The Bendix Corporation

C & J Industries, Inc.

Other

Kavlico Corporation

Chen Y Lee

Kyong M Park

Mark A Brooks

Robert E Fallis

Daniel A Tardiff

Charles Tung-ming Wu

Fred Bolle

A micromachined accelerometer includes two capacitors comprising a pair of fixed capacitor electrodes and an intermediate movable proof mass serving as a common electrode which is displaced under acceleration to differentially vary the capacitances. A circuit holds the common electrode at a bias voltage and a switching circuit rapidly alternating between two phases separately connects the fixed electrodes to a main reference voltage and to ground during a first phase and to a common intermediate voltage during a second phase. A charge amplifier senses capacitance changes due to acceleration to produce an output voltage and an attenuating amplifier responsive to the output voltage produces the common intermediate voltage. A compensation servo circuit responsive to the output voltage generates the bias voltage which controls an electrostatic balancing force which is applied to the proof mass during the first phase to maintain the proof mass near a rest position. Alternatively, the bias voltage is a constant value for open loop operation.

Switched capacitor transducer

A quad-gate demodulator circuit for capacitive transducers in which analog gate devices replace the diodes of a prior art diode-quad bridge circuit. This improvement eliminates the temperature and ratiometricity errors associated with the diode-quad circuit.

Quad-gate demodulator circuit for capacitive transducers

A capacitive pressure transducer system includes a reference capacitor and a capacitor which varies with pressure; and circuitry which involves alternately charging one of the capacitors to a reference voltage level, and then switching to charge the other capacitor; and circuitry for producing an output voltage which varies as the duty cycles of the two capacitors shift; and the output is therefore substantially proportional to the pressure changes. Feedback is provided to incrementally change the capacitor charging and switching timing or duty cycles by changing the charging current or the reference voltage at which switching occurs, to substantially eliminate deviations from linearity in the voltage versus pressure characteristic.

Linear capacitive pressure transducer system

A compensation technique and network circuitry for a quad-diode demodulator and capacitive transducer combination is disclosed. The compensation method includes varying the amplitude of an alternating carrier frequency oppositely to the changes produced in that amplitude by the compensable errors in the demodulator and transducer. In one preferred embodiment ratiometric compensation and temperature compensation for the demodulator and any capacitive transducer is produced. In a second embodiment linearization and temperature compensation for the demodulator and a quartz capacitive transducer is provided.

Compensated capacitive transducer demodulator circuit

A pressure sensor including a pressure capsule such as a dual diaphragm quartz capacitance pressure capsule and structure for supporting and sealing same within the pressure environment to be measured. The pressure capsule having two parallel quartz plates spaced by a dielectric ring forming a vacuum chamber therein. The structure providing a force balanced support for compressively loading the pressure capsule through the dielectric ring. The structure further having transfer port therein to communicate the pressure environment to both plates.

Pressure sensor

A method and apparatus for automatically switching a circuit to regulate artificial light in an area. The artificial light is turned on by a person entering the area and reflecting an ultrasonic wave pattern toward a receiver. The light is turned off by a person moving into contactless proximity of a capacitance comparison circuit which utilizes the capacitance of the human body as one of the circuit elements. The ultrasonic circuit operates at different levels of sensitivity, depending upon the existing available light in the area, such as during daylight hours. Optionally, a capacitance comparison circuit may be utilized for both turning on and turning off of the artificial light.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Chen Y Lee