Patent attributes
One aspect of the invention relates to a composite member for a resonator having an active piezoelectric element and a passive piezoelectric element. The active piezoelectric element causes the resonator to vibrate and detects the frequency of the vibration. The passive piezoelectric element changes the frequency of the vibration. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for controlling a resonator with composite member having a substrate carrying a composite piezoelectric element. The composite piezoelectric element includes an actuator element, a sensor element and a passive element. The method comprises inducing a resonance within the composite member with the actuator element, detecting the resonance with the sensor element, and altering the resonance by altering the electromechanical coupling of the passive element. Additional aspects and benefits of the invention are also given.
