Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Ge Aviation Systems Limited

Smiths Industries Aerospace & Defense Systems, Inc.

Other

Jerry L Page

Michael D Olinger

Daniel L Sugarbaker

Glen Aaron Sanders

Lee Kevin Strandjord

Clarence E Laskoskie

Andrew W Kaliszek

Rudolf C Dankwort

Mohammad Aslam

David R Bina

Douglas Milliman

Michael Steven Feldmann

James Gerard Lopez

Gerald L Vossler

A relative navigation system and a method of eliminating spurious signals that may be received by a relative navigation system having a first object and a second object including projecting polarized light having a first orientation to form at least one grid line projecting into space from the first object.

Method of eliminating spurious signals and a relative navigation system

A method of projecting into space, from a first object, a plurality of modulated lines to form a grid defining a first relative reference frame, the method includes projecting polarized light having a first orientation to form a horizontal grid line projecting from the first object and projecting polarized light having a second orientation different than the first orientation to from a vertical grid line projecting from the first object and modulating the horizontal grid line and the vertical grid line to carry first and second grid words, respectively.

Method of forming a grid defining a first relative reference frame

A method of projecting into space, from a first object, a plurality of modulated lines to form a grid defining a first relative reference frame, the method includes simultaneously projecting into space from the first object a horizontal grid line and a vertical grid line to form a set of grid lines, modulating the horizontal grid line and the vertical grid line to carry first and second grid words, respectively.

Methods for flying multiple aircraft in a predetermined formation in which a relative navigation grid is emitted from at least one of the aircraft, a spatial relationship is calculated based on the emitted relative navigation grid, and a relative position of at least one aircraft is altered to position the aircraft in the predetermined formation when the spatial relationship does not conform with the predetermined formation.

Methods for formation flying aided by a relative navigation system

A control arrangement for minimizing optical leakage in a time-division, multi-stage electro-optical switch by the periodic adjustment of switching voltage levels. An optical detector connected to an idle port of the switch transmits a leakage signal which represents optical leakage in the switch in various configurations of the switch. The leakage signal is filtered by a low pass filter and sampled at a low rate. A processor stores the sampled data and periodically analyzes the data to determine the appropriate changes in the switching voltage levels for each of the stages of the switch to minimize optical leakage. An output circuit connected to the processor and the switch modifies a previously determined base voltage signals for each of the stages to incorporate the voltage level changes and applies the modified signals to the switch in the appropriate time slots.

Method and apparatus for controlling an electro-optical switch

A rectification error reducer for a fiber optic gyroscope, which is an intensity servo or compensator for reducing vibration effects in the optical signals caused by modulation at vibration frequencies induced by the gyroscope operating environment. The vibration effects may be detected in signals from the photodiode output in amplitude form which is used in a control system to null out optical intensity variations at the frequencies of vibration.

Vibration error reduction servo for a fiber optic gyroscope

Fiber optic gyroscope vibration error compensator

A fiber optic sensor coil is wound from a length of optical fiber with the mid-point of the optical fiber at the mid-point of the innermost layer of the coil and subsequent layers of the coil each have alternating turns of the two sections of the fiber emanating from the mid-point. The layers of alternating turns are formed by first winding a portion of one segment in such a fashion that adjacent turns are spaced apart by a distance equivalent to the diameter of the optical fiber. The layer is completed by winding a portion of the other segment such that the turns of the other segment are disposed between adjacent turns of the one segment. The number of turns in adjacent layers are unequal such that the turns of a next layer are arranged in grooves formed between two adjacent turns of optical fiber in the previous layer.

Optical fiber coil and method of winding

A force detecting microsensor comprises a single crystal Si substrate, a single crystal cone formed on the substrate and a resilient electrode mounted above the tip of the Si cone. The space between the tip of the Si cone and the resilient electrode is maintained in a vacuum environment and the distance between the tip and the resilient anode is in the order of a few atomic diameters. The tunneling effect of electrons occurs between the tip of the Si cone and the resilient electrode when a potential is applied to the resilient electrode and the Si cone tip. The resilient electrode deflects as a result of the force acting on the microsensor. The deflection of the resilient electrode alters the electrical characteristics between the resilient electrode and the Si cone tip. The changes in the electrical characteristics can be measured to determine the level of force acting on the microsensor. The process for making the microsensor according to the invention comprises the steps of forming an insulating layer and support layer on the substrate, forming a recess in the insulating layer and aperture in the support layer, depositing a single crystal Si cone on the substrate and fully enclosing the Si cone within the recess of the support layer and the insulating layer.

Force detecting sensor and method of making

Method of making a force detecting sensor

An optical rotation sensor comprises a light amplification stimulated emission ring laser formed in a solid medium is provided with phase modulator devices which produce push-pull phase modulation of counterpropagating optical waves in the ring thereby enhancing bidirectional lasing in single longitudinal modes in each direction. A frequency selective output coupler couples a predetermined portion of the optical energy at the lasing frequency from the ring to an output waveguide. A substantially U-shaped output waveguide having legs extending away from the ring in opposite directions and toward a common position. Clockwise and counterclockwise light waves are coupled from the ring to the two separate legs of the output waveguide and are directed to the common position to create an interfering light pattern on photodetector apparatus. The interfering light pattern is indicative of the rate of rotation, as defined by the Sagnac effect. Signal processing circuitry connected to the detector derives navigation and flight control information from the detector. In one embodiment, the ring laser and input and output couplers are implemented in a rare earth-doped lithium niobate substrate. In another embodiment, the ring laser and the input and output waveguides are implemented in rare earth-doped optical fibers. In a further embodiment, the ring laser and input and output couplers as well as the phase modulators and the photodetector apparatus are implemented in a single semiconductor substrate and gain electrically supplied to the ring laser.

Solid medium optical ring laser rotation sensor

An optical rate sensor apparatus (300) measures rates of angular rotation along a plurality of orthogonal axes. The apparatus (300) comprises a passive ring Sagnac interferometric arrangement having a light source circuit (308) and a series of multi-turn fiber optic rings (302, 304, 306). An optics/modulator circuit (312) selectively switches optical waves emitted from the light source circuit (308) into gyroscope channels and transmits the signals through fiber optic rings as counter-propagating optical waves. The optics/modulator circuit (312) also recombines the optical waves after they emerge from the corresponding rings. The optics/modulator circuit (312) includes optical components integrated onto an integrated optics chip (IOC) consisting substantially of lithium niobate. Optical fibers (606, 608) are coupled from the rings (302, 304, 306) to the integrated optics chip. To reduce bias error effects of reflections, the interface (610) between the optical fibers and the integrated optics chip is angled in the plane of the interferometer. Also, the angled interface (610) creates a path length difference greater than the coherence length of the reflections traversing the IOC optical paths between the interface (610) and circuitry which recombines optical waves on the IOC paths.

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Alto, MI, United States of America

Jerry L Page