Self-aligning pitch and azimuth reference unit
US4166406A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 6, 1977 |
| Grant date | Sep 4, 1979 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 6, 1997 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01C21/183
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system for determining orientation or position of a movable supporting structure, such as a vehicle, includes a special inertial sensor unit. This unit includes a single gyroscope hereinafter referred to as a "gyro", with its spin axis mounted in alignment with the sensitive axis of an accelerometer. The gyro and accelerometer are mounted pendulously to rotate only about a single axis which is aligned with a direction of travel of the vehicle or with a projectile launching assembly. In additon to being pendulously mounted as mentioned above, the gyro and accelerometer combination may be rotated relative to their pendulous support, to certain fixed positions, in order to facilitate rapid initial alignment and orientation and pre-mission calibration of the inertial instruments. The pendulously mounted unit is also provided with an optical encoder to indicate the roll angle of the vehicle to which the inertial unit is secured. In an initial rapid alignment sequence after the unit is energized, the rotation of the earth is sensed and the information stored with the unit in two or three different orientations, and, using this stored information, and the stored accelerometer outputs, t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.