Accelerometer calibration on inertial platforms

• US 3,350,916 A
• Filed: 06/01/1961
• Issued: 11/07/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles D. Bock
• Original Assignee: Charles D. Bock
• Inventors: Bock, Charles D.
• Application Number:
  US04/114,265
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.38
• 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 21/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus or devices covered by the preceding groups

Claims

1. IN A METHOD FOR ZERO-SETTING AND CALIBRATING FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD LINEAR ACCELEROMETERS MOUNTED ON A PLATFORM AND ORIENTED RESPECTIVELY IN FIXED ALIGNMENT WITH THREE MUTUALLY-ORTHOGONAL DIRECTIONAL AXES X, Y AND Z ON SAID PLATFORM, THE STEP OF:

MOUNTING FOUR PENDULUMS ON SAID PLATFORM, A FIRST ONE OF SAID PENDULUMS BEING RESPONSIVE TO TILTS OF SAID PLATFORM ABOUT SAID X AXIS, A SECOND ONE OF SAID PENDULUMS BEING RESPONSIVE TO TILTS OF SAID PLATFORM ABOUT SAID Y AXIS, A THIRD ONE OF SAID PENDULUMS BEING REPSONSIVE TO TILTS OF SAID PLATFORM ABOUT SAID Z AXIS WHEN SAID X AXIS IS VERTICAL AND DIRECTED UPWARD, AND A FOURTH ONE OF SAID PENDULUMS BEING REPSONSIVE TO TILTS OF SAID PLATFORM ABOUT SAID Z AXIS WHEN SAID X AXIS IS VERTICAL AND DIRECTED DOWNWARD;

LEVELING THE X-Y PLANE OF SAID PLATFORM, WITH SAID Z AXIS DIRECTED UPWARD, ACCORDING TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PENDULUMS TO ESTABLISH A FIRST POSITION FOR SAID PLATFORM, AND THEN SETTING THE ZERO READINGS OF SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND ACCELEROMETERS WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION;

LEVELING THE Z-Y PLANE OF THE PLATFORM, WITH SAID X AXIS DIRECTED UPWARD, ACCORDING TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID SECOND ACCELEROMETER AND SAID THIRD PENDULUM TO ESTABLISH A SECOND POSITION FOR SAID PLATFORM, AND THEN SETTING THE ZERO READING OF SAID THRID ACCELEROMETER AND DETECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST ACCELEROMETER WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION;

LEVELING THE Z-Y PLANE OF SAID PLATFORM, WITH SAID X AXIS DIRECTED DOWNWARD, ACCORDING TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID FOURTH PENDULUM AND SAID SECOND ACCELEROMETER TO ESTABLISH A THIRD POSITION FOR SAID PLATFORM, AND DETECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID FIRST ACCELEROMETER WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID THIRD POSITION;

LEVELING THE X-Z PLANE OF SAID PLATFORM, WITH SAID Y AXIS DIRECTED UPWARD, ACCORDING TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID FIRST AND SAID THIRD ACCELEROMETERS TO ESTABLISH A FOURTH POSITION FOR SAID PLATFORM, AND DETECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECOND ACCELEROMETER WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID FOURTH POSITION;

LEVELING THE X-Z PLANE OF SAID PLATFORM, WITH SAID Y AXIS DIRECTED DOWNWARD, ACCORDING TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID FIRST AND THIRD ACCELEROMETERS TO ESTABLISH A FIFTH POSITION FOR SAID PLATFORM, AND DETECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID SECOND ACCELEROMETER WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID FIFTH POSITION;

LEVELING THE X-Y PLANE OF SAID PLATFORM, WITH SAID Z AXIS DIRECTED DOWNWARD, ACCORDING TO THE OUTPUTS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ACCELEROMETERS TO ESTABLISH A SIXTH POSITION FOR SAID PLATFORM, AND DETECING THE OUTPUT OF SAID THIRD ACCELEROMETER WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID SIXTH POSITION;

AND RETURNING SAID PLATFORM TO SAID FIRST POSITION AND THEN DETECTING THE OUTPUT OF SAID THIRD ACCELEROMETER WHILE SAID PLATFORM IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION.