Six degree-of-freedom micro-machined multi-sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor, comprising:
- a first substrate;
a second substrate;
a first multi-sensor substructure fabricated on the first substrate, the first multi-sensor substructure operative to provide a first plurality of sense signals indicative of acceleration sensing relative to mutually orthogonal first and second axes in the plane of the first substrate, and indicative of angular rate sensing relative to a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes; and
a second multi-sensor substructure fabricated on the second substrate, the second multi-sensor substructure operative to provide a second plurality of sense signals indicative of angular rate sensing relative to mutually orthogonal fourth and fifth axes in the plane of the second substrate, and indicative of acceleration sensing relative to a sixth axis perpendicular to the fourth and fifth axes, wherein the first multi-sensor substructure includes a substantially planar accelerometer frame;
a first proof mass coupled to the frame;
a second proof mass coupled to the frame;
a first pair of diametrically opposed acceleration sense electrode structures coupled to the frame and disposed along the first axis; and
a second pair of diametrically opposed acceleration sense electrode structures coupled to the frame and disposed along the second axis, wherein the first and second proof masses are configured to vibrate in antiphase along a vibration axis, the vibration axis being in a plane defined by the first and second axes, and wherein each acceleration sense electrode structure is configured to produce a respective one of the first plurality of sense signals, each sense signal being electrically independent of the remaining sense signals.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A six degree-of-freedom micro-machined multi-sensor that provides 3-axes of acceleration sensing, and 3-axes of angular rate sensing, in a single multi-sensor device. The six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor device includes a first multi-sensor substructure providing 2-axes of acceleration sensing and 1-axis of angular rate sensing, and a second multi-sensor substructure providing a third axis of acceleration sensing, and second and third axes of angular rate sensing. The first and second multi-sensor substructures are implemented on respective substrates within the six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor device.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor, comprising:
-
a first substrate;
a second substrate;
a first multi-sensor substructure fabricated on the first substrate, the first multi-sensor substructure operative to provide a first plurality of sense signals indicative of acceleration sensing relative to mutually orthogonal first and second axes in the plane of the first substrate, and indicative of angular rate sensing relative to a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes; and
a second multi-sensor substructure fabricated on the second substrate, the second multi-sensor substructure operative to provide a second plurality of sense signals indicative of angular rate sensing relative to mutually orthogonal fourth and fifth axes in the plane of the second substrate, and indicative of acceleration sensing relative to a sixth axis perpendicular to the fourth and fifth axes, wherein the first multi-sensor substructure includes a substantially planar accelerometer frame;
a first proof mass coupled to the frame;
a second proof mass coupled to the frame;
a first pair of diametrically opposed acceleration sense electrode structures coupled to the frame and disposed along the first axis; and
a second pair of diametrically opposed acceleration sense electrode structures coupled to the frame and disposed along the second axis, wherein the first and second proof masses are configured to vibrate in antiphase along a vibration axis, the vibration axis being in a plane defined by the first and second axes, and wherein each acceleration sense electrode structure is configured to produce a respective one of the first plurality of sense signals, each sense signal being electrically independent of the remaining sense signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor, comprising:
-
a first substrate, a second substrate;
a first multi-sensor substructure fabricated on the first substrate, the first multi-sensor substructure operative to provide a first plurality of sense signals indicative of acceleration sensing relative to mutually orthogonal first and second axes in the plane of the first substrate, and indicative of angular rate sensing relative to a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes; and
a second multi-sensor substructure fabricated on the second substrate, the second multi-sensor substructure operative to provide a second plurality of sense signals indicative of angular rate sensing relative to mutually orthogonal fourth and fifth axes in the plane of the second substrate, and indicative of acceleration sensing relative to a sixth axis perpendicular to the fourth and fifth axes, wherein the second multi-sensor substructure includes at least one first mass coupled to and suspended over the second substrate, the first mass having associated longitudinal and lateral axes, and an associated rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral axes;
at least one second mass coupled to and suspended over the second substrate, the second mass having associated longitudinal and lateral axes, and an associated rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal and lateral axes, the second mass being adjacent to the first mass, at least one drive structure operatively coupled to the first and second masses, the drive structure being configured to vibrate the first and second masses in antiphase about the respective rotation axes;
first and second pairs of diametrically opposed acceleration sensing structures operatively coupled to the first mass, the first and second acceleration sensing structure pairs being disposed along the longitudinal and lateral axes, respectively, of the first mass; and
third and fourth pairs of diametrically opposed acceleration sensing structures operatively coupled to the second mass, the third and fourth acceleration sensing structure pairs being disposed along the longitudinal and lateral axes, respectively, of the second mass, wherein the respective longitudinal axes are parallel to the fourth axis, and the respective lateral axes are parallel to the fifth axis, and wherein each acceleration sensing structure is configured to produce a respective sense signal, the respective sense signals being indicative of angular rate sensing relative to the fourth and fifth axes, and being further indicative of acceleration sensing relative to the sixth axis. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A method of operating a six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a first plurality of sense signals by a first multi-sensor substructure, the first plurality of sense signals being indicative of acceleration sensing relative to mutually orthogonal first and second axes in the plane of a first substrate, and indicative of angular rate sensing relative to a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes, the first multi-sensor substructure being implemented on the first substrate;
providing a second plurality of sense signals by a second multi-sensor substructure, the second plurality of sense signals being indicative of angular rate sensing relative to mutually orthogonal fourth and fifth axes in the plane of a second substrate, and indicative of acceleration sensing relative to a sixth axis perpendicular to the fourth and fifth axes, the second multi-sensor substructure being implemented on the second substrate;
vibrating in antiphase a first proof mass and a second proof mass along a vibration axis by a drive electrode structure, the first proof mass being coupled to an accelerometer frame, and the second proof mass being coupled to the accelerometer frame;
producing respective first accelerometer sense signals by a first pair of diametrically opposed acceleration sense electrode structures coupled to the frame and disposed along the first axis; and
producing respective second accelerometer sense signals by a second pair of diametrically opposed acceleration sense electrode structures coupled to the frame and disposed along the second axis, the first and second proof masses, the drive electrode structure, and the first and second pairs of acceleration sense electrode structures being included in the first multi-sensor substructure, wherein each sense signal produced in the first and second producing steps is electrically independent of the remaining sense signals. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
-
26. A method of operating a six degree-of-freedom multi-sensor, comprising the steps of:
-
providing a first plurality of sense signals by a first multi-sensor substructure, the first plurality of sense signals being indicative of acceleration sensing relative to mutually orthogonal first and second axes in the plane of a first substrate, and indicative of angular rate sensing relative to a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes, the first multi-sensor substructure being implemented on the first substrate;
providing a second plurality of sense signals by a second multi-sensor substructure, the second plurality of sense signals being indicative of angular rate sensing relative to mutually orthogonal fourth and fifth axes in the plane of a second substrate, and indicative of acceleration sensing relative to a sixth axis perpendicular to the fourth and fifth axes, the second multi-sensor substructure being implemented on the second substrate;
vibrating in antiphase at least one first mass and at least one second mass about respective rotation axes by a drive structure, the first and second masses being adjacent to each other and being coupled to and suspended over the second substrate, each mass having associated longitudinal and lateral axes perpendicular to the respective rotation axis, the respective longitudinal axes being parallel to the fourth axis, and the respective lateral axes being parallel to the fifth axis;
producing respective sense signals by first and second pairs of diametrically opposed acceleration sensing structures operatively coupled to the first mass, the first and second acceleration sensing structure pairs being disposed along the longitudinal and lateral axes, respectively, of the first mass; and
producing respective sense signals by third and fourth pairs of diametrically opposed acceleration sensing structures operatively coupled to the second mass, the third and fourth acceleration sensing structure pairs being disposed along the longitudinal and lateral axes, respectively, of the second mass, the first and second masses, the drive structure, and the first, second, third, and fourth acceleration sensing structure pairs being included in the second multi-sensor substructure, wherein the respective sense signals produced in the first and second producing steps are indicative of angular rate sensing relative to the fourth and fifth axes, and further indicative of acceleration sensing relative to the sixth axis. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
-
Specification