US 5,850,041 A · Vibratory rotation sensor with AC forcing and sensing electronics

Abstract

The invention is a method and apparatus for controlling the vibration modes of a vibratory rotation sensor (VRS) comprising a resonator and a housing which together serve as the ground potential reference. The resonator has a surface with a conductive region and the housing has a plurality of attached electrodes positioned opposing the conductive region on the resonator. The parameters of the resonator standing-wave vibration pattern are determined by feeding an ac sensing signal to the conducting region on the resonator and obtaining one or more vibration signals while the electric potential of the conductive region on the resonator is maintained within 100 millivolts of ground. Each vibration signal is a replica of the ac sensing signal with amplitude modulation which is a periodic function of the distance from a point in the conducting region of the surface of the resonator to an opposing housing electrode. The frequency of the amplitude modulation is the vibration frequency of the resonator. The parameters of the standing wave are determined from the vibration signals, and these parameters are used in controlling the standing-wave parameters by generating appropriate ac forcing voltages which are applied to the housing electrodes.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for controlling the vibration modes of a vibratory rotation sensor (VRS), the VRS comprising a resonator and a housing, the electric potential of the resonator and housing being denoted as ground, the resonator having a surface with a conductive region, a plurality of electrodes being attached to the housing and positioned opposing the conductive region on the resonator, the method comprising the steps:

generating an ac sensing signal;
feeding the ac sensing signal to the conducting region on the resonator;
obtaining one or more vibration signals, each vibration signal being a replica of the ac sensing signal with amplitude modulation, the amplitude modulation being a periodic function of the distance from a point in the conducting region of the surface of the resonator to an opposing housing electrode, the frequency of the amplitude modulation being the vibration frequency of the resonator.

Apparatus for controlling the vibration modes of a vibratory rotation sensor (VRS), the VRS comprising a resonator and a housing, the electric potential of the resonator and housing being denoted as ground, the resonator having a surface with a conductive region, a plurality of electrodes being attached to the housing and positioned opposing the conductive region on the resonator, the apparatus comprising:

a sensing signal generator having an output port, the sensing signal generator providing an ac sensing signal at its output port;
one or more sensing circuits, each sensing circuit having an input port and an output port, the input port of each sensing circuit being connected to the output port of the sensing signal generator and the conducting region of the resonator, the output port of each sensing circuit being connected to one of the plurality of electrodes, each sensing circuit providing at its output port a vibration signal, each vibration signal being a replica of the ac sensing signal with amplitude modulation, the amplitude modulation being a periodic function of the distance from a point in the conducting region of the surface of the resonator to an opposing housing electrode, the frequency of the amplitude modulation being the vibration frequency of the resonator.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vibratory rotation sensor with AC forcing and sensing electronics

Life of this patent

Vibratory rotation sensor with AC forcing and sensing electronics

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16