Method for measuring angular velocity and a vibrating micromechanical sensor of angular velocity
AssigneeMurata Electronics Oy
InventorAnssi Blomqvist
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to measuring devices used in measuring angular velocity, and, more precisely, to vibrating micromechanical sensors of angular velocity. In the solution for a sensor of angular velocity, a mass is suspended using spring structures having non-orthogonal primary and secondary axes such, that an activation in phase with the primary motion is induced in a detection resonator. The angular velocity to be measured is detected from the phase difference between the primary motion and the secondary motion. The structure of the sensor of angular velocity enables reliable measuring with good performance, particularly, in small vibrating micromechanical solutions for a sensor of angular velocity.
Claims12
A method to measure angular velocity using a vibrating micromechanical sensor of angular velocity, wherein the sensor of angular velocity comprises a seismic mass, a moving electrode associated with the seismic mass, and a spring structure suspension, the method comprising:
- supporting the seismic mass to a body of the sensor by a spring structure suspension having non-orthogonal primary and secondary axes such that primary motion of the seismic mass in the direction of the primary axis induces an activating force in a nearly perpendicular direction of the secondary axis;
- activating the seismic mass into the primary motion in the direction of the primary axis:
- detecting a secondary motion as movement of the seismic mass in the direction of the secondary axis;
- and
- phase-sensitively detecting the angular velocity of the body of the sensor from a phase difference between the primary motion and the secondary motion.
A system to measure angular velocity comprising:
- a vibrating micromechanical sensor of angular velocity, wherein the sensor of angular velocity comprises a body, a phase detector,
- a seismic mass, a moving electrode associated with the seismic mass, and a spring structure suspension wherein the seismic mass is supported to the body of the sensor suspended by the spring structure suspension;
- the spring structure suspension has non-orthogonal primary and secondary axes such that primary motion of the seismic mass in the direction of the primary axis induces an activating force in a nearly perpendicular direction of the secondary axis;
- the phase detector is configured to detect a secondary motion as movement of the seismic mass in the direction of the secondary axis;
- and
- the phase detector is configured to phase-sensitively detect angular velocity of the body of the sensor from a phase difference between the primary motion and the secondary motion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.