Angular velocity acquisition device and electronic component for acquiring angular velocity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10401172-B2
Application number	US-201615243511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An angular velocity acquisition device includes a movable body, a drive electrode to which a drive voltage is applied to vibrate the movable body in a first direction, at least one stopper that stops the movable body at a predetermined position, a hold electrode which receives a hold voltage to hold the movable body at the predetermined position, a detection unit that detects a predetermined physical quantity depending on an amplitude of the vibration of the movable body in a second direction based on a Coriolis force acting on the movable body that vibrates in the first direction, and an angular velocity calculation unit that calculates an angular velocity of the movable body based on the predetermined physical quantity detected by the detection unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic component comprising:
a movable body;
a drive electrode configured to receive a drive voltage to vibrate the movable body in a first direction;
at least one stopper positioned to limit movement of the movable body in the first direction and configured to stop the movable body at a predetermined position along the first direction;
a hold electrode; and
a voltage application circuit configured to apply a hold voltage to the hold electrode to hold the movable body at the predetermined position, and terminate application of the hold voltage to the hold electrode at the predetermined position, such that the movable body is released from holding and vibrates in the first direction,
wherein the movable body includes a movable electrode that forms a variable capacitor with another electrode, a capacitance of the variable capacitor being used to detect a predetermined physical quantity depending on an amplitude of a vibration of the movable body in a second direction based on a Coriolis force acting on the movable body vibrating in the first direction, and
when the movable body is in contact with the stopper and stopped at the predetermined position, the movable body is not in contact with the hold electrode.

2. The component according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable body has a plurality of protrusion portions and the hold electrode has a plurality of protrusion portions, and
wherein the protrusion portions of the movable body and the protrusion portions of the hold electrode are interdigitated.

3. The component according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect the predetermined physical quantity based on the Coriolis force acting on the movable body when the vibration in the second direction is in a non-steady state.

4. The component according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect the predetermined physical quantity when the movable body is freely vibrated in the first direction.

5. The component according to claim 1 , wherein
upon release from the holding, the movable body is enabled to vibrate in the second direction in a non-steady state condition and a steady state condition, and
the component further comprises a detection unit configured to detect the predetermined physical quantity based on the Coriolis force acting on the movable body when the vibration in the second direction is in a non-steady state condition.

6. The component according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage application circuit applies the hold voltage to the hold electrode when the amplitude of the vibration of the movable body in the first direction reaches a peak.

7. The component according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion portions of the movable body and the protrusion portions of the hold electrode extend in the second direction that is not parallel to the first direction.

8. The component according to claim 7 , wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The component according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion portions of the movable body and the protrusion portions of the hold electrode extend in a second direction that is parallel to the first direction.

10. The component according to claim 1 , wherein
the voltage application circuit is configured to apply the hold voltage to the hold electrode during a first period and terminate application of the hold voltage to the hold electrode during a second period, the first period and the second period alternating.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Haruka
• Tomizawa Yasushi
• Ikehashi Tamio

Classifications

• G01C19/5762 Primary

  the sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames · CPC title

• G01C19/5733

  Structural details or topology · CPC title

• B81B3/0054

  For holding or placing an element in a given position · CPC title