Method for the mircomechanical measurement of acceleration and a micromechanical acceleration sensor
First Claim
1. A method for the measurement of acceleration, the values of acceleration applied to the sensor being within the sensor measurement range, in the direction of three dimensions using a micromechanical acceleration sensor, which acceleration sensor comprises at least four units of sensor measurement devices measuring in different measurement directions, of which four vectors describing the measurement directions of the sensor measurement devices no three vectors belong to the same plane, wherein in the method, the continuous self-testing of the acceleration sensor during start-up and/or operation is implemented such thatto the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1,{right arrow over (a)}2,{right arrow over (a)}3 and {right arrow over (a)}4 obtained as measurement results of the sensor measurement devices are given the multipliers k1, k2, k3 and k4 such that, when the sensor is functioning perfectly, the value of the expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1,+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n calculates to {right arrow over (0)},the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1,{right arrow over (a)}2,{right arrow over (a)}3,. . . {right arrow over (a)}n given by the sensor measurement devices are measured at given intervals,the value of the expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n is calculated,the value of said expression is compared to a pre-defined threshold value, andif the value of said expression deviates from the value {right arrow over (0)} more than said pre-efined threshold value, an error message is given.
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Abstract
The invention relates to measurement devices used in the measurement of acceleration, and more specifically, to micromechanical acceleration sensors. The invention seeks to offer an improved method for the measurement of acceleration directed to three or two dimensions using a micromechanical acceleration sensor as well as an improved micromechanical acceleration sensor. Using this invention, the functional reliability of a sensor can be monitored in constant use, and it is suitable for use particularly in small-sized micromechanical acceleration sensor solutions measuring in relation to several axes.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for the measurement of acceleration, the values of acceleration applied to the sensor being within the sensor measurement range, in the direction of three dimensions using a micromechanical acceleration sensor, which acceleration sensor comprises at least four units of sensor measurement devices measuring in different measurement directions, of which four vectors describing the measurement directions of the sensor measurement devices no three vectors belong to the same plane, wherein in the method, the continuous self-testing of the acceleration sensor during start-up and/or operation is implemented such that
to the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1,{right arrow over (a)}2,{right arrow over (a)}3 and {right arrow over (a)}4 obtained as measurement results of the sensor measurement devices are given the multipliers k1, k2, k3 and k4 such that, when the sensor is functioning perfectly, the value of the expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1,+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n calculates to {right arrow over (0)}, the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1,{right arrow over (a)}2,{right arrow over (a)}3,. . . {right arrow over (a)}n given by the sensor measurement devices are measured at given intervals, the value of the expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n is calculated, the value of said expression is compared to a pre-defined threshold value, and if the value of said expression deviates from the value {right arrow over (0)} more than said pre-efined threshold value, an error message is given.
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6. A micromechanical acceleration sensor for the measurement of acceleration, the values of acceleration applied to the sensor being within the sensor measurement range, in the direction of three dimensions, which acceleration sensor comprises at least four units of sensor measurement devices measuring in different measurement directions, of which four vectors describing the measurement directions of the sensor measurement devices no three vectors belong to the same plane, wherein the acceleration sensor comprises means for implementing continuous self-testing during start-up and/or operation, these means comprising a sensor measurement block, a sensor self-testing block, a sensor comparison block and an alarm block such that
the sensor measurement block comprises means for measuring accelerations directed to several different directions at given intervals using the sensor measurement devices, and for giving the values of the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1, {right arrow over (a)}2, {right arrow over (a)}3, . . . {right arrow over (a)}n obtained as measurement results to the sensor self-testing block, the sensor self-testing block comprises means for giving the multipliers k1, k2, k3, . . . kn to the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1, {right arrow over (a)}2, {right arrow over (a)}3, . . . {right arrow over (a)}n obtained as measurement results of the sensor measurement devices such that, when the sensor is functioning perfectly, the value of the expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n calculates to {right arrow over (0)}, sensor self-testing block further comprises means for calculating the value of the expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n to the accelerations {right arrow over (a)}1, {right arrow over (a)}2, {right arrow over (a)}3, . . . {right arrow over (a)}n obtained as measurement results of the sensor measurement devices and measured at given intervals, and means for giving the value of said expression to the sensor comparison block, the sensor comparison block comprises means for comparing the value of said expression k1{right arrow over (a)}1+k2{right arrow over (a)}2+k3{right arrow over (a)}3+ . . . +kn{right arrow over (a)}n to a given pre-defined threshold value, and the sensor comparison block further comprises means for giving an error message to the alarm block, if the value of said expression deviates from the value {right arrow over (0)} more than said pre-defined threshold value.
Specification