Multi-axis sensor
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- providing a first cantilever beam comprising a first mass, a first attachment point, and a first cantilever orientation, wherein the first mass has a first center of mass that is coplanar with a first plane, and wherein the first attachment point is coplanar with a second plane, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are each substantially orthogonal to a first axis, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are displaced on the first axis, and wherein the first cantilever orientation forms a first angle with a second direction that is aligned with a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis, and further wherein the first angle is between 90 degrees and 270 degrees;
providing a second cantilever beam comprising a second mass, a second attachment point, and a second cantilever orientation, wherein the second mass has a second center of mass that is coplanar with the first plane, and wherein the second attachment point is coplanar with the second plane, and further wherein the second cantilever orientation and the second direction form a second angle that is between −
90 degrees and 90 degrees;
sensing a first motion of the first mass along a first direction that is aligned with the first axis;
sensing a second motion of the second mass along the first direction;
imparting a first periodic motion along the first direction on each of the first mass and the second mass; and
comparing the first motion and the second motion.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for sensing accelerations directed along multiple directions are provided. An embodiment comprises a sensor array comprising two sensor pairs, each of which provides an output signal based on acceleration along two orthogonal directions. The sensor pairs are so that they collectively provide an output signal for each of three mutually orthogonal directions. In some embodiments, the sensor array is augmented to provide three additional signals, each of which is based on rotation about an axis aligned with one of the three orthogonal directions.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing a first cantilever beam comprising a first mass, a first attachment point, and a first cantilever orientation, wherein the first mass has a first center of mass that is coplanar with a first plane, and wherein the first attachment point is coplanar with a second plane, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are each substantially orthogonal to a first axis, and wherein the first plane and the second plane are displaced on the first axis, and wherein the first cantilever orientation forms a first angle with a second direction that is aligned with a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis, and further wherein the first angle is between 90 degrees and 270 degrees; providing a second cantilever beam comprising a second mass, a second attachment point, and a second cantilever orientation, wherein the second mass has a second center of mass that is coplanar with the first plane, and wherein the second attachment point is coplanar with the second plane, and further wherein the second cantilever orientation and the second direction form a second angle that is between −
90 degrees and 90 degrees;sensing a first motion of the first mass along a first direction that is aligned with the first axis; sensing a second motion of the second mass along the first direction; imparting a first periodic motion along the first direction on each of the first mass and the second mass; and comparing the first motion and the second motion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus comprising:
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a first cantilever beam comprising a first mass, a first attachment point, and a first cantilever orientation, wherein the first mass has a first center of mass that is coplanar with a first plane, and wherein the first attachment point is coplanar with a second plane, and wherein the first cantilever orientation forms a first angle with a first direction that is aligned with a first axis that is orthogonal to a second axis, and further wherein the first angle is between 90 degrees and 270 degrees; a second cantilever beam comprising a second mass, a second attachment point, and a second cantilever orientation, wherein the second mass has a second center of mass that is coplanar with the first plane, and wherein the second attachment point is coplanar with the second plane, and further wherein the second cantilever orientation and the first direction form a second angle that is between −
90 degrees and 90 degrees;a first sensor for sensing motion of the first mass along a second direction that is aligned with the second axis; a second sensor for sensing motion of the second mass along the second direction; and a first linear actuator for inducing a first periodic motion of the first mass and the second mass along the second direction; wherein the first plane is orthogonal to the second axis; wherein the second plane is orthogonal to the second axis; and wherein the first plane and the second plane are displaced on the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus comprising:
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a first cantilever beam comprising a first mass, wherein the first cantilever beam has a first cantilever orientation that is substantially aligned with a first axis, and wherein the first cantilever beam comprises a first physical adaptation for enabling a first acceleration that is aligned with the first axis to induce a first force on the first mass, and wherein the first force is directed positively in a second direction that is substantially aligned with a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis; a second cantilever beam comprising a second mass, wherein the second cantilever beam has a second cantilever orientation that is substantially aligned with the first axis, and wherein the second cantilever beam comprises a second physical adaptation for enabling the first acceleration to induce a second force on the second mass, and wherein the second force is directed negatively in the second direction; a first linear actuator for inducing a first periodic motion of the first mass and the second mass along the second direction; a first sensor for sensing a first motion of the first mass, wherein the first motion is directed along the second direction; and a second sensor for sensing a second motion of the second mass, wherein the second motion is directed along the second direction. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification