COMPACT INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT WITH INTERFACE ADAPTER

• US 20160054355A1
• Filed: 12/01/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Schlager, Matthew, Snyder, Scott, Van-Cao, Dang Tu
• Application Number:
  US14/556,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20160054355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/003 used for damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Abstract

Systems and method for reducing the size of inertial measurement units are disclosed. In one embodiment, an inertial measurement unit assembly comprises: at least one inertial sensor configured to output uncompensated sensor data; an inertial isolator configured to isolate the at least one inertial sensor; an interface adapter, wherein the interface adapter includes at least one calibration alignment pin that is used as a reference point between the at least one inertial sensor, the inertial interface adapter and a vehicle to which the inertial interface adapter is attached. Furthermore, the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the uncompensated sensor data to a processing device located external to the inertial measurement unit.

Claims

1. An inertial measurement unit assembly comprising:

at least one inertial sensor configured to output uncompensated sensor data;

an inertial isolator configured to isolate the at least one inertial sensor;

an interface adapter, wherein the interface adapter includes at least one calibration alignment pin that is used as a reference point between the at least one inertial sensor, the inertial interface adapter and a vehicle to which the inertial interface adapter is attached; and

wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the uncompensated sensor data to a processing device located external to the inertial measurement unit.

2. The inertial measurement unit of claim 1, further comprising a spanner nut configured to secure the one or more inertial sensors to the interface adapter.

3. The inertial measurement unit of claim 1, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the uncompensated sensor data to the processing device over an asynchronous serial data stream.

4. The inertial measurement unit of claim 1, further comprising memory configured to store a plurality of calibration coefficients;

and

wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the plurality of calibration coefficients to the processing device.

5. The inertial measurement unit of claim 4, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the plurality of calibration coefficients to the processing device over an asynchronous serial data stream.

6. The inertial measurement unit of claim 1, wherein the at least one inertial sensors comprises:

three rotation sensors, wherein each of the three rotation sensors are orthogonal to each other; and

three acceleration sensors, wherein each of the three acceleration sensors are orthogonal to each other.

7. A system comprising:

a processing device; and

an inertial measurement unit communicatively coupled to the processing device, wherein the processing device is physically located external to the inertial measurement unit;

wherein the inertial measurement unit comprises;

at least one inertial sensor configured to output uncompensated sensor data;

an inertial isolator configured to isolate the at least one inertial sensor;

an interface adapter, wherein the interface adapter includes at least one calibration alignment pin that is used as a reference point between the at least one inertial sensor, the inertial interface adapter and a vehicle to which the inertial interface adapter is attached; and

wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the uncompensated sensor data to the processing device; and

wherein the processing device is configured to receive the uncompensated sensor data and compensate the uncompensated sensor using calibration coefficients.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a spanner nut configured to secure the one or more inertial sensors to the interface adapter.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the uncompensated sensor data to the processing device over an asynchronous serial data stream.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the inertial measurement unit further comprises memory configured to store a plurality of calibration coefficients;

and

wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the plurality of calibration coefficients to the processing device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the inertial measurement unit is configured to output the plurality of calibration coefficients to the processing device over an asynchronous serial data stream.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one inertial sensors comprises:

three rotation sensors, wherein each of the three rotation sensors are orthogonal to each other; and

three acceleration sensors, wherein each of the three acceleration sensors are orthogonal to each other.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is included in an inertial navigation system computer.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the inertial navigation system computer computes an acceleration, velocity, rotation and position of a vehicle based on the compensated sensor data.

15. A method comprising:

outputting uncompensated sensor data, from at least one inertial sensor that is included in a compact inertial measurement unit (IMU) assembly with an interface adapter and an inertial isolator, to a processor device communicatively coupled to the compact IMU assembly and located external to the compact IMU assembly; and

compensating the uncompensated sensor data using calibration coefficients in the processing device, wherein the calibration coefficients include a position and orientation of the at least one inertial sensor in relation to the interface adapter; and

computing an inertial state of a vehicle on which the compact IMU assembly is installed using the compensated sensor data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the uncompensated sensor data is output to the processing device using an asynchronous serial data stream.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting calibration coefficients from the compact IMU assembly to the processing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the calibration coefficients are output to the processing device using an asynchronous serial data stream.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing calibration coefficients to a purchaser of the compact IMU assembly; and

loading the calibration coefficients onto the processing device, prior to outputting uncompensated sensor data from the compact IMU assembly to the processing device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein computing an inertial state includes computing at least one of the following:

acceleration, velocity, rotation and position of the vehicle.