# US 2019/0376997 A1 · System and method for determining airspeed > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0376997 A1 - Document ID: US20190376997A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/433,731 - Filed: 2019-06-06 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-06 - Assignees: UTI Limited Partnership - Applicants: UTI Limited Partnership - Inventors: Naser EL-SHEIMY; Shady ZAHRAN; Adel MOUSSA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190376997A1 ## CPC - G01P 3/50: for measuring linear speed (G01P3/56 takes precedence) - G01P 5/04: using deflection of baffle-plates - G01C 21/005: {with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching (G01C21/30 takes precedence)} - G01C 21/1654: {with electromagnetic compass} - G01C 21/1656: {with passive imaging devices, e.g. cameras} - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) ## Abstract Systems and methods for use in determining a device's speed. The system uses a plate having a front side that is perpendicular to the device's direction of travel. The airflow caused by the device's motion causes the plate to deflect from a resting position and the amount of deflection of the plate is proportional to the speed of the device. The amount of deflection is measured by a rotary encoder coupled to the plate. By properly calibrating the system, the system can determine the device's velocity simply from the airflow caused by the device's motion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for use in determining a speed of a moving device, the system comprising: a plate having a front side exposed to an airflow outside of said device as said device is moving, said airflow causing said plate to deflect from a predefined resting position; a subsystem for measuring an amount of deflection of said plate as said plate deflects due to said airflow as said device is in motion; wherein said amount of deflection of said plate from said resting position is proportional to a speed of said airflow, said speed of said airflow being related to said speed of said moving device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said subsystem comprises: a magnet coupled to said plate such that said deflection of said plate causes said magnet to rotate about an axis; a Hall effect sensor for detecting changes in peaks in a magnetic field due to said magnet, changes in said peaks of said magnetic field being proportional to said amount of deflection of said plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said subsystem comprises a rotational encoder coupled to said plate such that said deflection of said plate is encoded by said rotational encoder. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein when said plate is at said resting position, said front side is perpendicular to a direction of travel of said device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said speed of said device as determined by said system is used to determine a position of said device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said speed of said device is used as a navigational aid for said device when GNSS signals are unavailable to said device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said speed of said device as determined by said system is used in conjunction with a magnetometer to provide a velocity reading for said device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein said speed of said device as determined by said system is used to determine a velocity of said device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein said velocity of said device is used to determine a position of said device when GNSS signal are unavailable to said device. ### Claim 10 A speed determination system, the system comprising: a deflection based subsystem mounted on a moving device exposed to an airflow, said deflection based subsystem comprising a component whose deflection due to an exposure to said airflow is related to a speed of said moving device; a deflection measurement subsystem for determining said deflection of said deflection-based subsystem; wherein said deflection is measured from a predefined resting position of said component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10 wherein said deflection based subsystem comprises a plate having a front side exposed to said airflow outside of said moving device, said airflow causing said plate to deflect from said predefined resting position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10 wherein said deflection measurement subsystem comprises a magnet coupled to said component such that said deflection of said component causes said magnet to rotate about an axis; a Hall effect sensor for detecting changes in peaks in a magnetic field due to said magnet, changes in said peaks of said magnetic field being proportional to said amount of deflection of said component. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12 wherein said component comprises a plate having a front side exposed to said airflow outside of said moving device, said airflow causing said plate to deflect from said predefined resting position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10 wherein said deflection measurement subsystem comprises a rotational encoder coupled to said component such that said deflection of said component is encoded by said rotational encoder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10 wherein a mass of said component is adjustable. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10 wherein said system is used to determine a position of a moving device. ### Claim 17 A method for determining a speed of a moving device using a speed determination system mounted on said device, the method comprising: a) providing a deflection-based subsystem on said speed determination system, said deflection based subsystem comprising a component exposed to an airflow; b) determining an amount of a deflection of said component, said deflection of said component being caused by said airflow, said amount of deflection being measured relative to a predefined resting position; c) using a data processing device, calculating said speed based on said amount of deflection; wherein said airflow is outside of said device as said device is moving; and a deflection of said component is related to a speed of said moving device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17 wherein said amount of deflection is measured as a rotation angle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18 wherein step c) is accomplished by calculating said speed as v = Sqrt  ( tan  ( OdoFin angle Const ) ) wherein v is said speed; OdoFinangle is said rotation angle; and const is a constant. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method according to claim 19 wherein said constant is calculated using const = ρ   AC D 2   mg wherein ρ is an air density; g is a gravity constant; m is a mass of said component; A is an area of said component exposed to said airflow; and CD is a lifting coefficient.