Measuring the characteristics of oscillating motion
US6317506A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 13, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01H9/00
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Apparatus and method to measure the characteristics of the substantially periodic motion of a mechanical system. A non-intrusive technique measures such motion by analyzing images of a movable component of the system without requiring a motion sensor built into the system. If the system includes a motion sensor, the present invention can calibrate it. The present invention applies to an object of any length scale if it can be imaged. The amplitude of a component's motion is obtained from a single, time-exposed image while the system is in periodic motion and a reference image made with the component at rest. The technique, implemented as one component of an automated test-bed apparatus, is significantly faster than the prior art. The present invention is especially efficient in characterizing the mechanical performance of MEMS. Speed facilitates both hands-on testing of prototypes and testing in production environments. Results from the present invention applied to a microfabricated resonator are compared with electrical measurements derived from an integrated comb-drive. Benchmark comparisons demonstrate that the present invention delivers comparable results in shorter times with …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.