Acceleration measuring device with pulse width modulation resetting
US6691572B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 27, 2001 |
| Grant date | Feb 17, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 27, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01P15/125
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An accelerometer having a micromechanical pendulum, a capacitive pick off and a control loop reset by electrostatic forces and, in a time sequence, applies a resetting voltage between the pendulum and two electrodes spaced apart on opposite sides of the pendulum. The control loop is designed such that, firstly, no charge difference flows via the pendulum and a force of identical magnitude thus acts on both sides of the pendulum. Secondly, when a pendulum deflection occurs in response to a voltage difference, the time durations of the respectively applied voltage pulses are impeded in accordance with the acceleration. The simultaneous control of two components results in the control bias tending essentially to zero. The capability of temporarily switching to detection of the total charge as the control variable also allows control of the scale factor of the accelerometer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.