Yaw-rate sensor

• US 9,593,948 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Neul, Reinhard, Classen, Johannes, Ohms, Torsten, Kuhlmann, Burkhard, Franke, Axel, Kohn, Oliver, Meisel, Daniel Christoph, Hauer, Joerg, Gomez, Udo-Martin, Kehr, Kersten
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US14/334,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20140326070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 735/041.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/025 characterised by having a particular shape F16F1/04, F16F1/14, F16F1/18, F16F1/32, F16F1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/44 for measuring angular speed G01P3/56 takes precedence

Abstract

A yaw-rate sensor having a substrate and a plurality of movable substructures that are mounted over a surface of the substrate, the movable substructures being coupled to a shared, in particular, central spring element, means being provided for exciting the movable substructures into a coupled oscillation in a plane that extends parallel to the surface of the substrate, the movable substructures having Coriolis elements, means being provided for detecting deflections of the Coriolis elements induced by a Coriolis force, a first Coriolis element being provided for detecting a yaw rate about a first axis, a second Coriolis element being provided for detecting a yaw rate about a second axis, the second axis being oriented perpendicularly to the first axis.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of Coriolis elements that are mounted over a surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of Coriolis elements include a first Coriolis element, a second Coriolis element, and a third Coriolis element;

a driver configured to set the Coriolis elements into a driven mode in which the Coriolis elements oscillate in a plane that extends parallel to the surface of the substrate; and

a plurality of detectors configured to detect deflections of the plurality of Coriolis elements, the deflections including (a) deflections the first Coriolis element caused by a Coriolis force generated due to, and associated by the sensor with, an input motion about a first axis, (b) deflections of the second Coriolis element caused by a Coriolis force generated due to, and associated by the sensor with, an input motion about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, and (c) deflections of the third Coriolis element caused by a Coriolis force generated due to, and associated by the sensor with, an input motion about a third axis that is perpendicular to each of the first and second axes;

wherein the first and second Coriolis elements are coupled to a same shared frame.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the frame surrounds the first and second Coriolis elements.

3. A sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of substructures that are mounted over a surface of the substrate, wherein at least a portion of each of the substructures defines a trapezoidal shape including two non-parallel sides that are opposite each other;

a driver configured to set the substructures into a driven mode in which the substructures oscillate in a plane that extends parallel to the surface of the substrate; and

a plurality of detectors configured to detect deflections of the plurality of substructures, the deflections including (a) deflections caused by a Coriolis force generated due to, and associated by the sensor with, an input motion about a first axis, (b) deflections caused by a Coriolis force generated due to, and associated by the sensor with, an input motion about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, and (c) deflections caused by a Coriolis force generated due to, and associated by the sensor with, an input motion about a third axis that is perpendicular to each of the first and second axes.

4. An angular rate sensor comprising:

a base;

four substantially planar masses disposed substantially in a plane parallel to and above the base, the four substantially planar masses configured to move in a driven mode, wherein, in the driven mode, the four substantially planar masses move in the plane simultaneously away or simultaneously towards a point;

a frame that is parallel to the plane and flexibly coupled to at least two Coriolis elements of the planar masses;

a X-axis capacitive sensor including an electrode formed on the base;

a Y-axis capacitive sensor including an electrode formed on the base; and

a Z-axis capacitive sensor including a moveable electrode attached to the at least one of the four substantially planar masses and a fixed electrode fixed to the base;

wherein;

the Z-axis capacitive sensor senses changes in distance between the moveable electrode and the fixed electrode caused by movement of the planar masses about the Z axis;

the X-axis capacitive sensor, Y-axis capacitive sensor, and Z-axis capacitive sensor sense angular velocity of the angular rate sensor about three different input axes of the angular rate sensor;

the at least two Coriolis elements are situated inside of the frame and are substantially coplanar within the plane;

a first of the at least two Coriolis elements is arranged such that it is deflected with a first deflection by detection of which are velocity, about a first of the three input axes is sensed; and

a second of the at least two Coriolis elements is arranged such that it is deflected with a second deflection, by detection of which angular velocity about a second of the three in nut axes is sensed.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the moveable electrode is in the plane parallel to and above the base, and the fixed electrode extends into the plane parallel to and above the base.

6. The sensor of claim 4, further comprising frames parallel to the plane and flexibly coupled to the four substantially planar masses, wherein the four substantially planar masses are situated inside of the frames and are substantially coplanar within the plane.

7. An angular rate sensor comprising:

a base;

a plurality of substantially planar masses disposed substantially in a plane parallel to and above the base, wherein the angular rate sensor is configured to operate in a drive mode in which a first pair of the plurality of planar masses move simultaneously antiparallel to each other away from or towards a point and a second pair of the plurality of planar masses move simultaneously antiparallel to each other away from or towards the point, and wherein the movement of the first pair of planar masses and the movement of the second pair of planar masses are along different respective axes;

a frame that is parallel to the plane and flexibly coupled to at least two Coriolis elements of the planar masses;

an X-axis capacitive sensor including an electrode formed on the base;

a Y-axis capacitive sensor including an electrode formed on the base; and

a Z-axis capacitive sensor including a moveable electrode attached to one of the planar masses and a fixed electrode substantially parallel to the moveable electrode and extending in the plane;

wherein;

the X-axis capacitive sensor, the Y-axis capacitive sensor, and the Z-axis capacitive sensor sense angular velocity of the angular rate sensor about three different input axes of the angular rate sensor;

the at least two Coriolis elements are situated inside of the frame and are substantially coplanar within the plane;

a first of the at least two Coriolis elements is arranged such that it is deflected with a first deflection, by detection of which angular velocity about a first of the three input axes is sensed; and

a second of the at least two Coriolis elements is arranged such that it is deflected with a second deflection, by detection of which angular velocity about a second of the three input axes is sensed.