US 5,485,273 A · Ring laser gyroscope enhanced resolution system

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a Ring Laser Gyroscope Enhanced Resolution System comprising, in a preferred embodiment, a sampling frequency modulation phase-locked loop (or "chirp") which is used in combination with the fast filter. Enhanced resolution is achieved by using the fast filter (preferably a moving average digital filter) to gather optically integrated rate data and accumulate this data. During the data gathering process, the accumulated data is sampled at a rate set by a frequency modulated ("chirper") phase-locked loop in order to remove undesirable data due to aliasing effects upon the digital filter. In this manner, an enhanced resolution of the gyroscope angular measurement is achieved.

Claims19

Dependent claims

In a ring laser gyroscope and inertial guidance system, a system for enhancing the resolution of detected angular rate information:

means for detecting angular increments, representative of optically integrated angular rate, in the form of digital counts, said detecting means positioned at an output optics location of said ring laser gyroscope;
digital filter means for sampling and accumulating angular incremental information as accumulated digital counts;
frequency modulated sampling means for sampling the accumulated digital counts at a pre-determined rate, such that the effects of aliasing of said accumulated digital counts in said digital filter means is minimized;
whereby, an enhanced resolution of angular and angular rate information is achieved.

1 more element

A method for enhancing the resolution of detected angular rate information in a ring laser gyroscope and inertial guidance system, comprising the steps of:

detecting angular increments from heterodyne optical signal detectors positioned along the optical pathway of said ring laser gyroscope in the form of digital counts which are representative of optically integrated angular rate;
digitally filtering said digital counts through sampling and accumulating angular incremental information as accumulated digital counts;
sampling said accumulated digital counts at a pre-determined rate by the use of frequency modulation such that the effects of aliasing of said accumulated digital counts in said digital filter means is minimized;
whereby, an enhanced resolution of angular and angular rate information is achieved.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ring laser gyroscope enhanced resolution system

Life of this patent

Ring laser gyroscope enhanced resolution system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19