Closed loop resonant rotation rate sensor

• US 6,003,373 A
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BEI Sensors & Systems Company Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: BEI Sensors & Systems Company Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Moore, Robert H., Layton, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US09/172,099
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 73/504.12, 73/504.13, 73/504.14, 73/504.15, 73/504.16, 73/504.04, 310/329, 310/370
• US Class Current: 73/504.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5614 Signal processing

Abstract

A closed loop sensor that utilizes a piezoelectric structure. In one embodiment, drive/non-control electrodes apply drive voltages to the piezoelectric structure and drive/control electrodes apply drive/control voltages to the piezoelectric structure to cause drive mode displacement of the piezoelectric structure and cancel motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements of the piezoelectric structure. In another embodiment, pickup/control electrodes detect a pickup signal from the piezoelectric structure corresponding to the motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements and apply a control signal to the piezoelectric structure so as to cancel these displacements. In still another embodiment of the invention, an optical sensing device optically senses the motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements and control electrodes apply a control signal to the piezoelectric structure so as to cancel them.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a piezoelectric structure;

pickup electrodes disposed on the piezoelectric structure to detect an AC pickup signal from the piezoelectric structure in response to motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements of the piezoelectric structure;

pickup/control electronics coupled to the pickup electrodes to generate an AC control signal in response to the pickup signal;

the pickup electrodes also being coupled to the pickup/control electronics and disposed on the piezoelectric structure to apply the control signal to the piezoelectric structure so that the motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements of the piezoelectric structure are canceled.

2. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the pickup signal comprises a pickup high current generated in response to the motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements and a pickup low voltage;

the control signal comprises the difference between a control high voltage and the pickup low voltage; and

the pickup electrodes include;

pickup high electrodes to pickup the pickup high current from and apply the control high voltage to the piezolectric structure; and

pickup low electrodes to apply the pickup low voltage to the piezoelectric structure.

3. A sensor as recited in claim 2 wherein:

the pickup low electrodes include first pickup low electrodes that are disposed on first opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure and second pickup low electrodes that are disposed on second opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure; and

the pickup high electrodes include first pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the first opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure opposing the first pickup low electrodes and second pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the second opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure opposing the second pickup low electrodes.

4. A sensor as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the pickup signal comprises a pickup high current generated in response to the motion induced pickup mode and quadrature displacements and a control high voltage;

the control signal comprises the difference between the control high voltage and a virtual ground voltage; and

the pickup electrodes include;

pickup high electrodes to pickup the pickup high current from and apply the virtual ground voltage to the piezoelectric structure; and

pickup low electrodes to apply the control high voltage to the piezoelectric structure.

5. A sensor as recited in claim 4 wherein:

the pickup low electrodes include first pickup low electrodes that are disposed on first opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure and second pickup low electrodes that are disposed on second opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure; and

the pickup high electrodes include first pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the first opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure opposing the first pickup low electrodes and second pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the second opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric structure opposing the second pickup low electrodes.

6. A rotation rate sensor comprising:

a piezoelectric tuning fork having drive tines and pickup tines;

pickup electrodes disposed on the pickup tines to detect an AC pickup signal from the pickup tines in response to rotation induced pickup mode and quadrature vibrations of the pickup tines; and

pickup/control electronics coupled to the pickup/control electrodes and responsive to the pickup signal to generate an AC control signal;

the pickup electrodes also being coupled to the pickup/control electronics and disposed on the pickup tines to apply the control signal to the pickup tines so that the rotation induced pickup mode and quadrature vibrations of the pickup tines are canceled.

7. A sensor as recited in claim 6 wherein:

the pickup signal comprises a pickup high current generated in response to the rotation induced pickup mode and quadrature vibrations and a pickup low voltage;

the control signal comprises the difference between a control high voltage and the pickup low voltage; and

the pickup electrodes include;

pickup high electrodes to pickup the pickup high current from and apply the control high voltage to the pickup tines; and

pickup low electrodes to apply the pickup low voltage to the pickup tines.

8. A sensor as recited in claim 7 wherein:

the pickup low electrodes include first pickup low electrodes that are disposed on opposite surfaces of a first one of the pickup tines and second pickup low electrodes that are disposed on opposite surfaces of a second one of the pickup tines; and

the pickup high electrodes include first pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the opposite surfaces of the first one of the pickup tines opposing the first pickup low electrodes and second pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the opposite surfaces of the second one of the pickup tines opposing the second pickup low electrodes.

9. A sensor as recited in claim 8 wherein:

the pickup signal comprises a pickup high current generated in response to the rotation induced pickup mode and quadrature vibrations and a control high voltage;

the control signal comprises the difference between the control high voltage and a virtual ground voltage; and

the pickup electrodes include;

pickup high electrodes to pickup the pickup high current from and apply the virtual ground voltage to the pickup tines; and

pickup low electrodes to apply the control high voltage to the pickup tines.

10. A sensor as recited in claim 9 wherein:

the pickup low electrodes include first pickup low electrodes that are disposed on opposite surfaces of a first one of the pickup tines and second pickup low electrodes that are disposed on opposite surfaces of a second one of the pickup tines; and

the pickup high electrodes include first pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the opposite surfaces of the first one of the pickup tines opposing the first pickup low electrodes and second pickup high electrodes that are disposed on the opposite surfaces of the second one of the pickup tines opposing the second pickup low electrodes.