Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Tomoyuki Nishio

Mizuho Doi

Nobuhiro Fueki

Satoshi Hiyama

Masayuki Ikegami

Takahiro Gunji

Nariaki Kuriyama

Tsuneo Takahashi

Takashi Hosoi

Hiroshi Yamakawa

Yoshiyuki Matsumoto

Akira Iihoshi

Yukinobu Nakamura

Atsushi Inaba

Sukeyuju Shinotuka

Fumitaka Takahashi

Hirotatsu Tsuchida

Akira Iiboshi

Sinichi Tomiyama

Ryoichi Tsuchiya

A very small and economical acceleration sensor which can detect acting acceleration with high sensitivity and high accuracy by precisely processing a semiconductor substrate and the like by using the photoengraving technique in a semiconductor manufacturing process to accurately form the elements themselves such as a sensor case, a cavity, a heater, a temperature-sensing resistor element, and a heat-type temperature-sensing resistor element, and the relative placement of each element. One embodiment of the acceleration sensor can detect acceleration acting from any of the three-dimensional directions.

Acceleration sensor with temperature resistor elements

A hybrid sensor which is comprised of an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration based on a temperature distribution of a predetermined gas hermetically enclosed within a fluid-tight space, and an angular velocity sensor for detecting angular velocity based on a deviation of a flow of a predetermined gas. The acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor are formed in one piece by the use of semiconductor processing technology in such a manner that the acceleration sensor and the angular velocity sensor are formed on a plurality of semiconductor substrates, and then the plurality of semiconductor substrates are superposed one upon another and united into a laminate.

Hybrid sensor

Acceleration sensor

A multiple-axis gas flow type angular velocity sensor which can accurately and stably detect the magnitude and direction of angular velocities acting in any direction on the sensor main body is provided by performing precision processing on semiconductor substrates using a photo engraving process, which is a process for producing semiconductors, and forming a plurality of pairs of thermosensitive resistor elements, a gas passage and a sensor case by laminating a plurality of semiconductor substrates.

Multiple-axis gas flow type angular velocity sensor

A gas flow type angular velocity sensor which is capable of reliably sensing an angular velocity while accurately controlling the working gas flow with temperature compensation by using a pair of heat wires as a gas flow sensor without providing any additional gas flow sensor in the sensor body wherein an angular velocity sensing bridge circuit is provided at its current supply source with a temperature compensating circuit connected in series which temperature compensating circuit is composed of a pair of series or parallel connected resistance elements, one of which is a thermosensitive resistance element disposed in a gas path and the other of which is a reference resistance element disposed outside the gas path.

Gas flow type angular velocity sensor

A gas flow type angular velocity sensor comprising two semiconductor substrates wherein only the first semiconductor substrate is provided with a groove etched thereon constituting the gas path and the second semiconductor substrate is provided with paired heat wires formed thereon. The two semiconductor substrates are coupled and bonded to each other to form the sensor body.

Gas flow type angular velocity sensor and method of constructing same

An angular velocity sensor wherein an internal temperature of the sensor body is sensed by a temperature sensor and adjusted to be equal to a preset value; an offset value is obtained from an output of the angular velocity sensor at the preset internal temperature with no angular velocity acting thereon and an angular velocity signal at the preset internal temperature is compensated for by the obtained offset value; and also an angular velocity detection signal obtained before the internal temperature reaches the preset value is compensated for by an offset value determined on the base of a value readout from a memory table storing therein characteristic offset values varying with the internal temperature of the sensor body.

Temperature compensation device for an angular velocity sensor

Disclosed is a travel path displaying apparatus for indicating the current position of an automobile running on a selected road in a road map appearing on an associated screen. A cumulation of errors in estimating sequential current positions will cause an incorrect indication of the automobile's position on the screen and the automobile will depart from all the roads appearing on the screen. In order to find the correct road on which the automobile is traveling it is necessary to carry out pattern matching between the travel trace and each of a number of selected roads, thereby determining which road is closest to the travel trace in shape. The apparatus permits selection of the least possible number of roads for pattern matching, thus permitting quick determination as to the road on which the automobile is traveling and as to the direction in which it is traveling.

Apparatus for displaying travel path

A gas flow type angular velocity sensor comprising two semiconductor substrates with all components formed thereon by use of semiconductor technology and IC technology, which are coupled with each other to form therein a pair of heat wires, a gas path and a nozzle hole for injecting a gas flow toward the paired heat wires in the gas path. Two heat wires of the pair change their resistance-temperature characteristics in accordance with a deflection of the gas flow due to the action of angular velocity and a difference between two changed values is picked up and amplified by a resistance bridge circuit and an amplifier circuit formed on the semiconductor substrates to produce an output signal proportional to the angular velocity to be measured. A miniature pump formed on semiconductor substrates and drivable by a piezoelectric element provides a stabilized gas flow in the sensor. As thus constructed the sensor is compact, accurate and suitable for mass-production and free from disadvantages of conventional sensors.

Disclosed is a gas rate sensor system which provides an output signal representing an angular velocity of the gas rate sensor when the gas flows more on one of its thermal sensing elements than on the other due to the effect of the angular velocity on the gas flow. The gas rate sensor system can carry out an arithmetic operation for correction of gas rate sensor output signal by selectively using a preset value representing the change of the gas rate sensor output signal with temperature in the gas rate sensor.

Gas rate sensor system

Disclosed is a gas rate sensor system which provides an output signal representing an angular velocity of the gas rate sensor when the gas flows more on one of its thermal sensing elements than on the other due to the effect of the angular velocity on the gas flow. The gas rate sensor system can carry out an arithmetic operation for correction of gas rate sensor output signal by renewing and using an effect value to meet the instantaneous temperature change in the gas rate sensor.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Tomoyuki Nishio