Optically sensed wire gyroscope apparatus and system, and methods for manufacture and cursor control
First Claim
1. A gyroscopic device for sensing motion and comprising:
- a frame;
a first tensioned wire having first and second ends suspended by the frame and including a suspended wire portion therebetween;
a first pair of magnets mounted on the frame and having opposite poles spaced apart about the first tensioned wire for forming a first gap and a first magnetic field therein oriented across the first gap with the suspended wire portion of the first tensioned wire disposed within the first magnetic field;
a first oscillator connected to the first tensioned wire for supplying a first oscillating signal to the first tensioned wire to vibrate the first tensioned wire within the first magnetic field in substantially perpendicular orientation thereto and at a selected vibration frequency;
a source of radiation spaced above the first tensioned wire for radiantly illuminating a selected portion thereof;
a detector spaced beneath the first tensioned wire for producing a first output proportional to lateral displacement of a portion of the first tensioned wire along the first magnetic field in response to variations in the radiant illumination received thereby caused by the vibrating first tensioned wire; and
a first circuit connected to the first tensioned wire and responsive to back potential on the first tensioned wire for producing a second output proportional to velocity of vibration of a portion of the first tensioned wire in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first magnetic field.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Single and dual wire gyroscopes determine the orientation and attitude of a device using optical sensing of radiation interrupted by current-carrying, vibrating tensioned wires within a magnetic fields. The tensioned wires vibrate between end nodes within the respective magnetic fields to provide both sustaining oscillatory drives and the sensing of velocity in the directions perpendicular to the respective magnetic fields. Lateral displacements of tensioned wires in directions parallel to the associated magnetic fields are sensed using radiant illumination of the wires and radiation sensing below the wires to provide displacement signals. Precession of wires in vibratory trajectories out of planes perpendicular to respective magnetic fields are controlled by selectively twisting and bending the tensioned wires between mounting ends.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A gyroscopic device for sensing motion and comprising:
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a frame; a first tensioned wire having first and second ends suspended by the frame and including a suspended wire portion therebetween; a first pair of magnets mounted on the frame and having opposite poles spaced apart about the first tensioned wire for forming a first gap and a first magnetic field therein oriented across the first gap with the suspended wire portion of the first tensioned wire disposed within the first magnetic field; a first oscillator connected to the first tensioned wire for supplying a first oscillating signal to the first tensioned wire to vibrate the first tensioned wire within the first magnetic field in substantially perpendicular orientation thereto and at a selected vibration frequency; a source of radiation spaced above the first tensioned wire for radiantly illuminating a selected portion thereof; a detector spaced beneath the first tensioned wire for producing a first output proportional to lateral displacement of a portion of the first tensioned wire along the first magnetic field in response to variations in the radiant illumination received thereby caused by the vibrating first tensioned wire; and a first circuit connected to the first tensioned wire and responsive to back potential on the first tensioned wire for producing a second output proportional to velocity of vibration of a portion of the first tensioned wire in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for measuring motion comprising the steps of:
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suspending a wire having ends under tension within a magnetic field perpendicular to it longitudinal axis of the wire; applying a fluctuating current to the wire to induce vibration thereof within the magnetic field; sensing a counter-potential across the wire as a function of vibrational velocity thereof within the magnetic field; forming from the counter-potential sensed across the wire a first velocity signal representative of a first direction of vibrational movement of the wire perpendicular to the magnetic field; radiantly illuminating the wire substantially in a plane of vibrational movement of the wire within the magnetic field for forming a shadow of the wire on a surface spaced from the wire; detecting variations in radiation upon the surface indicative of movement of the wire in a second direction parallel to the magnetic field; and
,forming a first displacement signal as a function of the variation in radiation upon the surface. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A device for measuring orientation and attitude including
a frame; -
first tensioned wire and second tensioned wire supported on the frame and axially disposed perpendicularly with respect to each other; a source of oscillating electrical signal for each wire connected to supply oscillating current through respective first and second wires; first and second magnetic field sources positioned in fixed relation to the frame for developing first and second magnetic fields about portions of the first and second wires for producing vibrations of the first and second wires in respective first and second directions perpendicular to the respective first and second magnetic fields in response to the oscillating current supplied to the respective first and second wires; first and second sensors connected to the respective first and second tensioned wires for sensing counter-potentials thereon that are representative of vibrating velocities of the first and second tensioned wires, respectively, in the first and second directions for producing first and second velocity signals therefrom; a light source for illuminating the first and second wires and casting a shadow image thereof onto a plane spaced away from the first and second tensioned wires; and a light sensor disposed on the plane to receive the shadow image for developing first and second sensor signals indicative of fluctuations of the shadow images of the first and second tensioned wires, respectively, the first and second sensor signals being proportional to the deflections of the respective first and second tensioned wires in directions parallel to the respective first and second magnetic fields. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for measuring motions with a vibrating wire comprising the steps of:
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suspending the wire having ends, under tension within a magnetic field perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the wire; applying an oscillating current to the wire to vibrate the wire perpendicular to the magnetic field; sensing counter-potential across the wire representative of vibrational velocity of the wire in the magnetic field; forming from the counter-potential across the wire a first velocity signal representative of a first direction of movement of the wire perpendicular to the magnetic field; illuminating the wire substantially in parallel with the plane of vibration toward a detection surface to cast a shadow of the wire onto the surface; detecting variations in illumination upon the surface indicative of movement of the wire in a second direction parallel to the magnetic field; and producing a first displacement signal representative of the variations in illumination upon the surface. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification