Patent ID: 6250156
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
A microfabricated gyroscopic sensor to measure rotation about an input axis, comprising:a substrate having a surface;a first mass;a second mass;a coupling system connecting the first mass and the second mass;a suspension system connecting the first mass and the second mass to the substrate;a drive system to cause the first mass and the second mass to vibrate in an antiphase mode along a drive axis generally parallel to the surface of the substrate; anda position sensor to measure a displacement of the first mass and the second mass along a sense axis perpendicular to the drive axis and generally parallel to the surface of the substrate, wherein rotation of the first mass and the second mass about the input axis perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and vibration of the first mass and the second mass along the drive axis generates a Coriolis force to vibrate the first mass and the second mass along the sense axis in antiphase to each other.