Abstract: There is provided a signal separation circuit of an angular velocity sensor where a first sensing section, a second sensing section and a third sensing section which are arranged in two second arms are connected to a detection circuit section, and in this detection circuit section, an angular velocity is detected based upon angular velocity signals outputted from the first to third sensing electrode sections. A configuration is formed where angular velocity signals include an X component signal around an X axis, a Y component signal around a Y axis, a Z component signal around a Z axis and an oscillating component signal of a flexible body in the mutually orthogonal X axis, Y axis and Z axis, and the detection circuit section is provided with a separation circuit that separates these X component signal, Y component signal, Z component signal and oscillating component signal.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a mount section arranged to be fixed to an object, a flexible section coupled to the mount section, a weight coupled to the mount section via the flexible section, and first and second opposed electrode unit. The first opposed electrode unit includes a first electrode placed on the weight and a second electrode spaced away from and facing the first electrode, and provides a first capacitance. The second opposed electrode unit includes a third electrode placed on the weight and a fourth electrode spaced away from and facing the third electrode, and provides a second capacitance. The first and third electrodes are arranged along a first direction. The second and fourth electrodes are spaced away from and face the first and third electrodes along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, respectively. A component of an acceleration along the first direction applied to the object is detected based on the first and second capacitances.

Abstract: A method for processing a detection signal of a vibratory inertial force sensor is disclosed. This method improves detection accuracy of the vibratory inertial force sensor. A detection circuit of the vibratory inertial force sensor removes harmonic component from signals synchronously wave-detected, and amplifies the resultant signals, and then smoothes the amplified signals. A vibratory inertial force sensor adopting this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention includes an output circuit section for digitally outputting from an output terminal in a time division system a failure detection signal from a failure diagnosis circuit and a sense signal from a process circuit section, leading to reduction in size of a sensor apparatus. Further, outputting a failure detection signal earlier than a sense signal leads to improvement in reliability at the time of abnormality.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a time determining part that determines time point information, and adds the time point information to the output supplied from a part subjected to failure diagnosis and related to generation of a failure detection signal, and to the output related to generation of a sense signal. With this structure, the failure detection signal is correlated with the sense signal by the time point information. Alternatively, the sensor device includes an output circuit that correlates the failure detection signal with the sense signal supplied at the same time point as the failure detection signal, and outputs both signals using a time division method.

Abstract: A method for processing a detection signal of a vibratory inertial force sensor is disclosed. This method improves detection accuracy of the vibratory inertial force sensor. A detection circuit of the vibratory inertial force sensor removes harmonic component from signals synchronously wave-detected, and amplifies the resultant signals, and then smoothes the amplified signals. A vibratory inertial force sensor adopting this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor includes a vibrator vibrating, first and second differential circuits for outputting first and second difference signals, respectively, and a synchronous detector circuit for synchronously detecting the first and second difference signals. First and second sensors outputs first and second detection signals in response to a distortion produced due to an inertial force. The second detection signal has a phase reverse to a phase of the first detection signal. The first difference signal corresponds to a difference provided by subtracting the first detection signal from the second detection signal. The second difference signal corresponds to a difference provided by subtracting the second detection signal from the first detection signal. This angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity of the vibrator accurately.

Abstract: A sensor device includes a time determining part that determines time point information, and adds the time point information to the output supplied from a part subjected to failure diagnosis and related to generation of a failure detection signal, and to the output related to generation of a sense signal. With this structure, the failure detection signal is correlated with the sense signal by the time point information. Alternatively, the sensor device includes an output circuit that correlates the failure detection signal with the sense signal supplied at the same time point as the failure detection signal, and outputs both signals using a time division method.

Abstract: A vibration-type inertia force sensor includes: an oscillator; a driving section for oscillating the oscillator; a sensing section for sensing a strain caused in the oscillator due to an inertia force; and a power supply section for supplying power to the driving section and the sensing section in a normal state and for supplying power to one of the driving section and the sensing section and not supplying power to the other of the driving section and the sensing section in a power-saving state.

Abstract: A method for processing a detection signal of a vibratory inertial force sensor is disclosed. This method improves detection accuracy of the vibratory inertial force sensor. A detection circuit of the vibratory inertial force sensor removes harmonic component from signals synchronously wave-detected, and amplifies the resultant signals, and then smoothes the amplified signals. A vibratory inertial force sensor adopting this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor for precisely calculating an angular velocity by taking the mass balance of the transducer into account is provided. The sensor includes a tuning fork type transducer (23) having a pair of arm portions (22) at a shaft portion (21) and formed of a piezoelectric element, and a control circuit portion (24) that drives the transducer (23) and detects the angular velocity applied to the transducer (23). The control circuit portion (24) includes a correction circuit portion (35) that generates a correction signal to remove, as a noise component, a signal component of a sense signal (29) detected erroneously as if an angular velocity occurred when no angular velocity is occurring in the transducer (23), from signal components of the sense signal (29).

Abstract: An inertial force sensor is provided in which each of switches is connected in parallel with each of resistors of low-pass filter and high-pass filter, respectively, and capacitor of high-pass filter can be boost charged by making switches on without mediate resistors.

Abstract: The invention provides an angular velocity sensor which is provided with a smoothing circuit having a large smoothing time constant so that it can be reduced in size and integrated into an IC. Smoothing circuit (9) is provided with first switch (11), first capacitor (12), second switch (13), second capacitor (17) and control signal feeding module (15). Control signal feeding module (15) feeds first switch (11) and second switch (13) with a signal for controlling ON/OFF. According to this configuration, an equivalently large smoothing time constant can be set by reducing the frequency of the switching control signal of control signal feeding module (15), even if the capacities of first capacitor (12) and second capacitor (17) are small. Especially in case the capacitors are integrated into an IC, their area of occupation can be reduced to reduce the size of the angular velocity sensor and integrate the same into the IC.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor for precisely calculating an angular velocity by taking the mass balance of the transducer into account is provided. The sensor includes a tuning fork type transducer (23) having a pair of arm portions (22) at a shaft portion (21) and formed of a piezoelectric element, and a control circuit portion (24) that drives the transducer (23) and detects the angular velocity applied to the transducer (23). The control circuit portion (24) includes a correction circuit portion (35) that generates a correction signal to remove, as a noise component, a signal component of a sense signal (29) detected erroneously as if an angular velocity occurred when no angular velocity is occurring in the transducer (23), from signal components of the sense signal (29).

Abstract: The invention provides an angular velocity sensor which is provided with a smoothing circuit having a large smoothing time constant so that it can be reduced in size and integrated into an IC. Smoothing circuit (9) is provided with first switch (11), first capacitor (12), second switch (13), second capacitor (17) and control signal feeding means (15). Control signal feeding means (15) feeds first switch (11) and second switch (13) with a signal for controlling ON/OFF. According to this configuration, an equivalently large smoothing time constant can be set by reducing the frequency of the switching control signal of control signal feeding means (15), even if the capacities of first capacitor (12) and second capacitor (17) are small. Especially in case the capacitors are integrated into an IC, their area of occupation can be reduced to reduce the size of the angular velocity sensor and integrate the same into the IC.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor of the present invention includes a driving part for stably vibrating a driving part of a sensor element and a detector part for detecting an angular velocity of the sensor element and obtains a self diagnosis signal for a malfunction by detecting a mechanical coupling signal obtained at the detection part.

Abstract: The present invention aims to present an angular velocity sensor having a self diagnosis function. An angular velocity sensor of the present invention includes a driving part for stably vibrating a driving part of a sensor element having a driver part and a detector part for detecting an angular velocity and detection means for detecting the angular velocity of the sensor element and obtains a self diagnosis signal for a malfunction by detecting a mechanical coupling signal obtained at the detection means.

Abstract: The present invention aims to present an angular velocity sensor having a self diagnosis function. An angular velocity sensor of the present invention includes a driving part for stably vibrating a driving part of a sensor element having a driver part and a detector part for detecting an angular velocity and detection means for detecting the angular velocity of the sensor element and obtains a self diagnosis signal for a malfunction by detecting a mechanical coupling signal obtained at the detection means.

Abstract: A sensor signal output circuit includes a first differential amplifier, a first load resistor, a first transistor, a second transistor and a limiter section. The limiter section includes at least a second differential amplifier, which includes an input end coupled to output terminal and an other input end coupled to second reference voltage setting part, a second load resistor for a second differential amplifier, and a third transistor, which includes a gate connected to an output end of the second differential amplifier and a source connected to a gate of the second transistor.

Abstract: The present invention aims to present an angular velocity sensor having a self diagnosis function. An angular velocity sensor of the present invention includes a driving part for stably vibrating a driving part of a sensor element having a driver part and a detector part for detecting an angular velocity and detection means for detecting the angular velocity of the sensor element and obtains a self diagnosis signal for a malfunction by detecting a mechanical coupling signal obtained at the detection means.