US 12,241,909 B2
Mechanical shock resistant MEMS accelerometer arrangement, associated method, apparatus and system
Albert W. Chau, Woodinville, WA (US); John E. Mercer, Gig Harbor, WA (US); and Scott Phillips, Kent, WA (US)
Assigned to Merlin Technology, Inc., Kent, WA (US)
Filed by Merlin Technology, Inc., Kent, WA (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/622,682.
Application 18/622,682 is a continuation of application No. 18/206,574, filed on Jun. 6, 2023, granted, now 11,971,428.
Application 18/206,574 is a continuation of application No. 17/546,850, filed on Dec. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,709,179, issued on Jul. 25, 2023.
Application 17/546,850 is a continuation of application No. 16/745,317, filed on Jan. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,215,635, issued on Jan. 4, 2022.
Application 16/745,317 is a continuation of application No. 15/973,277, filed on May 7, 2018, granted, now 10,551,409, issued on Feb. 4, 2020.
Application 15/973,277 is a continuation of application No. 15/371,497, filed on Dec. 7, 2016, granted, now 9,983,227, issued on May 29, 2018.
Application 15/371,497 is a continuation of application No. 14/789,071, filed on Jul. 1, 2015, granted, now 9,551,730, issued on Jan. 24, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/021,618, filed on Jul. 7, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/019,887, filed on Jul. 2, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2024/0255543 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01P 15/18 (2013.01); G01P 3/00 (2006.01); G01P 15/00 (2006.01); G01P 15/08 (2006.01)
CPC G01P 15/18 (2013.01) [G01P 3/00 (2013.01); G01P 15/00 (2013.01); G01P 15/0888 (2013.01); B81B 2201/0235 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An accelerometer arrangement configured for determining accelerations of a device along three at least generally orthogonal axes in a mechanical shock and vibration environment, said accelerometer arrangement comprising:
a first MEMS accelerometer package and a second MEMS accelerometer package, each of which includes one or more sensing axes such that the first and second MEMS accelerometer packages collectively provide a total of at least four sensing axes for sensing along the three orthogonal axes and at least one of the first MEMS accelerometer package and the second MEMS accelerometer package includes one sensing axis that is weaker than another sensing axis of that MEMS accelerometer package in being more susceptible to mechanical shock and vibration with the first MEMS accelerometer package and the second MEMS accelerometer package supported such that the weaker axis of one accelerometer package is redundant with respect to another sensing axis in the other MEMS accelerometer package;
a processor that is configured to select a combination of three sensing axes outputs from the total number of sensing axes to determine the accelerations along said three orthogonal axes without using the weaker sensing axis for determining said accelerations.