Patent ID: 9534896
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: G01C

Claim:
1. A method for operating a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) tuning fork gyroscope, the method comprising: applying a first AC drive signal to a first in-plane electrode that is in-plane with a first proof mass in order to induce in-plane motion on the first proof mass; oscillating a first voltage on a first sense electrode out-of-plane from and proximate a first side of the first proof mass between a first voltage value and a second voltage value at a first frequency, wherein the first voltage value is different from the second voltage value; oscillating a second voltage on a second sense electrode out-of-plane from and proximate a second side of the first proof mass between the first voltage value and the second voltage value at the first frequency and 180 degrees out-of-phase with the first voltage on the first sense electrode; and generating a rate signal corresponding to a rotation rate of the first proof mass by first demodulating an out-of-plane signal from the first proof mass at the first frequency and second demodulating the out-of-plane signal in phase with in-plane motion of the first proof mass.