ALIGNMENT ERROR DETECTION SYSTEM

• US 3,803,387 A
• Filed: 09/20/1972
• Issued: 04/09/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald H. Lackowski
• Original Assignee: Donald H. Lackowski
• Inventors: Lackowski, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gruber, Felix D.
• Application Number:
  US05/290,614
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.5G,61.5E,61.5S,61.5R 343/7ED 89/41CE,41D 33/318,321,323 73/178
• US Class Current: 235/407
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 5/26 Apparatus for testing or checking
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/007 Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/005 initial alignment, calibration or starting-up of inertial devices

Abstract

An alignment system comprises the strap-down orthogonal gyro triads on each of the two devices to be aligned. The pulse outputs from the strap-down orthogonal gyro triads are connected to appropriate digital up-down counters to process the pulse outputs. The outputs of the counters are, in turn, connected to a general purpose digital computer. The digital computer solves the algorithm representing an estimate of the orthogonal attitude transformation between the two devices. The output of the digital computer is indicative of the misalignment and may be used to physically align the two devices in attitude.

Claims

1. An alignment error detection system comprising:

a surface vessel;

a first movable object mounted on said surface vessel to share angular movements thereof in inertial space and for controlled movements including a fixed position with respect thereto;

a first strap-down orthogonal laser-gyro triad sensor attached to and mechanically aligned with said first object for sensing angular movements thereof in inertial space;

a second movable object mounted on said surface vessel rigid base and spaced apart from said first movable object to share angular movements of said rigid base and capable of independent controlled movement including a fixed position with respect thereto;

a second strap-down orthogonal laser-gyro triad sensor attached to and mechanically aligned with said second movable object for sensing angular movements thereof in inertial space;

digital computer means for computing an attitude transformation indicative of the misalignment of said first and second movable objects when said first and second movable objects are in their fixed positions and according to the algorithm,