Inertial measurement unit using rotatable MEMS sensors
First Claim
1. An inertial sensor comprising:
- a rotatable MEM stage;
a MEM inertial sense element, comprising a sense axis, disposed on the rotatable MEM stage;
means for rotating the MEM stage, about an axis substantially perpendicular to the sense axis of the MEM inertial sense element; and
,means for electrically accessing the MEM inertial sense element, at at least two angular positions of the rotatable MEM stage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A MEM inertial sensor (e.g. accelerometer, gyroscope) having integral rotational means for providing static and dynamic bias compensation is disclosed. A bias compensated MEM inertial sensor is described comprising a MEM inertial sense element disposed on a rotatable MEM stage. A MEM actuator for drives the rotation of the stage between at least two predetermined rotational positions. Measuring and comparing the output of the MEM inertial sensor in the at least two rotational positions allows, for both static and dynamic bias compensation in inertial calculations based on the sensor'"'"'s output. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising a plurality of independently rotatable MEM inertial sensors and methods for making bias compensated inertial measurements are disclosed.
73 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An inertial sensor comprising:
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a rotatable MEM stage; a MEM inertial sense element, comprising a sense axis, disposed on the rotatable MEM stage; means for rotating the MEM stage, about an axis substantially perpendicular to the sense axis of the MEM inertial sense element; and
,means for electrically accessing the MEM inertial sense element, at at least two angular positions of the rotatable MEM stage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An inertial measurement unit comprising;
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a base having at least one surface; at least two rotatable MEM stages disposed on the at least one surface, each of the at least two MEM stages being independently rotatable about a rotational axis lying substantially along a normal axis to the surface upon which the rotatable MEM stage is disposed; at least two MEM inertial sense elements, each having a sense axis, the at least two MEM inertial sense elements being disposed on the at least two MEM rotatable stages, wherein the sense axes of the at least two MEM inertial sense elements, are substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotatable MEM stage, upon which the MEM inertial sense element is disposed; means for independently rotating each of the at least two rotatable MEM stages; and
,means for electrically accessing the at least two MEM inertial sense elements at, at least two angular positions of each of the at least two rotatable MEM stages. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification