Gradient force disk resonating gyroscope
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorsRaviv Perahia, Jonathan Lake, Richard J. Joyce, Logan D. Sorenson
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Abstract
A gyroscope includes a vibratory structure, and a control mechanism including at least a first electrode, and at least a second electrode adjacent the first electrode, wherein the vibratory structure is separated from the control mechanism by a gap, wherein to drive a vibration in the vibratory structure, the control mechanism is configured to apply an alternating electrical voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, and wherein to sense motion in the vibratory structure, the control mechanism is configured to apply a direct current voltage bias between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Claims22
A gyroscope comprising:
- a vibratory structure;
- a first electrode separated from the vibratory structure by a gap;
- and
- a second electrode directly adjacent the first electrode, the second electrode separated from the vibratory structure by the gap;
- wherein to drive a vibration in the vibratory structure an alternating electrical voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- wherein to sense motion in the vibratory structure a first direct current voltage bias is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- wherein to tune a resonant frequency in the vibratory structure a second direct current voltage bias is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.
A method of providing a gyroscope comprising:
- providing a vibratory structure;
- and
- providing a first electrode separated from the vibratory structure by a gap;
- and
- providing a second electrode directly adjacent the first electrode, the second electrode separated from the vibratory structure by the gap;
- wherein to drive a vibration in the vibratory structure an alternating electrical voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- wherein to sense motion in the vibratory structure a first direct current voltage bias is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- wherein to tune a resonant frequency in the vibratory structure a second direct current voltage bias is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.