The Boeing Company

Joseph Eugene Justin

Stephen T Butscher

Robert J Atmur

Angelo Truncale

James K Gingrich

Dwayne C Merna

Shaun Detloff

Joseph Brent Templeton

Thomas C Williams

Brian Barsamian

Joseph Templeton

A pod assembly which includes a pod and an inertial measurement unit positioned within the pod. The pod assembly further includes deceleration hardware associated with the pod. A method for using a pod assembly, includes a step of securing the pod assembly, which includes a pod and an inertial measurement unit contained within the pod, to an aircraft and a step of operating the aircraft with the inertial measurement unit operating sensing movement and alignment of the pod and storing data corresponding to the sensed movement and alignment of the pod on a data collection assembly connected to the inertial measurement unit. The method further includes a step of releasing the pod assembly from the aircraft and a step of utilizing deceleration hardware associated with the pod to reduce rate of descent of the pod assembly released from the aircraft.

IMU pod and method of retrieval of the same

Conductive cooled gimbaled inertial measurement units are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes an inertial measurement unit, a gimbal assembly in which the inertial measurement unit is disposed, the gimbal assembly having gaps between each gimbal of the gimbal assembly, the gaps including a gas to conduct heat from the gimbal assembly, and an isothermal dome at least partially surrounding the gimbal assembly, the isothermal dome having a cooling tube disposed on an external surface of the isothermal dome to transfer heat from the gimbal assembly via conduction.

Conduction cooled autonomous gimbaled inertial measurement unit

High aspect ratio positioning systems are disclosed herein. A high aspect ratio positioning system can be packaged in a thin package that can eliminate some bulky components typically associated with positioning systems such as pancake motors or other motors, geared resolvers, gear trains, and the like. Thus, the high aspect ratio positioning system can be used in applications where volume is limited, without sacrificing accuracy.

High aspect ratio positioning system

A chip scale atomic clock (CSAC) accelerometer incorporates a case in which a cesium vapor resonance cell is carried. An optical laser is mounted in the case and emits a laser beam through the resonance cell. The laser is modulated by a microwave signal generator. A photon detector mounted in the case receives photons emitted by cesium atoms in the resonance cell and provides a frequency output representative of interference of energy levels of the emitted photons including momentum changes due to acceleration.

Micro atomic and inertial measurement unit on a chip system

Inertial measurement unit apparatus for use with guidance systems are disclosed herein. An example guidance system includes an inertial measurement unit removably coupled in a cavity of a guidance wafer via an access port of the guidance wafer defining a port axis that is non-parallel relative to a longitudinal axis of the guidance wafer.

Inertial measurement unit apparatus for use with guidance systems

A multiple nested interferometric fiber optic gyroscope system having varying functions may include a first fiber optic coil, a second fiber optic coil which is smaller than the first fiber optical coil and nested within and transversely to the first fiber optic coil, and a third fiber optic coil which is smaller than the second fiber optical coil and nested within and transversely to the second fiber optic coil.

Multiple nested interferometric fiber optic gyroscope system

An azimuth determination system has a platform. A plurality of gimbals is attached to the platform to allow the platform to rotate about multiple axes. A pair of gryos is attached to the platform. A leveling device is attached to the platform to indicate when the platform is at a desired position. A control device attached to the plurality of gimbals to move the platform to the desired position indicated by the leveling device. An electronics system is to provide power to the azimuth determination system and to determine azimuth by positioning the gyros in a first position with an input axis of the gyros in the horizontal plane and orthogonal to the Earth Rate vector to calculate a first output and rotating the gyros 180&#xb0; about the vertical to a second position to calculate a second output, the platform is then inverted and an additional set of two readings is taken. The four outputs are combined to produce the azimuth value and a gyro induced bias error. The azimuth value of the autocollimator line of sight is transferred to the laboratory reference mirror.

Azimuth determination system and method therefor

A method and apparatus for transmitting signals. An apparatus comprises a first cylinder, a second cylinder, a third cylinder, and a fourth cylinder. A first cylinder has a first number of conductive segments. The second cylinder has a second number of conductive segments. The first cylinder is located inside the second cylinder such that the first conductive segments remain in communication with corresponding ones of the second conductive segments during rotation of the first and second cylinders relative to each other. The third cylinder has a third number of conductive segments. The second cylinder is located inside of the third cylinder. The fourth cylinder has a fourth number of conductive segments. The third cylinder is located inside the fourth cylinder such that the third conductive segments remain in communication with corresponding ones of the fourth conductive segments during rotation of the third and fourth cylinders.

Cylindrical slip ring system

An apparatus comprises a first plate having a first plurality of conductive segments on a surface of the first plate and a second plate having a second plurality of conductive segments on a surface of the second plate. The first and second plates have an axis of rotation. The first plurality of conductive segments and the second plurality of conductive segments each have a circular shape with centers through the axis of rotation. Each of the first plurality of conductive segments and the second plurality of conductive segments has a different diameter. Portions of the first plurality of conductive segments and the second plurality of conductive segments are offset from each other along the axis of rotation. Corresponding segments in the first plurality of conductive segments and the second plurality of conductive segments conduct signals during rotation of the first plate and the second plate relative to each other.

Growing community of inventors

Corona, CA, United States of America

Joseph Eugene Justin