Torque driving circuit

• US 7,552,637 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Werking, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok; Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US11/533,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20080066561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 735/141.7, 735/141.8, 735/142.1, 735/142.2, 735/142.3, 735/142.9, 735/141.6, 735/143.2
• US Class Current: 73/514.18
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/131 with electrostatic counterbalancing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0831 the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/24 the characteristic being amplitude

Abstract

A torque driver that includes a regulator circuit for mitigating zero-g discontinuity effects and deadbanding is presented. An accelerometer may comprise the torque driver and the torque driver may be arranged to receive a control signal from a control circuit that is coupled to deflection sensing circuitry. When the accelerometer undergoes an acceleration the deflection sensing circuitry generates an acceleration signal that is communicated to the control circuit. The control circuit responsively generates a control signal, which the torque driver users to balance a proof mass beam within the accelerometer. The regulator circuit mitigates zero-g discontinuity effects and deadbanding by preventing the torque signal from producing torque signals that simultaneously track the control signal. To do this, the regulator circuit may include a rectifying buffer and/or a modulator.

Claims

1. A torque driver, comprising a rectifying buffer, wherein the buffer comprises:

an output node for producing a torque signal; and

a differential input having first and second terminals, wherein the first terminal is coupled to receive a control signal and the second terminal is coupled to receive the torque signal, and wherein the torque signal correlatively responds to a voltage difference across the first and second terminals, and wherein the buffer is configured to prevent the torque signal from following the control signal when the control signal drops below a predetermined threshold.

2. The torque driver as in claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a voltage signal, and wherein the predetermined threshold is zero volts.

3. The torque driver as in claim 2, wherein the buffer prevents the torque signal from following the control signal when the control signal is at a negative voltage.

4. The torque driver as in claim 2, wherein the buffer prevents the torque signal from following the control signal when the control signal is at a positive voltage.

5. The torque driver as in claim 2, wherein the buffer further comprises:

a transistor coupled to the output node; and

an amplifier coupled to the differential input and the transistor.

6. The torque driver as in claim 5, wherein the second terminal is further coupled to receive an offset signal so as to reduce an offset associated with the amplifier.

7. The torque driver as in claim 2, wherein the buffer is for coupling to a fulcrum of an accelerometer.

8. The torque driver as in claim 1, wherein the output node is coupled to a torque pad for responsively adjusting a proof mass beam of an accelerometer, and wherein the control signal is communicated from a control circuit coupled to a deflection sensing circuit.

9. A torque driver, comprising:

a left rectifying buffer for outputting a left torque signal, wherein the left rectifying buffer comprises a differential input coupled to receive the left torque signal and a control signal, wherein the left torque signal correlatively responds to a voltage difference between the left torque signal and the control signal; and

a right rectifying buffer for outputting a right torque signal, wherein the right rectifying buffer comprises a differential input coupled to receive the right torque signal and the control signal, wherein the right torque signal correlatively responds to a voltage difference between the right torque signal and the control signal.

10. The torque driver as in claim 9, wherein the control signal is communicated from an accelerometer and the left and right torque signals are provided to torque pads for adjusting a proof mass beam within an accelerometer.

11. The torque driver as in claim 9, wherein when the control signal is positive, the right rectifying buffer is configured to track the control signal so that the right torque signal follows the control signal, and wherein when the control signal is negative, the left rectifying buffer is configured to track the control signal so that the left torque signal follows the control signal.

12. A torque driver, comprising a regulator circuit for receiving an acceleration signal and responsively adjusting a proof mass beam within an accelerometer by a process comprising:

outputting a first torque signal that follows a control signal and a second torque signal that does not follow the acceleration signal; and

if the control signal moves out of a range, changing the first and second torque signals so that the second torque signal follows the control signal and the first torque signal does not follow the control signal, wherein the regulator circuit is configured to prevent the first and second torque signals from simultaneously following the control signal.

13. The torque driver as in claim 12, wherein the regulator circuit includes a modulator that is coupled to receive the control signal and a selector signal, and wherein, in operation, the selector signal determines which of the first and second torque signals is to follow the control signal.

14. The torque driver as in claim 13, wherein the modulator is further coupled to receive a bias signal, and wherein the selector signal further determines which of the first and second torque signals is to follow the bias signal.

15. The torque driver as in claim 12, wherein the regulator circuit comprises a first rectifying buffer for outputting the first torque signal and a second rectifying buffer for outputting the second torque signal, and wherein the first and second buffers are each configured to use the control signal to respectively regulate the first and second torque signals.