High rate rotation sensing

• US 9,587,943 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hanson, Timothy J., Troske, Terrance, Willits, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen
• Application Number:
  US14/608,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20160097640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 735/10, 735/11, 734/93, 734/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 19/34 for indicating a direction in the horizontal plane, e.g. directional gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/42 for indicating rate of turn; for integrating rate of turn
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/44 for indicating the vertical
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems

Abstract

One embodiment is directed towards an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring an input rate of rotation about an input axis. The IMU includes a first three dimensional gyroscope disposed such that a first axis of its three axes is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, wherein the reference plane is normal to the input axis. The IMU also includes one or more processing devices coupled to the first gyroscope. The IMU also includes one or more data storage devices coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage devices including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to calculate the input rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the first axis by the sine of the skew angle.

Claims

1. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring an input rate of rotation about an input axis, the IMU comprising:

a first three dimensional gyroscope, the first gyroscope configured to sense rotation about a first set of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the first gyroscope is disposed such that a first axis of the first set of three axes is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, the reference plane normal to the input axis;

a second three dimensional gyroscope, the second gyroscope having one of its axes parallel to the input axis;

wherein a skew constant is equal to a maximum rate of rotation that the first gyroscope is rated to sense about the first axis divided by a maximum rate of rotation that is to be measured about the input axis;

wherein the skew angle is an angle less than or equal to the arcsine of the skew constant;

one or more processing devices coupled to the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope; and

one or more data storage devices coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage devices including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to calculate the input rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the first axis by the sine of the skew angle.

2. The IMU of claim 1, comprising:

a printed circuit board disposed to align with the reference plane, wherein the first gyroscope is mounted on the printed circuit board at the skew angle with respect to the printed circuit board.

3. The IMU of claim 2, comprising a wedge disposed between the printed circuit board and the first gyroscope to dispose the first gyroscope at the skew angle with respect to the printed circuit board.

4. The IMU of claim 1, comprising:

a housing; and

a printed circuit board mounted in the housing, the first gyroscope mounted to the printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board is mounted at the skew angle with respect to the reference plane.

5. The IMU of claim 1, wherein the first gyroscope is disposed such that a second axis of the first set of three axes is oriented at the skew angle in degrees away from the reference plane;

wherein the sensed rate of rotation about the first axis divided by the sine of the skew angle is a first rate of rotation about the input axis; and

wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to calculate a second rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the second axis by the sine of the skew angle, and to calculate the input rate of rotation based on combining the first rate of rotation with the second rate of rotation.

6. A method of determining an input rate of rotation about an input axis, the method comprising:

sensing a first rate of rotation about a first axis of a first three dimensional gyroscope, the first gyroscope configured to sense rotation about a first set of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the first axis is in the first set of three axes, wherein the first gyroscope is disposed such that the first axis is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, the reference plane normal to the input axis;

sensing a second rate of rotation about an axis (122), parallel to the input axis (112), of a second three dimensional gyroscope configured to sense rotation about a second set of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the second gyroscope is disposed such that a second axis of the second set of three axes is oriented at the skew angle in degrees away from the reference plane;

calculating the input rate of rotation based on dividing the first rate of rotation by the sine of the skew angle;

wherein a skew constant is equal to a maximum rate of rotation that the first gyroscope is configured to sense about the first axis divided by a maximum rate of rotation that is to be measured about the input axis, and

wherein the skew angle is an angle less than or equal to the arcsine of the skew constant.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein calculating the input rate of rotation includes setting the input rate of rotation equal to the first rate of rotation divided by the sine of the skew angle.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second gyroscope is oriented such that the second axis is oriented in generally the opposite direction of the first axis of the first gyroscope, such that combining the first rate of rotation and the second rate of rotation cancels out common mode errors.

9. The method of claim 6, comprising:

sensing a second rate of rotation about a second axis of the first set of three axes of the first gyroscope, wherein the first gyroscope is configured such that the second axis is oriented at the skew angle in degrees away from the reference plane;

wherein calculating the input rate or rotation includes;

calculating a second rate of rotation based on dividing the second rate of rotation by the sine of the skew angle; and

calculating the input rate of rotation based on combining the first rate of rotation with the second rate of rotation.

10. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring an input rate of rotation about an input axis, the IMU comprising:

a housing;

a printed circuit board mounted in the housing;

a first three dimensional gyroscope die mounted to the printed circuit board, the first gyroscope die configured to sense rotation about a first set of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the first gyroscope die is disposed such that a first axis of the first set of three axes is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, the reference plan normal to the input axis;

a second three dimensional gyroscope die mounted to the printed circuit board, the second gyroscope die configured to sense rotation about a second set of three mutually orthogonal axes, and wherein the second gyroscope die is oriented such that the second axis is oriented at the skew angle in degrees away from the reference plane;

wherein a skew constant is equal to a maximum rate of rotation that the first gyroscope die is rated to sense about the first axis divided by a maximum rate of rotation that is to be measured about the input axis;

wherein the skew angle is an angle less than or equal to the arcsine of the skew constant;

one or more processing devices mounted to the printed circuit board and coupled to the first gyroscope die and the second gyroscope die; and

one or more data storage devices coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage devices, including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to;

calculate a first rate of rotation by dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the first axis by the sine of the skew angle;

calculate a second rate of rotation based on dividing the sensed rate of rotation about the second axis by the sine of the skew angle;

wherein calculate the input rate of rotation includes combining the first rate of rotation with the second rate of rotation.

11. The IMU of claim 10, wherein the second gyroscope die is disposed such that the second axis is parallel with the reference plane.

12. The IMU of claim 10, wherein the second gyroscope die is oriented such that the second axis is oriented in generally the opposite direction of the first axis of the first gyroscope die, such that combining the first rate of rotation and the second rate of rotation cancels out common mode errors.

13. The IMU of claim 10, wherein the first gyroscope die is disposed such that a third axis of the first set of three axes is oriented at the skew angle in degrees away from the reference plane;

wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to;

calculate a third rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the third axis by the sine of the skew angle;

wherein calculate the input rate of rotation includes combining the first rate of rotation with the third rate of rotation.

14. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) for measuring an input rate of rotation about an input axis, the IMU comprising:

a first three dimensional gyroscope, the first gyroscope configured to sense rotation about a first set of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the first gyroscope is disposed such that a first axis of the first set of three axes is oriented at a skew angle in degrees away from a reference plane, the reference plane normal to the input axis;

a second three dimensional gyroscope, the second gyroscope configured to sense rotation about a second set of three mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the second gyroscope is disposed such that a second axis of the second set of three axes is oriented at the skew angle in degrees away from the reference plane;

wherein a skew constant is equal to a maximum rate of rotation that the first gyroscope is rated to sense about the first axis divided by a maximum rate of rotation that is to be measured about the input axis;

wherein the skew angle is an angle less than or equal to the arcsine of the skew constant;

wherein the sensed rate of rotation by the first axis divided by the sine of the skew angle is a first rate of rotation about the input axis;

one or more processing devices coupled to the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope; and

one or more data storage devices coupled to the one or more processing devices, the one or more data storage devices including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to calculate the input rate of rotation about the input axis based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the first axis by the sine of the skew angle; and

wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to calculate a second rate of rotation based on dividing a sensed rate of rotation about the second axis by the sine of the skew angle, and to calculate the input rate of rotation based on combining the first rate of rotation with the second rate of rotation.

15. The IMU of claim 14, wherein the second gyroscope is oriented such that the second axis is oriented in generally the opposite direction of the first axis of the first gyroscope, such that combining the first rate of rotation and the second rate of rotation cancels out common mode errors.