Sensor and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11680800-B2
Application number	US-202117445487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2021
Priority date	Feb 25, 2021
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a sensor part including first and second sensor elements, and a circuit part. The first sensor element includes a first supporter, a first movable part capable of vibrating, first and second electrodes. The first electrode outputs a first signal corresponding to a vibration of the first movable part. The second electrode outputs a second signal corresponding to the vibration of the first movable part. The second sensor element includes a second supporter, a second movable part capable of vibrating, third and fourth electrodes. The third electrode outputs a third signal corresponding to a vibration of the second movable part. The fourth electrode outputs a fourth signal corresponding to the vibration of the second movable part. The circuit part includes a calculator. The calculator outputs a differential operation result between first and second processing signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor, comprising:
a sensor part including a first sensor element and a second sensor element; and
a circuit part,
the first sensor element including
a first supporter,
a first movable part supported by the first supporter, the first movable part being capable of vibrating,
a first electrode configured to output a first signal corresponding to a vibration of the first movable part, an orientation from the first supporter toward the first electrode being along a first direction, and
a second electrode configured to output a second signal corresponding to the vibration of the first movable part, a direction from the first supporter toward the second electrode being along a second direction crossing the first direction,

the second sensor element including
a second supporter,
a second movable part supported by the second supporter, the second movable part being capable of vibrating,
a third electrode configured to output a third signal corresponding to a vibration of the second movable part, an orientation from the second supporter toward the third electrode being along the first direction, and
a fourth electrode configured to output a fourth signal corresponding to the vibration of the second movable part, a direction from the second supporter toward the fourth electrode being along the second direction,
the orientation from the second supporter toward the third electrode being opposite to the orientation from the first supporter toward the first electrode, and the orientation from the second supporter toward the fourth electrode being the same as the orientation from the first supporter toward the second electrode, or
the orientation from the second supporter toward the third electrode being the same as the orientation from the first supporter toward the first electrode, and the orientation from the second supporter toward the fourth electrode being opposite to the orientation from the first supporter toward the second electrode,

the circuit part including a calculator,
the calculator being configured to output a differential operation result between a first processing signal and a second processing signal,
the first processing signal being based on the first and second signals,
the second processing signal being based on the third and fourth signals.

2. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first processing signal corresponds to a rotation of the first movable part, and
the second processing signal corresponds to a rotation of the second movable part.

3. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the differential operation result corresponds to a rotation angle of the first and second sensor elements.

4. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the circuit part further includes:
a first detection circuit to which the first signal is input,
a second detection circuit to which the second signal is input,
a third detection circuit to which the third signal is input, and
a fourth detection circuit to which the fourth signal is input,

a power supply is connected to the first to fourth detection circuits, and
the power supply is common to the first to fourth detection circuits.

5. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the circuit part Includes:
a first detection circuit to which the first signal is input,
a second detection circuit to which the second signal is input,
a third detection circuit to which the third signal is input,
a fourth detection circuit to which the fourth signal is input, and
a power supply circuit configured to supply electrical power to the first to fourth detection circuits.

6. The sensor according to claim 4 , wherein
the first detection circuit is configured to output a signal corresponding to an amplitude of a component in the first direction of the vibration of the first movable part due to a rotational angular velocity acting on the first movable part vibrating in the second direction, and
the second detection circuit is configured to output a signal corresponding to an amplitude of a component in the second direction of the vibration of the first movable part due to the rotational angular velocity acting on the first movable part vibrating in the first direction.

7. The sensor according to claim 4 , wherein
the third detection circuit is configured to output a signal corresponding to an amplitude of a component in the first direction of the vibration of the second movable part due to a rotational angular velocity acting on the second movable part vibrating in the second direction, and
the fourth detection circuit is configured to output a signal corresponding to an amplitude of a component in the second direction of the vibration of the second movable part due to the rotational angular velocity acting on the second movable part vibrating in the first direction.

8. The sensor according to claim 4 , wherein
the circuit part further includes a first processing circuit and a second processing circuit,
the first processing circuit is configured to acquire an output of the first detection circuit and an output of the second detection circuit and is configured to supply the first processing signal to the calculator, and
the second processing circuit is configured to acquire an output of the third detection circuit and an output of the fourth detection circuit and is configured to supply the second processing signal to the calculator.

9. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the first sensor element further includes a fifth electrode and a sixth electrode,
the first supporter is between the fifth electrode and the first electrode in the first direction,
the first supporter is between the sixth electrode and the second electrode in the second direction,
the first movable part vibrates according to a first drive signal and a second drive signal,
the first drive signal is applied to the fifth electrode,
the second drive signal is applied to the sixth electrode,
the second sensor element further includes a seventh electrode and an eighth electrode,
the second supporter is between the third electrode and the seventh electrode in the first direction,
the second supporter is between the eighth electrode and the fourth electrode in the second direction,
the second movable part vibrates according to the first and second drive signals,
the first drive signal is applied to the seventh electrode, and
the second drive signal is applied to the eighth electrode.

10. The sensor according to claim 9 , wherein
the circuit part further includes a drive circuit,
the drive circuit is configured to supply the first drive signal to the fifth and seventh electrodes, and
the drive circuit is configured to supply the second drive signal to the sixth and eighth electrodes.

11. The sensor according to claim 1 , wherein
the sensor part further includes a first base body,
the first supporter is fixed to a portion of the first base body,
the second supporter is fixed to an other portion of the first base body, and
a direction from the first supporter toward the second supporter is along a plane including the first and second directions.

12. The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing including a first member,
the sensor part being located in the housing, and
the first sensor element and the second sensor element being fixed to the first member.

13. The sensor according to claim 12 , wherein
a direction from the first sensor element toward the second sensor element is along a plane including the first and second directions.

14. The sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Gando Ryunosuke
• Ono Daiki
• Tomizawa Yasushi
• Miyazaki Fumito
• Kaji Shiori
• Masunishi Kei
• Hiraga Hiroki
• Ogawa Etsuji

Classifications

• G01C19/5776 Primary

  Signal processing not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719 · CPC title

• G01C19/5783 Primary

  Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719 · CPC title

• G01C19/5677 Primary

  of essentially two-dimensional [2D] vibrators, e.g. ring-shaped vibrators · CPC title