Position sensing apparatus with continuous update
AssigneeCarco Electronics
InventorMichael G. Hopper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A position measurement system includes position error circuitry (PEC) that responds to periodically provided actual position information and a computed position to provide correction information, and a position synthesizer which responds to the correction information to provide the computed position. The computed position information is fed back to the PEC. The position synthesizer establishes a rate of change of the computed position based on the correction information in a manner tending to make the computed position track the actual position. The position synthesizer updates the computed position many times for each time that the actual position information is provided to the PEC, and thus provides much more continuous position information.
Claims23
Apparatus for producing an output signal at an output terminal, the output signal being a representation of an actual position signal that is updated at intervals, comprising:
- position error means, responsive to the output signal and to the actual position signal, for generating a rate signal that changes in accordance with the difference between the actual position signal and the output signal;
- and
- position computation means, responsive to said rate signal and coupled to the output terminal, for generating the output signal, for changing the output signal at a rate representative of said rate signal, and for updating the output signal a plurality of times for each time that the actual position signal is updated;
- said position error means changing said rate signal in a manner tending to null the difference between the actual position signal and the output signal at the times when the actual position signal is updated.
Apparatus comprising:
- position means for providing an actual position signal that is updated at intervals;
- position error means, having a primary signal input and a feedback signal input and being responsive to signals at said primary and feedback signal inputs, for generating a rate signal that changes in accordance with an error signal representing the difference between signals present at said primary and feedback signal inputs;
- position computation means, having a rate signal input and being responsive to signals at said rate signal input, for generating a computed signal that changes at a rate corresponding to signals present at said rate signal input and that is updated a plurality of times for each time that the actual position signal is updated;
- and
- means for communicating said actual position signal to said primary signal input, said rate signal to said rate signal input, and said computed signal to said feedback signal input, whereupon said position computation means varies said computed signal so as to null said error signal.
Apparatus comprising:
- position means for providing an actual position signal that is updated at intervals and an interrupt signal specifying that the actual position signal is being updated;
- position error means, having a primary signal input, an interrupt signal input, and a feedback signal input and being responsive to signals at said primary, interrupt, and feedback signal inputs, for generating a rate signal that changes in accordance with an error signal representing the difference between signals present at said primary and feedback signal inputs;
- position computation means, having a rate signal input and being responsive to signals at said rate signal input, for generating a computed signal that changes at a rate corresponding to signals present at said rate signal input and that is updated a plurality of times for each time that the actual position signal is updated;
- and
- means for communicating said actual position signal to said primary signal input, said interrupt signal to said interrupt signal input, said rate signal to said rate signal input, and said computed signal to said feedback signal input, whereupon said position computation means varies said computed signal so as to null said error signal.
A method for producing an output signal that is a representation of an actual position signal that is updated at intervals, comprising the steps of:
- generating the output signal;
- generating a rate signal that changes in accordance with the difference between the actual position signal and the output signal;
- and
- changing the output signal at a rate representative of the rate signal while updating the output signal a plurality of times for each time that the actual position signal is updated;
- the rate signal being changed in a manner tending to null the difference between the actual position signal and the output signal at the times when the actual position signal is updated.
A method for producing a position output signal comprising the steps of:
- generating the position output signal;
- updating an actual position signal and providing an interrupt signal at intervals;
- generating, in response to the interrupt signal, an error signal representing the difference between the actual position signal and the position output signal when the interrupt is received, and a rate signal that changes in accordance with the error signal;
- changing the position output signal at a rate corresponding to the rate signal;
- updating the position output signal a plurality of times for each time that the actual position signal is updated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.