Patent ID: 7980115

Claim:
A self-calibrating accelerometer system that continuously removes bias errors from acceleration measurements under dynamic operating conditions, comprising: a frame; a first mass modulated accelerometer positioned within the frame, including: a first proof mass mounted to the sensing element frame by a first flexure suspension, the first proof mass being arranged to rotate about an output axis in response to acceleration of the sensing element frame along a first input axis, the first proof mass including a first secondary mass that is movable between a first stable position on a first side of the output axis and a second stable position on a second side of the output axis at a selected frequency to provide mass modulation of the first proof mass and to provide a selectively reversible polarity to the input axis and to provide self-calibration of bias; a second mass modulated accelerometer positioned within the frame, including: a second proof mass mounted to the sensing element frame by a second flexure suspension, the second proof mass being arranged to rotate about the output axis in response to acceleration of the sensing element frame along a second input axis, the second proof mass including a second secondary mass that is movable between a first stable position on a first side of the output axis and a second stable position on a second side of the output axis to provide mass modulation of the second proof mass and to provide a selectively reversible polarity to the input axis and to provide self-calibration of bias, the first and second mass modulated accelerometers being arranged such to have opposite polarities when the first and second secondary masses are in their respective stable positions; and a signal pickoff system arranged to provide a signal that indicates linear acceleration of the first and second proof masses within the sensing element frame along the input axis.