Ring laser gyroscope enhanced resolution system

US5485273A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Litton Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• John G. Mark · Pasadena, US
• Daniel A. Tazartes · Calabasas, US
• Robert EBNER · Edt bei Lambach, AT
• NEAL JOSEPH DAHLEN · Glückstadt, DE
• Nibir K. Datta · Calabasas, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 22, 1991
• Grant date: Jan 16, 1996
• Expiry date: Apr 22, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01C19/66
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a Ring Laser Gyroscope Enhanced Resolution System comprising, in a preferred embodiment, a sampling frequency modulation phase-locked loop (or "chirp") which is used in combination with the fast filter. Enhanced resolution is achieved by using the fast filter (preferably a moving average digital filter) to gather optically integrated rate data and accumulate this data. During the data gathering process, the accumulated data is sampled at a rate set by a frequency modulated ("chirper") phase-locked loop in order to remove undesirable data due to aliasing effects upon the digital filter. In this manner, an enhanced resolution of the gyroscope angular measurement is achieved.