Sensor

• US 6,338,199 B1
• Filed: 03/24/1998
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Susumu, Yamamoto, Hiroshi, Sugimori, Masami, Chigira, Tatsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Roskoski, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US09/046,953
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 333/00, 333/18, 333/28, 333/24, 334/61, 331/26
• US Class Current: 33/318
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0922 of the bending or flexing mode type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0842 the mass being of clover leaf shape

Abstract

A sensor includes a plurality of weight portions which swivel, support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of the plurality of weight portions in the same direction, and a driving part which supplies driving power to the support parts to swivel the plurality of weight portions. The driving part swivels at least one weight portion of the plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the angular velocity about an axis parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of the at least one weight portion, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the axis, can be detected from the difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of the at least one weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of the remaining weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

(A) a sensor substrate,

(B) a plurality of columnar weight portions;

(C) support parts, provided on said sensor substrate, each of which supports at one end a respective one of said plurality of said columnar weight portions on one surface of said sensor substrate, and

(D) a driving part which supplies driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of columnar weight portions, said driving part swiveling at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling at least another one weight portion in a counterclockwise direction so that the angular velocity about a predetermined detection axis parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said columnar weight portion, excluding an acceleration component in the predetermined detection axis direction in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel locus at the columnar weight portion, can be detected from the difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of said columnar weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining columnar weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

5. A sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detector which detects a force which acts on said columnar weight portion swiveling in the clockwise direction and a force which acts on said columnar weight portion swiveling in the counterclockwise direction, and outputs a signal required for obtaining the angular velocity about the predetermined detection axis, said detector being provided in said support parts.

6. A sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detector which detects a Coriolis force that acts on each of said columnar weight portions in a direction perpendicular to a swiveling direction of each of said columnar weight portions, and outputs a signal required for obtaining the angular velocity about the predetermined detection axis, said detector being provided in said support parts.

7. A sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detector which detects whether the swivel locus of each of said columnar weight portions is distorted in a longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs a signal required for obtaining the angular velocity about the predetermined detection axis, said detector being provided in said support parts.

18. A sensor according to claim 1, wherein the deviation of the swivel locus of each of said columnar weight portions is a displacement in swivel radius of each of said columnar weight portions.

2. A sensor comprising:

(A) a sensor substrate,

(B) a plurality of columnar weight portions,

(C) support parts, provided on said sensor substrate, each of which supports at one end a respective one of said plurality of columnar weight portions on one surface of said sensor substrate, and

(D) a driving part which supplies driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of columnar weight portions, said driving part swiveling at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling at least another weight portion in a counterclockwise direction so that an angular velocity about two predetermined detection axes parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said columnar weight portion, excluding an acceleration component in the two predetermined detection axes directions in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel locus of the columnar weight portion, can be detected from the difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of said columnar weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining columnar weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

8. A sensor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a detector which detects a force which acts on said columnar weight portion swiveling in the clockwise direction and a force which acts on said columnar weight portion swiveling in the counterclockwise direction, and outputs a signal required for obtaining the angular velocities about the two predetermined detection axes, said detector being provided in said support parts.

9. A sensor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a detector which detects a Coriolis force which acts on each of said columnar weight portions in a direction perpendicular to a swiveling direction of each of said columnar weight portions, and outputs a signal required for obtaining the angular velocities about the two predetermined detection axes, said detector being provided in said support parts.

10. A sensor according to claim 2, further comprising:

a detector which detects whether the swivel locus of each of said weight portions is distorted in a longitudinal direction thereof, and outputs a signal required for obtaining the angular velocities about the two axes, said detector being provided in said support parts.

11. A sensor according to claim 2, wherein the two predetermined detection axes are first and second detection axes which are perpendicular to each other, in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel loci of said columnar weight portions which respectively swivel in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

12. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein said driving part drives said support parts at a resonant frequency at which to oscillate and bend said support parts in the direction of each of the first and second detection axes which are perpendicular to each other.

13. A sensor according to claim 11, wherein said driving part drives said first and second weight portions so that said weight portions are 0 degrees in phase difference in the direction of the first detection axis and 180 degrees in phase difference in the direction of the second detection axis.

14. A sensor according to claim 13, wherein said detector includes a first detecting element which detects an inclination of said first weight portion in a direction parallel to the first detection axis, a second detecting element which detects an inclination of said first weight portion in a direction parallel to the second detection axis, a third detecting element which detects an inclination of said second weight portion in the direction parallel to the first detection axis, and a fourth detecting element which detects an inclination of said second weight portion in the direction parallel to the second detection axis, said first detecting element and said third detecting element being arranged to output signals of the same polarity with respect to inclinations of said first and second weight portions in the same direction, said second detecting element and said fourth detecting element being arranged to output signals of opposite polarity with respect to inclinations of said second and fourth weight portions in the same direction.

15. A sensor according to claim 13, wherein each of said first to fourth detecting elements includes a piezoelectric element.

16. A sensor according to claim 13, wherein each of said first to fourth detecting elements includes a piezoresistive element.

17. A sensor according to claim 13, wherein each of said first to fourth detecting elements includes a capacitor for detecting a variation in electrostatic capacity.

19. A sensor according to claim 2, wherein the deviation of the swivel locus of each of said columnar weight portions is a displacement in swivel radius of each of said columnar weight portions.

3. A sensor comprising:

(A) a sensor substrate,

(B) a plurality of columnar weight portions,

(C) support parts, provided on said sensor substrate, each of which supports at one end a respective one of said plurality of columnar weight portions on one surface of said sensor, and

(D) a driving part which supplies driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of columnar weight portions, said driving part swiveling at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling at least another one weight portion in a counterclockwise direction plurality of columnar weight portions relative to said sensor substrate, and a remaining columnar weight portion, which serves as a second weight portion in a second direction opposite to said so that an acceleration in the direction of a predetermined detection axis parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said columnar weight portion, excluding an acceleration component about the direction of said predetermined detection axis in a plane parallel to said predetermined swivel locus of said columnar weight portion, can be detected from the sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one columnar weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining columnar weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

20. A sensor according to claim 3, wherein the deviation of the swivel locus of each of said columnar weight portions is a displacement in swivel radius of each of said columnar weight portions.

4. A sensor comprising:

(A) a sensor substrate,

(B) a plurality of columnar weight portions,

(C) support parts, provided on said sensor substrate, each of which supports at one end and a respective one of said plurality of columnar weight portions on one surface of said sensor substrate, and

(D) a driving part which supplies driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of columnar weight portions, said driving part swiveling at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling at least another one weight portion in a counterclockwise direction so that accelerations in the directions of two predetermined detection axes parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said columnar weight portion, excluding an angular velocity component about said two predetermined detection axes in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel locus of said columnar weight portions can be detected from the sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one columnar weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining columnar weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

21. A sensor according to claim 4, wherein the deviation of the swivel locus of each of said weight portions is an inclination of a swivel central axis of each of said weight portions.

22. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction or supports the corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in a planar manner;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from a corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci in which said weight portions are respectively swiveled by said driving part and a deviation of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from a corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an acceleration in the direction of an axis parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding an angular velocity component about the axis.

25. A sensor according to claim 22, wherein said detecting part computes a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detects an angular velocity about the axis, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the axis.

34. A sensor according to claim 22, further comprising:

an oscillating signal supplying part which supplies to said driving part an oscillating signal for swiveling said plurality of weight portions in the first and second directions,

said detecting part detecting the acceleration by passing through a low-pass filter and an amplifier a computation result signal indicative of a sum of a computation result signal obtained by computing a difference between a component of a force which acts on said weight portion and an oscillation component of the oscillating signal, relative to the direction of the axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portion is swiveled in the first direction, and a computation result signal obtained by computing a difference between a component of a force which acts on said weight portion and an oscillation component of the oscillating signal, relative to the direction of the axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portion is swiveled in the second direction.

23. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts one of which supports at one end at least one of said plurality of weight portions on one side and another of which supports at one end a remaining weight portion on an opposite side;

(C) a driving part for swiveling said at least one of said plurality of weight portions and said remaining weight portion in the same direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one of said plurality of weight portions from a corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci in which said weight portions are respectively swiveled by said driving part and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining weight portion from a corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an acceleration in the direction of an axis parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding an angular velocity component about the axis.

26. A sensor according to claim 23, wherein said detecting part computes a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said at least one of said plurality of weight portions from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said remaining weight portion from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detects an angular velocity about the axis, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the axis.

35. A sensor according to claim 23, further comprising:

an oscillating signal supplying part which supplies to said driving part an oscillating signal for swiveling said plurality of weight portions in the first and second directions,

said detecting part detecting the acceleration by passing through a low-pass filter and an amplifier a computation result signal indicative of a sum of a computation result signal obtained by computing a difference between a component of a force which acts on said weight portion and an oscillation component of the oscillating signal, relative to the direction of the axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portion is swiveled in the first direction, and a computation result signal obtained by computing a difference between a component of a force which acts on said weight portion and an oscillation component of the oscillating signal, relative to the direction of the axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portion is swiveled in the second direction.

24. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from a corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci in which said weight portions are respectively swiveled by said driving part and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from a corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an acceleration in the direction of an axis parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding an angular velocity component about the axis.

27. A sensor according to claim 24, wherein said detecting part computes a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said remaining weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detects an angular velocity about the axis, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the axis.

36. A sensor according to claim 24, further comprising:

an oscillating signal supplying part which supplies to said driving part an oscillating signal for swiveling said plurality of weight portions in the first and second directions,

said detecting part detecting the acceleration by passing through a low-pass filter and an amplifier a computation result signal indicative of a sum of a computation result signal obtained by computing a difference between a component of a force which acts on said weight portion and an oscillation component of the oscillating signal, relative to the direction of the axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portion is swiveled in the first direction, and a computation result signal obtained by computing a difference between a component of a force which acts on said weight portion and an oscillation component of the oscillating signal, relative to the direction of the axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portion is swiveled in the second direction.

28. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction or supports the corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in a planar manner;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from a corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci in which said weight portions are respectively swiveled by said driving part and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from a corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting accelerations in the directions of two axes parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding angular velocity components about the two axes.

31. A sensor according to claim 28, wherein said detecting part computes a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said remaining weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detects angular velocities about the two axes, excluding acceleration components in the direction of the two axes.

29. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts one of which supports at one end at least one of said plurality of weight portions on one side and another of which supports at one end a remaining weight portion on an opposite side;

(C) a driving part for swiveling said at least one of said plurality of weight portions and said remaining weight portion in the same direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one of said plurality of weight portions from a corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci in which said weight portions are respectively swiveled by said driving part and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining weight portion from a corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting accelerations in the directions of two axes parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding angular velocity components about the two axes.

32. A sensor according to claim 29, wherein said detecting part computes a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said at least one of said plurality of weight portions from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said remaining weight portion from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting angular velocities about the two axes, excluding acceleration components in the directions of the two axes.

30. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a deviation of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from a corresponding one of predetermined swivel loci in which said weight portions are respectively swiveled by said driving part and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from a corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting accelerations in the directions of two axes parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding angular velocity components about the two axes.

33. A sensor according to claim 30, wherein said detecting part computes a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said remaining weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detects angular velocities about the two axes, excluding accelerations in the directions of the two axes.

37. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a difference between a spread of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction by said driving part and a spread of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction by said driving part, and detecting an angular velocity about a swivel axis of a predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portions are swiveled by said driving part, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the swivel axis.

38. A sensor according to claim 37, wherein said detecting part computes an angular velocity component about the swivel axis of the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portions are swiveled by said driving part, from a difference between a deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion, which is swiveled in the first direction on an axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus, from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion, which is swiveled in the second direction on the axis, from the predetermined swivel locus.

39. A sensor according to claim 37, wherein said detecting part obtains the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction, as values equivalent to average values per cycle of swivel motions of said respective weight parts.

40. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part for computing a sum of a spread of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction by said driving part and a spread of a swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction by said driving part, and detecting an acceleration in the direction of a swivel axis of a predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portions are swiveled by said driving part, excluding an angular velocity about the swivel axis.

41. A sensor according to claim 40, wherein said detecting part computes an acceleration component in the direction of the swivel axis of the predetermined swivel locus in which said weight portions are swiveled by said driving part, from a sum of a deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion, which is swiveled in the first direction on an axis parallel to the predetermined swivel locus, from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion, which is swiveled in the second direction on the axis, from the predetermined swivel locus.

42. A sensor according to claim 40, wherein said detecting part obtains the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction, as values equivalent to average values per cycle of swivel motions of said respective weight parts.

43. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction or supports the corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in a planar manner; and

(C) a driving part which supplies driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of weight portions, said driving part swiveling at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling the other weight portions in a counterclockwise direction so that an angular velocity about a predetermined detection axis parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said weight portion, excluding an acceleration component in the predetermined detection axis direction in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel locus of the weight portion, can be detected from a difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one weight portion from the predetermined seivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said other weight portions from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

44. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end of corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction or supports the corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in a planar manner; and

(C) a driving part which supplied driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of weight portions, said driving part swiveling at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling the other weight portions in a counterclockwise direction so that an angular velocity about two predetermined detection axes parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said weight portion, excludidng an acceleration component in the two predetermined detection axes directions in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel locus of the weight portion, can be detected from a difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said other weight portions from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

45. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts, one of which supports at one end at least one of said plurality of weight portions one one side and another which supports at one end a remaining weight portion on an opposite side; and

(C) a driving part which supplied driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of weight portions, said driving part swiveling said at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling said remaining weight portion in a counterclockwise direction so that an angular velocity about a predetermined detection axis parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said weight portion, excluding an acceleration component in the predetermined detection axis direction in a plane parallel to the predetermined seivel locus of the weight portion, can be detected from a difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus of said remaining weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

46. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts, one of which supports at one end at least one of said plurality of weight portions on one side and another of which supports at one end a remaining weight portion on an opposite side;

(C) a driving part which supplies driving power to said support parts to swivel said plurality of weight portions, said driving part swiveling said at least one weight portion of said plurality of weight portions in a clockwise direction and swiveling said remaining weight portion in a counterclockwise direction so that an angular velocity about two predetermined detection axes parallel to a predetermined swivel locus of said weight portion, excluding an acceleration component in the two predetermined detection axes directions in a plane parallel to the predetermined swivel locus of the weight portion, can be detected from a difference between a deviation of a swivel locus of said at least one weight portion from the predetermined swivel locus and a deviation of a swivel locus of said remaining weight portion from a predetermined swivel locus thereof.

47. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction or supports the corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in a planar manner;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part computing a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an angular velocity about an axis parallel to the predetermined swivelloci, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the axis.

48. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts each of which supports at one end a corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in the same direction or supports the corresponding one of said plurality of weight portions in a planar manner;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part computing a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an angular velocity about two axes parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the two axes.

49. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts, one of which supports at one end at least one of said plurality of weight portions on one side and another of which supports at one end a remaining weight portion on an opposite side;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of said plurality of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part computing a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an angular velocity about an axis parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the axis.

50. A sensor comprising:

(A) a plurality of weight portions;

(B) support parts, one of which supports at one end at least one of said plurality of weight portions on one side and another of which supports at one end a remaining weight portion on an opposite side;

(C) a driving part for swiveling at least one of weight portions in a first direction and a remaining weight portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

(D) a detecting part computing a difference between the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the first direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci and the deviation of the swivel locus of said weight portion which is swiveled in the second direction from the corresponding one of the predetermined swivel loci, and detecting an angular velocity about two axes parallel to the predetermined swivel loci, excluding an acceleration component in the direction of the two axes.