# US 10,768,198 B2 · Acceleration sensor and electronic apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,198 B2 - Document ID: US10768198B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/731,254 - Filed: 2019-12-31 - Published: 2020-04-30 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-17 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Mitsuhiro Yoda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768198B2 ## CPC - G01P 15/125: by capacitive pick-up - G01P 2015/0831: {the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration} - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract An acceleration sensor includes a base substrate provided with a first recess part, and a sensor part located on the first recess part and swingably supported in a depth direction of the first recess part by a support part, wherein the sensor part is sectioned into a first part and a second part by the support part, includes a movable electrode part in the first part and the second part, a through hole is provided at least at an end side in the second part larger in mass than the first part, and the base substrate includes a fixed electrode part in a position opposed to the movable electrode part in the first recessed part, and a second recess part deeper than the first recess part is provided in a position opposed to the end side of the sensor part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acceleration sensor comprising: three mutually orthogonal axes being defined as an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis; a base substrate made of glass, the base substrate having first and second surfaces opposite to each other along the Z-axis, the base substrate including: a recess in the first surface; first and second fixed electrodes arranged on the first surface along the X-axis; and a conductor disposed on a bottom of the recess; a sensor member, the sensor member being configured with: a first member facing the first fixed electrode via a first gap along the Z-axis; a second member facing the second fixed electrode via a second gap along the Z-axis, the second member having a larger mass than the first member; and a swing axis that extends along the Y-axis, the swing axis being located between the first member and the second member, the sensor member being swingable with respect to the swing axis, wherein an edge portion of the second member overlaps with the conductor in a plan view along the Z-axis, and the edge portion is located at an opposite side of the second member with respect to the swing axis in a direction along the X-axis, the edge portion has: first, second, and third sides in the plan view; the first side extends along the Y-axis; the second and third sides extend along the X-axis; the second side is connected to one end of the first side; and the third side is connected to the other end, which is opposite to the one end, of the first side, the conductor has: first, second, and third ends in the plan view, the first, second, and third ends are located at positions corresponding to the first, second, and third sides of the edge portion, respectively, in the plan view; the first end is located outwardly away from the first side of the edge portion along the X-axis in the plan view; the second end is located outwardly away from the second side of the edge portion along the Y-axis in the plan view; and the third end is located outwardly away from the third side of the edge portion along the Y-axis in the plan view, the sensor member is made of a silicon material, and wherein a first distance along the Z-axis between the sensor member and the first surface of the base substrate is smaller than a second distance along the Z-axis between the sensor member and a top surface of the conductor disposed on the bottom of the recess. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed electrode is configured to detect a first electrostatic capacitance between the first member of the sensor member and the first fixed electrode, and the second fixed electrode is configured to detect a second electrostatic capacitance between the second member of the sensor member and the second fixed electrode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The acceleration sensor according to claim 2, wherein the base substrate is made of an insulating material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The acceleration sensor according to claim 3, wherein the conductor is electrically connected to the sensor member. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The acceleration sensor according to claim 4, wherein the conductor is electrically independent from the first and second fixed electrodes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The acceleration sensor according to claim 5, wherein each of the first and second fixed electrodes has first and second edges opposite to each other along the Y-axis, and each of the first and second members of the sensor member has first and second edges opposite to each other along the Y-axis, the first edge of the first fixed electrode is located outwardly away from the first edge of the first member of the sensor member along the Y-axis in the plan view, and the second edge of the first fixed electrode is located outwardly away from the second edge of the first member of the sensor member along the Y-axis in the plan view, and the first edge of the second fixed electrode is located outwardly away from the first edge of the second member of the sensor member along the Y-axis in the plan view, and the second edge of the second fixed electrode is located outwardly away from the second edge of the second member of the sensor member along the Y-axis in the plan view. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The acceleration sensor according to claim 6, further comprising: first and second supports that support the sensor member, the first and second supports extending along the Y-axis direction, wherein the swing axis passes through the first and second supports in the plan view. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 3. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 4. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 5. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 6. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 7. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first distance increases as a distance along the X-axis from the swing axis toward an edge portion of the first member increases, and the edge portion is located at an opposite side of the first member with respect to the swing axis in a direction along the X-axis, and the first distance increases as a distance along the X-axis from the swing axis toward the edge portion of the second member increases. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The acceleration sensor according to claim 15, wherein the first surface of the base substrate facing the sensor member has a step. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The acceleration sensor according to claim 16, wherein the step has first and second steps, the first fixed electrode is provided on the first step so as to have different heights along the Z-axis, and the second fixed electrode is provided on the second step so as to have different heights along the Z-axis.