Compound Sensor Angular Rate Detection Centrifugal Force Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional angular rate sensors face challenges in accurately detecting angular rates due to centrifugal forces and vibration issues, especially when mounted on elastic members that can deform, leading to inaccurate readings.
Innovation Solution
A compound sensor design with four oscillators symmetrically arranged to detect angular rate, acceleration, and centrifugal force, where each oscillator is driven in a transverse direction and displaced in a longitudinal direction, allowing for the separation and accurate detection of these physical components by calculating resultant forces using specific formulas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If four oscillators are symmetrically arranged and driven in opposite phase to detect angular rate, then the sensor can detect angular rate through Coriolis force, but centrifugal force acts in the detecting axial direction causing measurement error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection function into multiple oscillators (first and second oscillators) with different driving directions. The first oscillator detects along the first axis while the second oscillator detects along the second axis perpendicular to the first. This segmentation allows separate measurement of Coriolis force components and centrifugal force, enabling the centrifugal force to be cancelled out through differential processing while maintaining accurate angular rate detection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the angular rate sensor is mounted on an elastic member such as a dumper to remove vibration, then vibration isolation is achieved, but deformation of the elastic member causes the sensor to vibrate and rotate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the sensor system universal by enabling it to detect multiple physical quantities simultaneously - angular rate, acceleration, and centrifugal force. The same oscillator structure and detection mechanism are used for all three types of detection, allowing the sensor to function accurately regardless of mounting conditions or vibration levels, thereby improving reliability in real-world applications.
3Measurement precision
If oscillators are driven in transverse direction and displaced in longitudinal direction to separate detection components, then accurate separation of angular rate, acceleration and centrifugal force is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dimensional separation by driving oscillators in transverse directions (first axis and second axis perpendicular to each other) while detecting displacements in the longitudinal direction. This dimensional approach allows the same detection structure to measure multiple components (angular rate, acceleration, centrifugal force) by exploiting the geometric relationships between different spatial dimensions, achieving component separation without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-accuracy detection of angular rate, acceleration, and centrifugal force components, improving robustness against production dispersion and vibration-induced errors.
Implementation Method 1
all adjacent oscillators are driven and oscillated in opposite phase of a circumferential direction centered around the predetermined point, and if an angular rate occurs around an axis perpendicular to the substrate, detecting masses of respective oscillators are displaced in a direction perpendicular to a driving oscillation. A Coriolis signal is taken out by calculating and processing capacitance change
Implementation Method 2
A Coriolis signal is taken out by calculating and processing capacitance change between the detecting masses and the oscillators
Implementation Method 3
a first oscillator and a second oscillator which are different from each other are driven in a transverse direction and are displaced in a longitudinal direction
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
A compound sensor includes a first unit including first and second oscillators symmetrically disposed to each other and being able to be displaced in a driving direction and a detecting direction; a second unit including third and fourth oscillators symmetrically disposed to each other and being able to be displaced in the driving direction and the detecting direction; a drive unit configured to drive the first, second, third and fourth oscillators so as to oscillate the first and second oscillators in opposite phase to each other, and the third and fourth oscillators in opposite phase to each other, and so as to oscillate the first unit and the second unit in opposite phase to each other; and a detection unit configured to detect displacements of the first, second, third and fourth oscillators in the detecting direction.