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US 4,673,293 AGranted
Passive cavity gyro bias eliminator
AssigneeHoneywell Inc.
InventorGlen A. Sanders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a passive ring resonator and a control scheme for correcting bias effects due to intensity variations of waves propagating within the resonator.
Claims9
A passive ring resonator angular rate sensor comprising:
- passive resonator means permitting the propagation of clockwise and counterclockwise beams of electromagnetic energy and having clockwise and counterclockwise resonant frequencies;
- source means for introducing said clockwise and counterclockwise beams into said passive resonator means;
- signal means responsive to said clockwise and counterclockwise beams for producing an output signal indicative of the difference between said clockwise and counterclockwise resonant frequencies;
- means for determining an error signal related to variations in said output signal due to variations in the intensity difference between said counter-propagating beams;
- and
- control means responsive to said error signal for altering the intensity of at least one of said counter-propagating beams so as to drive said error signal toward zero.
3 more elements
An angular rate sensor comprising:
- a passive ring resonator permitting counter-propagation and recirculation of first and second beams of electromagnetic energy in first and second directions through said ring resonator, said ring resonator having an optical path length which defines a resonant frequency for beams traveling in each of said first and second directions in relation to the rate of rotation of said ring resonator;
- source means for introducing said first and second beam into said passive resonator means;
- means for producing an output signal indicative of the frequency difference between said first and second beam frequencies;
- means for determining an error signal related to variations in said output signal due to variations in the intensity difference between said first and second beams;
- and
- control means responsive to said error signal for altering the intensity of at least one of said first and second beams so as to drive said error signal toward zero.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.