Patents by Inventor Burton Boxenhorn

Burton Boxenhorn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5796001
    Abstract: A monolithic, micromechanical tuning fork gyroscope is fabricated from a unitary silicon substrate utilizing etch stop diffusions and selective anisotropic etching. A non-etched silicon structure is suspended over the selectively etched pit. The non-etched silicon structure includes at least first and second vibratable structures. Each vibratable structure is energizable to vibrate laterally along an axis normal to the rotation sensitive axis. The lateral vibration of the first and second vibratable structures effects simultaneous vertical movement of at least a portion of the non-etched silicon structure upon the occurrence of angular rotation of the gyroscope about the rotation sensitive axis. The vertical movement of the non-etched silicon structure is sensed, and a voltage proportional to the movement is generated, for providing an indication of angular rate of rotation detected by the gyroscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Greiff, Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 5635739
    Abstract: A micromechanical accelerometer comprises a mass of monocrystalline silicon in which a substantially symmetrical plate attached to a silicon frame by flexible linkages is produced by selective etching. The plate has a plurality of apertures patterned and etched therethrough to speed further etching and freeing of the plate and flexible linkages, suspending them above a void etched beneath. The plate is capable of limited motion about an axis created by the flexible linkages. An accelerometer comprised of a substantially symmetrical, linkage supported plate configuration is implemented as an angular accelerometer paired with an auxiliary linear accelerometer, which is used to compensate for the linear sensitivity of the angular sensor, to achieve an instrument that is insensitive to linear acceleration and responds to angular acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Grieff, Burton Boxenhorn, Marc S. Weinberg
  • Patent number: 5635639
    Abstract: A micromechanical tuning fork gyroscope includes a suspended structure comprising at least first and second vibratable structures. Each vibratable structure is energizable to vibrate laterally, within a first plane, along an axis normal to the rotation sensitive axis. The lateral or inplane vibration of the first and second vibratable structures effects simultaneous vertical or rotational movement of at least a portion of the suspended structure upon the occurrence of angular rotation of the gyroscope about the rotation sensitive axis. Vertical or rotational movement of the suspended structure is sensed, and a voltage proportional to the movement is generated, for providing an indication of angular rate of rotation detected by the gyroscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Greiff, Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 5515724
    Abstract: A double gimbal micromachined gyroscopic transducer is provided in a substrate having a pit extending downwardly from a top surface of the substrate. A gyroscopic transducer element suspended above the pit comprises an outer sense gimbal plate integral with the substrate, coupled to the substrate by a pair of flexible elements attached to opposite ends of the plate. The flexible elements are axially aligned to permit oscillatory motion about a sense axis passing through the flexible elements. The gyroscopic transducer further includes an inner drive gimbal plate integral with and interior to the sense gimbal plate. The drive gimbal plate is coupled to the sense gimbal plate by a second pair of flexible elements along an axis orthogonal to the first pair of flexible elements. The drive gimbal plate also includes a balanced mass generally centrally located on the drive gimbal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Greiff, Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 5505084
    Abstract: A, micromechanical tuning fork gyroscope is fabricated from a unitary silicon substrate utilizing etch stop diffusions and selective anisotropic etching. A silicon structure is suspended over the selectively etched pit. The silicon structure includes at least first and second vibratable structures. Each vibratable structure is energizable to vibrate laterally along an axis normal to the rotation sensitive axis. The lateral vibration of the first and second vibratable structures effects simultaneous vertical movement of at least a portion of the silicon structure upon the occurrence of angular rotation of the gyroscope about the rotation sensitive axis. The vertical movement of the silicon structure is sensed, and a voltage proportional to the movement is generated, for providing an indication of angular rate of rotation detected by the gyroscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Greiff, Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 5473945
    Abstract: A micromechanical accelerometer comprises a mass of monocrystalline silicon in which a substantially symmetrical plate attached to a silicon frame by flexible linkages is produced by selective etching. The plate has a plurality of apertures patterned and etched therethrough to speed further etching and freeing of the plate and flexible linkages, suspending them above a void etched beneath. The plate is capable of limited motion about an axis created by the flexible linkages. An accelerometer comprised of a substantially symmetrical, linkage supported plate configuration is implemented as an angular accelerometer paired with an auxiliary linear accelerometer, which is used to compensate for the linear sensitivity of the angular sensor, to achieve an instrument that is insensitive to linear acceleration and responds to angular acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1995
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Grieff, Burton Boxenhorn, Marc S. Weinberg
  • Patent number: 5408877
    Abstract: A double gimbal micromachined gyroscopic transducer is provided in a substrate having a pit extending downwardly from a top surface of the substrate. A gyroscopic transducer element suspended above the pit comprises an outer sense gimbal plate integral with the substrate, coupled to the substrate by a pair of flexible elements attached to opposite ends of the plate. The flexible elements are axially aligned to permit oscillatory motion about a sense axis passing through the flexible elements. The gyroscopic transducer further includes an inner drive gimbal plate integral with and interior to the sense gimbal plate. The drive gimbal plate is coupled to the sense gimbal plate by a second pair of flexible elements along an axis orthogonal to the first pair of flexible elements. The drive gimbal plate also includes a balanced mass generally centrally located on the drive gimbal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Greiff, Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 5331852
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for electromagnetically rebalancing a micromechanical transducer via a plurality of current carrying electrodes disposed beneath or above the transducer interacting with a current carrying conductor disposed on the transducer. In a first embodiment, the micromechanical transducer comprises a micromechanical accelerometer having electromagnetic rebalance of an asymmetric plate. In an alternative embodiment, the transducer comprises a micromechanical gyroscope having electromagnetic driving of an outer gimbal and electromagnetic rebalance of a sense gimbal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Greiff, Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 4699006
    Abstract: An accelerometer transducer has a base holding a sheet normal to an input axis. The sheet is suspended from the base by a first spring arrangement for oscillatory motion in the way of limited angular excursions about a central axis lying in the sheet. A weight is spring-suspended from the sheet in a manner permitting displacement of the center of gravity of the weight along the input axis. Acceleration along the input axis varies the moment of inertia of the assembly consisting of the sheet and the weight about the central axis, altering the frequency of oscillatory motion by an amount functionally related to the magnitude of the acceleration. The sheet is driven at its characteristic frequency, and its frequency of oscillation is measured. In a preferred embodiment, a first transducer includes a weight suspended offset from the sheet in a first direction along the input axis, and a second transducer includes a weight offset from the sheet in the opposite direction along the input axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 4598585
    Abstract: A planar inertial sensor includes a sheet member having one inner planar element adapted for limited angular motion about a (Y) axis perpendicular to an input (Z) axis. In a gyroscope form, the inner planar element is also adapted for limited angular motion about an (X) axis normal to and intersecting with the Y axis. The gyroscope form includes an outer driving planar element which is continuously driven in an oscillatory manner in limited excursions about the Y axis. The driving element is coupled to the inner element so that oscillatory motion of the driving element is coupled to the inner element. Position sensors provide signals representative of the angular position of the inner element relative to the X axis, which in turn are representative of angular rates impressed on the sensor about the input (Z) axis which is orthogonal to the X and Y axes. In an accelerometer form, the inner planar element is characterized by a mass imbalance across the Y axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: Burton Boxenhorn
  • Patent number: 4306691
    Abstract: The present invention concerns using star sightings to supplement the ineal instruments in nonfixed launch systems so as to provide increased accuracy without refinement of the inertial systems. It is particularly applicable to a system in which the missile is launched from a moving base of uncertain position. A stellar fix is obtained by pointing a sensor in the direction of a star, scanning the optical field of view through an elongated slit which is parallel to the pitch axis and centered along the missile roll axis, rotating the missile 90.degree. to interchange the pitch and roll axes and scanning again to establish another coordinate on the first star sighted and a single coordinate on a second star.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1970
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1981
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Burton Boxenhorn, Brock S. Dew