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US 9,869,550 B2Granted
Microelectromechanical gyroscope for sensing angular rate and method of sensing angular rate
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsDaniele Prati, Carlo Valzasina, Luca Giuseppe Falorni, Matteo Fabio Brunetto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes: a substrate; a stator sensing structure fixed to the substrate; a first mass elastically constrained to the substrate and movable with respect to the substrate in a first direction; a second mass elastically constrained to the first mass and movable with respect to the first mass in a second direction; and a third mass elastically constrained to the second mass and to the substrate and capacitively coupled to the stator sensing structure, the third mass being movable with respect to the substrate in the second direction and with respect to the second mass in the first direction.
Claims25
A microelectromechanical gyroscope comprising:
- a substrate;
- a stator sensing structure fixed to the substrate;
- a first mass elastically coupled to the substrate and movable with respect to the substrate in a first direction;
- a second mass elastically coupled to the first mass and movable with respect to the first mass in a second direction;
- and
- a third mass laterally arranged with respect to the first mass in the second direction such that an outer edge of the third mass is spaced apart from and facing an outer edge of the first mass, the third mass elastically coupled to the second mass in a manner that enables movement of the third mass with respect to the second mass in the first direction and elastically coupled to the substrate in a manner that enables movement of the third mass with respect to the substrate in the second direction, the third mass being capacitively coupled to the stator sensing structure.
3 more elements
A gyroscope, comprising,
- a substrate;
- at least two stator sensing structures fixed to the substrate;
- a plurality of first masses elastically coupled to the substrate and movable with respect to the substrate in a first direction, the plurality of first masses being arranged symmetrically with respect to a central anchorage and aligned in the first direction;
- a second mass elastically coupled to at least one of the plurality of first masses and movable with respect to the respective first mass in a second direction;
- and
- at least two third masses elastically coupled to the second mass in a manner that enables movement of the at least two third masses with respect to the second mass in the first direction and elastically coupled to the substrate in a manner that enables movement of the at least two third masses with respect to the substrate in the second direction, the at least two third masses being capacitively coupled to the at least two stator sensing structures, respectively, the at least two third masses being located on opposite sides of the second mass with respect to the second direction.
3 more elements
An electronic system, comprising:
- a microelectromechanical gyroscope including:
- a substrate;
- a stator sensing structure fixed to the substrate;
- a first mass elastically coupled to the substrate and movable with respect to the substrate in a first direction;
- a second mass elastically coupled to the first mass and movable with respect to the first mass in a second direction;
- first elastic elements coupled to the second mass;
- second elastic elements coupled to the substrate;
- and
- a third mass outwardly spaced from at least one of the first and second masses and elastically coupled to the second mass by the first elastic elements to enable movement of the third mass in the first direction while preventing movements in the second direction, the third mass elastically coupled to the substrate by the second elastic elements to enable movement in the second direction while preventing movements in the first direction, the third mass being capacitively coupled to the stator sensing structure;
- and
- a control unit coupled to the gyroscope.
8 more elements
A method of sensing angular rates, the method comprising:
- oscillating a first mass, elastically coupled to a substrate, with respect to the substrate in a first direction;
- moving a second mass in a second direction, the second mass being elastically coupled to the first mass and moved with respect to the first mass in the second direction;
- and
- sensing displacements of a third mass capacitively coupled to a stator sensing structure on the substrate and elastically coupled to the second mass and to the substrate, the third mass being movable with respect to the substrate in the second direction and with respect to the second mass in the first direction, the third mass being laterally arranged with respect to the second mass such that an outer edge of the second mass is spaced apart from and facing an outer edge of the first mass in the second direction.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.