Gyro-module

• US 7,814,792 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Epson Toyocom Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Tateyama, Mitsuhiro, Kikuchi, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok; Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/000,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 735/040.2, 735/040.4, 735/04, 73/12, 735/041.5, 735/041.6, 735/10, 735/11
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719

Abstract

A gyro-module includes: a first gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis; a second gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis; a third gyro element component having a first detection axis; a first operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the first gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component; and a second operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component.

The first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component are arranged in such a way that the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component extend in a same direction and a direction in which the second detection axis of the first gyro element component is extended crosses with a direction in which the second detection axis of the second gyro element component is extended.

Claims

1. A gyro-module, comprising:

a first gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a second gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a third gyro element component having a first detection axis;

the first, second and third gyro elements including

a base part;

two connecting arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part;

a driving arm that extends from the connecting arm symmetrically with respect to the connecting arms; and

two detection arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part and in a direction orthogonal to the connecting arms, wherein the first gyro element component and the second gyro element component have a weight part on the detection arms and the driving arm, the weight part of the detection arms having a larger width than a weight part of the driving arm;

a first operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the first gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component; and

a second operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component, wherein

the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component are arranged in such a way that the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component extend in a same direction and a direction in which the second detection axis of the first gyro element component is extended crosses with a direction in which the second detection axis of the second gyro element component is extended, and

the relationship between the width of the weight part of the detection arms and the width of the weight part of the driving arm satisfies the equation 5d=<

D=<

10d where d is the width of the weight part of the driving arm and D is the width of the weight part of the detection arms.

2. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component is a double-ended tuning fork shaped vibrating gyro sensor.

3. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the gyro element components are made from a quartz substrate and the two detection axes of each gyro element component are an optical axis and a mechanical axis.

4. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component have a same polarity of detection sensitivity, and the first operation circuit and the second operation circuit are subtraction circuits.

5. The gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the first detection axis of the first gyro element component and the first detection axis of the second gyro element component have a same polarity of detection sensitivity, the polarity in the detection sensitivity of the first detection axis of the first gyro element component is reversed to a detection sensitivity polarity of the first detection axis of the third gyro element component, and the first operation circuit and the second operation circuit are adder circuits.

6. The Gyro-module according to claim 1, wherein the first detection axis of the first gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component have a same polarity of detection sensitivity, a polarity in the detection sensitivity of the first detection axis of the second gyro element component is reversed to the detection sensitivity polarity of the first detection axis of the third gyro element component, the first operation circuit is a subtraction circuit, and the second operation circuit is an adder circuit.

7. A gyro-module, comprising:

a first gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a second gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a third gyro element component having a first detection axis and a second detection axis, and outputting at least a signal that is based on angular velocity around the first detection axis and the second detection axis;

a first operation circuit conducting subtraction of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component, and outputting a subtraction result;

a second operation circuit conducting addition of an output signal from the second gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component, and outputting an addition result; and

a third operation circuit conducting an operation of an output signal from the first gyro element component and an output signal from the third gyro element component, and outputting an operation result,

wherein the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component are arranged in such a way that the first detection axis of the first gyro element component, the first detection axis of the second gyro element component and the first detection axis of the third gyro element component extend in a same direction, and a direction in which the second detection axis of the first gyro element component is extended crosses with a direction in which the second detection axis of the second gyro element component is extended.

8. The gyro-module according to claim 7, the first gyro element component, the second gyro element component and the third gyro element component respectively comprising:

a base part;

two connecting arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part;

two drive arms that extend from the connecting arms symmetrically with respect to the connecting arms;

two detection arms that extend from the base part symmetrically with respect to the base part and in a direction orthogonal to the connecting arm; and

two weight parts that are provided on the detection arms.