Apparatus and method for detecting rotation rate, Faraday bias and cavity length in a ring laser gyroscope
US5751425A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 30, 1996 |
| Grant date | May 12, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 30, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01C19/66
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A ring laser gyroscope having an alternating Faraday bias includes mode combining apparatus arranged to cause interference between the modes that propagate within the cavity. Signal separating apparatus separates a signal indicative of rotation of the frame from other components of the combined intensity signal. The signal separating apparatus produces two signals indicative of the light intensity in the interference pattern of the combined modes. These two signals have a 180.degree. phase difference in corresponding components that are dependent upon the geometric bias caused by the non-planar optical path to produce a rotation signal that is independent of the spatially uniform interference fringes caused by the geometric bias.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.