Planar Resonator Gyro Self-Calibration via Electrode Interchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gyroscopes face limitations in self-calibration, particularly due to residual errors and instabilities over time, which affect their performance and accuracy, especially in thermal fluctuations and electrode misalignment.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a control component that signals specific radial electrode groups around a planar resonator to induce and sense drive oscillations and Coriolis force oscillations, reversing drive and sense modes to continuously measure and correct gyro bias, using a Kalman filter for error reduction, and interchanging drive and sense axes to maintain accuracy under dynamic conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If drive and sense pickoff electrodes are interchanged with drive and sense forcer electrodes for self-calibration, then gyro bias can be measured and corrected, but errors occur due to misalignment of the forcer and pickoff electrodes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically interchanging drive and sense electrodes without requiring external alignment tools or manual adjustment. The control component systematically swaps electrode functions and measures the resulting output differences, allowing the gyro to self-correct bias errors while accounting for misalignment through the calibration algorithm.
Solution Approach 2:
The calibration process changes the operational parameters of the electrodes by interchanging their functions (drive vs. sense) and observing the output. By systematically varying which electrodes perform which functions and analyzing the differences in output signals, the system can separate true bias errors from misalignment effects and correct accordingly.
2Temperature
If calibration is performed at system level during final acceptance test using thermal models, then gyro output can be corrected over temperature fluctuations, but residual errors and instabilities over time limit ultimate performance
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of performing calibration only once during final acceptance testing, the system continuously performs self-calibration operations throughout its operational life. The control component systematically interchanges electrode functions at regular intervals, continuously measuring and correcting bias drift, thereby maintaining accuracy over long periods and eliminating the performance limits imposed by one-time calibration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the output of the gyro is continuously monitored, and the self-calibration process adjusts the bias based on measured errors. The control component uses the difference in outputs from interchanged electrode configurations to generate correction signals that feed back into the system, continuously improving accuracy and compensating for thermal and temporal instabilities.
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
This approach enables continuous self-calibration of gyro bias, reduces errors associated with hysteresis and thermal model instabilities, and improves the overall performance and stability of the inertial system by effectively canceling input rates and doubling the bias signal.
Implementation Method 1
the first radial electrode group to induce a drive oscillation in the planar resonator
Implementation Method 2
the second radial electrode group to sense a Coriolis force induced oscillation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A control component of an apparatus in one example is configured to signal a plurality of electrodes arranged in at least first, second, third, and fourth radial electrode groups along first, second, third, and fourth axes at approximately 0, 45, 90, and 135 degrees, respectively, around the planar resonator. During a first time period, the control component is configured to signal: the first radial electrode group to induce a drive oscillation in the planar resonator, the third radial electrode group to sense the drive oscillation, the second radial electrode group to sense a Coriolis force induced oscillation, and the fourth radial electrode group to null the Coriolis force induced oscillation. During a second time period after the first time period, the control component is configured to signal: the second radial electrode group to induce the drive oscillation in the planar resonator, the fourth radial electrode group to sense the drive oscillation, the first radial electrode group to sense the Coriolis force induced oscillation, and the third radial electrode group to null the Coriolis force induced oscillation.