Acceleration sensing device on a support substrate and method of operation
First Claim
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1. An acceleration sensing device on a support substrate comprising:
- a first set of conductors overlying the support substrate, the first set of conductors generally defining a first plane;
a layer of conductive material overlying the first set of conductors and generally defining a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane, wherein the layer of conductive material has edges;
a second set of conductors arranged about a first axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the first axis of motion, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor of the second set of conductors are separated from the edges of the layer of conductive material by a first distance and a second distance, respectively; and
a third set of conductors arranged about a second axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the second axis of motion, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor of the third set of conductors are separated from the edges of the layer of conductive material by a third distance and a fourth distance, respectively.
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Abstract
A sensor (10) is capable of detecting linear acceleration in the three Cartesian directions and the angular acceleration about three Cartesian axes. The sensor (10) has a conductive layer (32) that is free to move or rotate in any direction. A first, second, and third set of conductors are used to sense and quantify the acceleration of the conductive layer (32). The sensor (10) can also be operated as a closed loop system with the addition of a fourth set of conductors.
33 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An acceleration sensing device on a support substrate comprising:
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a first set of conductors overlying the support substrate, the first set of conductors generally defining a first plane; a layer of conductive material overlying the first set of conductors and generally defining a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane, wherein the layer of conductive material has edges; a second set of conductors arranged about a first axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the first axis of motion, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor of the second set of conductors are separated from the edges of the layer of conductive material by a first distance and a second distance, respectively; and a third set of conductors arranged about a second axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the second axis of motion, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor of the third set of conductors are separated from the edges of the layer of conductive material by a third distance and a fourth distance, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a support substrate; a first set of conductors overlying the support substrate, the first set of conductors generally defining a first plane; a layer of conductive material overlying the first set of conductors and generally defining a second plane that is substantially parallel to the first plane; a second set of conductors arranged about a first axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the first axis of motion; and a third set of conductors arranged about a second axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the second axis of motion, wherein the first set of conductors and the second set of conductors are physically separated from the layer of conductive material. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An acceleration sensing device on a support substrate comprising:
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a first set of conductors overlying the support substrate; a layer of conductive material overlying the first set of conductors and, wherein the layer of conductive material has edges; a second set of conductors arranged about a first axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the first axis of motion, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor of the second set of conductors are separated from the edges of the layer of conductive material by a first distance and a second distance, respectively; and a third set of conductors arranged about a second axis of motion, overlying the support substrate, and having a first conductor and a second conductor that are substantially equidistant from each other along the second axis of motion, wherein the first conductor and the second conductor of the third set of conductors are separated from the edges of the layer of conductive material by a third distance and a fourth distance, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification