Vibration and dynamic acceleration sensing using capacitors

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one sensing capacitor, and

a controller, configured to receive a signal from the at least one sensing capacitor indicative of a change of charge of the sensing capacitor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a plurality of:

an amount of force applied to the sensing capacitor,

an acceleration of the sensing capacitor, a torsion of the sensing capacitor,

a vibration of the sensing capacitor or

a pulling force applied to the sensing capacitor,

based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor,

wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein

the PCB comprises cuts in form of segments of a circle, wherein at least a first and at least a second cut are arranged symmetrically and mirrored around a centre of the circle, and wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to the PCB at the centre of the circle or between the first and second cuts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a charge amplifier connected between the at least one sensing capacitor and the controller.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 ,

wherein the charge amplifier comprises at least a first operational amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising

at least one first capacitor connected between an output of the operational amplifier and an inverting input of the first operational amplifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 ,

wherein the charge amplifier comprises at least a first and at least a second operational amplifier, wherein an inverting input of the first operational amplifier is connected to a first terminal of the at least one sensing capacitor and an inverting input of the second operational amplifier is connected to a second terminal of the at least one sensing capacitor, and wherein a first capacitor is connected between an output of the first operational amplifier and the inverting input of the first operational amplifier, and a second capacitor is connected between an output of the second operational amplifier and the inverting input of the second operational amplifier.

6. The apparatus claim 5 ,

wherein a third operational amplifier is connected to the output of the first and second operational amplifiers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is a ceramic capacitor or a silicon capacitor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to the PCB by using integrated circuit technology.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a charge amplifier or parts of a charge amplifier connected between the at least one sensing capacitor and the controller, wherein the charge amplifier or the parts of the charge amplifier are coupled to the PCB at the centre of the circle,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of force applied to the sensing capacitor or the acceleration of the sensing capacitor based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor, and

the controller is coupled to the PCB between and equally spaced from the first and second cuts.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of force applied to the sensing capacitor or the acceleration of the sensing capacitor based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the PCB comprises at least two longitudinal cuts arranged in parallel to each other, and wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to the PCB between and equally spaced from the at least two longitudinal cuts.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein a first sensing capacitor is coupled to a first side of the PCB and a second sensing capacitor is coupled to a second side opposite to the first side of the PCB, and wherein the first and second sensing capacitors are coupled to the PCB adjacent or directly opposite to each other.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 ,

wherein the PCB is of a longitudinal shape having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end and two longitudinal ends, wherein the first end is affixable and the second end is moveable, wherein a charge amplifier or parts of a charge amplifier are connected between at least one of the first and second sensing capacitors and the controller, wherein the controller is coupled to the PCB adjacent to the first end, and wherein the first and second sensing capacitors are coupled at a first distance from the first end to the PCB.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the controller is configured to determine an oscillation of the PCB based on an amount of force applied to the first and second sensing capacitors and based on the change of charge of the first and second sensing capacitors.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the PCB is of a longitudinal shape having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end and two longitudinal ends, wherein the first end is affixable and the second end is rotatable, wherein two conductors and a dielectric of the at least one sensing capacitor are coupled to the PCB vertically to a rotation axis of the PCB,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the torsion force applied to the sensing capacitor based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor,

wherein the second end is moveable, wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to the PCB adjacent to and spaced from the first end of the PCB at a first distance, wherein the charge amplifier is coupled to the PCB adjacent to and spaced from the first end of the PCB at a second distance, the second distance being smaller than the first distance, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine the vibration of the sensing capacitor based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the PCB is arranged within a pressure cell, wherein the PCB divides the pressure cell into first and second pressure chambers, wherein the first pressure chamber comprises a first opening for applying a first pressure to the first pressure chamber, and the second pressure chamber comprises a second opening for applying a second pressure to the second pressure chamber, wherein a first sensing capacitor is coupled to a first side of the PCB and a second sensing capacitor is coupled to a second side opposite to the first side of the PCB, wherein the first and second sensing capacitors are coupled to the PCB adjacent or directly opposite to each other,

wherein the controller is configured to determine a differential pressure applied to the first and second sensing capacitors based on the change of charge of the first and second sensing capacitors,

wherein the PCB is of a longitudinal shape having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end and two longitudinal ends, wherein the first end is affixable and the second end is moveable, wherein two conductors and a dielectric of the at least one sensing capacitor are coupled to the PCB in parallel to the two longitudinal ends, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine a pulling force applied to the second end of the PCB based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor.

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one sensing capacitor, and

a controller configured to receive a signal from the at least one sensing capacitor indicative of a change of charge of the sensing capacitor, wherein the controller is configured to determine a plurality of:

an amount of force applied to the sensing capacitor,

an acceleration of the sensing capacitor,

a torsion of the sensing capacitor,

a vibration of the sensing capacitor and

a pulling force applied to the sensing capacitor

based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor,

wherein a charge amplifier is connected between the at least one sensing capacitor and the controller, wherein the charge amplifier comprises at least a first operational amplifier,

wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to a printed circuit board (PCB),

wherein the PCB comprises at least two longitudinal cuts arranged in parallel to each other, and

wherein the at least one sensing capacitor is coupled to the PCB between and equally spaced from the at least two longitudinal cuts.

18. A method comprising:

measuring a change of charge of a sensing capacitor; and

determining a plurality of:

an amount of force applied to the sensing capacitor,

an acceleration of the sensing capacitor,

a torsion of the sensing capacitor,

a vibration of the sensing capacitor and

a pulling force applied to the sensing capacitor, based on the change of charge of the at least one sensing capacitor.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the determination occurs in a series of separate determinations.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the determination occurs in a parallel.