1. A micromechanical component, comprising:
a substrate having a main surface;
a first multitude of trench structures positioned within the substrate and separating a first mass element and a second mass element of the substrate from a first web element of the substrate, in such a way that the first and second mass elements enclose the first web element along an extension direction of the main surface and are disposed so as to allow movement relative to the substrate in a direction of a surface normal of the main surface;
a first electrode layer applied on the main surface of the substrate and forming a first electrode on the first web element between the first and second mass elements; and
a second electrode layer applied on the first and second mass elements and forming a self-supporting second electrode above the first electrode in the region of the first web element, wherein the first and second electrodes form a first capacitance.
2. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 1, wherein the micromechanical component is an acceleration sensor, and wherein the first electrode layer is applied on the first and second mass elements, and wherein the acceleration sensor includes a dielectric layer applied between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer on the first and second mass elements.
3. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
a second multitude of trench structures positioned within the substrate and separating a third mass element and a fourth mass element of the substrate from a second web element of the substrate, in such a way that the third and fourth mass elements enclose the second web element along an extension direction of the main surface and are disposed so as to allow movement relative to the substrate in the direction of a surface normal of the main surface;
wherein the first electrode layer forms a third electrode on the second web element between the third and fourth mass elements, and wherein the second electrode layer is applied on the third and fourth mass elements and forms a self-supporting fourth electrode above the third electrode in the region of the second web element, and wherein the third and fourth electrodes form a second capacitance.
4. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 3, wherein the mass of the third and fourth mass elements is greater than the mass of the first and second mass elements.
5. The micromechanical component as recited in claim 4, wherein an acceleration along the surface normal of the main surface is measurable based on a difference of capacitance changes of the first and second capacitances.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A position sensing system, comprising:
a flexible tether;
at least one sensor at least partially embedded within a portion of the flexible tether, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect a sensor position factor;
a communication device adapted to transmit the sensor position factor from the sensor; and
a signal processor adapted to receive the sensor position factor, and to calculate at least one of the shape or orientation of the flexible tether from the sensor position factor.
2. The position sensing system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors embedded at least partially within the flexible tether, wherein each sensor is adapted to detect a sensor position factor.
3. The position sensing system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensors are spaced apart from one another within the flexible tether.
4. The position sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor position factor is at least one of relative orientation, relative depth, relative pressure, presence of a magnetic field, presence of an electric field, acceleration, or relative rate of rotation.
5. The position sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, pressure sensor, magnetometer, or gyroscopic angular rate sensor.
6. The position sensing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is housed at least partially within a node having at least one flexible coupling section.
7. The position sensing system of claim 1, wherein the communication device transmits the sensor position factor along the flexible tether.
8. The position sensing system of claim 1, further comprising a probe connected to at least a portion of the flexible tether, wherein the signal processor utilizes at least one of the shape or orientation of the flexible tether to navigate or locate the probe.
9. The position sensing system of claim 8, wherein the probe is at least one of a remotely operated vehicle, an unmanned underwater vehicle, a human underwater diver, an autonomous underwater vehicle, or submerged crawling vehicle.
10. The position sensing system of claim 8, wherein the probe is underwater, and a first end of the flexible tether is connected to an analysis platform located above water, and a second end of the flexible tether is connected to the probe or equipment related to the probe.
11. A position sensing system, comprising:
a flexible tether;
at least one sensor at least partially embedded within a portion of the flexible tether, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect a sensor position factor; and
a communication device adapted to transmit the sensor position factor from the sensor, wherein the sensor position factor is capable of indicating at least one of the shape or orientation of the flexible tether.
12. The position sensing system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of sensors embedded at least partially within the flexible tether, wherein each sensor is adapted to detect a sensor position factor.
13. The position sensing system of claim 11, wherein the sensor position factor is at least one of relative orientation, relative depth, relative pressure, presence of a magnetic field, presence of an electric field, acceleration, or relative rate of rotation.
14. The position sensing system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is at least one of an accelerometer, pressure sensor, magnetometer, or gyroscopic angular rate sensor.
15. The position sensing system of claim 11, further comprising a probe connected to at least a portion of the flexible tether, wherein the sensor position factor determines the location of the probe.
16. The position sensing system of claim 15, wherein the probe is at least one of a remotely operated vehicle, an unmanned underwater vehicle, a human underwater diver, an autonomous underwater vehicle, or submerged crawling vehicle.
17. A method for navigating or locating a probe, comprising the steps of:
providing a flexible tether having at least one sensor at least partially embedded within a portion of the flexible tether, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect a sensor position factor;
detecting a sensor position factor;
communicating the detected sensor position factor to a signal processor; and
calculating at least one of the shape or orientation of the flexible tether from the detected position factor.
18. The method for navigating or locating a probe of claim 17, further comprising a probe connected to the flexible tether, and the step of calculating at least one of the shape or orientation of the flexible tether from the detected position factor includes calculating the orientation of the probe.
19. The method for navigating or locating a probe of claim 18, wherein the probe is at least one of is at least one of a remotely operated vehicle, an unmanned underwater vehicle, a human underwater diver, an autonomous underwater vehicle, or submerged crawling vehicle.
20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to calculate at least one of the shape or orientation of a flexible tether from at least one sensor position factor detected by a sensor embedded within the flexible tether.
21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the shape or orientation of the flexible tether is determined by sensor position factors received from two adjacent sensors embedded within the flexible tether.
22. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the shape or orientation of the flexible tether is determined by multiple sensor position factors received from multiple sensors embedded within the flexible tether.