Inertial sensor and method of use
US6584845B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 10, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jul 1, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 10, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01P2015/0842
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The inertial sensor of the present invention utilizes a proof mass suspended from spring structures forming a nearly degenerate resonant structure into which a perturbation is introduced, causing a split in frequency of the two modes so that the mode shape become uniquely defined, and to the first order, remains orthogonal. The resonator is provided with a mass or inertia tensor with off-diagonal elements. These off-diagonal elements are large enough to change the mode shape of the two nearly degenerate modes from the original coordinate frame. The spring tensor is then provided with a compensating off-diagonal element, such that the mode shape is again defined in the original coordinate frame. The compensating off-diagonal element in the spring tensor is provided by a biasing voltage that softens certain elements in the spring tensor. Acceleration disturbs the compensation and the mode shape again changes from the original coordinate frame. By measuring the change in the mode shape, the acceleration is measured.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.