Gyro sensor of an electrostatic driving and capacitance detecting type

• US 7,322,237 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kutsuna, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US11/438,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 735/041.6
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces

Abstract

A gyro sensor having a vibrator and a start circuit generates an oscillation encouraging signal by boosting a first voltage to a voltage of the signal in response to a start signal of a start frequency sent from the start circuit. The vibrator is vibrated in response to the oscillation encouraging signal. When the vibrator is self-excited, the vibrator outputs a first detecting signal indicating an oscillating amplitude and oscillating frequency in the vibration of the vibrator. The sensor boosts the first voltage to a second voltage in response to the first detecting signal and generates a driving signal of a driving frequency and the second voltage. The self-excitation of the vibrator is continued in response to the driving signal. The vibrator outputs a second detecting signal indicating a yaw added to the vibrator. The sensor generates a sensor signal corresponding to the yaw from the second detecting signal.

Claims

1. A gyro sensor, comprising:

a vibrator which is possible to be vibrated in self-excitation;

outputs a first detecting signal indicating an oscillating amplitude and an oscillating frequency in the vibration of the vibrator when the vibrator is set in a condition of self-excitation, and outputs a second detecting signal indicating a yaw added to the vibrator;

a driving circuit which generates a first voltage, generates a control signal from the first detecting signal outputted from the vibrator, boosts the first voltage to a second voltage in response to the control signal to generate a driving signal set at both the second voltage and a driving frequency from the control signal, and transmits the driving signal to the vibrator to continue self-excitation of the vibrator in response to the driving signal; and

a yaw detecting circuit which generates a sensor signal corresponding to the yaw from the second detecting signal of the self-excited vibrator and outputs the sensor signal,

wherein the sensor further comprises a starting circuit which supplies a start signal of a start frequency to the driving circuit and causes the driving circuit to generate an oscillation encouraging signal in response to the start signal by boosting the first voltage to a voltage of the oscillation encouraging signal such that the self-excitation of the vibrator is started in response to the oscillation encouraging signal.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the starting circuit is adapted to cause the driving circuit to generate the oscillation encouraging signal in response to the start signal until the self-excitation of the vibrator is started and to cause the driving circuit to generate the driving signal from the first detecting signal when the vibrator has been self-excited.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the starting circuit is adapted to cause the driving circuit to generate the oscillation encouraging signal from the start signal until an elapsed time from the starting of the generation of the oscillation encouraging signal reaches a predetermined period of time and to cause the driving circuit to generate the driving signal from the first detecting signal when the elapsed time has reached the predetermined period of time.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the starting circuit comprises a monitor which is adapted to detect whether or not the vibrator is self-excited, and the starting circuit is adapted to cause the driving circuit to generate the driving signal from the first detecting signal when the monitor detects the self-excitation of the vibrator.

5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the driving circuit has a charge amplifier which changes a detected capacitance indicated by the first detecting signal of the vibrator to a detected voltage corresponding to the detected capacitance, and the starting circuit causes the driving circuit, when the self-excitation of the vibrator is started, to generate the control signal from the first detecting signal indicating the detected voltage and to generate the driving signal in response to the control signal.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the starting circuit comprises a starting clock generator which generates a starting clock signal of the start frequency and a selector which selects the starting clock signal of the starting clock generator, when an operation of the sensor is started, to cause the driving circuit to generate the oscillation encouraging signal in response to the starting clock signal and selects the first detecting signal of the vibrator, when the self-excitation of the vibrator is started, to cause the driving circuit to generate the driving signal from the first detecting signal.

7. The sensor according to claim 6, wherein the starting clock generator is a CR oscillator which generates clock pulses at the start frequency.

8. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the starting circuit is a selector which selects the start signal generated outside the sensor, when an operation of the sensor is started, to cause the driving circuit to generate the oscillation encouraging signal in response to the starting clock signal.

9. The sensor according to claim 8, wherein the gyro sensor is used as an inertia sensor, and the start signal is a clock signal generated in an acceleration sensor or a microcomputer disposed outside the sensor.

10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the driving circuit has a phase shifter which generates a phase correcting signal for adjusting a phase of the driving signal, an amplitude controller which generates an amplitude control signal for maintaining an amplitude of the driving signal at a constant value, and a boost converter which boosts the first voltage in response to the start signal, when the starting circuit supplies the start signal to the boost converter, to generate the oscillation encouraging signal and boosts the first voltage in response to the first detecting signal, when the starting circuit supplies the first detecting signal to the boost converter, to generate the driving signal according to the phase correcting signal and the amplitude control signal.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the start frequency of the start signal is equal to or higher than the oscillating frequency of the vibrator.

12. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein a voltage of the start signal is lower than the first voltage.