ANGULAR VELOCITY SENSOR

• US 20100116051A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uemura, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US12/524,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20100116051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.120
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces

Abstract

There is provided a signal separation circuit of an angular velocity sensor where a first sensing section, a second sensing section and a third sensing section which are arranged in two second arms are connected to a detection circuit section, and in this detection circuit section, an angular velocity is detected based upon angular velocity signals outputted from the first to third sensing electrode sections.

A configuration is formed where angular velocity signals include an X component signal around an X axis, a Y component signal around a Y axis, a Z component signal around a Z axis and an oscillating component signal of a flexible body in the mutually orthogonal X axis, Y axis and Z axis, and the detection circuit section is provided with a separation circuit that separates these X component signal, Y component signal, Z component signal and oscillating component signal.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor, comprising:

a detection element, which has a sensing section arranged in a flexible body and sensing distortion of the flexible body; and

a detection circuit section, which detects an angular velocity relating to the detection element, wherein

the sensing section has a sensing electrode section made up of an upper electrode and a lower electrode with a piezoelectric body interposed therebetween, and the detection circuit section detects an angular velocity based upon angular velocity signals outputted from the sensing electrode section in accordance with the angular velocity,

the angular velocity signals include an X component signal around an X axis and a Z component signal around a Z axis in a case of defining a space by the Z axis vertical to a surface of the detection element, and the X axis and a Y axis that are orthogonal to the Z axis and orthogonal to each other, and

the detection circuit section is provided with a separation circuit that separates the X component signal and the Z component signal.

2. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the detection element is provided with a plurality of arms, and also the arm is provided with a sensing electrode section, and

in the separation circuit,

the X component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the X component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections,

the Z component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections, and

the X component signal and the Z component signal are separated.

3. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the flexible body is driven and oscillated, and also the angular velocity signals include an oscillating component signal of the flexible body,

in the separation circuit,

the X component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the X component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the oscillating component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections,

the Z component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the oscillating component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections, and

the X component signal and the Z component signal are separated.

4. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the angular velocity signals include an X component signal around an X axis, a Y component signal around a Y axis, and a Z component signal around a Z axis on the Z axis, and

the detection circuit section is provided with a separation circuit that separates the X component signal, the Y component signal, and the Z component signal.

5. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 4, wherein

the detection element is provided with a plurality of arms, and also the arm is provided with a sensing electrode section,

in the separation circuit,

the X component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the X component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections,

the Y component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections,

the Z component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections, and

the X component signal, the Y component signal, and the Z component signal are separated.

6. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 4, wherein

the flexible body is driven and oscillated, and also the angular velocity signals include an oscillating component signal of the flexible body,

in the separation circuit,

the X component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the X component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal, a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the oscillating component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections,

the Y component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal, a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the oscillating component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections,

the Z component signal is detected based upon a sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal in a combination of the sum/difference signal value of the Z component signal being not 0 and a sum/difference signal value of the X component signal, a sum/difference signal value of the Y component signal and a sum/difference signal value of the oscillating component signal being 0 in a plurality of the sensing electrode sections, and

the X component signal, the Y component signal, and the Z component signal are separated.

7. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein

the detection element has a plurality of first arms and second arms which are formed as coupled in an orthogonal direction, and a supporting section that supports two of the first arms and a fixing arm that is coupled to the supporting section and also fixed to a mounting substrate, and

the second arm is provided with the sensing section.

8. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1,

wherein the detection circuit section detects an angular velocity based upon an angular velocity signal outputted from the upper electrode of the sensing electrode section in accordance with the angular velocity, and an angular velocity signal outputted from the lower electrode of the sensing electrode section.

9. An angular velocity sensor, comprising:

a detection element, which has a sensing section arranged in a flexible body and sensing distortion of the flexible body; and

a detection circuit section, which detects an angular velocity relating to the detection element, wherein

the sensing section has a plurality of sensing electrode sections each made up of an upper electrode and a lower electrode with a piezoelectric body interposed therebetween, and

the detection circuit section selectively picks out a sum/difference signal value from angular velocity signals from the plurality of sensing electrode sections.

10. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 9, wherein two values are selectively picked out from a plurality of the sum/difference signal values, and a sum/difference signal thereof is picked out as a second-stage sum/difference signal value.

11. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 10, wherein two values are selectively picked out from a plurality of the second-stage sum/difference signal values, and a sum/difference signal value thereof is picked out as a third-stage sum/difference signal value.

12. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 9, having a plurality of the sensing electrode sections in positions symmetrical about a plane vertical to an X axis in a case of defining a space by a Z axis vertical to a surface of the detection element, and the X axis and a Y axis that are orthogonal to the Z axis and orthogonal to each other.

13. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 12, having a plurality of second arms with the sensing electrode sections located on surfaces thereof and a plurality of weight sections coupled to the second arms,

wherein the second arms and the weight sections form shapes symmetrical about the plane vertical to the X axis.

14. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 9, having a plurality of the sensing electrode sections in positions symmetrical about a plane vertical to a Y axis in a case of defining a space by a Z axis vertical to a surface of the detection element, and an X axis and the Y axis that are orthogonal to the Z axis and orthogonal to each other.

15. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 14, having a plurality of second arms with the sensing electrode sections located on surfaces thereof and a plurality of weight sections coupled to the second arms,

wherein the second arm and the weight section form shapes symmetrical about the plane vertical to the Y axis.