Motion sensor and method of making same
AssigneePrecision Control Design, Inc.
InventorRobert W. Conlan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A motion sensor for monitoring the activity of a body in motion includes a pair of force detecting sensors capable of detecting both magnitude and direction of an applied force. These sensors are configured to enable translational or rotational motion resulting from travel in a vehicle to be suppressed from any general motion signal leaving only a rotational or translational component. The active compensation of an electrical circuit is provided to aid in the calibration of a non-ideal sensor pair and reduce the leakage of translational motion into rotational motion or rotational motion into translational motion due to any differences between the pair.
Claims12
A motion sensor for monitoring the activity of a body in motion, comprising:
- a mount;
- a pair of force detecting sensors capable of detecting both the magnitude and direction of an applied force, each of said sensors comprising:
- a beam having a first end, a second end, a top and a bottom, said beam rigidly attached to said mount generally near said first end;
- and
- said second end of said beam having a mass generally greater than said first end of said beam thereby providing a cantilever effect to said beam whereby when said sensor is put into general motion either said top or said bottom of said beam is stretched and produce both a voltage source effect and a capacitance effect, both of said effects corresponding to a translational motion component and a rotational motion component of said general motion;
- and
- a means for connecting said effects of said beams whereby said rotational component or said translational component is canceled.
A motion sensor for monitoring the activity of a body in motion, comprising:
- a mount;
- a first and a second piezoelectric bimorph beam, each of said beams having a first end and a second end and a top and a bottom, said beams rigidly attached to said mount generally near said first ends;
- a mass attached generally near said second ends of said beams thereby providing a cantilever effect to said beams whereby when said sensor is put into general motion either said tops or said bottoms of said beams are stretched and produce both a voltage source effect and a capacitance effect, both of said effects corresponding to a translational motion component and a rotational motion component;
- and
- a resistive element connecting said effects of said beams whereby said rotational or said translational component is canceled.
A method of making a motion sensor capable of suppressing a rotational or translational component from any general motion signal, consisting of:
- providing a mount;
- providing a pair of force detecting sensors capable of detecting both the magnitude and direction of an applied force, each of said sensors comprising a beam having a first end, a second end, a top and a bottom;
- attaching said beams to said mount generally near said first ends, said second ends of said beams having a mass generally greater than said first ends of said beam thereby providing a cantilever effect to said beams whereby when said sensor is put into general motion either said top or said bottom of said beam is stretched and produce both a voltage source effect and a capacitance effect, both of said effects corresponding to a translational motion component and a rotational motion component of said general motion;
- and
- attaching a means for connecting said effects of said beams whereby said rotational component or said translational component is canceled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.