Patent ID: 7392703

Claim:
A thermal accelerometer, comprising: a thermal acceleration sensor including a substrate, at least one cavity formed in the substrate, a fluid disposed in the cavity, at least one heater element suspended over the cavity, a mechanism for detecting heat transfer, and heater power adjustment circuitry, wherein the mechanism for detecting heat transfer includes first and second temperature sensing elements, the first and second temperature sensing elements being disposed substantially in the substrate plane on opposite sides of and at substantially equal distances from the heater element, wherein the first and second temperature sensing elements are operative to detect a first temperature in response to an acceleration applied in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of the substrate, and to provide a first output signal representing the detected first temperature, the first temperature being a common mode temperature, and the first output signal being a common mode output signal, and wherein the heater power adjustment circuitry is operative to provide a specified power to the heater element so that the first output signal is indicative of the acceleration applied in the direction substantially perpendicular to the substrate plane.