The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 10, 2022
Filed:
Aug. 25, 2020
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
James A. Bickford, Winchester, MA (US);
Stephanie Lynne Golmon, Arlington, MA (US);
Paul A. Ward, Dedham, MA (US);
William D. Sawyer, Littleton, MA (US);
Marc Steven Weinberg, Needham, MA (US);
John J. Le Blanc, North Andover, MA (US);
Louis Kratchman, Quincy, MA (US);
James S. Pringle, Jr., Newton, MA (US);
Daniel K. Freeman, Reading, MA (US);
Amy Duwel, Cambridge, MA (US);
Max Lindsay Turnquist, Somerville, MA (US);
Ronald Steven McNabb, Jr., Charlestown, MA (US);
William A. Lenk, Cambridge, MA (US);
THE CHARLES STARK DRAPER LABORATORY, INC., Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Aspects are generally directed to a compact and low-noise electric field detector, methods of operation, and methods of production thereof. In one example, an electric field detector includes a proof mass, a source of concentrated charge coupled to the proof mass, and a substrate having a substrate offset space defined therein, the proof mass being suspended above the substrate offset space. The electric field detector further includes a sense electrode disposed on the substrate within the substrate offset space and proximate the proof mass, the sense electrode being configured to measure a change in capacitance relative to the proof mass from movement of the proof mass in response to a received electric field at the source of concentrated charge. The electric field detector includes a control circuit coupled to the sense electrode and configured to determine a characteristic of the electric field based on the measured change in capacitance.