Patent ID: 7617729
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: G01P

Abstract:
1. An accelerometer comprising: a) a planar substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, b) a proof mass having at least a portion disposed within a principle plane parallel to the plane of the substrate, and further comprising; c) a plurality of folded springs coupling said proof mass to said substrate for confining the movement of said proof mass in a plane parallel with the plane of the substrate and in the direction parallel to the plane of the movable electrode plates, d) a second and third plurality of branched electrodes coupled to said substrate, each branched electrode comprising; e) wherein at least two pairs of capacitors are defined by the electrical communication between the static electrode plates on the second and third plurality of branched electrodes and at least a portion of the first plurality of electrodes on said proof mass wherein alternating adjacent branched electrodes on the proof mass are electrically isolated to form a first and second subset.