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US 6,474,161 B1Granted
Gyroscopic sensor and rotation measurement apparatus constituting an application thereof
AssigneeSagem SA
InventorsAlain Jeanroy, Pierre Leger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The gyroscopic sensor has a bell-shaped resonator which is fixed along its axis on a substrate. It has a circular edge lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis and at a distance from the point where the resonator is fixed. The substrate carries detection and excitation electrodes that co-operate with the resonator. The detection electrodes are sensitive to an axial component of resonator vibration and the energization electrodes cause vibration at resonance by exerting axial forces.
Claims12
A gyroscopic sensor comprising:
- a bell or cap-shaped resonator having a rotational symmetry;
- means for fixing said resonator to a substrate along an axis thereof, said resonator having a circular edge situated in a plane perpendicular to the axis and at a distance from a point where said resonator is fixed;
- excitation means carried by said substrate and co-operating with the resonator for causing said resonator to vibrate in a given resonance mode;
- and
- electrical detection means and carried by said substrate and co-operating with the resonator for detecting axial movements of said edge caused by vibration of said resonator.
2 more elements
A gyroscopic sensor having:
- a bell or cap-shaped mechanical resonator having a rotational symmetry and apt to radially vibrate at a resonance frequency;
- securing means for fixing said resonator to a substrate along an axis thereof and arranged so that a circular edge of said resonator be situated in a plane which at rest is perpendicular to said axis and at an axial distance from a point where said resonator is connected to said securing means whereby resonance of said resonator causes axial and radial movement of said edge with respect to said substrate;
- electrical detection electrodes carried by said substrate along at least two different radial directions and extending radially beyond either side of the edge of the resonator in rest condition, co-operating with the resonator for detecting axial movements of said edge caused by vibration of said resonator and connected to means for determining a direction of vibration of the resonator from signals delivered by said detection electrodes;
- and
- energization transducers having electrodes also facing said edge and connected to means for causing vibration of said resonator at said resonance frequency.
2 more elements
Rotation-measuring apparatus comprising:
- (a) a gyroscopic sensor having:
- a bell or cap-shaped resonator having a rotational symmetry;
- securing means for fixing said resonator to a substrate along an axis thereof and arranged so that a circular edge of said resonator be situated in a plane perpendicular to said axis and at an axial distance from a point where said resonator is fixed by said securing means;
- electrical detection electrodes and energization electrodes carried by said substrate and co-operating with the resonator for detecting axial movements of said edge caused by vibration of said resonator and for causing said vibration, respectively;
- and
- (b) an electronic circuit for receiving output signals supplied by the detection electrodes and for energizing the energization electrodes to sustain vibration by creating forces at a resonant frequency of the resonator, and for calculating a rotation of the resonator about said axis by processing said output signals.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.