Patents by Inventor Christopher Fell

Christopher Fell 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: 10488199
    Abstract: A gyroscope comprising a resonant structure and a plurality of transducers configured to drive a vibrational mode in the resonant structure and detect vibrations of the resonant structure, wherein at least one of the plurality of transducers comprises a piezoelectric mono crystal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Innalabs Limited
    Inventors: Jose Beitia, Alain Renault, Christopher Fell
  • Publication number: 20170350700
    Abstract: A gyroscope comprising a resonant structure and a plurality of transducers configured to drive a vibrational mode in the resonant structure and detect vibrations of the resonant structure, wherein at least one of the plurality of transducers comprises a piezoelectric mono crystal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Applicant: Innalabs Limited
    Inventors: JOSE BEITIA, ALAIN RENAULT, CHRISTOPHER FELL
  • Patent number: 8555717
    Abstract: An exemplary vibrating structure gyroscope includes a ring structure, an external frame and a flexible support including a pair of symmetrical compliant legs arranged to retain the ring structure within the external frame. A metal track is provided on an upper surface of the ring structure, the compliant legs and the external frame, over an insulating surface oxide layer. Each flexible support is arranged to carry a metal track associated with a single drive or pick-off transducer. The metal track is repeated for eight circuits, one circuit for each transducer. Each circuit of metal track associated with a transducer begins at a first bond-pad on the external frame, runs along a first compliant leg, across an eighth segment of the ring structure and back along the other compliant leg to a second bond-pad on the external frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Atlantic Inertial Systems Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Rebecca Eley
  • Publication number: 20110167911
    Abstract: An exemplary vibrating structure gyroscope includes a ring structure, an external frame and a flexible support including a pair of symmetrical compliant legs arranged to retain the ring structure within the external frame. A metal track is provided on an upper surface of the ring structure, the compliant legs and the external frame, over an insulating surface oxide layer. Each flexible support is arranged to carry a metal track associated with a single drive or pick-off transducer. The metal track is repeated for eight circuits, one circuit for each transducer. Each circuit of metal track associated with a transducer begins at a first bond-pad on the external frame, runs along a first compliant leg, across an eighth segment of the ring structure and back along the other compliant leg to a second bond-pad on the external frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Atlantic Inertial Systems Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Rebecca Eley
  • Publication number: 20070220972
    Abstract: A vibrator 10, which is formed in a silicon wafer 1 by means of MEMS technique, has eight beam portions (beams) 12 supported at a central portion 11 and extending in the radial direction while mutually keeping the same angle and has a ring portion 13 connected to the eight beam portions 12. Outside the ring portion 13, eight electrodes 21a to 21h for electrostatic actuation, capacitance detection, or the like are spaced uniformly with a gap 22 created between the ring portion 13 and the electrodes 21a to 21h. Inside the ring portion 13, sixteen electrodes 23 for frequency adjustment are spaced uniformly with a gap 24 created between the ring portion 13 and the electrodes 23.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: BAE STSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: Ryuta Araki, Osamu Torayashiki, Toru Kitamura, Hiroshi Kawasaki, Tsuyoshi Takemoto, Koji Nakamura, Christopher Fell, Kevin Townsend, Ian Sturland
  • Publication number: 20060260382
    Abstract: A method for reducing bias error in a Vibrating Structure Gyroscope having a vibrating structure (1), primary drive means (2), for putting the vibrating structure (1) into carrier mode resonance, primary pick-off means (3) for sensing carrier mode motion, secondary pick-off means (10) for sensing response mode vibration of the vibrating structure (1) in response to applied rotation rate, secondary drive means (16) for applying a force to control the response mode motion closed loop primary control loops for maintaining a fixed amplitude of motion at the primary pick-off means (3) for maintaining the drive frequency at the resonance maximum, and secondary control loops for maintaining a null at the secondary pick-off means (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Publication date: November 23, 2006
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Andrew Kazer
  • Publication number: 20050257596
    Abstract: Apparatus for measuring variation in scalefactor from a predetermined value for a vibrating structure gyroscope has a vibrating structure (R), a fixed primary and a fixed secondary drive means (1, 13) for putting and maintaining the vibrating structure (R) in vibrating resonance, a fixed primary and a fixed secondary pick off means (2, 6) for detecting vibration of the vibrating structure (R), with the drive and pick off means (1, 13, 2, 6) being located radially around the vibrating structure (R), quadrature component and real component loop systems (7, 8), automatic gain control and phase locked loop systems (5, 22), a sin/cos pick off resolver (38) for receiving signals from the primary and secondary pick off means (2, 6) and for outputting signals to the quadrature component and real component loop systems (7, 8) and to the automatic gain control and phase locked loop systems (5, 22), a sin/cos drive resolver (37) for receiving output signals from the quadrature component and real component loop systems (
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Kevin Townsend, Andrew Kazer
  • Publication number: 20050092084
    Abstract: A rate sensing device includes a cylindrical vibratory resonator, a hemispherical vibratory resonator or a substantially planar vibratory resonator (1) having a substantially ring or hoop-like shape structure, which resonators have inner and outer peripheries extending around a common axis (2), first carrier mode drive means (18) for causing the resonator (1) to vibrate in a Cos n1? carrier mode to provide a first rate sensing channel along the common axis (2), where n1 has an integer value of 2 or more, and second carrier mode drive means (19) for causing the resonator (1) to vibrate in a Cos n2? carrier mode to provide a second rate sensing channel along the common axis (2) where n2 has an integer value of 2 or more and where n2 is not equal to n1, which first and second rate sensing channels are independent of one another and operate over different rate ranges where the rate range increases for higher values of n1 and n2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Publication date: May 5, 2005
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Anthony Rourke, Stewart McWilliam
  • Publication number: 20040134279
    Abstract: A three axis sensor including a substantially planar vibrator resonator (2) having a substantially ring or hoop like structure, drive means (4) for causing the resonator (2) to vibrate in an in plane cos 2&thgr; vibration mode, carrier mode pick-off means (5) for sensing movement of the resonator in response to said drive means, pick-off means (6) for sensing in plane sin 2&thgr; resonator motion induced by rotation about the z-axis, drive means (7) for nulling said motion, pick-off means (8) for sensing out of plane sin 3&thgr; resonator motion induced by rotation about the x-axis, drive means (9) for nulling said motion, pick-off means (10) for sensing out of plane cos 3&thgr; resonator motion induced by rotation about the y-axis, drive means (11) for nulling said motion, and support means (9) for flexibly supporting the resonator, wherein the support means comprises only L support beams, where L≠2J×3K and J=0, 1 or 2 and K=0 or 1 with L>24.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Rebecka Eley, Colin H J Fox, Stewart McWilliam
  • Patent number: 6401534
    Abstract: A two axis gyroscope has a substantially planar vibratory resonator having a substantially ring or hoop-like shape structure, carrier mode drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate in a Cosn&thgr; out-of-plane carrier mode, where n has an integer value of 2 or more, support means for flexibly supporting the resonator, carrier mode pick-off means for sensing out-of-plane movement of the resonator, X axis response mode pick-off means for sensing in-plane Cosn1&thgr; response mode movement of the resonator in response to rotation of the gyroscope about the X axis, where n1 has a value of n+1 or n−1, and Y axis response mode pick-off means for sensing in-plane Sinn1&thgr; response mode movement of the resonator in response to rotation of the gyroscope about the Y axis where n1 has a value of n+1 or n−1, identical to that for the X axis response mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems PLC
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Colin Hnery John Fox
  • Patent number: 6343509
    Abstract: A gyroscope for sensing rate on at least two axes includes a substantially planar vibratory resonator having a ring or hoop like shape, carrier mode drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate in a Cos n1&thgr; in-plane carrier mode where n1 has an integer value of 2 or more. The gyroscope also includes support means for flexibly supporting the resonator, carrier mode pick off means for sensing in-plane movement of the resonator, X axis response mode pick off means for sensing out-of-plane Cos n&thgr; response mode movement of the resonator in response to rotation of the gyroscope around the X axis, where n has a value of n1+1 or n1−1, and Y axis response mode pick off means for sensing out-of-plane Sin n&thgr; response mode movement of the resonator in response to rotation of the gyroscope about the Y axis where n has a value n1+1 or n1−1, identical to that for the X axis response mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2002
    Assignee: Bae Systems PLC
    Inventors: Christopher Fell, Colin Henry John Fox
  • Patent number: 5621171
    Abstract: A vibrating structure gyroscope sensing element structure of ring-like or substantially cylindrical form made of ferromagnetic material is actively balanced by applying a variable strength magnetic field across a predetermined section of the circumference of the sensing element structure differentially to shift the resonant frequency of one or the other of the primary and secondary vibration modes (1,2) thereof by an amount sufficient to bring the two mode resonant frequencies into balance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 15, 1997
    Assignee: British Aerospace Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Christopher Fell