Method and apparatus for measuring angular velocity of a transparent object
OwnerEvsey Yakubovich, Yuri Brodskyinventors
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring the angular velocity of a rotating substantially transparent object about an object rotation axis. The apparatus excites an electromagnetic field in a resonator such that an electromagnetic beam propagates along the propagation axis parallel to the object rotation axis. The apparatus then detects a field component of the electromagnetic beam. The detected field component of the electromagnetic beam indicates the angular velocity of the object.
Claims40
A method for measuring the angular velocity of a rotating substantially transparent object about an object rotation axis comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing the object in a resonator of an electromagnetic field generator having a propagation axis;
- (b) exciting an electromagnetic field in the resonator such that an electromagnetic beam propagates along the propagation axis wherein the electromagnetic beam is substantially parallel to the object rotation axis;
- and
- (c) detecting a field component of the electromagnetic beam, the field component being indicative of the angular velocity of the object about the object rotation axis.
An angular velocity sensor comprising:
- (a) a resonator having a propagation axis substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the angular velocity sensor;
- (b) an active gain medium contained within the resonator for generating an electromagnetic beam that propagates through the medium along the propagation axis;
- and
- (c) detection means optically coupled to the resonator and responsive to the electromagnetic beam for detecting a field component of the electromagnetic beam, the field component being indicative of the angular velocity of the sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.