Angular velocity sensor

• US 8,490,461 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Takeshi, Kuroda, Keisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US12/996,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20120024057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 73/13.7, 73/17.7, 735/041.2
• US Class Current: 73/1.37
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5614 Signal processing

Abstract

In an angular velocity sensor, there is generated a first parasitic capacitance generated between a first driving electrode and a sensing electrode, and there is generated a second parasitic capacitance generated between a second driving electrode and the sensing electrode. The ratio of the amplitude of a first drive signal to the amplitude of a second drive signal is set to the reciprocal of the ratio of the first parasitic capacitance to the second parasitic capacitance. This allows the noise contents generated by capacitive coupling to be efficiently offset, thereby improving detection accuracy of an angular velocity sensing signal.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a drive circuit;

a detection device vibrating in response to a drive signal from the drive circuit;

a detection circuit for extracting a response signal from the detection device and outputting the response signal; and

a signal processing circuit for extracting an angular velocity sensing signal from the response signal and outputting the angular velocity sensing signal, wherein

the detection device includes;

first and second driving electrodes;

a piezoelectric body; and

a sensing electrode,

the piezoelectric body is positioned between the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode,

the drive circuit inputs a first drive signal to the first driving electrode, and a second drive signal to the second driving electrode, the second drive signal having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first drive signal, and drives the detection device by a differential between the first drive signal and the second drive signal without using a reference electrode,

a magnitude relation between an amplitude of the first drive signal and an amplitude of the second drive signal is set opposite to a magnitude relation between a first parasitic capacitance and a second parasitic capacitance, the first parasitic capacitance being generated between the first driving electrode and the sensing electrode, and the second parasitic capacitance being generated between the second driving electrode and the sensing electrode.

2. The angular velocity sensor of claim 1, wherein

the drive circuit comprises:

a first drive circuit connected to the first driving electrode; and

a second drive circuit connected to the second driving electrode.

3. The angular velocity sensor of claim 1, wherein

a ratio of the amplitude of the first drive signal to the amplitude of the second drive signal is a reciprocal of a ratio of the first parasitic capacitance to the second parasitic capacitance.

4. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a drive circuit;

a detection device vibrating in response to a drive signal from the drive circuit;

a detection circuit for extracting a response signal from the detection device and outputting the response signal; and

a signal processing circuit for extracting an angular velocity sensing signal from the response signal and outputting the angular velocity sensing signal, wherein

the detection device includes;

a first driving electrode connected to the drive circuit via a first drive-signal path;

a second driving electrode connected to the drive circuit via a second drive-signal path;

a piezoelectric body; and

a sensing electrode connected to the detection circuit via a detection-signal path,

the piezoelectric body is positioned between the first driving electrode and the second driving electrode,

the drive circuit inputs a first drive signal to the first driving electrode, and a second drive signal to the second driving electrode, the second drive signal having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first drive signal, and drives the detection device by a differential between the first drive signal and the second drive signal without using a reference electrode,

a magnitude relation between an amplitude of the first drive signal and an amplitude of the second drive signal is set opposite to a magnitude relation between a first parasitic capacitance and a second parasitic capacitance, the first parasitic capacitance being generated between the first drive-signal path and the first driving electrode, and the detection-signal path and the sensing electrode, and

the second parasitic capacitance being generated between the second drive-signal path and the second driving electrode, and the detection-signal path and the sensing electrode.

5. The angular velocity sensor of claim 4, wherein

the drive circuit comprises:

a first drive circuit connected to the first driving electrode; and

a second drive circuit connected to the second driving electrode.

6. The angular velocity sensor of claim 4, wherein

a ratio of the amplitude of the first drive signal to the amplitude of the second drive signal is a reciprocal of a ratio of the first parasitic capacitance to the second parasitic capacitance.