Modular inertial measurement unit and elements for manufacturing it

Abstract

A corner bracket comprising a volume of matter having n pairs of parallel faces, where n is an integer greater than 2; each face of each pair of parallel faces comprises an opening; the openings on the faces of each pair of parallel faces are connected by a cylindrical recess, the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recess being perpendicular to the faces connected by the cylindrical recess; the longitudinal axes of the cylindrical recesses are arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other. The number n can be 3 and the volume of matter can be a cube.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing of related patent applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Nonprovisional Application No. 18 / 123,984, filed March 21, 2023, entitled “Modular Inertial Measurement Unit and Elements for Manufacturing Thereof,” which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to electronic components; particularly to components such as inertial measurement units, which include multiple substrates or plates, each carrying a sensor and attached together at an angle. The invention also relates to modular elements that allow for the construction of such electronic components. Background Technology

[0004] An inertial measurement unit (IMU) is an electronic device that uses a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to measure and report forces applied to a subject, the subject's angular rate, and sometimes its orientation. IMUs can be used manually or automatically to assist in the maneuvering of vehicles. Existing technologies in the field of inertial measurement units and sensor clusters include the following:

[0005] US Patent #9,696,340,B2: Frequency Modulation-Based Multi-Axis Chip-Scale MEMS Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) discloses a single-chip implementation of an IMU that requires multiple sensor designs to fully sense all six degrees of freedom (DOF) in 3D space (X, Y, Z accelerations and rotations about the X, Y, and Z axes). A disadvantage of this approach is that performance is often compromised due to space constraints on a single chip and the need to sense in-plane rotations (rotations about the X and Y axes of the chip, where Z is an out-of-plane direction).

[0006] Honeywell's HG4930 IMU, manufactured under the trade name HG4930, comprises a single package containing three relatively high-performance single-axis gyroscopes: two in-plane gyroscopes and one out-of-plane gyroscope. Although the IMU consists of individual, relatively high-performance sensors, it still requires a multi-sensor design to sense both in-plane and out-of-plane DOF.

[0007] U.S. Patent #8,100,010 discloses a method and system for forming an electronic assembly with inertial sensors mounted thereon, and details the importance of mounting the sensors in a suitable arrangement along a specific axis, where there are two sets of three orthogonal sensors (one set of accelerometer sensors and one set of gyroscope sensors). This reference employs an optimized single-axis sensor design and an L-shaped bracket to achieve the three necessary orientations. Flexible circuitry is used to bridge from the base PCB to the sides of the L-shaped bracket. Their design is not modular, as no given sensor can be swapped in and out by changing the panel in the IMU.

[0008] Building clusters of inertial sensors with optimized cost, size, weight, and power is of great interest, for industries seeking advancements in autonomy and positioning. Summary of the Invention

[0009] Embodiments of this invention relate to modular inertial measurement unit (IMU) design and batch design methods to produce IMUs customized to the needs of end applications. According to embodiments of the invention, this customizability is achieved by implementing a set of replaceable panels, each of which may contain one or more inertial sensors (gyroscopes for sensing rotational degrees of freedom (DOF) or accelerometers for sensing linear acceleration (DOF)). The panels are connected via specially designed corner brackets to achieve any 3D arrangement of the panels based on the needs of the end application. Other embodiments of the invention allow multiple layers or housings of the panels to be connected as needed in a 3D arrangement to support inertial sensors (e.g., with added electronics), perform thermal and mechanical control of the IMU, perform any necessary system-level calculations, and provide an interface to the external world.

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention include gyroscope panels / substrates / boards with a square form factor. These panels can be constructed using printed circuit board (PCB) technology.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention include accelerometer (Accel) panels having the same square form factor as Gyro panels. These panels can also be constructed using printed circuit board (PCB) technology.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the Gyro panel and the Accel panel share a common square template shape factor.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the square panel template has mounting holes that are rotatably offset from alignment with the diagonal of the square template (clockwise or counterclockwise).

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, three Gyro panels and three Accel panels are arranged to form a 6-DOF sensor cluster cube.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the invention, three Gyro panels and three Accel panels are attached to corner mounting brackets, in this case, eight corner mounting cubes.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the invention, the corner mounting cubes share matching mounting holes offset as on the Gyro and Accel panels, thereby avoiding the intersection of mounting screws at the center of the corner mounting cubes.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the invention, all eight corner mounting cubes are identical, thereby minimizing component costs.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the invention, three Gyro panels, three Accel panels, and eight corner-mounted cubes form the innermost or layer 1 housing of a 6DOF cubic IMU. Since the layer 1 housing typically contains inertial sensors, it can be referred to as a "sensor cluster".

[0019] According to an embodiment of the invention, commercially available board-to-board (B2B) connectors are used for electromechanical connections from the Layer 1 housing to the outside world.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the invention, the external world includes a layer 2 housing B2B connector, which may be constructed from a similar square panel template (with increased dimensions) and an identical corner mounting cube.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, in order to support more electronic devices and overall IMU signal processing, additional layers (e.g., layers 3, layers 4) can be constructed in a manner similar to layer 2 housing.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the innermost shell layers is a single-channel panel (e.g., one gyroscope or accelerometer per panel in a 6DOF IMU, or a combined panel containing one gyroscope and one accelerometer on the same panel in a 12DOF IMU).

[0023] According to an embodiment of the invention, in a higher housing layer, the individual channels are combined to perform overall IMU processing tasks (collecting multi-DOF sensing information, applying any necessary IMU processing, and communicating with the outside world).

[0024] According to an embodiment of the invention, the corners of each Gyro or Accel panel are chamfered (cut off at a 45-degree angle at the corners) to allow access to the tools as needed during IMU assembly / disassembly.

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention include a panel and corner bracket arrangement having multiple housings and electromechanical signal paths between housing layers to form an IMU. Because the IMU housing arrangement shares a common centroid, some calibrations and calculations for generating heading in 3D space using combined sensor data are simplified.

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention include a cubic IMU containing six DOFs (three accelerometers in the X, Y, and Z directions and three gyroscopes for rotational sensing around the X, Y, and Z axes). This IMU is formed by connecting a total of six square panels (three accelerometer panels and three gyroscope panels) using eight identical, specially constructed cubic corner brackets. Each accelerometer panel shares the same design, as do the gyroscope panels, so any accelerometer panel in the final IMU can be interchanged with any other accelerometer panel, and vice versa. This helps reduce the construction cost of the IMU because the individual panels can be constructed and tested before assembling the final IMU to determine if they are in a "known good" state. The internal cube containing the inertial sensors can be referred to as a "sensor cluster."

[0027] According to embodiments of the invention, the square panel pattern of the cube can be replicated in the second layer or housing of the panel encapsulating the sensor cluster cube (with a correspondingly larger square). This can be done, for example, if additional electronics are needed to support the inertial sensors on the sensor cluster, or if additional inertial sensors are needed to achieve redundancy and / or a higher performance IMU configuration. This creates a need to transmit signals between housing layer 1 and housing layer 2 of the panel. This can be easily achieved using standard board-to-board connectors (such as the Samtec LSHM series) to transmit signals between the panels on layer 1 and the panels on layer 2, although other signal transmission methods, such as flexible circuitry, can also be used. The modular design provided by embodiments of the invention accommodates this need by placing the bracket cube to which the panel is attached in the corners, leaving space in the middle of the panel for board-to-board connectors in addition to the inertial sensors and / or any accompanying electronics.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the invention, the structure having a layer 1 panel connected via a board-to-board connector and a corner cube bracket connected to layer 2 can be extended as needed to connect layer 2 to layer 3, layer 3 to layer 4, and so on. Typically, one to three layers of panels can be used depending on the specific IMU design required for a particular application.

[0029] Embodiments of the present invention include a corner bracket comprising a volume of material having n pairs of parallel surfaces, where n is an integer greater than 2; each surface of each pair of parallel surfaces includes an opening; the openings on the surfaces of each pair of parallel surfaces are connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of which is perpendicular to the surface connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axes of the cylindrical recesses are arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, n=4 and the volume of the material is octahedral.

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, n=3 and the volume of the substance is a cube.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cube has three normal axes X, Y, and Z, and has a volume composed of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, which are respectively included in the corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,1 and 1,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,0 and 1,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,0 and 0,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cube has three normal axes X, Y, and Z, and has a volume composed of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, which are respectively included in the corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,0 and 1,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,1 and 1,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,0 and 0,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cube has three normal axes X, Y, and Z, and a volume consisting of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, which are respectively included in the corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,1 and 1,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,0 and 0,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,0 and 1,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a cube has three normal axes X, Y, and Z, and a volume consisting of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, which are respectively included in the corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,1 and 1,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,0 and 1,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,0 and 0,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the invention, each of the three cylindrical recesses includes a threaded wall capable of receiving a bolt.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the invention, the cube is made of a solid metal, such as copper, aluminum, or titanium.

[0038] Other embodiments of the invention include a substrate provided for assembly to four identical corner brackets as described above, the substrate having a generally square shape having edges that meet at a first and a third corner connected by a first diagonal and at a second and a fourth corner connected by a second diagonal, wherein: the first corner of the substrate has a first mounting hole displaced clockwise from the first diagonal such that when the two edges of the first corner bracket in the corner bracket are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the first corner, there exists a unique position for the first corner bracket in which a cylindrical recess of the first corner bracket perpendicular to the substrate aligns with the first mounting hole; the second corner of the substrate has a second mounting hole displaced clockwise relative to the second diagonal such that when the two edges of the second corner bracket in the corner bracket are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the second corner, there exists a unique position for a second corner bracket that is itself rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the first corner bracket along the normal of the substrate. In this unique position, the cylindrical recess of the second corner bracket, perpendicular to the substrate, is aligned with the second mounting hole; the third triangular portion of the substrate has a third mounting hole that is clockwise displaced relative to the first diagonal, such that when the two edges of the third corner bracket in the corner bracket are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that intersect at the third corner, there exists a unique position for the third triangular bracket that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the second corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the third corner bracket, perpendicular to the substrate, is aligned with the third mounting hole; the fourth corner of the substrate has a fourth mounting hole that is clockwise displaced relative to the second diagonal, such that when the two edges of the fourth corner bracket in the corner bracket are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that intersect at the fourth corner, there exists a unique position for the fourth corner bracket that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the third corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the fourth corner bracket, perpendicular to the substrate, is aligned with the fourth mounting hole.

[0039] Another embodiment of the invention includes an electronic assembly comprising six substrates (hereinafter referred to as "inner substrates") as detailed above, each of the six inner substrates including a sensor circuit mounted parallel to the inner substrate, wherein a mounting hole at each corner of each inner substrate is aligned and bolted to a cylindrical recess of one of eight identical corner brackets; wherein each corner bracket includes a volume of material having three pairs of parallel faces; each face of each pair of parallel faces includes an opening; the openings on the faces of each pair of parallel faces are connected by a cylindrical recess whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the face connected by the cylindrical recess; the longitudinal axes of the cylindrical recesses are arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the six sensor circuits include three accelerometer circuits and three gyroscope circuits; including three inner substrates of the accelerometers arranged perpendicularly to each other; and including three inner substrates of the gyroscopes arranged perpendicularly to each other.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the six inner substrates comprise identical square plates, and the six inner substrates, bolted together with eight brackets, form an inner cube.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the internal cube is filled with vibration-absorbing material.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, each inner substrate includes a connector facing the outside of the inner cube.

[0044] Another embodiment of the invention includes an electronic assembly comprising: an inner cubic assembly formed of six smaller square substrates, such as those detailed above (hereinafter referred to as "inner substrates"), each of the six inner substrates including sensor circuitry and a connector, the sensor circuitry being mounted parallel to the inner substrate and facing the interior of the inner cube, the connector facing the exterior of the inner cube, wherein mounting holes at each corner of each inner substrate are aligned with and bolted to a cylindrical recess of one of eight identical first corner brackets; wherein each first corner bracket includes a volume of material having three pairs of parallel faces; each face of each pair of parallel faces includes an opening; the openings on the faces of each pair of parallel faces are connected by a cylindrical recess, the longitudinal axis of which is perpendicular to the face connected by the cylindrical recess; the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recess is arranged such that... The cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other; and an outer cube assembly formed by six larger square substrates, such as those detailed above (hereinafter referred to as "outer substrates"), each of the six outer substrates including a connector facing the interior of the outer cube, the connectors being arranged such that the outer substrates form the outer cube when the connectors of the inner substrates are respectively connected to the connectors of the outer substrates; wherein the mounting holes at each corner of each outer substrate are aligned with and bolted to the cylindrical recess of one of the eight identical second corner brackets; wherein each second corner bracket includes a volume of material having three pairs of parallel faces; each face of each pair of parallel faces includes an opening; the openings on the faces of each pair of parallel faces are connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recesses being perpendicular to the face connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axes of the cylindrical recesses are arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mounting hole at each corner of each outer substrate communicates with the diagonal slit opening on that corner.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the invention, at least one corner of an inner substrate has a mounting hole that is aligned with a cylindrical recess of one of the eight identical first corner brackets and bolted together with a bolt that also passes through an outer substrate connected to the inner substrate and through a tubular support separating the outer substrate from the inner substrate.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the six inner substrates includes a through recess covered by a first membrane, and each accelerometer circuit and each gyroscope circuit are mounted on the first membrane.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the six inner substrates includes a second film covering each of the accelerometer circuit and the gyroscope circuit, as well as a portion of the six inner substrates. Attached Figure Description

[0049] The above features will now be described in more detail with reference to the following figures, wherein:

[0050] Figure 1 A corner bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0051] Figure 2A Detailed Figure 1 The cylindrical recess of the corner bracket.

[0052] Figure 2B , Figure 2C and Figure 2D Detailed Figure 2A Other embodiments of the corner bracket shown.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a top view of the substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 4 This indicates three substrates according to an embodiment of the present invention, assembled using three corner brackets according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 5 This is an exterior view showing six substrates according to an embodiment of the present invention assembled using eight corner brackets according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 6 This represents three larger substrates according to an embodiment of the invention, assembled together using a corner bracket according to an embodiment of the invention, the three larger substrates being connected to, for example... Figure 5 Three of the six smaller substrates shown.

[0057] Figure 7 It shows the addition Figure 6 The other three larger substrates of the components.

[0058] Figure 8 It shows Figure 6 The top view of the three larger substrates assembled as shown.

[0059] Figure 9 Optional assembly details between a larger substrate and a smaller substrate using a corner bracket according to an embodiment of the invention are shown.

[0060] Figure 10 An alternative arrangement for attaching sensor circuitry to a substrate is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 11 It shows Figure 10 A side view of the implementation method of the arrangement.

[0062] Figure 12 It shows Figure 10 A side view of another embodiment of the arrangement. Detailed Implementation

[0063] The following description is presented to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the teachings of the invention and to incorporate them into the context of a particular application. Various modifications and uses in different applications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to a large number of implementations. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the presented implementations, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0064] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments may be practiced without being limited to these specific details.

[0065] Unless otherwise expressly stated, all features disclosed in this invention (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features for the same, equivalent, or similar purposes. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly stated, each disclosed feature is merely one example of a series of equivalent or similar features.

[0066] Furthermore, any element not expressly described in the claims as an “apparatus” for performing the specified function or a “step” for performing a particular function shall not be construed as an “apparatus” or “step” as defined in Section 112(f) of 35 U.S.SC. In particular, the use of “step” or “action” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of paragraph 6 of 35 U.S.SC 112.

[0067] Figure 1 This is an elevation view of a corner bracket 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The corner bracket 10 includes cubes with three pairs of parallel faces, namely 12 and 14 (not shown in the original text). Figure 1 (shown in), 16 and 18 (not in) Figure 1 (shown in), 20 and 22 (not in) Figure 1 (As shown in the diagram). Each face of each pair of parallel faces (12 and 14, 16 and 18, 20 and 22, respectively) includes an opening (13 and 15, 17 and 19, 21 and 23, respectively); the openings (13 and 15, 17 and 19, 21 and 23, respectively) on the faces of each pair of parallel faces (12 and 14, 16 and 18, 20 and 22, respectively) are connected by cylindrical recesses (24, 26, 28, respectively), the longitudinal axes (30, 32, 34, respectively) of which are perpendicular to the faces (12 and 14, 16 and 18, 20 and 22, respectively) connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axes (30, 32, 34) of the cylindrical recesses (24, 26, 28) are arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other. The corner bracket 10 may be made of a monolithic material such as metal (e.g., aluminum), and the cylindrical recesses may be drilled into the monolithic material. Preferably, the cylindrical recess has a circular cross-section. The corner bracket 10 may also be made of a polymer, particularly a polymer with a certain degree of elasticity.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the invention, the inner wall of the cylindrical recess is threaded for engagement with a threaded bolt. Advantageously, because the three cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other, each of the three cylindrical recesses of each bracket can be completely traversed by a bolt simultaneously. For example, this allows the use of a single corner bracket according to an embodiment of the invention to securely attach three plates or substrates perpendicularly to each other by means of the corners of the plates or substrates.

[0069] According to another embodiment of the invention, the inner wall of the cylindrical recess can be smooth. A threaded bolt having a smaller diameter and a greater length than the cylindrical recess having at least a threaded end away from the head can then slide through each recess until the bolt head contacts a corner bracket face, causing the threaded end of the bolt to protrude from the opposite face of the corner bracket. The threaded end of the bolt can then pass through a hole in the corner of the plate or substrate and receive a nut, which, once tightened, assembles the bracket onto the plate. This also allows for the secure attachment of three plates perpendicularly to each other using a single corner bracket according to an embodiment of the invention through the corners of the three plates.

[0070] Figure 2A It shows transparency Figure 1The corner bracket 10 is shown in more detail, with cylindrical recesses 24, 26, 28 and openings 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21, 23 connected by the cylindrical recesses. For ease of reference, each corner of the corner bracket 10 can be assigned spatial coordinates defined by the axes of the cube. Assume that the cube of the bracket 10 is formed along the three directional or normal axes X, Y, Z, and assume that the origin of the spatial coordinates defined by the axes X, Y, Z is located at the lower left front corner of the cube, the lower right front corner of the cube can be located at coordinate point 1, 0, 0; the lower left rear corner of the cube can be located at coordinate point 0, 1, 0; and the lower right rear corner of the cube can be located at coordinate point 1, 1, 0. Consistently, the upper left front corner of the cube can be located at coordinates 0,0,1; the upper right front corner of the cube can be located at coordinates 1,0,1; the upper left rear corner of the cube can be located at coordinates 0,1,1; and the upper right rear corner of the cube can be located at coordinates 1,1,1.

[0071] Furthermore, cube 10 can be mentally considered as being composed of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, each including only one of the eight corners of cube 10 with coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1. For clarity, the present invention here uniformly names each cubic sub-volume and the coordinates of the corner of cube 10 it includes as 000, 100, 010, 110, 001, 101, 011, and 111, respectively.

[0072] Considering the aforementioned naming of cubic sub-volumes, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical recess 26 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 011 and 111 with its longitudinal axis 32 parallel to the X-axis. Figure 1 As shown); the cylindrical recess 24 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 100 and 110 with its longitudinal axis 30 parallel to the Y-axis. Figure 1 As shown); the cylindrical recess 28 passes through the cubic sub-volumes named 000 and 001 with its longitudinal axis 34 parallel to the Z-axis. Figure 1 (As shown). Preferably, the cylindrical recesses 24, 26, and 28 pass through the aforementioned cubic sub-volumes while being as close as possible to adjacent cubic sub-volumes without intersecting with them.

[0073] Figure 2BA corner bracket 10' according to another embodiment of the invention is shown, which is the same as the corner bracket 10, except that the cylindrical recess 26 passes through the cubic sub-volumes named 010 and 110 with its longitudinal axis 32 parallel to the X-axis; the cylindrical recess 24 passes through the cubic sub-volumes named 101 and 111 with its longitudinal axis 30 parallel to the Y-axis; and the cylindrical recess 28 passes through the cubic sub-volumes named 000 and 001 with its longitudinal axis 34 parallel to the Z-axis.

[0074] Figure 2C A corner bracket 10'' according to another embodiment of the invention is shown, which is the same as corner bracket 10, except that the cylindrical recess 26 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 011 and 111 with its longitudinal axis 32 parallel to the X-axis; the cylindrical recess 24 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 000 and 010 with its longitudinal axis 30 parallel to the Y-axis; and the cylindrical recess 28 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 100 and 101 with its longitudinal axis 34 parallel to the Z-axis.

[0075] Figure 2D A corner bracket 10''' according to another embodiment of the invention is shown, which is the same as corner bracket 10, except that the cylindrical recess 26 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 010 and 101 with its longitudinal axis 32 parallel to the X-axis; the cylindrical recess 24 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 100 and 110 with its longitudinal axis 30 parallel to the Y-axis; and the cylindrical recess 28 passes through cubic sub-volumes named 010 and 011 with its longitudinal axis 34 parallel to the Z-axis.

[0076] The following will combine Figure 1 and Figure 2A The invention is described in relation to the corner bracket 10. However, the invention is specifically targeted at the features described below and... Figure 2B , Figure 2C and Figure 2D Any combination of corner brackets 10', 10'' and 10'''.

[0077] Because the cylindrical recesses do not intersect, the corner bracket according to an embodiment of the invention allows for superior assembly quality relative to, for example, a cubic corner bracket with a central mounting bolt hole, where the bolt installed in the hole would interfere at the centroid of the cube, resulting in a potentially weaker design, since shorter bolts must be used for cubes of the same size.

[0078] Figure 3This is a top view of a substrate (plate) 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate 40 is a parallelogram, preferably having a generally square shape, comprising four edges that meet at four corners 42, 44, 46, and 48. As detailed above, the substrate 40 is provided for assembly to four identical corner brackets 10. A first corner 42 of the substrate has a mounting hole 43 that is displaced to the right of the diagonal of the substrate 40 (i.e., clockwise relative to the diagonal), such that when the two edges of the first corner bracket 10 are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at corner 42, there exists a unique position for the first corner bracket 10 in which the cylindrical recess of the first bracket 10 perpendicular to the substrate 40 aligns with the mounting hole 43. For ease of reference, Figure 3 The position of the reference hole 43 is shown in dashed lines if the diagonal of the hole 43 to the substrate 40 is aligned with the reference hole 43.

[0079] Similarly, the second corner 44 of the substrate has a mounting hole 45 that is diagonally shifted clockwise relative to the substrate 40 through the corner 44, such that when the two edges of the second corner bracket 10 are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the corner 44, there is a unique position of the second corner bracket 10 that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the first corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the second bracket 10 perpendicular to the substrate 40 is aligned with the mounting hole 45.

[0080] Similarly, the third triangular portion 46 of the substrate has a mounting hole 47 that is shifted clockwise relative to the substrate 40 through the diagonal of the corner portion 46, such that when the two edges of the third corner bracket 10 are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the corner 46, there is a unique position of the third triangular bracket 10 that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the second corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the third bracket 10 perpendicular to the substrate 40 is aligned with the mounting hole 47.

[0081] Finally, the fourth corner 48 of the substrate has a mounting hole 49 that is diagonally shifted clockwise relative to the substrate 40 through the corner 46, such that when the two edges of the fourth corner bracket 10 are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the corner 48, there is a unique position of the fourth corner bracket 10 that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the fourth bracket 10 perpendicular to the substrate 40 is aligned with the mounting hole 48.

[0082] like Figure 3As shown, the first side of substrate 40 can be provided to hold sensor circuitry 50, preferably in a centrally located manner, according to embodiments of the invention. Sensor circuitry 50 can be an integrated gyroscope circuit or an integrated accelerometer circuit. The inventors have shown that six identical substrates 40, such as those described above, can be assembled into a cube using eight identical corner brackets, such as those described above. Unique panel designs can be used to support specific orientations without redesigning the panels (i.e., any individual gyroscope or accelerometer panel can be attached to any X, Y, or Z face of the IMU cube, rather than having a specific X, Y, and Z gyroscope or accelerometer panel design). Advantageously, this allows for the quality determination of individual X, Y, and Z gyroscope and accelerometer channels on each layer before the individual X, Y, and Z gyroscope and accelerometer channels are finally combined on higher layers of the entire IMU. This modular use of three integrated gyroscope circuits and three integrated accelerometer circuits, each attached to one of the six identical substrates 40, significantly reduces the manufacturing cost of, for example, an IMU with six degrees of freedom (6 DOF).

[0083] It should be noted that, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, mounting holes 43, 45, 47, and 49 may be offset counterclockwise relative to the diagonal of the substrate 40, instead of as shown below. Figure 3 The clockwise offset is shown. (Combined with...) Figure 3 Compared to the described implementation, according to this alternative implementation, the same corner bracket 10 can be used to attach to the plate, only rotated 180 degrees relative to the normal of the substrate.

[0084] Figure 4 This indicates three substrates 40, each substrate such as Figure 3 The sensor circuit 50 shown is supported by three substrates 40, which use three such as Figure 1 The corner brackets 10 shown are assembled together.

[0085] Figure 5 express Figure 4 An external view of the arrangement, wherein three additional substrates 40 are attached to the arrangement using five additional corner brackets 10, thereby forming a cubic assembly, wherein the sensor circuitry faces the interior of the cube, thus in Figure 5 Not visible in the middle. The mounting holes at each corner of each substrate 40 are aligned with and bolted to the cylindrical recess of one of the eight identical brackets 10. The bolt head 53 is shown. According to an embodiment of the invention, the six sensor circuits include three accelerometer circuits and three gyroscope circuits; the three substrates 40 including the accelerometers are arranged perpendicularly to each other; and the three substrates 40 including the gyroscopes are arranged perpendicularly to each other. According to an embodiment of the invention, the interior of the cubic component is filled with vibration-absorbing material.

[0086] According to an embodiment of the invention, each substrate 40 may include a connector 52 for contacting the external environment, such as a board-to-board connector, on its outward-facing surface. Bulk discrete components required for operating the sensor circuitry (such as capacitors 54) may also be arranged on the outward-facing surface of the substrate 40.

[0087] Figure 6 This represents three larger substrates 56 according to an embodiment of the invention, which are assembled together using a corner bracket according to an embodiment of the invention. The three larger substrates are connected to, for example... Figure 5 Three of the six smaller substrates shown. Each substrate 56 has the same overall shape as substrate 40, but they are larger. Like substrate 40, substrate 56 has a generally square shape and four mounting holes 58, 60, 62, and 64, which are positioned clockwise (or counterclockwise) relative to the two diagonals of the square shape to allow the three substrates 56 to be mounted by bolting the mounting holes of the three substrates 56 to the cylindrical recesses of the corner bracket 10. Furthermore, the inward-facing surface of substrate 56 may include a board-to-board connector 66, which is arranged such that when connector 66 of substrate 56 is connected to connector 52 of substrate 40, substrates 56 and 40 are concentrically aligned and the height between them is equal to half the difference between the sum of one side of substrate 56 and one side of substrate 40 and twice the thickness of substrate 40. Figure 6 As shown, according to an embodiment of the invention, the mounting hole at each corner of each substrate 56 communicates with a diagonal slit opening at that corner to allow for tolerances during board assembly.

[0088] Figure 7 It shows Figure 6 The assembly, wherein three additional larger substrates 56 are attached to the assembly by connecting their board-to-board connectors to the board-to-board connectors of substrate 40 and by connecting the six substrates 56 together with the corner bracket 10. Figure 7As shown, according to an embodiment of the invention, each substrate 56 includes a connector 68 facing the exterior of an outer cube formed by the six assembled substrates 56. The connector 68 may be a board-to-board connector, allowing the cube formed by the six assembled substrates 56 to be connected to a more outward cube composed of six larger substrates. The connector may also be a flexible circuit connector. Advantageously, the six substrates 56 may include the electronic circuitry required for the operation of sensors connected to the board 40. This “nested cube” configuration of the IMU allows the sensors to be positioned closer to each other within a smaller central cube. For a given set of manufacturing tolerances, this allows for better accuracy of the IMU. Positioning the sensors within the inner cube allows for the avoidance of “lever arm” errors caused by the arrangement of sensors in conventional larger IMUs, where the sensors are further apart and / or do not share a common centroid. This effect, for example, due to the non-zero d_i distance of the i-th accelerometer from the center of the IMU housing frame, is explained, for example, in the following document: https: / / ieeexplore.ieee.org / document / 9336691, which is incorporated herein by reference:

[0089] Figure 8 It shows Figure 6 The diagram shows a top view of the components, with the top substrate 40 removed to reveal the interior of the central cube component. (As shown in the diagram...) Figure 6 As outlined, the connector 52 of substrate 40 and the connector 66 of substrate 56 are such that when they are connected together, substrates 40 and 56 are separated by a height H, which is equal to half the difference between the sum of one side S2 of substrate 56 and one side S1 of substrate 40 and twice the thickness T of substrate 40.

[0090] Figure 9 Optional assembly details between substrate 56 and substrate 40 using corner bracket 10 are shown, wherein mounting holes at at least one corner of substrate 40 connected to substrate 56 are aligned with cylindrical recesses of corner bracket 10 and bolted together by bolts 70, which also pass through substrate 56 connected to substrate 40 and through tubular supports 72 that separate substrate 56 from substrate 40 by a height H as described above (one or more washer rings 74 may be used to fine-tune the height H).

[0091] Figure 10An alternative arrangement for attaching sensor circuitry 50 to substrate 40' according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. Substrate 40' is substantially the same as substrate 40, except that it includes a through recess 76 covered by a membrane 78 which is itself attached to a portion of substrate 40'; membrane 78 is itself provided for mounting sensor circuitry 50. Membrane 70 may include a socket or layout coverage area (e.g., pads (not shown) on a flexible membrane to which an inertial sensor device may be soldered, for receiving sensor circuitry 50), and an electrical connection (not shown) between the socket and the remainder of substrate 40'. Membrane 78 allows for thermal and mechanical / vibration isolation of sensor circuitry 50 from the remainder of the IMU, for example, by forming a suspension system.

[0092] Figure 11 It shows Figure 10 A side view of the implementation method of the arrangement.

[0093] Figure 12 It shows Figure 10 A side view of another embodiment of the arrangement, wherein substrate 40' includes a second membrane 78' covering sensor circuitry 50 and a portion thereof. This embodiment has the advantage of tensioning both membranes 78 and 78' by stretching them using sensor circuitry 50 itself, which may be preferred for vibration and shock isolation of inertial sensors embedded in an IMU and for acoustic crosstalk isolation of each sensor circuitry 50 from other sensor circuitry in the cube. The dual-membrane approach can be achieved by first attaching sensor circuitry 50 to the first membrane 78, and then bringing the second membrane 78' (separately or framed by a panel) into contact with sensor circuitry 50. The frames can be attached together using mounting bolts or adhesive while both membranes 78 and 78' are held in the frame.

[0094] Because polyimide is a material with low thermal conductivity, a single or double flexible film offers the further benefit of thermally isolating the sensor circuitry 50 from the rest of the IMU, resulting in higher performance, as inertial sensors are typically sensitive to environmental effects such as thermal oscillation, shock, and vibration. A third advantage of these configurations is that, since the film is flexible, the sensor circuitry 50 will be allowed to expand with its inherent coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thereby reducing the encapsulation stress caused by the typical CTE experienced by the sensor circuitry 50 when directly attached to the substrate. The sensor circuitry 50 package can be ceramic (e.g., ceramic leadless chip carrier / LCC), plastic overmolded, or silicon wafer-level vacuum packaged (essentially a bare silicon die). With the films 78, 78' held within the frame panel, the panel containing the double films should be designed to achieve the required tension, and rounded corners of the sensor circuitry 50 package are likely desirable to avoid stress concentration at the corners of the sensor circuitry 50, which could otherwise tear the polyimide film when subjected to tension during assembly.

[0095] In summary, the present invention discloses a modular IMU consisting of panels containing inertial sensors (including gyroscopes and accelerometers), wherein the panels are connected to other panels at their corners by corner mounting brackets to form a three-dimensional arrangement of inertial sensors.

[0096] The mounting holes of the panel to corner mounting brackets are offset clockwise or counterclockwise from the corner of the panel.

[0097] The corner mounting bracket is specially designed with a corresponding offset at the mounting screw hole position to align with the inertial sensor panel.

[0098] Multi-layer panels can be nested within the housing to support necessary functions (electronics, common IMU processing) through board-to-board connectors that provide electromechanical connections between panels on different housing layers of the IMU.

[0099] The nested shell IMU panel arrangement can be a 6-DOF IMU (cube arrangement).

[0100] The nested housing IMU panel arrangement can be an 8DOF IMU (double tetrahedral arrangement).

[0101] The nested housing IMU panel arrangement can be a 12DOF IMU (redundant 6DOF cube arrangement).

[0102] The nested housing IMU panel arrangement can be an N DOF IMU, where N is in the range of 1 to 24.

[0103] The panel can be constructed using printed circuit board technology. FR4 or similar PCB materials can be used for the panel. Alternatively, ceramic PCB materials can be used for the panel.

[0104] The panel may include a membrane suspension to which inertial sensors are attached.

[0105] IMUs can be filled with epoxy resin or rubber-based vibration-absorbing materials.

[0106] The corner mounting brackets of the central layer can be internally connected using supports or solid fillers of the same material.

[0107] It should be noted that although the present invention describes an IMU assembly, other devices besides an IMU, such as a 3-axis magnetometer, a gravity gradiometer, a temperature gradiometer, a multi-directional visual or IR camera system (e.g., for visual odometry navigation), a LiDAR, a RADAR, and an acoustic ranging system, can also be assembled using the corner bracket and substrate of the present invention.

[0108] The above description is based on a substantially cubic corner bracket (with three pairs of parallel faces) suitable for assembling six identical square plates into a cubic plate assembly. However, other embodiments of the invention envision corner brackets having more than three pairs of parallel faces. Generally, the invention envisions a corner bracket comprising a volume of material having n pairs of parallel faces, where n is an integer greater than 2; each face of each pair of parallel faces includes an opening; the openings on the faces of each pair of parallel faces are connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of which is perpendicular to the face connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axes of the cylindrical recesses are arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other. For example, n can be equal to 4, and the volume of the bracket can be octahedral. Such a bracket can be used to assemble eight identical triangular plates together into an octahedral plate assembly. Alternatively, the plates can be trapezoidal, and their assembly produces a truncated octahedral plate assembly.

[0109] In summary, embodiments of the present invention address the long-standing need for low-cost IMUs by using a low-cost method to create panels, enabling quality determination of IMU components at the individual channel level prior to complete IMU assembly (to minimize IMU assembly costs and increase IMU yield by using only known good panels), and allowing for modular designs that can be swapped in and out as needed to customize IMUs for different applications: for example, low-cost <6DOF IMUs versus high-reliability 6DOF+ IMUs. Furthermore, the unique panel / corner cube / layered housing design approach ensures that the design of each individual X, Y, or Z gyroscope or accelerometer panel does not have to be unique, further reducing development and manufacturing costs.

[0110] The above embodiments can be extended to non-6DOF IMUs, such as 8DOF IMUs using, for example, octahedral plate assemblies as described above, or 12DOF IMUs, in which each panel in the cubic sensor cluster arrangement includes both a gyroscope and an accelerometer sensor, to achieve redundancy and improved performance by doubling the number of inertial sensors included in the IMU. For situations where navigation throughout 3D space is not required, embodiments of the invention can also be used to construct IMUs with fewer than 6DOF, for example, two accelerometer panels and one gyroscope panel for 2D-constrained vehicle applications, leaving three dummy panels in the sensor cluster.

[0111] As required by law, the foregoing detailed description of exemplary and preferred embodiments is provided for illustrative and disclosure purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms described, but merely to enable others skilled in the art to understand how the invention can be applied to particular uses or implementations. The possibility of modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The description of exemplary embodiments is not intended to be limiting; these exemplary embodiments may include tolerances, feature dimensions, specific operating conditions, engineering specifications, etc., and may vary between implementations or as the prior art changes, and should not imply any limitation thereto.

[0112] The applicant has made this disclosure based on the current state of the art, but also contemplates advancements and future modifications that may take into account these advancements, i.e., based on the then-current state of the art. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the drafted claims and applicable equivalents. Unless expressly stated otherwise, reference to a claim element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one". Furthermore, no element, component, or method or process step in this disclosure is intended to be exclusive to the public, regardless of whether such element, component, or step is expressly recited in a claim. None of the claim elements herein shall be construed under paragraph 6 of Section 112(f) of 35 U.S.SC unless the element is expressly described using the phrase "means for..." and no method or process step herein shall be construed under these provisions unless the one or more steps are expressly described using the phrase "comprising (a plurality of) steps...".

[0113] Preferably, it includes all the elements, components, and steps described herein. It should be understood that any of these elements, components, and steps can be replaced by other elements, components, and steps, or can be completely removed, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A substrate provided for assembly to four identical corner brackets, each corner bracket comprising a material volume having three pairs of parallel faces; each face of each pair of parallel faces comprising an opening; the openings on the faces of each pair of parallel faces being connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recesses being perpendicular to the face connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recesses being arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other; The substrate has a generally square shape, and its edges meet at a first corner connected by a first diagonal and a third corner connected by a second diagonal and a fourth corner connected by a second diagonal, wherein: The first corner of the substrate has a first mounting hole that is shifted clockwise from the first diagonal, such that when the two edges of the first corner bracket of the four identical corner brackets are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the first corner, there is a unique position of the first corner bracket in which the cylindrical recess of the first corner bracket perpendicular to the substrate is aligned with the first mounting hole. The second corner of the substrate has a second mounting hole that is clockwise displaced relative to the second diagonal, such that when the two edges of the second corner brackets of the four identical corner brackets are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the second corner, there is a unique position of the second corner bracket that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the first corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the second corner bracket perpendicular to the substrate is aligned with the second mounting hole; The third corner of the substrate has a third mounting hole that is clockwise displaced relative to the first diagonal, such that when the two edges of the first triangular bracket of the four identical corner brackets are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the third corner, there is a unique position of the third corner bracket that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the second corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the third corner bracket that is perpendicular to the substrate is aligned with the third mounting hole; The fourth corner of the substrate has a fourth mounting hole that is clockwise displaced relative to the second diagonal, such that when the two edges of the fourth corner brackets of the four identical corner brackets are aligned with the two edges of the substrate that meet at the fourth corner, there exists a unique position of the fourth corner bracket that is rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the third corner bracket along the normal of the substrate, in which the cylindrical recess of the fourth corner bracket perpendicular to the substrate is aligned with the fourth mounting hole.

2. An electronic component comprising six inner substrates, said substrate being the substrate according to claim 1, wherein each of the six inner substrates includes a sensor circuit mounted parallel to said inner substrate, wherein a mounting hole at each corner of each inner substrate is aligned with and bolted to a cylindrical recess of one of eight identical corner brackets; wherein, Each corner bracket includes a volume of material having 3 pairs of parallel surfaces; each surface of each pair of parallel surfaces includes an opening; the openings on the surfaces of each pair of parallel surfaces are connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of which is perpendicular to the surface connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recesses is arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other.

3. The component of claim 2, wherein at least one of the corner brackets is a cube having three normal axes X, Y, and Z, and having a volume consisting of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, the eight cubic sub-volumes respectively including corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,1 and 1,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,0 and 1,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,0 and 0,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

4. The component of claim 2, wherein at least one of the corner brackets is a cube, wherein the cube has three normal axes X, Y, Z, and has a volume consisting of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, the eight cubic sub-volumes respectively including corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,0 and 1,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,1 and 1,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,0 and 0,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

5. The component of claim 2, wherein at least one of the corner brackets is a cube, wherein the cube has three normal axes X, Y, Z, and has a volume consisting of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, the eight cubic sub-volumes respectively including corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,1 and 1,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,0 and 0,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,0 and 1,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

6. The component of claim 2, wherein at least one of the corner brackets is a cube, wherein the cube has three normal axes X, Y, Z, and has a volume consisting of eight cubic sub-volumes of equal size, the eight cubic sub-volumes respectively including corners at coordinates 0,0,0; 1,0,0; 0,1,0; 1,1,0; 0,0,1; 1,0,1; 0,1,1; 1,1,1; and wherein a first cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,0,1 and 1,0,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the X-axis; a second cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 1,0,0 and 1,1,0 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Y-axis; and a third cylindrical recess of the three cylindrical recesses passes through the cubic sub-volume including the corners at coordinates 0,1,0 and 0,1,1 with its longitudinal axis parallel to the Z-axis.

7. The assembly of claim 2, wherein each of the three cylindrical recesses of at least one of the corner brackets includes a threaded wall capable of receiving a bolt.

8. The component of claim 2, wherein at least one of the corner brackets is a cube, the cube being a solid metal.

9. The electronic assembly of claim 2, wherein the six sensor circuitry comprises three accelerometer circuits and three gyroscope circuits; wherein the three inner substrates of the accelerometers are arranged perpendicularly to each other; and wherein the three inner substrates of the gyroscopes are arranged perpendicularly to each other.

10. The electronic component of claim 9, wherein each of the six inner substrates includes a through recess covered by a first membrane, and each accelerometer circuit and each gyroscope circuit are mounted on the first membrane.

11. The electronic component of claim 10, wherein each of the six inner substrates includes a second film covering each of the accelerometer circuit and the gyroscope circuit, as well as a portion of the six inner substrates.

12. The electronic assembly of claim 2, wherein the six inner substrates comprise identical square plates, and the six inner substrates, bolted to the eight brackets, form an inner cube.

13. The electronic component of claim 12, wherein the internal cube is filled with a vibration-absorbing material.

14. The electronic assembly of claim 12, wherein each inner substrate includes a connector facing the exterior of the inner cube.

15. An electronic component comprising: An internal cube assembly is formed by six smaller square inner substrates, said substrates being the substrates according to claim 1, wherein each of the six inner substrates includes a sensor circuit and a connector, the sensor circuit being mounted parallel to the inner substrate and facing the interior of the internal cube, the connector facing the exterior of the internal cube, wherein a mounting hole at each corner of each inner substrate is aligned with and bolted to a cylindrical recess of one of eight identical first corner brackets; wherein... Each first corner bracket includes a volume of material having three pairs of parallel surfaces; each surface of each pair of parallel surfaces includes an opening; the openings on the surfaces of each pair of parallel surfaces are connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of which is perpendicular to the surface connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recesses is arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other; and An outer cube assembly formed by six larger square outer substrates, the substrates according to claim 1, wherein each of the six outer substrates includes a connector facing the interior of the outer cube, the connectors being arranged such that when the connectors of the inner substrates are each connected to the connectors of the outer substrates, the outer substrates form the outer cube; wherein a mounting hole at each corner of each outer substrate is aligned with and bolted to a cylindrical recess of one of eight identical second corner brackets; wherein... Each second corner bracket includes a material volume having 3 pairs of parallel surfaces; each surface of each pair of parallel surfaces includes an opening; the openings on the surfaces of each pair of parallel surfaces are connected by cylindrical recesses, the longitudinal axis of which is perpendicular to the surface connected by the cylindrical recesses; the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical recesses is arranged such that the cylindrical recesses do not intersect each other.

16. The electronic assembly of claim 15, wherein the mounting hole at each corner of each outer substrate communicates with a diagonal slit opening at that corner.

17. The electronic component of claim 15, wherein at least one corner of one of the inner substrates has a mounting hole that is aligned with a cylindrical recess of one of the eight identical first corner brackets and bolted together by a bolt that also passes through the outer substrate connected to the inner substrate and through a tubular support separating the outer substrate from the inner substrate.

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