US 7,562,574 B2
Method and device for measuring acceleration and/or inclination by using thermal convection of a fluid
Il-Kwon Moon, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Dae-Hwa Jung, Pohang (Korea, Republic of); and Yoon-Hee Jeong, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)
Assigned to Hankuk Sensys Co., Ltd., Pohang, Kyungsangbukdo (Japan)
Appl. No. 11/659,562
PCT Filed Aug. 01, 2005, PCT No. PCT/KR2005/002509
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Feb. 05, 2007,
PCT Pub. No. WO2006/014065, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 09, 2006.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2004-0061995 (KR), filed on Aug. 06, 2004; and application No. 10-2005-0049721 (KR), filed on Jun. 10, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2008/0087082 A1, Apr. 17, 2008
Int. Cl. G01P 3/26 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 73—521  [73/509; 73/514.05; 73/1.37; 73/510] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for measuring acceleration and a tilt angle using thermal convection of a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a container containing the fluid;
a heating body including a first heating element and a second heating element arranged in the container and a crosspoint that is formed as end portions of the first and second heating elements are electrically connected, and radiating heat when current is applied through the other end portions of the first and second heating elements; and
a thermocouple including a thermocouple junction that contacts the crosspoint of the heating body and being point-symmetric with the heating body with respect to the crosspoint of the heating body, wherein a voltage between both end portions of the thermocouple is measured to calculate a temperature of the crosspoint of the heating body,
wherein acceleration acting in a direction along an imaginary line that passes the crosspoint of the heating body on an imaginary plane including the heating body and a tilt angle that is the degree of inclination of the imaginary line with respect to the direction of the Earth's gravity are measured using the temperature of the crosspoint of the heating body.