Compensated integrated micro-machined yaw rate sensor

US6453743B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• MELEXIS NV · BE

Inventors

• Chris Royle · Grafton, GB
• Colin H. J. Fox · Nottingham, GB
• Robert V. Wright · Strongsville, US
• Paul Kirby · Mountain View, US
• Peter Enoksson · Perstorp, SE
• Göran Stemme · Stockholm, SE
• Chris Merveille · Lyngdal, NO

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 10, 2000
• Grant date: Sep 24, 2002
• Expiry date: Mar 10, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01P2015/084
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An integrated circuit combines micro-machined elements, piezoelectric elements and signal processing components as part of a compensated oscillating gyroscopic sensor for angular motion detection. An oscillating mass is supported on a number of flexible beams micro-machined into an integrated circuit device, such as a silicon CMOS device. Several Piezo-electric elements are also coupled to the beams to excite the mass and to measure the accelerations. Integrated in the device are electronic circuitry that initiates and maintains the oscillation and electronic circuitry that detects and measures the subsequent motion. Additional circuitry is also provided to determine the Coriolis acceleration and thus the magnitude of the external perturbing velocity.