Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor yaw rate sensor with a vibrating movable section with vertical and horizontal displacement detection

US5895851A · kind A · utility

27Cited by
1References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 14, 1997
Grant dateApr 20, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01P15/124
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A yaw rate sensor, which can be structured easily and at low cost and which can also detect exerted acceleration with high accuracy, is obtained. A movable electrode section is provided spaced at a specified gap with respect to a semiconductor substrate; fixed electrodes for excitation use forcibly vibrate the movable electrode section using an electrostatic force; a vertical displacement detection portion detects a vertical displacement of the movable electrode section; a horizontal displacement detection portion detects a horizontal displacement of the movable electrode section; and using at least the detection output of the vertical displacement detection portion, a signal processing circuit obtains a yaw rate detection output. Then, an aging compensation circuit detects an amplitude condition of the movable electrode section using the output of the horizontal displacement detection means; and the forced vibration of the movable electrode section is maintained a vibration at a resonance frequency.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.