Motorola Sublicenses Honeywell Gyro Technology for the Automotive Market (10/01)

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October 2001

Motorola Sublicenses Honeywell Gyro Technology for the Automotive Market
IVsource.net
14 October 2001

Motorola is betting that it can succesfully commercialize MEMS gyro technology licensed from Honeywell ... and, before too long, bring advanced accelerometers to a vehicle near you.

Motorola has announced that it has sublicensed intellectual property from Honeywell to design and manufacture silicon-based Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) gyros for the automotive and truck markets. Honeywell will provide Motorola with access to MEMS gyro technology and expertise, including an extensive patent portfolio licensed from Draper Laboratory, a preeminent developer of guidance and navigation technology.

Motorola will use the silicon MEMS gyro as a component in its inertial sensor modules, which measure angular rate and acceleration. The inertial sensor modules will be applied in various vehicle stability control and rollover safety systems, as well as in vehicle location and navigation systems. Motorola is banking that its expertise in silicon micro-machining and electronic module manufacturing will permit successful commercialization of the technology in time for an anticipated 2004 model year vehicle release.

The combination of Motorola's automotive presence and Honeywell's aerospace experience will enhance the development of sensing products for advanced vehicle dynamics and control systems. The resulting products are expected to allow accurate measurement of a vehicle's angular rate while resisting shock and radio frequency interference. The sensor modules will also provide improved performance over current technologies with regard to both temperature and vibration -- thus meeting some of the toughest challenges typically encountered in harsh automotive environments.

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