Sagem Defense Securite

Safran Electronics & Defense

Jean-Baptiste Eudier

David Roberfroid

Alexandre Gori

Christophe Maerky

Thierry Bonjour

The invention relates to an gyroscopic sensor comprising a sensitive element designed to vibrate; an electrode carrier capable of carrying excitation/detection electrodes for exciting the sensitive element and for detecting the vibration of the sensitive element; and elements for supporting the electrode carrier. The supporting elements comprise a base made of a material having a density of less than 5 kg/dm, and the square root of the ratio of Young's modulus divided by said density is greater than 9 GPa.dm/kg.

Gyroscopic sensor

A method of determining a heading by means of an inertial device () providing measurements by means of at least one vibratory gyro (), the method comprising the steps of: &#x2022;positioning the inertial device in such a manner that the gyro extends close to a plane that is substantially horizontal; &#x2022;orienting the inertial device successively in a predetermined number of orientations about a vertical axis, the predetermined number being greater than one; &#x2022;for each orientation, adjusting the electric angle of the vibratory gyro to a predetermined value, the predetermined value of the electric angle being the same for all of the orientations of the inertial device, and taking a measurement; and &#x2022;determining the heading from the measurements and an angle between the orientations.

Method of determining heading by turning an inertial device

A method of determining a heading by means of an inertial device () comprising at least one vibratory angle sensor () having a resonator associated with detector means and means for setting the resonator into vibration connected to a control unit to have a first mode of operation in which the vibration is left free to move in an angular frame of reference of the resonator, and a second mode of operation in which the vibration is maintained at a predetermined angle in the frame of reference of the resonator, and the method comprising the steps of: controlling the sensor in the second mode of operation to maintain the vibration on a predetermined electric angle corresponding to a least-error value of the sensor; and controlling the sensor in the first mode of operation to take a heading measurement, and controlling the sensor in the second mode of operation once the measurement has been taken and until the next measurement in order to maintain the vibration on the predetermined electric angle.

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Paris, France

Jean-Baptiste Eudier