An inclination derivation device of a pointer of a pen shape, is discussed with the pointer including a first electrode installed at an end of an axis and a second electrode installed around the axis. The inclination derivation device includes a sensor of a plane shape that detects a position of the first electrode and a position of the second electrode, and a control portion. The control portion includes a look-up table (LUT) in which a corresponding relation of a value based on a difference between the position of the first electrode and the position of the second electrode, and a compensation value that becomes a base of an inclination of the axis of the pointer is registered; an input value calculation portion that calculates and inputs the value based on the difference to the LUT; and an inclination derivation portion that derives the inclination from the compensation value output from the LUT.

Inclinometers with a parallel dipole line (PDL) trap system are provided. In one aspect, an inclinometer includes: a PDL trap having a pair of dipole line magnets, a transparent tube in between the dipole line magnets, and a diamagnetic object within the transparent tube, wherein the diamagnetic object is levitating in between the dipole line magnets; and a sensing system for determining a position z of the diamagnetic object in the PDL trap and for determining an inclination angle using the position z of the diamagnetic object in the PDL trap. Techniques to detect the diamagnetic object position using optical, capacitive and manual methods are described. A method for determining an inclination angle using the present inclinometers is also provided.

Described herein is a sensor including a sensing electrode structure and a motion-responsive structure in capacitive communication with the sensing electrode structure, the sensing electrode structure and the motion-responsive structure being separated by a first dielectric layer, the motion-responsive structure comprising a liquid metal mass within a matrix in which the liquid metal mass is movable based upon movement of the sensor, and the sensing electrode structure comprising a first electrode, and a second electrode spaced from the first electrode to form a capacitor.

Inclinometers with a parallel dipole line (PDL) trap system are provided. In one aspect, an inclinometer includes: a PDL trap having a pair of dipole line magnets, a transparent tube in between the dipole line magnets, and a diamagnetic object within the transparent tube, wherein the diamagnetic object is levitating in between the dipole line magnets; and a sensing system for determining a position z of the diamagnetic object in the PDL trap and for determining an inclination angle using the position z of the diamagnetic object in the PDL trap. Techniques to detect the diamagnetic object position using optical, capacitive and manual methods are described. A method for determining an inclination angle using the present inclinometers is also provided.

A tilt indicator includes a tilt detection assembly including a mass movable from a first position to a second position in response to a tilt event. A capacitance sensor circuit is disposed proximate the first position. The capacitance sensor circuit is configured to output a capacitance value based on the mass being in the first position. A module and logic integrated with and/or executable by the module is coupled to the capacitance sensor circuit, the module configured to output, when energized, an indication of an actuation state of the tilt indicator based on the capacitance value. The capacitance sensor circuit may be energized from by a wireless communication module, such as an RFID chip, by a remote reader device.

A method for measuring a dip angle of oppositely crossly placed paired quartered ring-quartered circle nested polar plates. An annular coplanar capacitance measuring head of a sensor unit consists of four quarter round metal plates and four quarter circular-ring-shaped metal plates, the eight metal plates are coplanar and concentric with one another, and a quarter round metal plate and a quarter circular-ring-shaped metal plate corresponding to the same sector angle form a capacitor. Two annular coplanar capacitance measuring heads are arranged on two round insulating substrates, the two round insulating substrates are used as two bottom surfaces of a cylindrical container, the cylindrical container is transversely arranged, and an insulating liquid equal to volume of the cylindrical container is injected into the cylindrical container in a sealing manner. Potential leads extract potentials of the sixteen metal plates and are connected to an input end of a capacitance measuring unit, and the capacitance measuring unit is connected to a dip measuring unit. When the cylindrical container tilts, the relative positions of the two annular coplanar capacitance measuring heads and the insulating liquid are changed, and a dip angle value can be calculated by measuring the change of a capacitance value. Also disclosed is a device for measuring a dip angle of oppositely crossly placed paired quartered ring-quartered circle nested polar plates.

A method for manufacturing a strain gauge device and a strain gauge device are presented. The method includes obtaining a first substrate, preferably a first formable substrate film for accommodating electronic components, printing by a printed electronics method, such as by screen printing or inkjet printing, a strain gauge on the first substrate, and molding, preferably by utilizing injection molding, a molded material layer embedding the strain gauge. The strain gauge device may comprise two, preferably formable, substrate films between which the strain gauge and the molded material layer may be arranged.

An analog floating-gate (AFG) inclinometer where a plurality of AFG sensors are provided to detect the presence of a discharge caused by settling of a conductive liquid droplet contained in a sealed microchannel under gravity. A plurality of sensor port electrodes associated with the AFG sensors are placed along the length of a curved sealed microchannel of the inclinometer at specific positions calibrated to corresponding angular inclinations. Discharge detected at a specific AFG sensor port during measurement due to the movement of the conductive liquid droplet under gravity is used in determining a surface inclination being measured.

An inclination derivation device of a pointer of a pen shape, is discussed with the pointer including a first electrode installed at an end of an axis and a second electrode installed around the axis. The inclination derivation device includes a sensor of a plane shape that detects a position of the first electrode and a position of the second electrode, and a control portion. The control portion includes a look-up table (LUT) in which a corresponding relation of a value based on a difference between the position of the first electrode and the position of the second electrode, and a compensation value that becomes a base of an inclination of the axis of the pointer is registered; an input value calculation portion that calculates and inputs the value based on the difference to the LUT; and an inclination derivation portion that derives the inclination from the compensation value output from the LUT.

The present invention relates to A MEMS sensor with movable and fixed components for measuring linear acceleration. The MEMS sensor includes at least two mutually independent differential sensor elements disposed inside a common frame structure providing walls for hermetic sealing of the MEMS sensor. The mutually independent differential sensor elements are pairwise configured to perform double differential detection of linear acceleration. The MEMS sensor includes a common anchoring area to which the at least two differential sensor elements are anchored. The common anchoring area is located at the centroid of the pairwise configured differential sensor elements. A self-test capability of the MEMS sensor is also provided.