SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CALIBRATION OF GYROSCOPES AND A MAGNETIC COMPASS

• US 20110066392A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Judd, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/93
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses

Abstract

Calibration systems and methods simultaneously calibrate a magnetic compass and gyroscopes. An exemplary embodiment rotates the field calibration system. Based upon the rotation sensed by the magnetic compass and the gyroscopes, the field calibration system determines compensation for both the magnetic compass and the gyroscopes.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating an uncalibrated magnetic compass and at least one uncalibrated gyroscope, the method comprising:

receiving an output of the uncalibrated gyroscope while stationary;

determining a gyroscope bias error of the uncalibrated gyroscope based upon the output of the uncalibrated gyroscope while stationary;

rotating a sensor platform with the uncalibrated magnetic compass and the uncalibrated gyroscope thereon;

receiving bearing information from the uncalibrated compass and angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope during a time period corresponding to the rotation of the sensor platform exactly 360 degrees;

integrating the angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope over the time period;

determining an amount of gyroscope rotation from the integrated angular rotation information;

determining a gyroscope gain error based upon a difference between the determined amount of gyroscope rotation and the corresponding bearing information;

determining magnetic field strength variations based upon the angular rotation information; and

determining a compass bearing error based upon the determined magnetic field strength variations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compensating the uncalibrated compass according to the determined compass bearing error; and

compensating the uncalibrated gyroscope according to the gyroscope bias error and the gyroscope gain error.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the sensor platform by a known amount of angular degrees.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the known amount of angular degrees that the sensor platform is rotated substantially equals 360 degrees.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an amount of angular degrees of rotation of the sensor platform based upon the bearing information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the sensor platform corresponds to a first calibration rotation, wherein the determined amount of gyroscope rotation is a first amount of gyroscope rotation corresponding to the first calibration rotation, and further comprising:

rotating the sensor platform during a second calibration rotation;

receiving second bearing information from the uncalibrated compass and second angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope during a second time period corresponding to the second calibration rotation;

integrating the second angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope over the second time period;

determining a second amount of gyroscope rotation from the integrated second angular rotation information over the second time period; and

determining the gyroscope gain error from the first amount of gyroscope rotation and the second amount of gyroscope rotation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a direction of the second calibration rotation is substantially in an opposite direction of the first calibration rotation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the time period of the rotation of the sensor platform.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a plurality of incremental time periods corresponding to the time period of the rotation of the sensor platform.

10. A compass and gyroscope field calibration system comprising:

a sensor platform;

at least one uncalibrated magnetic compass on the sensor platform and configured to output bearing information corresponding to a bearing of the uncalibrated magnetic compass;

at least one uncalibrated gyroscope on the sensor platform and configured to sense a rotation of the sensor platform during a calibration rotation of the sensor platform; and

a processor system operable to;

receive an output of the uncalibrated gyroscope while the uncalibrated gyroscope is stationary;

determine a gyroscope bias error of the uncalibrated gyroscope based upon the output of the uncalibrated gyroscope while stationary;

receive the bearing information from the uncalibrated compass and angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope during a time period corresponding to the calibration rotation of the sensor platform;

integrate the angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope over the time period;

determine an amount of gyroscope rotation from the integrated angular rotation information;

determine a gyroscope gain error based upon a difference between the determined amount of gyroscope rotation and the corresponding bearing information;

determining magnetic field strength variations based upon the angular rotation information; and

determining a compass bearing error based upon the determined magnetic field strength variations.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a timer device configured to provide time information to the processor system, wherein the angular rotation information is integrated based upon the provided time information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one uncalibrated gyroscope is a first uncalibrated gyroscope oriented along a z-axis of the sensor platform, wherein the uncalibrated compass is oriented on an x-y plane of the sensor platform, and further comprising:

a second uncalibrated gyroscope oriented on the x-y plane of the sensor platform.

13. A system for calibrating an uncalibrated magnetic compass and at least one uncalibrated gyroscope from a rotation of a sensor platform with the uncalibrated magnetic compass and the uncalibrated gyroscope thereon, the method comprising:

means for receiving bearing information from the uncalibrated compass and angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope during a time period corresponding to the rotation of the sensor platform; and

means for integrating the angular rotation information from the uncalibrated gyroscope over the time period, determining an amount of gyroscope rotation from the integrated angular rotation information, determining a gyroscope gain error based upon a difference between the determined amount of gyroscope rotation and the corresponding bearing information, determining magnetic field strength variations based upon the angular rotation information, and determining a compass bearing error based upon the determined magnetic field strength variations.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving an output of the uncalibrated gyroscope while stationary; and

means for determining a gyroscope bias error of the uncalibrated gyroscope based upon the output of the uncalibrated gyroscope while stationary.