Litton Systems, Inc.

Rodney W Benoist

Robert D Curby

Masao Yashimoto

A correction to the output angle of the ring laser gyroscope is calculated as a function of the phase difference and the magnitude of coupling between the two counterpropagating beams when the dither oscillations change direction. A pair of heterodyne detectors produce heterodyne signals indicative of the interference pattern between the counterpropagating beams. A signal indicative of the sum of the separate beam intensities is demodulated with the heterodyne signals to determine the magnitude of coupling between the beams in the ring laser gyroscope.

Method and system for correcting random walk errors induced by rate

A dither flexure is mounted between a ring laser gyroscope body and a support such that the ring laser gyroscope may be dithered to have angular oscillations about a sensing axis. A sensor provides signals indicative of the amplitude of the oscillations of the ring laser gyroscope body relative to the support to a control circuit. The control circuit dithers the flexure to maintain the amplitude of the oscillations between a predetermined range at the resonant frequency of the flexure. The frequency of the dither oscillations is modulated about a tracking frequency, and the effect of frequency changes in the dither drive signal on the amplitude of the oscillations is demodulated to determine the resonant frequency of the dither flexure.

Simplified ring laser gyroscope dither control and method

The present invention provides for initializing the particular intensity peak selected to operate about, based upon the initial temperature of the gyroscope in order to maintain a selected integer number of wavelengths as the initial cavity path length from start up to start up. In addition, the present invention provides an optimum available movement of the mirrors due to changing the voltage over the available voltage swing for the anticipated range and direction of temperature changes from the start up temperature, over which the gyroscope is expected to operate.

Growing community of inventors

Moor Park, CA, United States of America

Rodney W Benoist