Miniature magnetometer-accelerometer

• US 5,739,431 A
• Filed: 06/13/1996
• Issued: 04/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Inventors: Petri, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/663,402
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 73/514.37, 73/514.16, 73/514.01, 73/510, 73/509, 73/504.04, 73/862.59, 73/862.41, 73/504.12, 73/152.48, 73/152.59, 324/244, 324/246, 324/257, 324/260, 33/365
• US Class Current: 73/509
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/02 Determining slope or direction
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/022 of the borehole, e.g. using geomagnetism
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0236 using a pendulum
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/097 by vibratory elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/028 Electrodynamic magnetometers

Abstract

A magnetometer is integrated with a miniature vibrating beam accelerometer fabricated out of silicon on a common substrate. Dual pendulum-DETF force sensing accelerometers have integrated conductor coils on the pendulums that circulate alternating current to cause an additional pendulum motion also sensed by the DETF transducers for sensing local earth magnetic field. The integrated magnetic and acceleration sensing is used for each of three reference axes in a triaxial inclinometer magnetometer for borehole drill steering and surveying.

Claims

1. An integrated magnetometer and accelerometer device, comprising:

a pendulum mounted to move in response to an acceleration of the device;

a conductor attached to said pendulum for conducting an ac current so as to move said pendulum in reaction to a magnetic field that is to be sensed; and

a transducer for producing output signals representing combined acceleration and magnetic field movement of said pendulum;

drive means for driving said transducer; and

signal processing means for processing said output signals.

2. An integrated magnetometer and accelerometer device of claim 1, wherein the pendulum comprises a hinged mass in the shape of a paddle micromachined on a substrate, and said conductor comprises at least one loop on said hinged mass.

3. An integrated magnetometer and accelerometer device of claim 2, wherein said transducer is mounted on said substrate for producing said output signals in response to rotational movement of said hinged mass.

4. An integrated magnetometer and the accelerometer device of claim 1 wherein said pendulum and transducer are micromachined from a substrate that serves as a reference structure relative to which said pendulum moves in response to acceleration and interaction of said ac current in said conductor with a sensed magnetic field.

5. An integrated magnetometer and accelerometer, device of claim 1, wherein said pendulum is a paddle shaped hinged mass micromachined from a substrate that serves as a reference structure for detecting relative movement of the pendulum, and said transducer comprises a force sensing double-ended tuning fork also micromachined from said substrate and connected between said paddle shaped mass and the substrate reference structure, and wherein said conductor comprises at least one loop of conductive metal deposited on said paddle shaped mass and having conductive struts extending across a gap in said substrate between said mass and said reference structure.

6. An integrated magnetometer and accelerometer device of claim 5, wherein said double-ended tuning fork includes electrically conductive components to which a drive alternating current signal is applied for interacting with a permanent magnet field, said double-ended tuning fork transducer producing a first output signal in response to movement of said mass due to acceleration of the device, and a sensing alternating current applied to said conductor on said mass for moving said pendulum in reaction to a sensed magnetic field in the plane of said pendulum excites a vibrating movement of said mass that changes in vibration frequency in reaction to the sensed magnetic field and said double-ended tuning fork transducer produces a second output signal representing the sensed magnetic field.

7. An integrated magnetometer and accelerometer device of claim 6 wherein said sensing alternating current is selected to be substantially at the resonant frequency f_n of said pendulum.

8. A borehole device for use in determining the heading and position of downhole equipment comprising:

(a) accelerometer means including a pendulum responsive to acceleration to cause a first movement of the pendulum for generating an output signal relating the orientation of the device to true vertical;

(b) magnetometer means integrated with said accelerometer means for generating an output signal relating azimuth of the device to a magnetic North reference including a current conducting coil supported by said pendulum for interacting with local earth magnetic field to cause a second movement of the pendulum;

(c) transducer means for converting the first and second movements of said pendulum into output signals; and

(d) signal processing means for determining inclination and magnetic azimuth of the device in response to the output signals from said transducer means.

9. A borehole device of claim 8 wherein said pendulum, transducer means and coil are fabricated on a micromachined silicon substrate in which the pendulum is hinged to the substrate by an epitaxial layer.

10. An integrated magnetometer and inclinometer, comprising a plurality of detection modules, one for each of a plurality of axes, each module comprising:

a pendulum mounted to respond to acceleration along one of the axes that is to be sensed;

a conductor attached to the pendulum and drive circuit means for causing a current to flow in said conductor for interacting with a local earth magnetic field along one of the axes that is to be sensed for imparting movement to the pendulum in reaction to the strength and direction of local earth magnetic field;

a force to electrical signal transducer for producing an output representing combined acceleration and earth magnetic field measurements along the associated axes in reaction to movement of said pendulum; and

a sisal processor for processing said output of said transducer.

11. An integrated magnetometer and inclinometer module of claim 10, wherein said pendulum and transducer include parts that are micromachined from a common substrate.

12. An integrated magnetometer and inclinometer device of claim 11, wherein said substrate is silicon.

13. An integrated magnetometer and inclinometer device of claim 11, wherein said conductor comprises a region of conductive metal on a portion of said substrate that forms said pendulum.

14. An integrated magnetometer and inclinometer device of claim 13, wherein connector leads to said conductive metal are formed on epitaxial struts that flexibly extend between said substrate and said pendulum.