and
demodulating three response signals from a plurality of sense electrodes to sense the three response modes of the disc resonator;
wherein the three demodulated response signals comprise rotation measurement about three substantially orthogonal axes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Sensing motion of multiple degrees of freedom for an integral inertial measurement unit provided through the operation of a single centrally mounted planar disc resonator having a single driven mode in a single vacuum enclosure is disclosed. The resonator comprises a circumferentially slotted disc having multiple internal capacitive electrodes within the slots in order to excite a single in-plane driven vibration and sense in-plane vibration modes or motion of the resonator. In addition, vertical electrodes disposed below and/or above the resonator may also be used to sense out-of-plane vibration or motion. Acceleration sensing in three orthogonal axes can be obtained by sensing two lateral modes of the disc resonator in the plane of the disc from the internal electrodes and a vertical mode from the vertical electrodes.
62 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of sensing, comprising the steps of:
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driving a disc resonator to excite a common driven mode of the disc resonator that induces three sensing modes of the disc resonator; and demodulating three response signals from a plurality of sense electrodes to sense the three response modes of the disc resonator; wherein the three demodulated response signals comprise rotation measurement about three substantially orthogonal axes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A sensor, comprising:
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a centrally mounted disc resonator including a drive electrode disposed internal to the disc resonator and a plurality of sense electrodes; a drive circuit for applying a sinusoidal carrier voltage to the drive electrode to excite a common driven mode of the disc resonator that induces three sensing modes of the disc resonator; and a sense circuit for demodulating three response signals from a plurality of sense electrodes to sense the three response modes of the disc resonator, where the three demodulated response signals comprise rotation measurement about three substantially orthogonal axes. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification