Vibrating structure gyroscope

• US 5,932,804 A
• Filed: 02/10/1998
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atlantic Inertial Systems Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: British Aerospace, Inc.
• Inventors: Fell, Christopher Paul, Townsend, Kevin, Hopkin, Ian David, Mason, Timothy Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/021,306
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 73/504.13, 73/504.12, 73/504.04, 73/514.02, 73/514.15, 310/329, 310/369, 310/366
• US Class Current: 73/504.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5677 of essentially two-dimensional vibrators, e.g. ring-shaped vibrators

Abstract

A vibrating structure gyroscope has a vibratory resonator having a substantially ring or hoop-like shape structure, an electromagnetic drive for causing the resonator to vibrate, a support structure including a plurality of flexible support beams for supporting the resonator whilst allowing it to vibrate and an electromagnetic sensor for sensing movement of the resonator. The support beams and resonator are made from silicon and the electromagnetic drive and sensor include metal tracks which extend externally along each support beam onto and along respective segments of an outer substantially planar surface of the ring-like resonator. The resonator is substantially planar and means is produced a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the plane of the resonator.

Claims

1. A vibrating structure gyroscope including a substantially planar vibrating resonator having a substantially ring or hoop-like shape structure with inner and outer peripheries extending around a common axis, electromagnetic drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate, support means including a plurality of flexible support beams for supporting the resonator and for allowing the resonator to vibrate in response to the electromagnetic drive means, in a substantially undamped oscillation mode such as to permit the resonator to move relative to the support means in response to turning rate, which said support beams and said resonator are made from silicon, and electromagnetic sensing means for sensing movement of the resonator, which said electromagnetic drive means and said electromagnetic sensing means include metal tracks on the ring or hoop-like shape structure resonator and on the support beams, together with means for generating or providing a magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the plane of the vibratory resonator.

2. A gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein the support means also includes a frame which is substantially rigid, surrounds the resonator and is coupled to the outer periphery of the ring or hoop-like shape structure by the support beams which extend between the support means and the resonator.

3. A gyroscope according to claim 2, having eight equi-angularly spaced support beams.

4. A gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein each support beam is provided with three laterally spaced tracks extending externally along its length which are connected at their outermost ends with respect to the resonator to bond pads and two of which at their innermost ends extend in opposite directions around an outer substantially planar surface of the resonator over a segment thereof and connect at their innermost ends to a respective one of the tracks on the immediately adjacent support beam, with the number of segments corresponding to the number of support beams.

5. A gyroscope according to claim 4, wherein of the three laterally spaced tracks on each support beam a centre track extends onto the resonator and terminates thereon adjacent the junction of the support beam and the resonator to provide a means for minimizing electrostatic coupling between the other two tracks on the support beam.

6. A gyroscope according to claim 5, including a silicon oxide layer on said outer substantially planar surface of the resonator and the support beams, between said tracks and the silicon of the support beams and the resonator, to insulate the tracks from the silicon, connecting points being provided through the silicon oxide layer at appropriate positions connecting the centre track to the silicon to reduce unwanted capacitive signal coupling between adjacent tracks.

7. A gyroscope according to claim 6, including means for passing current through an appropriate segment track to provide drive for the resonator and wherein the electromagnetic sensing means is such as to detect vibration of the resonator by detecting a voltage generated across an appropriate segment track as it moves in the perpendicular magnetic field.

8. A gyroscope according to claim 1, including ring pole means for concentrating the magnetic field on the ring or hoop-like shape structure of the resonator.

9. A gyroscope according to claim 1, including a housing made of magnetic material for containing the resonator, the magnetic field means, the support means, the electromagnetic drive means and the electromagnetic sensing means, with a non-magnetic spacer being provided between the housing and the support means.