Back to results
US 9,927,459 B2Granted
Accelerometer with offset compensation
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsWilliam A. Clark, Xin Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accelerometer has a movable mass suspended above a substrate, and a variable acceleration capacitor supported by the substrate. The movable mass has a mass anchor securing the mass to the substrate, while the acceleration capacitor has both a stationary finger extending from the substrate, and a movable finger extending from the movable mass. The accelerometer also has a variable stress capacitor, which also includes the stress finger, for determining movement of the mass anchor relative to the substrate.
Claims20
An accelerometer comprising:
- an anchor secured to a substrate;
- a movable mass springedly coupled to the anchor by a spring which is directly connected to the anchor;
- a movable frame rigidly connected to the anchor;
- a stationary finger connected to the substrate;
- a movable finger connected to the movable mass, the movable finger forming an acceleration capacitor with the stationary finger;
- and
- a frame finger connected to the movable frame, the frame finger forming a noise correcting capacitor with the stationary finger.
4 more elements
An accelerometer comprising:
- a movable mass springedly coupled to an anchor by a spring directly connected to the anchor, the anchor being connected to a substrate;
- a movable frame rigidly connected to the anchor;
- an acceleration capacitor configured to detect acceleration of the movable mass relative to the substrate, the acceleration capacitor having a first stationary finger connected to the substrate and a movable finger connected to the movable mass;
- and
- a noise correcting capacitor configured to detect movement of the anchor relative to the movable mass, the noise correcting capacitor having a second stationary finger connected to the substrate and a frame finger connected to the movable frame.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- sensing accelerations of a movable mass using an acceleration capacitor, the acceleration capacitor comprising a stationary finger connected to a substrate and a movable finger connected to the movable mass, wherein the movable mass is springedly coupled to an anchor through a spring directly connected to the anchor, the anchor being connected to the substrate;
- and
- detecting displacement of the anchor using a noise correcting capacitor, the noise correcting capacitor comprising the stationary finger and a frame finger connected to a movable frame, the movable frame being rigidly connected to the anchor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.