Multi-axial angular velocity sensor
First Claim
1. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about respective coordinate axes in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
- an oscillator (130;
211;
241;
260;
321;
440;
550;
610) having mass;
a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330, 340;
450;
560;
620, 630,
660) for accommodating said oscillator therewithin;
connection means (110;
212;
252;
312;
410;
510;
640,
650) for connecting the oscillator to the sensor casing in a state having a degree of freedom such that the oscillator can move in respective coordinate axial directions;
excitation means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10;
D1 to D16;
J1 to J6) for oscillating the oscillator in the respective coordinate axial directions; and
displacement detecting means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10;
Rx1 to Rx4, Ry1 to Ry4, Rz1 to Rz4;
D1 to D16;
J1 to J6) for detecting displacements in the respective coordinate axial directions of the oscillator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An angular velocity sensor has a flexible substrate and an opposed, fixed substrate supported at their peripheries by a sensor casing. An oscillator is fixed on the lower surface of the flexible substrate. Five lower electrodes are formed on the upper surface of the flexible substrate. Five upper electrodes are formed on the lower surface of the fixed substrate so as to oppose the lower electrodes. For sensing an angular velocity about the X-axis, an a.c. voltage is applied across a predetermined pair of the opposed electrodes to cause the oscillator to oscillate in the Z-axis direction, whereby a Coriolis force proportional to the angular velocity is applied to the oscillator to displace it in the Y-axis direction. As a result, the distance between the opposed electrodes in the positive Y-axis direction becomes smaller, and the distance between the opposed electrodes in the negative Y-axis direction becomes greater, which changes their capacitances to detect the Coriolis force and, thereby, determine angular velocity. It is similarly possible to detect angular velocities about the Y-axis and the Z-axis.
177 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about respective coordinate axes in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
an oscillator (130;
211;
241;
260;
321;
440;
550;
610) having mass;a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330, 340;
450;
560;
620, 630,
660) for accommodating said oscillator therewithin;connection means (110;
212;
252;
312;
410;
510;
640,
650) for connecting the oscillator to the sensor casing in a state having a degree of freedom such that the oscillator can move in respective coordinate axial directions;excitation means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10;
D1 to D16;
J1 to J6) for oscillating the oscillator in the respective coordinate axial directions; anddisplacement detecting means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10;
Rx1 to Rx4, Ry1 to Ry4, Rz1 to Rz4;
D1 to D16;
J1 to J6) for detecting displacements in the respective coordinate axial directions of the oscillator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
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4. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about respective coordinate axes in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
a flexible substrate (110;
210;
250;
313) having flexibility;a fixed substrate (120;
230;
290;
340) disposed so as to oppose the flexible substrate with a predetermined distance therebetween above the flexible substrate;an oscillator (130;
211, 241;
260;
321) fixed on the lower surface of the flexible substrate;a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330,
340) for supporting the flexible substrate and the fixed substrate and accommodating the oscillator therewithin;excitation means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10) for oscillating the oscillator in respective coordinate axial directions; anddisplacement detecting means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10) for detecting displacements in respective coordinate axial directions of the oscillator.
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5. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about respective coordinate axes in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
a flexible substrate (110;
250) having flexibility;a fixed substrate (120;
290) disposed so as to oppose the flexible substrate with a predetermined distance therebetween above the flexible substrate;an oscillator (130;
260) fixed on the lower surface of the flexible substrate;a sensor casing (140;
270, 280,
290) for supporting the flexible substrate and the fixed substrate and accommodating the oscillator therewithin;a plurality of lower electrodes (F1 to F5) provided on an upper surface of the flexible substrate; a plurality of upper electrodes (E1 to E5;
E0) provided on a lower surface of the fixed substrate and disposed at positions respectively opposite to the plurality of lower electrodes;means (711,
712) for applying an a.c. signal across a pair of lower and upper electrodes opposite to each other to thereby oscillate the oscillator in respective coordinate axial directions; andmeans (721,
722) for detecting an electrostatic capacitance between a pair of lower and upper electrodes opposite to each other to thereby detect displacements in respective coordinate axial directions of the oscillator. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about at least two coordinate axes in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
an oscillator (130;
211;
241;
260;
321;
440;
550;
610) having mass;a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330, 340;
450;
560;
620, 630,
660) for accommodating said oscillator therewithin;connection means (110;
212;
252;
312;
410;
510;
640,
650) for connecting the oscillator to the sensor casing in a state having a degree of freedom such that the oscillator can move in respective coordinate axial directions;excitation means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10;
D1 to D16;
J1 to J6) for oscillating the oscillator in at least two coordinate axial directions; anddisplacement detecting means (E0 to E5, F0 to F5;
G0 to G10;
Rx1 to Rx4;
Ry1 to Ry4, Rz1 to Rz4;
D1 to D16;
J1 to J6) for detecting displacements in at least two coordinate axial directions of the oscillator. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about two coordinate axes (Y, Z) in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
an oscillator (130;
211;
241;
260;
321;
440;
550;
610) having mass;a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330, 340;
450;
560;
620, 630,
660) for accommodating said oscillator therewithin;connection means (110;
212;
252;
312;
410;
510;
640,
650) for connecting the oscillator to the sensor casing in a state having a degree of freedom such that the oscillator can move in respective coordinate axial (X, Y, Z) directions;excitation means (E0 to E2, F0 to F2;
G0 to G4, G6 to G9;
D1 to D4;
J1, J2) for oscillating the oscillator in a first coordinate axial (X) direction; anddisplacement detecting means (E0, E3 to E5, F0, F3 to F5;
G0 to G10;
Ry1 to Ry1, Rz1 to Rz1;
D5 to D16;
J3 to J6) for detecting displacements in a second coordinate axial (Y) direction and in a third coordinate axial (Z) direction of the oscillator;to detect an angular velocity component about the third coordinate axis (Z) on the basis of a displacement in the second coordinate axial (Y) direction detected by the displacement detecting means; and to detect an angular velocity component about the second coordinate axis (Y) on the basis of a displacement in the third coordinate axial (Z) direction detected by the displacement detecting means.
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13. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about two coordinate axes (X, Y) in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
an oscillator (130;
211;
241;
260;
321;
440;
550;
610) having mass;a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330, 340;
450;
560;
620, 630,
660) for accommodating said oscillator therewithin;connection means (110;
212;
252;
312;
410;
510;
640,
650) for connecting the oscillator to the sensor casing in a state having a degree of freedom such that the oscillator can move in respective coordinate axial (X, Y, Z) directions;excitation means (E0 to E4, F0 to F4;
G0 to G4, G6 to G9;
D1 to D8;
J1 to J4) for oscillating the oscillator in a first coordinate axial (X) direction and in a second coordinate axial (Y) direction; anddisplacement detecting means (E0, E5, F0, F5;
G0, G5, G10;
Rz1 to Rz1;
D9 to D16;
J5, J6) for detecting a displacement in a third coordinate axial (Z) direction of the oscillator;to detect an angular velocity component about the second coordinate axis (Y) on the basis of a displacement in the third coordinate axial (Z) direction detected by the displacement detecting means when the oscillator is oscillating in the first coordinate axial (X) direction; and to detect an angular velocity component about the first coordinate axis (X) on the basis of a displacement in the third coordinate axial (Z) direction detected by the displacement detecting means when the oscillator is oscillating in the second coordinate axial (Y) direction.
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14. A multi-axial angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity components about respective coordinate axes (X, Y, Z) in a three-dimensional coordinate system, comprising:
-
an oscillator (130;
211;
241;
260;
321;
440;
550;
610) having mass;a sensor casing (140;
220, 230;
270, 280, 290;
322, 330, 340;
450;
560;
620, 630,
660) for accommodating said oscillator therewithin;connection means (110;
212;
252;
312;
410;
510;
640,
650) for connecting the oscillator to the sensor casing in a state having a degree of freedom such that the oscillator can move in respective coordinate axial directions;excitation means (E0 to E4, F0 to F4;
G0 to G4, G6 to G9;
D1 to D8;
J1 to J4) for oscillating the oscillator in a first coordinate axial (X) direction and in a second coordinate axial (Y) direction; anddisplacement detecting means (E0, E3 to E5, F0, F3 to F5;
G0 to G10;
Ry1 to Ry1, Rz1 to Rz1;
D5 to D16;
J3 to J6) for detecting a displacement in the second coordinate axial (Y) direction and a displacement in a third coordinate axial (Z) direction of the oscillator;to detect an angular velocity component about the third coordinate axis (Z) on the basis of a displacement in the second coordinate axial (Y) direction detected by the displacement detecting means when the oscillator is oscillating in the first coordinate axial (X) direction, to detect an angular velocity component about the second coordinate axis (Y) on the basis of a displacement in the third coordinate axial (Z) direction detected by the displacement detecting means when the oscillator is oscillating in the first coordinate axial (X) direction, and to detect an angular velocity component about the first coordinate axis (X) on the basis of a displacement in the third coordinate axial (Z) direction detected by the displacement detecting means when the oscillator is oscillating in the second coordinate axial (Y) direction.
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Specification