Stabilized gimbal system with unlimited field of regard
AssigneeIJK Controls LLC
InventorsGunnar G. Ristroph, Jason M. Raycroft
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosed embodiments provide a system for controlling orientation of a payload. The system includes a gimbal structure with four or more axes. The system also includes a control system that controls the gimbal structure to provide unrestricted orientation and rotational motion of the payload mounted to an axis in the four or more axes, independently of an orientation of a base of the gimbal structure.
Claims20
A gimbal system, comprising:
- a gimbal structure with four or more axes;
- and
- a control system that controls the gimbal structure to provide unrestricted orientation and rotational motion of a payload mounted to an axis in the four or more axes, independently of an orientation of a base of the gimbal structure.
A method for controlling a gimbal structure with four or more axes, comprising:
- reading inputs from a set of encoders on the four or more axes and a set of inertial sensors mounted to the gimbal structure;
- reading command input comprising a desired inertial rate for the gimbal structure;
- computing, by a processor, a set of motor commands with a first feedback control loop to achieve the desired inertial rate;
- and
- updating the motor commands with a second feedback control loop to prevent the gimbal structure from:
- obscuring a line-of-sight of a payload mounted to the gimbal structure;
- and
- entering a gimbal lock configuration.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for controlling a gimbal structure with four or more axes, the method comprising:
- reading inputs from a set of encoders on the four or more axes and a set of inertial sensors mounted to the gimbal structure;
- reading command input comprising a desired inertial rate for the gimbal structure;
- computing, by a processor, a set of motor commands with a first feedback control loop to achieve the desired inertial rate;
- and
- updating the motor commands with a second feedback control loop to prevent the gimbal structure from:
- obscuring a line-of-sight of a payload mounted to the gimbal structure;
- and
- entering a gimbal lock configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.