Patent · US Expired

Fiber optic gyro with optical intensity spike suppression

US5850286A · kind A · utility

1Cited by
12References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 12, 1997
Grant dateDec 15, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 12, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C19/72
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An interferometric rotation rate sensor is arranged to overcome effects of the unavoidable generation of intensity spikes in the modulated optical output. An electrooptical device is located within the optical path of the sensor for receiving the optical output signal from the sensor coil and transforming it prior to application to the photodetector. The electrooptical device is driven by a periodic electrical signal with a period equal to the loop transit time of light traveling through the sensor coil. By synchronizing the periods of attenuation with the predictable presence of spikes in the optical output, valid optical signal information is preserved while gyro electronics are sheltered from the results of optical intensity spiking.

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