TILT SENSOR UNIT

• US 20110179871A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: MISAWA, Atsushi, NOHARA, Kazuya
• Application Number:
  US13/012,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

Acceleration sensors and a microcomputer are mounted on a sensor mounting board. At this time, the accelerations sensors are arranged so that, even in the case where any detection axes of the acceleration sensors is made horizontal, the other detection axes of the acceleration sensors cannot be horizontal. Then, the microcomputer selects an acceleration sensor in which detection accuracy is the best from among the acceleration sensors, and arithmetically operates a tilt angle of a tilt sensor unit based on an output signal of the selected acceleration sensor.

Claims

1. A tilt sensor unit comprising:

a detection unit that outputs an output signal corresponding to a tilt angle; and

a signal processing unit that arithmetically operates the tilt angle based on the output signal of the detection unit,

wherein a plurality of the detection units are arranged, and in addition, at least two detection units among the plurality of detection units are arranged so that detection axes thereof can be directed in directions different from each other,

the detection units arranged so that the detection axes can be directed in the directions different from one another are arranged so that, even in a case where any of the detection axes of the detection units is made horizontal, other detection axes of the detection units cannot be horizontal in a state where the tilt sensor unit is enabled to detect the tilt angle, and

the signal processing unit arithmetically operates the tilt angle based on an output signal of a detection unit in which a detection axis is nearest a horizon among the detection units arranged so that the detection axes can be directed in the directions different from one another.

2. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 1,

wherein the detection units include:

a first detection unit arranged so that a detection axis thereof can be directed in a predetermined direction;

a second detection unit arranged so that a detection axis thereof can be in a state of being substantially parallel to a plane including the detection axis of the first detection unit, and being rotated by a first angle in one direction with respect to the detection axis of the first detection unit; and

a third detection unit arranged so that a detection axis thereof can be in a state of being substantially parallel to the plane, and being rotated by a second angle in a reverse direction with respect to the detection axis of the first detection unit.

3. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 2,

wherein the signal processing unit:

in an event where the tilt sensor unit arranged so that the detection axis of the first detection unit can be horizontal and that the plane can be a vertical plane is rotated in the one direction, selects the detection units in order from the first detection unit through the third detection unit and the second detection unit to the first detection unit; and

in an event where the tilt sensor unit is rotated in the reverse direction, selects the detection units in order from the first detection unit through the second detection unit and the third detection unit to the first detection unit.

4. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 3, wherein the signal processing unit determines a range of the tilt angle of the tilt sensor unit based on the output signals of the two unselected detection units.

5. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the first angle and the second angle are individually set at a vicinity of 30 degrees.

6. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 2, wherein the first angle and the second angle are individually set at a vicinity of 60 degrees.

7. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of detection units are arranged on a front surface of one board.

8. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 7,

wherein the board has a substantially square shape, and

the plurality of detection units are arranged on a center portion of the front surface of the board or on a line that passes through a center of the front surface of the board and is substantially parallel to a side of the board.

9. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the detection units are electrostatic capacitance-type acceleration sensors.

10. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 9, wherein the electrostatic capacitance-type acceleration sensors are 1-axis acceleration sensors.

11. A tilt sensor unit comprising:

a detection unit that outputs an output signal corresponding to a tilt angle; and

a signal processing unit that arithmetically operates the tilt angle based on the output signal of the detection unit,

wherein a plurality of the detection units are arranged, and in addition, at least two detection units among the plurality of detection units are arranged so that detection axes thereof can be directed in directions different from each other,

the detection units arranged so that the detection axes can be directed in the directions different from one another are arranged so that, even in a case where any of the detection axes of the detection units is made horizontal, other detection axes of the detection units cannot be horizontal in a state where the tilt sensor unit is enabled to detect the tilt angle, and

the signal processing unit selects a detection unit in which a detected output signal is within a predetermined range from among the detection units arranged so that the detection axes can be directed in the directions different from one another, and arithmetically operates the tilt angle based on the output signal of the selected detection unit.

12. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 11,

wherein the detection units include:

a first detection unit arranged so that a detection axis thereof can be directed in a predetermined direction;

a second detection unit arranged so that a detection axis thereof can be in a state of being substantially parallel to a plane including the detection axis of the first detection unit, and being rotated by a first angle in one direction, with respect to the detection axis of the first detection unit; and

a third detection unit arranged so that a detection axis thereof can be in a state of being substantially parallel to the plane, and being rotated by a second angle in a reverse direction with respect to the detection axis of the first detection unit.

13. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 12,

wherein the signal processing unit:

in an event where the tilt sensor unit arranged so that the detection axis of the first detection unit can be horizontal and that the plane can be a vertical plane is rotated in the one direction, selects the detection units in order from the first detection unit through the third detection unit and the second detection unit to the first detection unit; and

in an event where the tilt sensor unit is rotated in the reverse direction, selects the detection units in order from the first detection unit through the second detection unit and the third detection unit to the first detection unit.

14. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 13, wherein the signal processing unit determines a range of the tilt angle of the tilt sensor unit based on the output signals of the two unselected detection units.

15. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 12, wherein the first angle and the second angle are individually set at a vicinity of 30 degrees.

16. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 12, wherein the first angle and the second angle are individually set at a vicinity of 60 degrees.

17. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of detection units are arranged on a front surface of one board.

18. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 17,

wherein the board has a substantially square shape, and

the plurality of detection units are arranged on a center portion of the front surface of the board or on a line that passes through a center of the front surface of the board and is substantially parallel to a side of the board.

19. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 11, wherein the detection units are electrostatic capacitance-type acceleration sensors.

20. The tilt sensor unit according to claim 19, wherein the electrostatic capacitance-type acceleration sensors are 1-axis acceleration sensors.