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:
Feb. 02, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1997
Michael Ik-Ming Chia, Kokomo, IN (US);
Jack Daniel Johnson, Rossville, IN (US);
Carl David Wright, Tucson, AZ (US);
Delco Electronics Corporation, Kokomo, IN (US);
Abstract
A yaw sensor for automotive controls has a microstructure vibrating ring excited by a driving circuit. The driving circuit comprises an amplitude control loop which delivers voltage pulses at the resonant frequency of the ring. A compensation signal is derived from a comparison of a sensed vibration amplitude to a desired vibration amplitude. Failure of vibration is detected by comparing the compensation signal to a threshold which is higher than a normal compensation signal. Alternatively, vibration failure is detected by comparing the sensed vibration to a threshold lower than the desired vibration amplitude. Upon such failure, the yaw output signal is replaced by ground potential.