Hybrid stabilizer with optimized resonant and control loop frequencies
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- passively isolating a payload from an intermediate frame, wherein the passively isolated payload has a selected resonant frequency;
actively isolating the intermediate frame from a foundation;
controlling the actively isolating via a control system with a control loop frequency, wherein the selected resonant frequency is selected to be less than half the control loop frequency;
wherein the controlling comprises measuring characteristics of one or more of the payload, the intermediate frame, and the foundation; and
wherein the characteristics comprise one or more of linear acceleration, angular rotation rate, magnetic flux direction, air pressure, temperature, and GPS location and GPS carrier phase of one or more GPS antennae.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hybrid stabilizer isolates a payload from vibrations across six degrees of freedom using an underdamped passive stabilizer in series with an active stabilizer that is mounted to the foundation, thereby improving isolation. In a first aspect, the passive stabilizer is one or more underdamped springs that reduce high frequency vibrations and in some embodiments the passive stabilizer is tuned to a resonant frequency at most half the control loop frequency of the active stabilizer. The active stabilizer is a six-axis motion platform that reduces or eliminates low frequency vibrations, particularly around the resonant frequency of the passive stabilizer. In a second aspect, the hybrid stabilizer isolates one or more cameras and is mounted to a vehicle, reducing motion blur and improving camera tracking, thereby enhancing the quality of images captured by the cameras.
5 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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passively isolating a payload from an intermediate frame, wherein the passively isolated payload has a selected resonant frequency; actively isolating the intermediate frame from a foundation; controlling the actively isolating via a control system with a control loop frequency, wherein the selected resonant frequency is selected to be less than half the control loop frequency; wherein the controlling comprises measuring characteristics of one or more of the payload, the intermediate frame, and the foundation; and wherein the characteristics comprise one or more of linear acceleration, angular rotation rate, magnetic flux direction, air pressure, temperature, and GPS location and GPS carrier phase of one or more GPS antennae. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification