Patent ID: 7124634
Filing Date: 2006-10-24
Classification: G01P

Abstract:
1. A single plate capacitive acceleration derivative detector comprising: a housing; a plate fixed within said housing; a moveable plate disposed in substantially parallel relation to said fixed plate, said moveable plate coupled to said housing along at least an edge, said moveable plate and said fixed plate defining a distance, wherein said distance varies in response to acceleration forces acting upon said moveable plate, and wherein said moveable plate and said fixed plate generate a charge displacement capacitance signal as a function of a signal from a power source in series with said moveable plate and said fixed plate and as a function of said distance; a transimpedance amplifier receiving said charge displacement capacitance signal and generating a scaled voltage signal therefrom, wherein an acceleration signal is generated from said scaled voltage signal; an analog-to-digital converter receiving said scaled voltage signal and generating a digital voltage signal therefrom; and a time integrator integrating said digital voltage signal in response to initialization parameters and generating an integrated signal therefrom, whereby voltage polarity of said digital voltage signal provides direct indication of a direction of acceleration.