Abstract: A dynamic quantity detection device includes a detection portion, a signal process portion, and an operation mode switch portion. The detection portion detects a dynamic quantity applied from an outside and generates a sensor signal in accordance with the dynamic quantity. The signal process portion processes the sensor signal from the detection portion to have a property suitable for an external device. When the sensor signal output from the detection portion is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the operation mode switch portion sets an operation mode to a power save mode by stopping an operation of the signal process portion. When the sensor signal output from the detection portion is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the operation mode switch portion switches the operation mode to a normal mode by activating the signal process portion.

Abstract: A dynamic quantity detection device includes a detection portion, a signal process portion, and an operation mode switch portion. The detection portion detects a dynamic quantity applied from an outside and generates a sensor signal in accordance with the dynamic quantity. The signal process portion processes the sensor signal from the detection portion to have a property suitable for an external device. When the sensor signal output from the detection portion is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the operation mode switch portion sets an operation mode to a power save mode by stopping an operation of the signal process portion. When the sensor signal output from the detection portion is greater than the predetermined threshold value, the operation mode switch portion switches the operation mode to a normal mode by activating the signal process portion.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor includes: a substrate; a drive-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a first direction; and an angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a second direction. The sensor detects an angular velocity on the basis of vibration of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator in the second direction caused by a Coriolis force, when the drive-purpose vibrator is vibrated in the first direction, and the angular velocity is applied to the sensor in a third direction. The angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator has a length along with the second direction and a width along with the first direction. A ratio between the width and the length is equal to or larger than 0.1.

Abstract: A sensor circuit includes an AC component pickup circuit and first and second adder circuits or first and second high-pass filters, and specifies a range of normal voltages by an upper-limit voltage formed by adding an upper-limit threshold value to the AC component in the input voltage and by a lower-limit voltage formed by adding a lower-limit threshold value to the AC component in the input voltage. An abnormal offset voltage is detected by judging whether the output voltage of an inverting amplifier circuit is lying in the range of normal voltages.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor includes: a substrate; a drive-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a first direction; and an angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a second direction. The sensor detects an angular velocity on the basis of vibration of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator in the second direction caused by a Coriolis force, when the drive-purpose vibrator is vibrated in the first direction, and the angular velocity is applied to the sensor in a third direction. The angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator has a length along with the second direction and a width along with the first direction. A ratio between the width and the length is equal to or larger than 0.1.

Abstract: A movable sensor device includes a laminate body in which a micromechanical acting layer having a movable sensor structure and a coating layer coated on the micromechanical acting layer is successively laminated on a substrate. A draft portion penetrates through the laminate body in the lamination direction. The draft portion and a residual portion thereof are disposed at a peripheral portion of the movable sensor structure in the laminate body. The residual portion is a thin portion that is smaller in thickness than the laminate body and has a spring function.

Abstract: In an anomaly detector that detects an abnormal condition of an oscillation signal of a circuit such as a vibratory sensing circuit, the oscillation signal, having AC and DC components, is converted to a pair of first and second signals of either opposite-polarity DC amplitudes or opposite-phase alternating amplitudes. The first and second signals are combined to cancel the AC component of the oscillation signal to detect the DC component. The DC component is then compared with the upper and lower thresholds of a decision range to produce an alarm if the DC component goes outside the decision range. In one embodiment, the first and second signals are produced by detecting positive and negative peak values of the oscillation signal at intervals. In a second embodiment, the first signal is produced by high-pass filtering the oscillation signal as a replica of the AC component and the second signal is the oscillation signal itself.

Abstract: In a sensor system, a detection waveform-forming unit detects a vibration component and forms a waveform of a detected angular velocity based on the vibration component. Components of the waveform are of opposite phases relative to each other and acceleration waveform components are in phase relative to each other. An acceleration signal-forming unit operates on the waveform to cancel the waveform of opposite phases to each other, and produces a second kind acceleration signal. An abnormal condition-detecting unit detects an abnormal condition in either the angular velocity sensor unit or an acceleration sensor unit provided separately based on the second kind acceleration signal and a first kind acceleration signal.

Abstract: A sensor circuit includes an AC component pickup circuit and first and second adder circuits or first and second high-pass filters, and specifies a range of normal voltages by an upper-limit voltage formed by adding an upper-limit threshold value to the AC component in the input voltage and by a lower-limit voltage formed by adding a lower-limit threshold value to the AC component in the input voltage. An abnormal offset voltage is detected by judging whether the output voltage of an inverting amplifier circuit is lying in the range of normal voltages.

Abstract: A vibration type angular velocity sensor includes: a first and a second angular velocity sensors; and an anomaly monitoring signal generating and outputting unit including an opposite phase waveform synthesis portion. The first and the second angular velocity sensors include: a vibrator; a vibration driving unit; and a detection waveform generation unit. The opposite phase waveform synthesis portion synthesizes the first and the second detection waveforms with opposite phase. The anomaly monitoring signal generating and outputting unit generates and outputs an anomaly monitoring signal on the basis of a synthesized opposite phase waveform synthesized from the first and the second detection waveforms.

Abstract: A movable sensor device includes a laminate body in which a micromechanical acting layer having a movable sensor structure and a coating layer coated on the micromechanical acting layer is successively laminated on a substrate. A draft portion penetrates through the laminate body in the lamination direction. The draft portion and a residual portion thereof are disposed at a peripheral portion of the movable sensor structure in the laminate body. The residual portion is a thin portion that is smaller in thickness than the laminate body and has a spring function.

Abstract: In an anomaly detector that detects an abnormal condition of an oscillation signal of a circuit such as a vibratory sensing circuit, the oscillation signal, having AC and DC components, is converted to a pair of first and second signals of either opposite-polarity DC amplitudes or opposite-phase alternating amplitudes. The first and second signals are combined to cancel the AC component of the oscillation signal to detect the DC component. The DC component is then compared with the upper and lower thresholds of a decision range to produce an alarm if the DC component goes outside the decision range. In one embodiment, the first and second signals are produced by detecting positive and negative peak values of the oscillation signal at intervals. In a second embodiment, the first signal is produced by high-pass filtering the oscillation signal as a replica of the AC component and the second signal is the oscillation signal itself.

Abstract: An angular rate sensor includes: a substrate; a drive-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a first direction; and an angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a second direction. The sensor detects an angular velocity on the basis of vibration of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator in the second direction caused by a Coriolis force, when the drive-purpose vibrator is vibrated in the first direction, and the angular velocity is applied to the sensor in a third direction. The angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator has a length along with the second direction and a width along with the first direction. A ratio between the width and the length is equal to or larger than 0.1.

Abstract: In a sensor system, a detection waveform-forming unit detects a vibration component and forms a waveform of a detected angular velocity based on the vibration component. Components of the waveform are of opposite phases relative to each other and acceleration waveform components are in phase relative to each other. An acceleration signal-forming unit operates on the waveform to cancel the waveform of opposite phases to each other, and produces a second kind acceleration signal. An abnormal condition-detecting unit detects an abnormal condition in either the angular velocity sensor unit or an acceleration sensor unit provided separately based on the second kind acceleration signal and a first kind acceleration signal.

Abstract: A vibration type angular velocity sensor includes: a first and a second angular velocity sensors; and an anomaly monitoring signal generating and outputting unit including an opposite phase waveform synthesis portion. The first and the second angular velocity sensors include: a vibrator; a vibration driving unit; and a detection waveform generation unit. The opposite phase waveform synthesis portion synthesizes the first and the second detection waveforms with opposite phase. The anomaly monitoring signal generating and outputting unit generates and outputs an anomaly monitoring signal on the basis of a synthesized opposite phase waveform synthesized from the first and the second detection waveforms.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving an electric load includes a switch device interposed in a current feed path from a direct-current power source to the electric load. A sensing resistor connected in series with the switch device operates for detecting a load current as a voltage value. The load current flows into the electric load via the switch device. A signal generation device operates for generating a trapezoidal wave signal in response to externally applied commands to turn on and turn off the electric load. The trapezoidal wave signal gradually varies from a first predetermined voltage to a second predetermined voltage when the electric load starts to be turned on. The trapezoidal wave signal gradually varies from the second predetermined voltage to the first predetermined voltage when the electric load starts to be turned off.