Vibration type angular velocity detector

• US 6,018,996 A
• Filed: 06/05/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Takayuki, Ito, Takeshi, Matsuhiro, Yasushi, Yoshino, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/090,994
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 73/504.12, 73/504.14, 73/504.15, 73/504.16, 73/504.02, 73/504.03, 73/504.04
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5649 Signal processing

Abstract

The output of a synchronous detector is made precise by reducing the offset included in the outputs of detecting piezoelectric elements. This is carried out by applying one y-axis direction exciting force to one movable piece from one pair of driving piezoelectric elements and another y-axis direction exciting force to another movable piece from another pair of driving piezoelectric elements.

Claims

1. A vibration type angular velocity detector comprising:

a movable body comprising an axis in a direction corresponding to a z-axis, in a rectangular coordinate system established by an x-axis, a y-axis, and the z-axis;

driving piezoelectric elements affixed to said movable body for vibrating said movable body in a direction of the x-axis;

at least one reference piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting a vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction and outputting a reference output in response to the vibration of said movable body in the x-direction;

at least one detecting piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting the vibration of said movable body in the y-axis direction in response to an angular velocity acting on said movable body where said movable body is vibrating in the x-axis direction;

a control mechanism for driving said driving piezoelectric elements to have opposite phases so that said movable body vibrates in the x-axis direction based on said reference output from said at least one reference piezoelectric element, said control mechanism comprising;

an exciting force generator for generating a y-axis direction exciting force based on said reference output so that a phase of the vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction is shifted; and

an angular velocity detector for detecting the angular velocity based on said reference output and an output of said at least one detecting piezoelectric element indicative of the vibration of said movable body in the y-axis direction,

wherein said control mechanism applies said y-axis direction exciting force to said movable body by driving said driving piezoelectric elements.

2. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 1, said angular velocity detector comprising:

a first phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output to be the same as a phase of said detecting element output based on said reference output, and

a synchronous detector for synchronously detecting said detecting element output based on a first phase shifted output shifted by said first phase controller, and for outputting said angular velocity;

said control mechanism comprising a second phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output by 90 degrees;

said exciting force generator comprising;

a first exciting force generator for adding a second phase shifted output shifted by said second phase controller to said reference output and for generating a first exciting force; and

a second exciting force generator for inverting said second phase shifted output, for adding an inverted second phase shifted output to said reference output, and for generating a second exciting force; and

said control mechanism driving one of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said first exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction, said control mechanism also driving another of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said second exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction with a phase opposite to a phase of the driving of said one of said driving piezoelectric elements.

3. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 1, wherein said movable body comprises one vibration piece.

4. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 1, wherein said movable body comprises two vibration pieces.

5. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 4, wherein each of said vibration pieces comprises said at least one reference piezoelectric element.

6. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 4, wherein each of said vibration pieces comprises said at least one detecting piezoelectric element.

7. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 1, said angular velocity detector comprising:

a first phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output to be the same as a phase of said detecting element output based on said reference output, and

a synchronous detector for synchronously detecting said detecting element output based on a first phase shifted output shifted by said first phase controller, and for outputting said angular velocity;

said control mechanism comprising a second phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output by 90 degrees;

said exciting force generator comprising;

a first exciting force generator for adding a second phase shifted output shifted by said second phase controller to said reference output and for generating a first exciting force; and

a second exciting force generator for adding said second phase shifted output to said reference output to produce an added output, for inverting said added output, and for generating a second exciting force; and

said control mechanism driving one of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said first exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction, said control mechanism also driving another of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said second exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction with a phase opposite to a phase of said driving of said one of said driving piezoelectric elements.

8. A vibration type angular velocity detector comprising:

a movable body comprising an axis in a direction corresponding to a z-axis, in a rectangular coordinate system established by an x-axis, a y-axis, and the z-axis;

driving piezoelectric elements affixed to said movable body for vibrating said movable body in said x-axis direction;

at least one reference piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting a vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction and for outputting a reference output in response to the vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction;

at least one detecting piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting the vibration of said movable body in the y-axis direction in response to an angular velocity acting on said movable body where said movable body is vibrating in the x-axis direction;

a control mechanism for driving said driving piezoelectric elements to have opposite phases so that said movable body vibrates in the x-axis direction based on said reference output from said at least one reference piezoelectric element, said control mechanism comprising;

an exciting force generator for generating a y-axis direction exciting force based on said reference output so that an offset included in a detecting element output of said at least one detecting piezoelectric element is reduced; and

an angular velocity detector for detecting the angular velocity based on said reference output and said detecting element output,

wherein said control mechanism applies said y-axis direction exciting force to said movable body by driving said driving piezoelectric elements.

9. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 8, said angular velocity detector comprising:

a first phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output to be the same as a phase of said detecting element output based on said reference output, and

a synchronous detector for synchronously detecting said detecting element output based on a first phase shifted output shifted by said first phase controller, and for outputting said angular velocity;

said control mechanism comprising a second phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output to reduce said offset included in said detecting element output;

said exciting force generator comprising;

a first exciting force generator for adding a second phase shifted output shifted by said second phase controller to said reference output and for generating a first exciting force, and

a second exciting force generator for inverting said second phase shifted output, for adding an inverted second phase shifted output to said reference output, and for generating a second exciting force; and

said control mechanism driving one of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said first exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction, said control mechanism also driving another of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said second exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction with a phase opposite to a phase of said vibration of said driving of said one of said driving piezoelectric elements.

10. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 8, wherein said movable body comprises one vibration piece.

11. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 8, wherein said movable body comprises two vibration pieces.

12. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 11, wherein each of said vibration pieces comprises said at least one reference piezoelectric element.

13. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 11, wherein each of said vibration pieces comprises said at least one detecting piezoelectric element.

14. The vibration type angular velocity detector according to claim 8, said angular velocity detector comprising:

a first phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output to be the same as a phase of said detecting element output based on said reference output, and

a synchronous detector for synchronously detecting said detecting element output based on a first phase shifted output shifted by said first phase controller, and for outputting said angular velocity;

said control mechanism comprising a second phase controller for shifting the phase of said reference output to reduce said offset included in said detecting element output;

said exciting force generator comprising;

a first exciting force generator for adding a second phase shifted output shifted by said second phase controller to said reference output and for generating a first exciting force, and

a second exciting force generator for adding said second phase shifted output to said reference output to produce an added output, for inverting said added output, and for generating a second exciting force; and

said control mechanism driving one of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said first exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction, said control mechanism also driving another of said driving piezoelectric elements based on said second exciting force so that said movable body vibrates in the y-axis direction with a phase opposite to a phase of said driving of said one of said driving piezoelectric elements.

15. A vibration type angular velocity detector comprising:

a movable body comprising an axis in a direction corresponding to a z-axis, in a rectangular coordinate system established by an x-axis, a y-axis, and the z-axis;

driving piezoelectric elements affixed to said movable body for vibrating said movable body in a direction of the x-axis;

at least one reference piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting a vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction and outputting a reference output in response to the vibration of said movable body in the x-direction;

at least one detecting piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting the vibration of said movable body in the y-axis direction in response to an angular velocity acting on said movable body where said movable body is vibrating in the x-axis direction;

control means for driving said driving piezoelectric elements to have opposite phases so that said movable body vibrates in the x-axis direction based on said reference output from said at least one reference piezoelectric element, said control means comprising;

exciting force generating means for generating a y-axis direction exciting force based on said reference output so that a phase of the vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction is shifted; and

angular velocity detecting means for detecting the angular velocity based on said reference output and an output of said at least one detecting piezoelectric element indicative of the vibration of said movable body in the y-axis direction,

wherein said control means applies said y-axis direction exciting force to said movable body by driving said driving piezoelectric elements.

16. A vibration type angular velocity detector comprising:

a movable body comprising an axis in a direction corresponding to a z-axis, in a rectangular coordinate system established by an x-axis, a y-axis, and the z-axis;

driving piezoelectric elements affixed to said movable body for vibrating said movable body in said x-axis direction;

at least one reference piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting a vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction and for outputting a reference output in response to the vibration of said movable body in the x-axis direction;

at least one detecting piezoelectric element affixed to said movable body for detecting the vibration of said movable body in the y-axis direction in response to an angular velocity acting on said movable body where said movable body is vibrating in the x-axis direction;

control means for driving said driving piezoelectric elements to have opposite phases so that said movable body vibrates in the x-axis direction based on said reference output from said at least one reference piezoelectric element, said control means comprising;

exciting force generating means for generating a y-axis direction exciting force based on said reference output so that an offset included in a detecting element output of said at least one detecting piezoelectric element is reduced; and

angular velocity detecting means for detecting the angular velocity based on said reference output and said detecting element output, wherein said control means applies said y-axis direction exciting force to said movable body by driving said driving piezoelectric elements.