A physical quantity sensor includes: an oscillating body having a support section and a movable section which is connected to the support section through connection portions, in which the movable section has a first movable portion and a second movable portion; a first fixed electrode which is disposed to face the first movable portion; a second fixed electrode which is disposed to face the second movable portion; and a dummy electrode which is disposed to face the second movable portion so as not to overlap the second fixed electrode and has the same potential as potential of the oscillating body, in which the first fixed electrode is disposed such that a portion thereof overlaps the support section when viewed in a plan view.

A physical quantity sensor includes: an oscillating body having a support section and a movable section which is connected to the support section through connection portions, in which the movable section has a first movable portion and a second movable portion; a first fixed electrode which is disposed to face the first movable portion; a second fixed electrode which is disposed to face the second movable portion; and a dummy electrode which is disposed to face the second movable portion so as not to overlap the second fixed electrode and has the same potential as potential of the oscillating body, in which the first fixed electrode is disposed such that a portion thereof overlaps the support section when viewed in a plan view.

One embodiment of the invention includes a vibrating-mass gyroscope system. The system includes a sensor system comprising a vibrating-mass and a plurality of electrodes coupled to the vibrating-mass that are configured to facilitate in-plane motion of the vibrating-mass. The system also includes a gyroscope controller configured to generate a drive signal that is provided to a first set of the plurality of electrodes to provide an in-plane periodic oscillatory motion of the vibrating-mass along a drive axis, to generate a force-rebalance signal that is provided to a second set of the plurality of electrodes to calculate a rotation of the vibrating-mass gyroscope system about an input axis, and to generate a quadrature signal that is provided to a third set of the plurality of electrodes to substantially mitigate quadrature effects associated with the vibrating-mass.

One embodiment of the invention includes a vibrating-mass gyroscope system. The system includes a sensor system comprising a vibrating-mass and a plurality of electrodes coupled to the vibrating-mass that are configured to facilitate in-plane motion of the vibrating-mass. The system also includes a gyroscope controller configured to generate a drive signal that is provided to a first set of the plurality of electrodes to provide an in-plane periodic oscillatory motion of the vibrating-mass along a drive axis, to generate a force-rebalance signal that is provided to a second set of the plurality of electrodes to calculate a rotation of the vibrating-mass gyroscope system about an input axis, and to generate a quadrature signal that is provided to a third set of the plurality of electrodes to substantially mitigate quadrature effects associated with the vibrating-mass.

A sensing device includes an anchor having a central axis that defines a first radial direction and a second radial direction, and a resonant member flexibly supported by the anchor that includes a main body made of a single-crystal solid. The main body has a first material stiffness in the first radial direction and a second material stiffness in the second radial direction that is less than the first material stiffness. Moreover, the main body has a first component stiffness in the first radial direction and a second component stiffness in the second radial direction that is substantially similar to the first component stiffness. Another sensing device includes a resonant member having a main body that defines an aperture extending through the main body, and an electrode located in the aperture such that a capacitive channel is defined between the electrode and the main body that circumscribes the electrode.

A method for calibrating a selected yaw rate sensor includes: determining a scaling function between a yaw rate sensitivity and a test signal sensitivity of a yaw rate sensor selected for carrying out a test and denoted as first sampling yaw rate sensor is determined in a first method step, the scaling function being determined from a measured first sample yaw rate sensitivity and from a measured first sample test signal sensitivity of the sampling yaw rate sensor; calculating a production yaw rate sensitivity for a yaw rate sensor denoted as production yaw rate sensor from a measured production test signal sensitivity of the production yaw rate sensor and the scaling function; and subsequently calibrating the production yaw rate sensor with the aid of the production yaw rate sensitivity.

A method for calibrating a selected yaw rate sensor includes: determining a scaling function between a yaw rate sensitivity and a test signal sensitivity of a yaw rate sensor selected for carrying out a test and denoted as first sampling yaw rate sensor is determined in a first method step, the scaling function being determined from a measured first sample yaw rate sensitivity and from a measured first sample test signal sensitivity of the sampling yaw rate sensor; calculating a production yaw rate sensitivity for a yaw rate sensor denoted as production yaw rate sensor from a measured production test signal sensitivity of the production yaw rate sensor and the scaling function; and subsequently calibrating the production yaw rate sensor with the aid of the production yaw rate sensitivity.

A wafer-level assembly method for a micro hemispherical resonator gyroscope includes: after independently manufactured glass substrates are softened and deformed at a high temperature, forming a micro hemispherical resonator on the glass substrate; forming glass substrate alignment holes at both ends of the glass substrate by laser ablation; aligning and fixing a plurality of identical micro hemispherical resonators on a wafer fixture by using the alignment holes as a reference, and then performing operations by using the wafer fixture as a unit to implement subsequent processes that include: releasing the micro hemispherical resonators, metallizing the surface, fixing to the planar electrode substrates, separating the wafer fixture and cleaning to obtain a micro hemispherical resonator gyroscope driven by a bottom planar electrode substrate. The wafer-level assembly method includes: fixedly mounting the plurality of independently manufactured micro hemispherical resonators on the same wafer fixture to implement a wafer-level installation operation.

A wafer-level assembly method for a micro hemispherical resonator gyroscope includes: after independently manufactured glass substrates are softened and deformed at a high temperature, forming a micro hemispherical resonator on the glass substrate; forming glass substrate alignment holes at both ends of the glass substrate by laser ablation; aligning and fixing a plurality of identical micro hemispherical resonators on a wafer fixture by using the alignment holes as a reference, and then performing operations by using the wafer fixture as a unit to implement subsequent processes that include: releasing the micro hemispherical resonators, metallizing the surface, fixing to the planar electrode substrates, separating the wafer fixture and cleaning to obtain a micro hemispherical resonator gyroscope driven by a bottom planar electrode substrate. The wafer-level assembly method includes: fixedly mounting the plurality of independently manufactured micro hemispherical resonators on the same wafer fixture to implement a wafer-level installation operation.

A vibrating structure gyroscope includes a permanent magnet, a structure arranged in a magnetic field of the permanent magnet and arranged to vibrate under stimulation from at least one primary drive electrode and a drive system that includes: one primary drive electrode arranged at least one primary sense electrode arranged to sense motion in the vibrating structure and a drive control loop controlling the primary drive electrode dependent on the primary sense electrode. The structure also includes a compensation unit arranged to receive a signal from the drive system representative of a gain in the drive control loop and arranged to output a scale factor correction based on that signal. As the magnet degrades (e.g. naturally over time as the material ages), the magnetic field weakens. To compensate for this, the primary drive control loop will automatically increase the gain.