Patent ID: 8079259

Claim:
A gyroscope that lies generally in a plane, for detecting rotation rate about a gyro input axis that lies in the plane, comprising: a substrate defining a top surface; spaced bonding pads coupled to the substrate and projecting above the top surface of the substrate; a generally planar plate outer member spaced above and essentially parallel to the top surface of the substrate and flexibly coupled to the bonding pads by flexures, such that the outer member is capable of oscillatory motion relative to the substrate and about a drive axis that is in the plane of the outer member and orthogonal to the input axis, the outer member defining a central opening bordered by a generally circular inner perimeter; a generally planar plate inner member coplanar with and located within the central opening of the outer member, the inner member flexibly coupled to the outer member such that the inner member is capable of rotary oscillatory motion relative to the outer member about an output axis that is orthogonal to the plane of the members in response to input rotation rate, and such that the inner member will oscillate with the outer member relative to the substrate about the drive axis, as the outer member is oscillated about the drive axis; one or more outer member drives for directly oscillating the outer member about the drive axis, and thereby also oscillating the inner member about the drive axis; one or more drive axis motion sensors that sense motion of the inner member or the outer member about the drive axis and have an output signal related to the sensed motion; and one or more inner member sensors that detect oscillation of the inner member relative to the outer member about the output axis and have an output signal related to the detected oscillation.