Vibrating gyroscope

Details Vibrating gyroscope Vibrating gyroscope

2001-08-23

2003-07-08

Moller, Richard A. (Department: 2856)

Measuring and testing

Speed, velocity, or acceleration

Angular rate using gyroscopic or coriolis effect

Reexamination Certificate

active

06588275

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibrating gyroscope used as, for example, a position detecting sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7
is a top view schematically illustrating an example of a conventional vibrating gyroscope, disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-300475. A vibrating gyroscope
1
is formed of a substrate
30
, a vibrating sensor device
31
, a signal processing circuit
32
, a first driving wiring pattern
33
a,
a second driving wiring pattern
33
b,
a first detecting wiring pattern
34
a,
a second detecting wiring pattern
34
b,
a compensation wiring pattern
35
, and wiring patterns (
36
a,
36
b,
36
c,
and
36
d
).
The vibrating sensor device
31
and the signal processing circuit
32
are disposed in the same plane of the substrate
30
, and are connected to each other by the first and second driving wiring patterns
33
a
and
33
b,
the first and second detecting wiring patterns
34
a
and
34
b,
and the wiring patterns
36
.
The vibrating sensor device
31
is configured, such as that shown in FIG.
4
. The vibrating sensor device
31
shown in
FIG. 4
has a device substrate
3
, on which a supporting stationary portion
4
, comb-like driving stationary electrodes
5
(
5
a,
5
b,
5
c,
5
d,
5
e,
5
f,
5
g,
and
5
h
), and detecting stationary electrodes
6
(
6
a,
6
b,
6
c,
6
d,
6
e,
and
6
f
) are disposed. A vibrator
8
is connected to the supporting stationary portion
4
via support portions (
7
a
and
7
b
).
The vibrator
8
is disposed away from the device substrate
3
, and is formed of driving beams
9
(
9
a,
9
b,
9
c,
and
9
d
), an outer frame
10
, comb-like driving movable electrodes
11
(
11
a,
11
b,
11
c,
11
d,
11
e,
11
f,
11
g,
and
11
h
), support portions
12
a
and
12
b,
detecting beams
13
(
13
a,
13
b,
13
c,
and
13
d
), an inner frame
14
, and comb-like detecting movable electrodes
15
(
15
a,
15
b,
15
c,
15
d,
and
15
f
).
One end of each of the driving beams
9
a
and
9
b
is connected to the support portion
7
a,
and one end of each of the driving beams
9
c
and
9
d
is connected to the support portion
7
b.
The other ends of the driving beams
9
a,
9
b,
9
c,
and
9
d
are connected to the outer frame
10
.
The outer frame
10
can vibrate in the X direction shown in FIG.
4
. This is discussed in detail below. In the outer frame
10
, the comb-like driving movable electrodes
11
are meshed with the corresponding comb-like driving stationary electrodes
5
such that they are away from each other with a predetermined space. The comb-like driving stationary electrodes
5
a,
5
b,
5
c,
and
5
d
and the comb-like driving movable electrodes
11
a,
11
b,
11
c,
and
11
d
form a first driving unit. The comb-like driving stationary electrodes
5
e,
5
f,
5
g,
and
5
h
and the comb-like driving movable electrodes
11
e,
11
f,
11
g,
and
11
h
form a second driving unit.
The first driving unit is electrically connected to the first driving wiring pattern
33
a
or the second driving wiring pattern
33
b
(for example, the first driving wiring pattern
33
a
) shown in
FIG. 7
via an electrode pad (not shown) or wiring (not shown). The second driving unit is electrically connected to the first driving wiring pattern
33
a
or the second driving wiring pattern
33
b
(for example, the second driving wiring pattern
33
b
) via an electrode pad (not shown) or wiring (not shown).
The support portions
12
a
and
12
b
extend inward away from the outer frame
10
. The detecting beams
13
a
and
13
b
extend from the forward-facing end of the support portion
12
a,
while the detecting beams
13
c
and
13
d
extend from the forward-facing end of the support portion
12
b.
The inner frame
14
is connected to the forward-facing ends of the detecting beams
13
a,
13
b,
13
c,
and
13
d.
The inner frame
14
can vibrate integrally with the outer frame
10
in the X direction. The inner frame
14
can also vibrate in the Y direction relative to the outer frame
10
. The vibration of the inner frame
14
is discussed below. In the inner frame
14
, the comb-like detecting movable electrodes
15
are meshed with the corresponding comb-like detecting stationary electrodes
6
such that they are away from each other with a predetermined space. The comb-like detecting stationary electrodes
6
a,
6
b,
and
6
c
and the comb-like detecting movable electrodes
15
a,
15
b,
and
15
c
form a first detecting unit. The comb-like detecting stationary electrodes
6
d,
6
e,
and
6
f
and the comb-like detecting movable electrodes
15
d,
15
e,
and
15
f
form a second detecting unit.
The first detecting unit is electrically connected to the first detecting wiring pattern
34
a
or the second detecting wiring pattern
34
b
(for example, the first detecting wiring pattern
34
a
) shown in
FIG. 7
via an electrode pad (not shown) or wiring (not shown). The second detecting unit is electrically connected to the first detecting wiring pattern
34
a
or the second detecting wiring pattern
34
b
(for example, the second detecting wiring pattern
34
b
) via an electrode pad (not shown) or wiring (not shown).
In the vibrating sensor device
31
constructed as described above and as shown in
FIG. 4
, a first driving signal and a second driving signal, which are 180 degrees out of phase with each other, are applied to both the first driving unit and the second driving unit, which are formed by the driving stationary electrodes
5
and the driving movable electrodes
11
, via the first driving wiring pattern
33
a
and the second driving wiring pattern
33
b,
respectively. Then, the magnitude of the capacitance is changed on the basis of the driving signals so that the overall vibrator
8
vibrates in the X direction shown in
FIG. 4
by utilizing the rust elasticity of the driving beams
9
while being supported by the support portions
7
a
and
7
b.
By rotating the overall vibrator
8
in the Z direction (perpendicular to the plane of
FIG. 4
) while it is vibrating in the X direction, a Coriolis force is generated orthogonal to the driving direction (X direction) of the vibrator
8
and the central-axis direction (Z direction) of the rotation of the vibrator
8
, that is, in the Y direction. Because of this Coriolis force, the inner frame
14
of the vibrator
8
vibrates in the Y direction relative to the outer frame
10
by utilizing the elasticity of the detecting beams
13
while being supported by the support portions
12
a
and
12
b.
By detecting a change in the capacitance between the detecting stationary electrodes
6
and the detecting movable electrodes
15
based on the vibration of the inner frame
14
in the Y direction, the magnitude of the angular velocity around the Z axis can be determined.
To avoid adverse influences, such as air damping, the above-configured vibrator
8
is generally housed and sealed in a space formed between, for example, a lid member, and the device substrate
3
while being decompressed. In this case, the driving stationary electrodes
5
and the detecting stationary electrodes
6
of the vibrating sensor device
31
are electrically connected to exterior components via through-holes provided in the lid member.
FIG. 5
illustrates an example of the signal processing circuit
32
to be connected to the vibrating sensor device
31
. In
FIG. 5
, the essential portions of the vibrating sensor device
31
are also shown. The signal processing circuit
32
is formed of a first detecting C-V converter
21
, a second detecting C-V converter
22
, a first first-stage amplifying circuit
23
a,
a second first-stage amplifying circuit
23
b,
a summing amplifier
24
, a differential amplifier
25
, an auto gain control (AGC) unit
26
, and a phase inverter
27
. For simple representation of the signal processing circuit
32
, the driving stationary electrodes
5
, the detecting stationary electrodes
6
, the vibrator
8
, the driving movable electrodes
11

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