Handheld or vehicle-mounted platform stabilization system

• US 8,179,078 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adam D. Sidman
• Original Assignee: Adam D. Sidman
• Inventors: Sidman, Adam D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson, Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUO, DAVID S
• Application Number:
  US12/631,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 891 Days
• Field of Search: 318/649, 318/648, 318/638, 318/838
• US Class Current: 318/649
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/105 the horizontal axis being the roll axis, e.g. for creating a landscape-portrait rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2014 around a vertical axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2021 around a horizontal axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/04 for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains , e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/18 Stabilised platforms, e.g. by gyroscope
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories

Abstract

A hand-held or vehicle-mounted stabilization system including a platform supported by two or more rotatably-coupled gimbal frames each having a pivot assembly disposed at its rotation axis to couple an actuator to a rotation sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis that is preferably fixedly disposed with respect to the rotation axis, and a controller for accepting the sensor signals and for producing each motor signal needed to dispose the platform in a predetermined angular position with respect to each rotation axis independent of changes in mount orientation. An alternative embodiment includes a controller for accepting an external slew signal sequence and for producing the motor signals needed to move the platform along a predetermined sequence of positions represented by the slew signal sequence.

Claims

1. A hand-held stabilization system comprising:

a base;

a stabilized platform including

a first frame rotatably coupled to the base on a first pivot axis, including

a first actuator disposed to torque the first frame about the first pivot axis responsive to a first motor signal, and

a first rotational sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis and producing a first sensor signal representing the rotation of the first frame with respect to the base; and

a second frame rotatably coupled to the first frame on a second pivot axis, including

a second actuator disposed to torque the second frame about the second pivot axis responsive to a first motor signal, and

a second rotational sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis and producing a second sensor signal representing the rotation of the second frame with respect to the first frame;

at least one handle adapted for grasping by a human operator to facilitate moving the hand-held stabilization system about during operation; and

a controller for producing each of the motor signal plurality responsive to a respective one of the sensor signal plurality, whereby the stabilized platform is disposed in a predetermined position independent of the position of the base.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

in the stabilized platform,

a third frame rotatably coupled to the second frame on a third pivot axis, including

a third actuator disposed to torque the third frame about the third pivot axis responsive to a first motor signal, and

a third rotational sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis and producing a third sensor signal representing the rotation of the third frame with respect to the first frame.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the rotation-sensitive sensor axis of at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is disposed at a fixed angle with respect to the corresponding one of the pivot axis plurality.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the rotation-sensitive sensor axis of at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is disposed at a fixed angle with respect to the corresponding one of the pivot axis plurality.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the rotation-sensitive sensor axis of at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is disposed in substantial alignment with the corresponding one of the pivot axis plurality.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuators are selected from the group consisting essentially of:

direct current (DC) brush motors, DC brush less motors, DC torque motors, linear solenoids stepper motors, ultrasonic motors, geared motors, speed-reduced motors, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, and piggybacked motor combinations.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is fixed to the corresponding one of the frame plurality.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting essentially of:

angular rate sensors, integrated rate gyro sensors, angular position sensors, angular accelerometers, absolute rotation sensors, and inertial rotation sensors.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

in at least one of the frame plurality, a mechanical adjustor for repositioning the corresponding pivot axis with respect to the stabilized platform, whereby the stabilized platform may be reoriented with respect to the at least one pivot axis.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein

a slew controller for producing a slew signal;

and

in the controller, a processing circuit for accepting the slew signal and for responsively changing the predetermined stabilized platform position with respect to at least one rotation axis.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the rotation-sensitive sensor axis of at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is disposed in substantial alignment with the corresponding one of the pivot axis plurality.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the actuators are selected from the group consisting essentially of:

direct current (DC) brush motors, DC brush less motors, DC torque motors, linear solenoids stepper motors, ultrasonic motors, geared motors, speed-reduced motors, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, and piggybacked motor combinations.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is fixed to the corresponding one of the frame plurality.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are selected from the group consisting essentially of:

angular rate sensors, integrated rate gyro sensors, angular position sensors, angular accelerometers, absolute rotation sensors, and inertial rotation sensors.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein:

in at least one of the frame plurality, a mechanical adjustor for repositioning the corresponding pivot axis with respect to the stabilized platform, whereby the stabilized platform may be reoriented with respect to the at least one pivot axis.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein

a slew controller for producing a slew signal;

and

in the controller, a processing circuit for accepting the slew signal and for responsively changing the predetermined stabilized platform position with respect to at least one rotation axis.

17. A mobile stabilization system comprising:

a base;

a stabilized platform including

a first frame rotatably coupled to the base on a first pivot axis, including

a first actuator disposed to torque the first frame about the first pivot axis responsive to a first motor signal, and

a first rotational sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis and producing a first sensor signal representing the rotation of the first frame with respect to the base; and

a second frame rotatably coupled to the first frame on a second pivot axis, including

a second actuator disposed to torque the second frame about the second pivot axis responsive to a first motor signal, and

a second rotational sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis and producing a second sensor signal representing the rotation of the second frame with respect to the first frame;

a mounting assembly adapted for fixing the mobile stabilization system to a vehicle to facilitate moving the mobile stabilization system about during operation; and

a controller for producing each of the motor signal plurality responsive to a respective one of the sensor signal plurality, whereby the stabilized platform is disposed in a predetermined position independent of the position of the base.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

in the stabilized platform,

a third frame rotatably coupled to the second frame on a third pivot axis, including

a third actuator disposed to torque the third frame about the third pivot axis responsive to a first motor signal, and

a third rotational sensor having a rotation-sensitive sensor axis and producing a third sensor signal representing the rotation of the third frame with respect to the first frame.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein:

the rotation-sensitive sensor axis of at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is disposed at a fixed angle with respect to the corresponding one of the pivot axis plurality.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein:

the rotation-sensitive sensor axis of at least one of the rotational sensor plurality is disposed at a fixed angle with respect to the corresponding one of the pivot axis plurality.