Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring angular rate with a passive optical resonator

US4702600A · kind A · utility

71Cited by

3References

19Claims

0Family size

Assignee

LITEF GmbH · DE

Inventors

Eberhard Handrich · Kirchzarten, DE
Werner Schroder · Wuppertal, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 19, 1985
Grant date	Oct 27, 1987
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 19, 2005

Classification

Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
CPC primaryA63F2300/402
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reading out angular rates by means of a passive optical resonator provides for the generation of three component light beams individually tuned to distinct resonator modes. One component light beam is radiated into the resonator in the opposite direction to the two other component light beams. By means of an evaluating logic, differences are formed between the counterrotating light beams and the differences weighted and subtracted from each other to provide angular rate. The optical length of the resonator, and, thus, temperature are available as a weighted sum of the differences. Temperature drift may be eliminated from angular rate measurements by compensation according to the invention.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.