Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Other

Werner H Egli

Mark W Weber

Jeffrey M Setterholm

Lawrence C Vallot

John W Miller

Karl M Fant

Timothy J Callaghan

James E Lenz

Asbjorn M Severson

Wah L Lim

Robert A Pajak

Clair R Tettemer

Dennis Kuhlmann

Jack E Wier

E Jack Weir

Karen S Rylander

Disclosed is a northfinding apparatus having a single rotation rate sensor secured to a platform. The output of the rotation rate sensor is corrected for tilt and tilt rate of the platform. Measurements of the tilt and tilt rate and the rotation rate are combined to provide an azimuth angle of the platform relative to north.

Single gyro northfinder

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for removing systematic distortion from measurements of an observable parameter. The method and apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful for removing systematic distortion in phase angle measurements of ring laser angular rate sensors.

Method and apparatus for distortion free measurements

A data projection system in which a data projector having a data display memory associated therewith projects images to a viewing screen. The system includes a curved or nonplanar viewing screen and computer software effective to provide viewing fidelity by compensating for inaccuracies of the viewing screen.

Data projection system with compensation for nonplanar screen

A gyro readout mask is made from the actual readout interference fringe pattern. A photographic image of the readout interference fringe pattern is made, and the resulting photographic image, or a derivative thereof, is itself used as the mask.

Method of fabricating a readout apparatus for a ring laser gyroscope

Navigation by interpretation of images of parallelogram corner points of a ground beacon array. A video camera senses images of the beacon array and a computer interprets the images to provide attitude and location of the platform, on which the camera is mounted, relative to the array.

Navigation by a video-camera sensed ground array

A single-axis rate sensor for determining angular speed .theta. in inertial space of an object rotating about the axis. The rate sensor includes a mass, a motor for rotating the mass about the axis at an angular speed .omega. relative to the object, and a microcomputer for determining a centrifugal force at a radius R from the axis due to the rotation of the mass about the axis at an angular speed .OMEGA. in inertial space, where .OMEGA. is the sum of .theta. and .omega.. Alternative embodiments provide a closed loop system where .OMEGA. is held constant, and a dual rotor arrangement which can be used to reduce a nonlinear factor in a relationship between .theta. and centrifugal force and/or to provide an in-operation self-checking feature.

Single-axis centrifugal rate sensor

Fluid comsumption is dramatically reduced in hydrostatic support devices by texturing the supporting surface and/or the surface of the object being supported so that a series or constrictions or lossy orifices are provided along the flow path of the supporting fluid. Further, the stability of the supported object is enhanced by the present invention.

Hydrostatic support device and method

A path length control for a ring laser is described which captures a true peak power laser mode in the presence of parasitic secondary power modes. The control utilizes a decaying dither of the optical path length which decays from a large initial dither amplitude.

Path length control mechanization for a ring laser angular rate sensor

Apparatus and method for the surveying of bore holes, for example, oil wells and the like, to permit accurate three-dimensional mapping thereof, using a single rate gyroscope and an accelerometer package in an instrumentation pod which is lowered into the bore hole. Signals from the accelerometers and the rate gyroscope plus the increments by which the pod is lowered into the well permit continual calculation of pod attitude and updated of pod position at all depths in the hole.

Oil well bore hole surveying by kinematic navigation

Apparatus and method for the surveying of bore holes, for example, oil wells and the like, to permit accurate three-dimensional mapping thereof, using an accelerometer package in an instrumentation pod which is lowered into the bore hole. In one embodiment the pod is lowered on the end of a rod string where adjacent rods connected together with Hookes-joint pivots which permit two degrees of freedom of movement between adjacent rods. In another embodiment, rigid interconnections of adjacent rods are used, and the rods are isotropic for twistless flexure as the rods encounter curves in the path of the bore hole. The instrumentation pod is lowered one rod-length at a time, and accelerometer readings are taken which, together with mathematical modeling of rod motion, permits calculation of updated pod position at all depths in the hole.

Simplified bore hole surveying system by kinematic navigation without

A laser angular rate sensor with a lock-in error cancelling biasing system is disclosed.

Error cancelling bias system

An orthogonally related target point array is provided in fixed relationship to an object. A photo detector image plane obtains images of the target points projected through a lens located a fixed distance from the image plane. Simple algebraic manipulation of image plane position coordinates of the images corresponding to the target points provides for the establishment of a vector replica of the target point array. The vector replica, in turn, is sufficient data to provide spatial information about the object including position and orientation information with full six-degrees-of-freedom.

Method and apparatus for determining location and orientation of objects

A target plane in fixed relationship to an object provides a first triad of three collinear target points which lie on a first line projection and a second triad of target points which lie on a second line projection which is in nonalignment with the first triad. A photo detector image plane obtains images of the target points projected on the image plane through a lens located a fixed distance from the image plane. Simple algebraic manipulation of image plane position coordinates of the images corresponding to the target points provides for the establishment of vector replicas of the position of the target points. The vector replicas, in turn, are sufficient data to provide spatial information about the object including position and oriention information with full six-degrees-of-freedom.

A discriminant apparatus for a ring laser angular rate sensor is described which provides a discriminant signal indicative of the lock-in rate of the sensor as a function of the phase difference and frequency difference between the counter-propagating waves therein.

Lock-in rate discriminate apparatus for ring laser angular rate sensors

The present invention provides a discriminant signal apparatus for providing a discriminant signal indicative of the lock-in rate. The discriminant signal apparatus of the present invention is responsive to the behavior of the instantaneous phase difference between the waves, and specifically the behavior of the phase difference occurring substantially about, both before and after, occurrences of the first derivative of the phase difference having substantially zero value.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Werner H Egli