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Feedback mechanism for rate gyroscopes

  • US 6,470,748 B1
  • Filed: 10/04/2000
  • Issued: 10/29/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A mechanical rate gyroscope, comprising:

  • a mechanical sensor including a base, a mass, a first segmented drive system configured to generate a drive force Fd to cause the mass to vibrate relative to the base, a displacement sensor configured to measure deflection of the mass caused by a Coriolis force generated in response to an applied angular rate, and a transverse segmented drive system configured to generate a feedback force Ff to cancel the Coriolis force; and

    control circuitry configured to receive the measure of deflection and provide at least one feedback signal based on the measure of deflection to the transverse drive system for generating the feedback force, wherein the first drive system includes a first number Nd of segments operatively coupled to the mass and the transverse drive system includes a second number Nf of segments operatively coupled to the mass, the segments of the transverse drive system being substantially similar to and transversely oriented relative to the segments of the first drive system, the segments of the first drive system and the segments of the transverse drive system being arranged to cause fringe fields- associated with the respective drive systems to substantially match, and wherein Fd/Ff is proportional to Nd/Nf.

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