Electronic roll pitch and yaw sensor using conductive fluid

• US 9,470,524 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Alattar, Zaid M., Dennes, Albert E., Figueroa, Ernesto E., Jesukaitis, Thomas T., Miller, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US14/978,228
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 333/661.5, 333/661.8, 333/661.9, 333/662.1, 333/662.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/14 Fluid rotors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 2009/182 conductive
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/18 by using liquids

Abstract

A method and apparatus for determining a rotational orientation of an object is provided. Embodiments of the present invention utilize an electrically conductive fluid enclosed within a shell attached to the object such that the conductive fluid contacts different portions of electrically conductive nodes, located on the inner wall of the shell, depending on the rotational orientation of the shell. The electrically activated nodes in contact with the conductive fluid act as sensors and individually transmit electric signals to a microcontroller for transformation into an indicator of a rotational orientation of the object. The indicator of the rotational orientation is then output.

Claims

1. A method for determining a rotational orientation of an object, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of spherical concentric shells, wherein an electrically conductive shell, connected to one or more power cells disposed within an inner electrically non-conductive shell, is disposed between an outer electrically non-conductive shell and the inner electrically non-conductive shell and one or more electrically non-conductive spacers separate the inner electrically non-conductive shell from the electrically conductive shell, creating a gap;

attaching a plurality of electrically conductive nodes to an outer wall of the inner electrically non-conductive shell;

disposing an electrically conductive fluid in the gap, wherein the electrically conductive fluid is mercury and is of sufficient volume to ensure that the electrically conductive fluid remains in contact with at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes regardless of a rotational orientation of the plurality of spherical concentric shells;

providing, using the one or more power cells, an electrical charge to the electrically conductive shell and a ground connection to each of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes, wherein the one or more power cells are connected to the electrically conductive shell and each of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes by electrically conductive wire;

conducting the electrical charge between the electrically conductive shell and a portion of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes in contact with the electrically conductive fluid;

transmitting electrical signals individually conducted by each of the portion of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes in contact with the electrically conductive fluid, wherein the electrical signals are transmitted through electrically conductive wire and processed by one or more microcontrollers;

generating, using the one or more microcontrollers, an indicator of a rotational orientation of an object, to which the plurality of spherical concentric shells are attached, based on the portion of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes in contact with the electrically conductive fluid;

outputting the indicator of the rotational orientation of the object based on at least one of wired and wireless communications; and

responsive to a change in the rotational orientation of the object, outputting an associated indicator of the change in the rotational orientation of the object, wherein the associated indicator is based on the change in the rotational orientation of the object causing the electrically conductive fluid to contact a different portion of the plurality of electrically conductive nodes.