Electrostatic capacitance type dynamical quantity sensor

• US 6,377,056 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Car Engineering Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Akihiko, Onose, Yasuo, Matsumoto, Masahiro, Hanzawa, Keiji, Horie, Junichi, Shimada, Satoshi, Ichikawa, Norio, Kuryu, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): KERVEROS, DEMETRIOS C
• Application Number:
  US09/384,289
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 324/678, 324/658, 324/676, 324/677, 324/679, 324/548
• US Class Current: 324/678
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/24 by varying capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/12 by making use of variations in capacitance , i.e. electric circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

Dynamic quantitative displacement is converted stably and straight into voltage (D.C. output) by using a high speed detection driving frequency without restricting a response of an operational amplifier. When a dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance changes according to a dynamic quantity, electric charges stored in this element and in a reference electrostatic capacitance become unbalanced to produce a difference value, and an output of an operational amplifier changes according to the difference in electric charge quantity. However, the output becomes finally stable when the electric charges in the dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance and in the reference electrostatic capacitance become equal. The output is proportional to a reciprocal of the dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance and it is a D.C. voltage. Further, output without depending on integration feedback capacitance (feedback condenser) CF can be obtained.

Claims

1. An electrostatic capacitance type dynamic quantity sensor comprising:

a dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element having an electrostatic capacitance C_s which changes according to a dynamic quantity,

a reference electrostatic capacitance element forming a reference electrostatic capacitance C_R, and

a capacitance detection circuit outputting a dynamic quantity detection signal proportional to a reciprocal of the electrostatic capacitance C_s of said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element,

wherein said sensor has a circuit construction formed so that when said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element displaces according to a dynamic quantity, electric charge quantities charged in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element become unbalanced to produce a difference, and an output of said capacitance detection circuit changes according to the difference of electric charge quantity, and a charge and discharge circuit is provided which operates, using the output of said capacitance detection circuit, to change the output until the electric charge quantities in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element become substantially equal.

2. An electrostatic capacitance type dynamic quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said capacitance detection circuit has an electric charge integration circuit integrating a difference in electric charge between said electric charge in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance elements and outputting said difference,

said charge and discharge circuit substracts said integrated output from voltage of a voltage source and adds it to said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element, thereby to make the quantities of electric charge charged in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element to be finally equal to each other.

3. An electrostatic capacitance type dynamic quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said capacitance detection circuit has an electric charge integration circuit integrating a difference in electric charge between said electric charge in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element, and outputting said difference,

said charge and discharge circuit multiplies said integrated output and adds it to said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element, thereby to make the quantities of electric charge charged in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element to be finally equal to each other.

4. An electrostatic capacitance type dynamic quantity sensor according to claim 2, wherein said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and said reference electrostatic capacitance element are connected in series, said capacitance detection circuit comprises an operational amplifier having a reverse input terminal connection to a common line connecting between said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and said reference electrostatic capacitance element, and a feedback condenser connected between said reverse input terminal and an output terminal of said operational amplifier, wherein said feedback condenser becomes an element of said electric charge integration circuit and an output of said capacitance detection circuit does not depend on a capacitance value of said feedback condenser when the quantities of electric charge charged in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element become equal to each other.

5. An electrostatic capacitance type dynamic quantity sensor according to claim 3, wherein said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and said reference electrostatic capacitance element are connected in series, said capacitance detection circuit comprises an operational amplifier having a reverse input terminal connection to a common line connecting between said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and said reference electrostatic capacitance element, and a feedback condenser connected between said reverse input terminal and an output terminal of said operational amplifier, wherein said feedback condenser becomes an element of said electric charge integration circuit and an output of said capacitance detection circuit does not depend on a capacitance value of said feedback condenser when the quantities of electric charge charged in said dynamic quantity detection electrostatic capacitance element and in said reference electrostatic capacitance element become equal to each other.