US5691471A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Acceleration and angular velocity detector
Assignee: Nikon Corp
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Filing: 1995-11-13
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Granted: 1997-11-25
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Expires: 2015-11-13
Abstract
Abstract An acceleration and angular velocity detector comprises a body mass, a flexible portion, which is connected to the body mass, that deforms in consonance with a displacement of the body mass, and a peripheral support for supporting the flexible portion. A vibration device causes the body mass to vibrate circularly in two dimensions. A displacement detection device independently detects displacements of the body mass in three axes directions and outputs a signal and a signal processor calculates acceleration in the three axes directions and angular velocities around three axes by employing the signal that is output by the displacement detection device.
Inventors
- 👤 Mitsuhiro Okazaki
- 👤 Jun Iwasaki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 07:43
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01P; G01P15/00; G01P15/18; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/56; G01P15/02; G01P15/08; G01P15/0802; G01P2015/0805; G01P2015/0822; G01P2015/084
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 32
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector comprising: a body mass; a flexible portion, which is connected to said body mass, that deforms in consonance with displacement of said body mass; a peripheral support member for supporting said flexible portion; vibration means for vibrating said body mass circularly; displacement detection means for independently detecting displacements of said body mass in directions of three axes and for outputting a signal; and calculation means for detecting accelerations in said three directions and angular velocities around said three axes by employing said signal output by said displacement detection means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector comprising: a body mass; a flexible portion, which is connected to said body mass, that deforms in consonance with displacement of said body mass; a peripheral support member for supporting said flexible portion; vibration means for vibrating said body mass circularly; displacement detection means for independently detecting displacements of said body mass in directions of three axes and for outputting a signal; and calculation means for detecting accelerations in said three directions and angular velocities around said three axes by employing said signal output by said displacement detection means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 1, wherein said vibration means causes said body mass to vibrate circularly in a plane parallel to a plane of said flexible portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
85 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 2, wherein said calculation means includes a signal dividing section, which divides said signal into a signal having a low frequency component and a signal having a high frequency component and outputs said signal having a low frequency component as an acceleration signal, and a synchronous detecting section, which outputs an angular velocity signal based on said signal having a high frequency component and a vibration frequency with which said vibration means vibrates said body mass.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 3, wherein said displacement detection means includes first, second, and third bridge circuits, said first bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a first resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along one axis of two intersecting axes, and having a first voltage meter; said second bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a second resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along the other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a second voltage meter; and said third bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a third resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along said other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a third voltage meter.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
85 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 3, wherein said displacement detection means includes at least four electrodes having equal areas and disposed orthogonally and symmetrically to each other on one of a bottom surface of said body mass and a surface that is positioned opposite to said bottom surface; one electrode, which is formed on the other of said surfaces; and electric capacity detection means for detecting an electric capacity between each of said at least four electrodes and said one electrode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 3, wherein said vibration means includes piezoelectric elements that are formed on said flexible portion, and a vibration signal generator for applying an alternating current voltage to said piezoelectric elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 6, wherein said piezoelectric elements are composed of PZT.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 7, wherein said flexible portion, said body mass, and said peripheral support member are made of silicon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 1, wherein said vibration means causes said body mass to vibrate circularly in a plane perpendicular to a plane of said flexible portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 9, wherein said calculation means includes a signal dividing section, which divides said signal into a signal having a low frequency component and a signal having a high frequency component and outputs said signal having a low frequency component as an acceleration signal, and a synchronous detecting section, which outputs an angular velocity signal based on said signal having a high frequency component and a vibration frequency with which said vibration means vibrates said body mass.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
132 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 10, wherein said displacement detection means includes first, second, and third bridge circuits, said first bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a first resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along one axis of two intersecting axes, and having a first voltage meter; said second bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a second resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along the other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a second voltage meter; and said third bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a third resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along said other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a third voltage meter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
85 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 10, wherein said displacement detection means includes at least four electrodes having equal areas and disposed orthogonally and symmetrically to each other on one of a bottom surface of said body mass and a surface that is positioned opposite to said bottom surface; one electrode, which is formed on the other of said surfaces; and electric capacity detection means for detecting an electric capacity between each of said at least four electrodes and said one electrode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 10, wherein said vibration means includes piezoelectric elements that are formed on said flexible portion, and a vibration signal generator for applying an alternating current voltage to said piezoelectric elements.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 13, wherein said piezoelectric elements are composed of PZT.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 14, wherein said flexible portion, said body mass, and said peripheral support member are made of silicon.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
111 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector comprising: a body mass; a flexible portion, which is connected to said body mass, that deforms in consonance with displacement of said body mass; a peripheral support member for supporting said flexible portion; a vibration device that vibrates said body mass such that a portion of said body mass moves in a substantially circular motion; a displacement detection device that independently detects displacements of said body mass in directions of three axes and that outputs a signal; and a calculation device that detects accelerations in said three directions and angular velocities around said three axes by employing said signal output by said displacement detection device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
111 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector comprising: a body mass; a flexible portion, which is connected to said body mass, that deforms in consonance with displacement of said body mass; a peripheral support member for supporting said flexible portion; a vibration device that vibrates said body mass such that a portion of said body mass moves in a substantially circular motion; a displacement detection device that independently detects displacements of said body mass in directions of three axes and that outputs a signal; and a calculation device that detects accelerations in said three directions and angular velocities around said three axes by employing said signal output by said displacement detection device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 16, wherein said vibration device causes said portion of said body mass to vibrate in a substantially circular motion in a plane parallel to a plane of said flexible portion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
85 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 17, wherein said calculation device includes a signal dividing section, which divides said signal into a signal having a low frequency component and a signal having a high frequency component and outputs said signal having a low frequency component as an acceleration signal, and a synchronous detecting section, which outputs an angular velocity signal based on said signal having a high frequency component and a vibration frequency with which said vibration device vibrates said body mass.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
132 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 18, wherein said displacement detection device includes first, second, and third bridge circuits, said first bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a first resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along one axis of two intersecting axes, and having a first voltage meter; said second bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a second resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along the other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a second voltage meter; and said third bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a third resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along said other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a third voltage meter.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
86 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 18, wherein said displacement detection device includes at least four electrodes having equal areas and disposed orthogonally and symmetrically to each other on one of a bottom surface of said body mass and a surface that is positioned opposite to said bottom surface; one electrode, which is formed on the other of said surfaces; and an electric capacity detection device that detects an electric capacity between each of said at least four electrodes and said one electrode.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 18, wherein said vibration device includes piezoelectric elements that are formed on said flexible portion, and a vibration signal generator for applying an alternating current voltage to said piezoelectric elements.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 21, wherein said piezoelectric elements are composed of PZT.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 22, wherein said flexible portion, said body mass, and said peripheral support member are made of silicon.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 16, wherein said vibration device causes said portion of said body mass to vibrate in a substantially circular motion in a plane perpendicular to a plane of said flexible portion.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
85 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 24, wherein said calculation device includes a signal dividing section, which divides said signal into a signal having a low frequency component and a signal having a high frequency component and outputs said signal having a low frequency component as an acceleration signal, and a synchronous detecting section, which outputs an angular velocity signal based on said signal having a high frequency component and a vibration frequency with which said vibration device vibrates said body mass.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
132 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claims 25, wherein said displacement detection device includes first, second, and third bridge circuits, said first bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a first resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along one axis of two intersecting axes, and having a first voltage meter; said second bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a second resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along the other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a second voltage meter; and said third bridge circuit having, in said flexible portion, a third resistor element group, which includes four resistor elements that are formed along said other axis of said two intersecting axes, and having a third voltage meter.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
86 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 25, wherein said displacement detection device includes at least four electrodes having equal areas and disposed orthogonally and symmetrically to each other on one of a bottom surface of said body mass and a surface that is positioned opposite to said bottom surface; one electrode, which is formed on the other of said surfaces; and an electric capacity detection device that detects an electric capacity between each of said at least four electrodes and said one electrode.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
39 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 25, wherein said vibration device includes piezoelectric elements that are formed on said flexible portion, and a vibration signal generator for applying an alternating current voltage to said piezoelectric elements.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 28, wherein said piezoelectric elements are composed of PZT.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
26 words
An acceleration and angular velocity detector according to claim 29, wherein said flexible portion, said body mass, and said peripheral support member are made of silicon.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-11-24 | 2001-05-26 | 2001-11-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-11-24 | 2005-05-26 | 2005-11-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-11-24 | 2009-05-26 | 2009-11-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |