US 12,716,723 B2Granted

Optical circuit for compensating optical lead fluctuations in an RFOG

AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.

InventorsGlen A. Sanders, Marc Smiciklas, Jad Salman

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Abstract

Systems and methods for compensating optical lead fluctuations in an RFOG include sources for generating first and second optical signals; an optical resonator; first and second lead lines connected to the sources and the resonator, wherein the sources couple the first and second optical signals into the first and second lead lines, and the first and the second lead lines couple the first and second optical signals into the optical resonator for propagation within the optical resonator in opposite directions; a tapping device coupled to the optical resonator that couples portions of the first and second optical signals out of the optical resonator; a combiner that combines the portions of the first and second optical signals to produce a combined output; and a photodetector that generates a beat note signal from the combined output.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A resonant fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG), comprising:

at least two optical signal sources configured to generate a first optical signal and a second optical signal;
an optical resonator;
a first lead line connected to a first subset of optical signal sources of the at least two optical signal sources and the optical resonator, wherein the first subset of optical signal sources couples the first optical signal into the first lead line, and the first lead line couples the first optical signal into the optical resonator for propagation in a first direction within the optical resonator;
a second lead line connected to a second subset of optical signal sources of the at least two optical signal sources and the optical resonator, wherein the second subset of optical signal sources couples the second optical signal into the second lead line, and the second lead line couples the second optical signal into the optical resonator for propagation in a second direction within the optical resonator, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction;
a tapping device coupled to the optical resonator, wherein the tapping device couples a portion of the first optical signal propagating in the optical resonator and a portion of the second optical signal propagating in the optical resonator out of the optical resonator;
a combiner coupled to the tapping device, wherein the combiner combines the portion of the first optical signal and the portion of the second optical signal to produce a combined output;
and
one or more photodetectors coupled to receive the combined output from the combiner, wherein the one or more photodetectors generate a beat note signal from the combined output.

5 more elements

A system comprising:

at least two optical signal sources configured to generate a CW optical signal and a CCW optical signal;
an optical resonator coil;
a first lead line connected to a first subset of optical signal sources of the at least two optical signal sources and the optical resonator coil, wherein the first subset of optical signal sources couples the CW optical signal into the first lead line, and the first lead line couples the CW optical signal into the optical resonator coil to propagate in a CW direction within the optical resonator coil;
a second lead line connected to a second subset of optical signal sources the at least two optical signal sources and the optical resonator coil, wherein the second subset of two optical signal sources couples the CCW optical signal into the second lead line, and the second lead line couples the CCW optical signal into the optical resonator coil to propagate in a CCW direction within the optical resonator coil;
a tapping device coupled to the optical resonator coil, wherein the tapping device couples a portion of the CW optical signal propagating in the optical resonator coil and a portion of the CCW optical signal propagating in the optical resonator coil out of the optical resonator coil;
a combiner coupled to the tapping device, wherein the combiner combines the portion of the CW optical signal and the portion of the CCW optical signal to produce a combined output;
one or more photodetectors coupled to receive the combined output from the combiner, wherein the one or more photodetectors generate a beat note signal from the combined output;
and
a beat note processor configured to receive the beat note signal from the one or more photodetectors.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/534,399Filed 8 Dec 2023
Published: US 2025/0189312 A112 Jun 2025
Granted: 25 Aug 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01C 19/721
With counter-rotating light beams in a passive ring, e.g. fibre laser gyrometers: details, e.g. optical or electronical details
G01C 19/723
With counter-rotating light beams in a passive ring, e.g. fibre laser gyrometers: heterodyning fibre optic gyrometers
G01C 19/727
With counter-rotating light beams in a passive ring, e.g. fibre laser gyrometers: using a passive ring resonator
H01S 3/1305
Stabilisation of laser output parameters, e.g. frequency or amplitude: feedback control systems