Robust micromachined gyroscopes with two degrees of freedom sense-mode oscillator
First Claim
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1. A three-degrees of freedom (DOF) MEMS inertial micromachined gyroscope with a drive direction, a sense direction, and a direction perpendicular to the drive and sense directions comprising:
- a 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means having a frequency response curve with two resonant peaks in a sense mode, the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means for operating at a frequency in a generally flat region of a frequency response curve of the 2-DOF sense mode oscillator means between the two resonant peaks of the frequency response curve;
a 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator means for operating at resonance in a drive mode at a frequency in the flat region of the frequency response curve of the 2-DOF sense mode oscillator means to achieve amplified drive-mode amplitudes; and
a planar substrate on which the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means and the 1-DOF drive mode oscillator means are disposed.
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Abstract
A three-degrees of freedom (DOF) MEMS inertial micromachined gyroscope with nonresonant actuation with a drive direction, sense direction and a direction perpendicular to the drive and sense directions comprises a planar substrate, a 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator coupled to the substrate operated at a flattened wide-bandwidth frequency region, and a 1-DOF drive mode oscillator coupled operated at resonance in the flattened wide-bandwidth frequency region to achieve large drive-mode amplitudes.
56 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A three-degrees of freedom (DOF) MEMS inertial micromachined gyroscope with a drive direction, a sense direction, and a direction perpendicular to the drive and sense directions comprising:
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a 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means having a frequency response curve with two resonant peaks in a sense mode, the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means for operating at a frequency in a generally flat region of a frequency response curve of the 2-DOF sense mode oscillator means between the two resonant peaks of the frequency response curve; a 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator means for operating at resonance in a drive mode at a frequency in the flat region of the frequency response curve of the 2-DOF sense mode oscillator means to achieve amplified drive-mode amplitudes; and a planar substrate on which the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means and the 1-DOF drive mode oscillator means are disposed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating a three-degrees of freedom (DOF) MEMS inertial micromachined gyroscope comprising:
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driving a 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator in a drive mode in a drive direction at resonance to achieve amplified drive-mode amplitudes; and simultaneously sensing motion of a 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator in a sense mode in a sense direction, the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator having a frequency response curve with two resonance peaks and a generally flat region therebetween, the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator being sensed in the generally flat frequency region between the two resonance peaks. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An inertial sensor comprising a MEMS micromachined gyroscope, the gyroscope comprising:
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a two-degrees of freedom (2-DOF) sense-mode oscillator means for operating in a sense mode with a frequency response curve with two separate resonance peaks; a 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator means for operating at a resonance frequency in a drive mode to achieve amplified drive-mode amplitudes; and a planar substrate on which the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means and the 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator means are disposed, wherein the gyroscope is configured to have the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means operating in a frequency region between the two resonance peaks in the frequency response curve of the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator means, and wherein the resonance frequency of the 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator means is also in said region between said two resonance peaks.
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14. A three-degrees of freedom (DOF) MEMS inertial micromachined gyroscope with a drive direction, a sense direction, and a direction perpendicular to the drive and sense directions comprising:
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a planar substrate; a 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator disposed on the substrate and comprised of two weakly coupled masses free to vibrate in two dimensions relative to the substrate, the 2-DOF sense-mode oscillator having a frequency response curve with two resonant peaks and operating at a frequency in a flat region of its frequency response curve between the two resonant peaks of the frequency response curve; a 1-DOF drive-mode oscillator disposed on the substrate and comprised of the two weakly coupled masses together with a decoupling frame to which the two weakly coupled masses are in turn coupled, which masses and frame move together in the drive mode and which masses move independently of the frame and each other in the sense mode, the drive-mode oscillator operating at resonance in a drive mode at a frequency in the flat region of the frequency response curve of the 2-DOF sense mode oscillator to achieve amplified drive-mode amplitudes.
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Specification