Cross-quad and vertically coupled inertial sensors
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsJohn Geen, Jinbo Kuang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inertial sensor includes a cross-quad configuration of four interconnected sensor elements. Each sensor element has a frame and a resonator suspended within the frame. The sensor elements are arranged so that the frames of adjacent sensor elements are allowed to move in anti-phase to one another but are substantially prevented from moving in phase with one another. The sensor elements may be configured in a horizontally coupled arrangement, a vertically coupled arrangement, or a fully coupled arrangement. A pair of sensor elements may be vertically coupled.
Claims26
An inertial sensor comprising:
- at least one substrate;
- and
- four sensor elements arranged in a cross-quad configuration substantially in a plane above the at least one substrate, the four sensor elements including:
- a first sensor element having a first resonator suspended within a first frame;
- a second sensor element having a second resonator suspended within a second frame;
- a third sensor element having a third resonator suspended within a third frame;
- and
- a fourth sensor element having a fourth resonator suspended within a fourth frame, wherein the first and third frames are configured to move co-linearly along a first axis in the plane, the second and fourth frames are configured to move co-linearly along a second axis in the plane parallel to the first axis, and the frames of at least two pairs of adjacent sensor elements are interconnected by couplings that enable anti-phase movements of the frames but substantially prevent in-phase movements of the frames.
An inertial sensor comprising:
- at least one substrate;
- and
- four sensor elements arranged in a cross-quad configuration substantially in a plane above the at least one substrate, the four sensor elements including:
- a first sensor element having a first resonator suspended within a first frame;
- a second sensor element having a second resonator suspended within a second frame;
- a third sensor element having a third resonator suspended within a third frame;
- and
- a fourth sensor element having a fourth resonator suspended within a fourth frame, wherein the first and third frames are configured to move co-linearly along a first axis in the plane and the second and fourth frames are configured to move co-linearly along a second axis in the plane parallel to the first axis;
- first means for interconnecting the frames of a first pair of adjacent sensor elements to enable anti-phase movements of the frames but substantially prevent in-phase movements of the frames;
- and
- second means for interconnecting the frames of a second pair of adjacent sensor elements to enable anti-phase movements of the frames but substantially prevent in-phase movements of the frames.
An inertial sensor comprising:
- at least one substrate;
- a pair of sensor elements substantially in a plane above the at least one substrate, each sensor element having a resonator suspended within a frame, the frames configured to move co-linearly along an axis in the plane;
- and
- a vertical coupling, interconnecting the frames, that enables anti-phase movements of the frames along their co-linear axis but substantially prevents in-phase movements of the frames.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.