# US 9,519,004 B2 · Sensor with moving sensitive element having mixed vibrating and pendular operation, and methods for controlling such a sensor

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- Number: US 9,519,004 B2
- Document ID: US9519004B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/037,518
- Filed: 2014-10-21
- Published: 2016-09-29
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-20
- Assignees: Sagem Defense Securite
- Applicants: Sagem Defense Securite
- Inventors: Alain Jeanroy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519004B2

## CPC

- G01P 15/097: by vibratory elements
- G01P 15/0802: {Details}
- G01C 19/56: Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
- G01C 19/5642: using vibrating bars or beams
- G01C 19/5656: the devices involving a micromechanical structure
- G01C 19/5719: using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis
- G01C 19/5733: Structural details or topology
- G01P 15/0888: {for indicating angular acceleration}
- G01P 15/125: by capacitive pick-up
- G01P 15/14: by making use of gyroscopes (gyroscopes per se G01C19/00)
- G01P 15/18: in two or more dimensions
- G01P 2015/0814: {for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type}
- G01P 2015/082: {for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass}
- G01P 2015/0848: {using a plurality of mechanically coupled spring-mass systems, the sensitive direction of each system being different}
- G01P 2015/0857: {using a particular shape of the suspension spring}
- G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G})
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

A sensor comprising: a stand; a first body movable along a sensing axis; two pairs of second bodies arranged symmetrically relative to the first body and along the sensing axis; transducers for detecting a position of the first body relative to the stand, for setting the second bodies into vibration along a vibration axis, and for detecting respective vibration frequencies of the second bodies; and surface electrostatic coupling means connecting each second body to the first body in such a manner that a movement of the first body relative to the stand along the sensing axis gives rise respectively to an increase and to a decrease in the electrostatic coupling for one and the other of the pairs of second bodies. Methods of controlling such a sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensor comprising: a stand; a first body connected to the stand to be movable along a sensing axis by first suspension means defining a suspension plane; two resonators that are arranged symmetrically about the first body along the sensing axis and each of which comprises a pair of second bodies each connected to the stand by second suspension means in order to be capable of vibrating along a vibration axis that is substantially perpendicular to the sensing axis, and that are connected to each other by third suspension means; transducer members connected to a control unit for detecting a position of the first body relative to the stand, for setting the second bodies into vibration along the vibration axis, and for detecting respective vibration frequencies of the second bodies; and surface electrostatic coupling means connecting each second body to the first body in such a manner that a movement of the first body relative to the stand along the sensing axis leads to an increase in electrostatic coupling for one of the pairs of second bodies and to a decrease in electrostatic coupling for the other pair of second bodies.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the resonators are arranged on either side of a portion of the first body, the surface electrostatic coupling means being mounted between said portion and the second bodies.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The sensor according to claim 2, wherein the first body has two cavities that are in alignment with each other on the sensing axis and each of which receives one of the pairs of second bodies.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the third suspension means comprise at least one elastically deformable strip given a lozenge shape having a first diagonal that is parallel to the vibration axis and that is defined by first vertices connected to the bodies and a second diagonal that is parallel to the sensing axis and that is defined by second vertices connected to the stand by links in such a manner that the second vertices are movable solely along the sensing axis.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the transducer members are also arranged to move the first body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of controlling a sensor according to claim 5, comprising the step of causing the first body to perform a predetermined movement, and the step of processing a signal coming from the transducer members of the resonators in order to determine a measurement value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method of controlling a sensor according to claim 1, the method including the step of detecting a movement of the first body in order to determine a first measurement value, and the step of detecting a variation in the frequencies of the resonators in order to determine a second measurement value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, comprising the step of retaining as the final measurement value a mean of the first measurement value and of the second measurement value.