Abstract: An oscillator circuit includes an oscillator, a filter that filters a monitoring signal output from the oscillator and outputs the filtered signal, a driver that amplifies the filtered signal to generate a driving signal, and a controller operable to control a passing characteristic of the filter based on the monitoring signal. The oscillator performs a vibration while being driven by the driving signal, and outputs the monitoring signal according to the vibration. This oscillator circuit allows the oscillator to vibrate stably.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus of the present invention includes a first output terminal for outputting a sense signal, and a failure diagnosis circuit for determining whether a failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, to output a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality. The time required for an output concerning the failure detection signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the second output terminal is shorter than the time required for an output concerning the sense signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the first output terminal, thus leading to improvement in reliability under abnormal condition.

Abstract: A detecting element for an inertial force sensor includes a mass section, an excitation section, and a detecting section. The excitation section excites the mass section along a third direction among a first direction, a second direction, and the third direction that are perpendicular to each other. The detecting section outputs a signal corresponding to displacement of the mass section along at least one of the first direction and the second direction. Resonance frequencies Fsx and Fsy of the first direction and the second direction are set greater than a resonance frequency Fxd of the third direction.

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: A sensor apparatus of the present invention includes a first output terminal for outputting a sense signal, and a failure diagnosis circuit for determining whether a failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, to output a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality. The time required for an output concerning the failure detection signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the second output terminal is shorter than the time required for an output concerning the sense signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the first output terminal, thus leading to improvement in reliability under abnormal condition.

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: An inertial force sensor which reduces the deterioration of an angular speed detection accuracy and improves the diagnosis accuracy of fault diagnosis is provided. The inertial force sensor includes an oscillator having a driving electrode, a monitor electrode, and a detecting electrode; a driving circuit which applies a driving signal to the driving electrode to oscillate the oscillator; a detecting circuit which detects an angular speed according to a detecting signal outputted from the detecting electrode due to an inertial force; an oscillation control circuit which controls an energization amount of the driving signal according to a monitor signal outputted from the monitor electrode; and a fault diagnosing circuit which inputs a pseudo angular speed signal to the detecting circuit for fault diagnosis, wherein a filter switching circuit which switches a characteristic of a filter circuit included in the detecting circuit in fault diagnosis mode to shorten a delay time is provided.

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: A sensor device includes a time determining part and an output circuit. The time determining part 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. The output circuit outputs the sense signal with the time point information added by the time determining part after the failure detection signal correlated with the sense signal by the time point information is output.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus of the present invention includes a failure diagnosis circuit for setting as a failure diagnosis object section at least any one of a drive circuit section, a detection device, a detection circuit section and a processing circuit section, and determining whether the failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal. The sensor apparatus also includes a time point measuring unit for measuring time point information, and adding the time point information to an output concerning generation of the failure detection signal outputted from the failure diagnosis object section and an output concerning generation of the sense signal such that the output concerning generation of the failure detection signal is made to correspond to the output concerning generation of the sense signal using time point information in terms of time points.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a case, an angular velocity sensor fixed to the case, a data memory storing plural reference profiles, an output unit operating in a plurality of operation modes corresponding to the reference profiles, and a processor controlling the output unit. The angular velocity sensor sends a signal according to an angular velocity applied to the case. The processor is operable to receive the signal sent from the angular velocity sensor, to select a reference profile out of the plural reference profiles according to the received signal, and to cause the output unit to operate in an operation mode out of the plural operation modes corresponding to the selected reference profile. A user can operate this electronic device with a quick response.

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: When detecting an angular rate in a detecting element (1), when an angular rate occurs, it is detected on the basis of a first sum by adding output values issued from upper electrode of second sensing electrode part (19b) and upper electrode of fourth sensing electrode part (20b) both in positive polarity, a second sum by adding output values issued from upper electrode of first sensing electrode part (19a) and upper electrode of third sensing electrode part (20a) both in negative polarity, a third sum by adding output values issued from lower electrode of first sensing electrode part (19a) and lower electrode of third sensing electrode part (20a) both in positive polarity, and a fourth sum by adding output values issued from lower electrode of second sensing electrode part (19b) and lower electrode of fourth sensing electrode part (20b) both in negative polarity. In this configuration, the inertial force sensor enhanced in detection sensitivity is presented.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus of the present invention includes a first output terminal for outputting a sense signal, and a failure diagnosis circuit for determining whether a failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, to output a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality. The time required for an output concerning the failure detection signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the second output terminal is shorter than the time required for an output concerning the sense signal from the failure diagnosis object section to reach the first output terminal, thus leading to improvement in reliability under abnormal condition.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus of the present invention is provided with a failure diagnosis circuit for setting as a failure diagnosis object section at least any one of a drive circuit section, a detection device, a detection circuit section and a processing circuit section, determining whether the failure diagnosis object section is normal or abnormal, and outputting a failure detection signal from a second output terminal in the case of determining abnormality. It is configured such that a signal of a value outside a range of a normal output voltage is outputted from the first output terminal in the case of the failure diagnosis circuit determining abnormality of the failure diagnosis object section, thereby to improve reliability under abnormal condition.

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: An sensor device with high detection accuracy. The sensor device includes an angular velocity sensor for outputting an angular velocity sensing signal, an acceleration sensor for outputting an acceleration sensing signal, and an output circuit for outputting the angular velocity sensing signal and the acceleration sensing signal. The output circuit outputs signals in a digital format according to the time-division system, so as to link timewise the angular velocity sensing signal and the acceleration sensing signal detected at the same timing as one signal.

Abstract: An sensor device with high detection accuracy. A time-point measurement unit is provided for measuring time-point information and adding the time-point information to an angular velocity sensing signal and an acceleration sensing signal. The angular velocity sensing signal and the acceleration sensing signal are linked by the time-point information. This structure enables output of the angular velocity sensing signal and the acceleration sensing signal linked by the time-point information. Accordingly, the angular velocity sensing signal can be accurately corrected using the acceleration sensing signal. The detection accuracy of the sensor device thus improves.

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: 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.