Vertical reference and attitude system
First Claim
1. A vertical reference apparatus, said apparatus being configured for mounting to a structure whose orientation relative to a predetermined reference axis is desired to be stabilized or measured, said apparatus including:
- means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined axis;
means for integrating said angular rate signal to provide a dynamic angular tilt signal;
means for providing a signal indicative of angle displacement relative to the predetermined axis;
first filtering and amplifier means for filtering and amplifying said dynamic angular tilt signal and said angle displacement signal to produce a first amplified signal;
second filtering and amplifier means for filtering and amplifying said dynamic angular tilt signal and said first amplified signal to produce a second amplified signal; and
means for combining and amplifying said first and second amplified signals to produce an output signal indicative of vertical reference and attitudewherein said output signal is provided to control means for controlling the vertical reference and attitude of the structure relative to the predetermined reference axis.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a vertical reference that includes sensors providing signals indicative of angular tilt from the predetermined reference axis and the rate of angular tilt; an integrator to integrate the angular rate signal to provide a dynamic angular tilt signal; a pendulum to provide a signal indicative of angular displacement relative to the predetermined axis; a first amplifier for filtering and amplifying the dynamic angular tilt signal and the angular displacement signal to produce a first amplified signal; a second amplifier for filtering and amplifying the dynamic angular tilt signal and the angular displacement signal to produce a second amplified signal; and a dual input amplifier for combining and amplifying the first and second amplified signals to produce an output signal indicative of vertical reference and attitude. In another embodiment of the present invention a vertical reference apparatus includes a cascaded second-order filter or control loop having a first second-order loop that receives its inputs from the pendulum and the angular rate sensor and a second second-order loop that receives as its inputs the output signal of the first loop and the angular rate sensor. The output of the second loop is provided to a control system for the structure whose orientation is desired to be measured or stabilized. In this alternative embodiment of the present invention each control loop includes a summing amplifier, a summing damped integrator, an inverting amplifier, and an integrator.
53 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A vertical reference apparatus, said apparatus being configured for mounting to a structure whose orientation relative to a predetermined reference axis is desired to be stabilized or measured, said apparatus including:
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means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined axis; means for integrating said angular rate signal to provide a dynamic angular tilt signal; means for providing a signal indicative of angle displacement relative to the predetermined axis; first filtering and amplifier means for filtering and amplifying said dynamic angular tilt signal and said angle displacement signal to produce a first amplified signal; second filtering and amplifier means for filtering and amplifying said dynamic angular tilt signal and said first amplified signal to produce a second amplified signal; and means for combining and amplifying said first and second amplified signals to produce an output signal indicative of vertical reference and attitude wherein said output signal is provided to control means for controlling the vertical reference and attitude of the structure relative to the predetermined reference axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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- 3. The apparatus of claim I wherein said means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate comprises a solid state rate gyroscope.
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10. A vertical reference apparatus for providing a signal indicative of the orientation of a structure relative to a predetermined reference axis, said apparatus comprising:
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means for providing a signal indicative of angular tilt relative to the predetermined reference axis; means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined reference axis; a first second-order control loop, said first loop receiving as its inputs the signals indicative of angular tilt and angular rate relative to the predetermined reference axis, wherein said first second-order loop includes; a summing amplifier; a summing damped integrator; an inverting amplifier; and an integrator, wherein; said summing amplifier receives as its input the angular rate signal and a control signal provided by said summing damped integrator, said summing amplifier providing an output signal to said integrator; said inverting amplifier receives as its input the signal indicative of angular tilt relative to the predetermined reference axis and provides an output signal to said summing damped integrator; and said summing damped integrator provides a control signal to said summing amplifier and an output signal to a summing junction where it is summed with the signal output of said integrator to produce a first loop output signal, said first loop providing a dynamic output signal indicative of the orientation of the structure relative to the predetermined reference axis; a second second-order control loop, said second loop receiving as its inputs the output signal from said first loop and the signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined reference axis, wherein said second second-order loop includes; a second loop summing amplifier; a second loop summing damped integrator; an second loop inverting amplifier; and an second loop integrator, wherein; said second loop summing amplifier receives as its input the angular rate signal and a control signal provided by said second loop summing damped integrator, said second loop summing amplifier providing an output signal to said second loop integrator;
.said second loop inverting amplifier receives as its input the output signal of said first second-order loop and provides an output signal to said second loop summing damped. integrator; and said second loop summing damped integrator provides a control signal to said second loop summing amplifier and an output signal to a second loop summing junction where it is summed with the signal output of the second loop integrator to produce a second loop output signal, said second loop providing a dynamic output signal indicative of the orientation of the structure relative to the predetermined reference axis, wherein said output signal of said second loop provides a flat frequency response. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vertical reference apparatus for providing a signal indicative of the orientation of a structure relative to a predetermined reference axis, said apparatus comprising:
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means for providing a signal indicative of angular tilt relative to the predetermined reference axis; means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined reference axis; a first second-order control loop, said first loop receiving as its inputs the signals indicative of angular tilt and angular rate relative to the predetermined reference axis, wherein said first second-order loop includes; a summing amplifier; a summing damped integrator; an inverting amplifier; and an integrator, wherein; said summing amplifier receives as its input the angular rate signal and a control signal provided by said summing damped integrator, said summing amplifier providing an output signal to said integrator; said inverting amplifier receives as its input the signal indicative of angular tilt relative to the predetermined reference axis and provides an output signal to said summing damped integrator; and said summing damped integrator provides a control signal to said summing amplifier and an output signal to a summing junction where it is summed with the signal output of said integrator to produce a first loop output signal, said first loop providing a dynamic output signal indicative of the orientation of the structure relative to the predetermined reference axis.
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17. The apparatus of claim 16wherein:
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said apparatus includes n second-order control loops where n is a whole number and n>
1;the output of the mth second-order control loop is received by the m+1 second-order control loop, where m is a whole number and 0<
m<
n;the output of said means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined reference axis is provided to each said second-order control loop; and the outputs of the nth second-order control loop is provided to a control means.
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18. A vertical reference apparatus, said apparatus being configured for mounting to a structure whose orientation relative to a predetermined reference axis is desired to be stabilized or measured, said apparatus including:
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means for providing a signal indicative of angular rate relative to the predetermined axis; means for integrating said angular rate signal to provide a dynamic angular tilt signal; means for providing a signal indicative of angle displacement relative to the predetermined axis; and at least one amplification loop comprising; first filtering and amplifier means for filtering and amplifying said dynamic angular tilt signal and said angle displacement signal to produce a first amplified signal, said apparatus further including a first amplifier means resistor and a first amplifier means capacitor and wherein said first amplifier means is an operational amplifier having inverting and noninverting inputs, said operational amplifier receiving a D.C. and low frequency response through said first amplifier means resistor at its noninverting input from said second amplifier means and its high frequency response from said first amplifier means capacitor at said noninverting input from said means for integrating; second filtering and amplifier means for filtering and amplifying said dynamic angular tilt signal and said first amplified signal to produce a second amplified signal, said apparatus further including a second amplifier means resistor and a second amplifier means capacitor and wherein said second amplifier means is a second operational amplifier having inverting and noninverting inputs, said second operational amplifier receiving a D.C. and low frequency response through said second amplifier means resistor at its noninverting input and a high frequency response from said second amplifier means capacitor at its noninverting input; and means for combining and amplifying said first and second amplified signals to produce an output signal indicative of vertical reference and attitude wherein said output signal is provided to control means for controlling the vertical reference and attitude of the structure relative to the predetermined reference axis. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification