Self-leveling laser horizon for navigation guidance

• US 7,908,041 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Munro & Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Munro & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheok, Ka C., Smid, G. Edzko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/118,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/220, 701 3- 4, 701/10, 455/456.5, 340/973, 340/975, 340/945, 340/950, 340/980, 340/974, 332/86, 332/90, 332/91, 745/34, 359/843, 356/141.2, 356/140, 356/141.1
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/14 Artificial horizons
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

The present invention includes an artificial horizon device including a sensor unit with a movable platform, at least one actuator linked to the platform, and one or more sensors located on the platform for sensing the position orientation of the platform relative to an external mass or the motion of the platform. The horizon device also includes a processing unit signally connected to the sensors and the at least one actuator. The processing unit is adapted to receive signals from the sensors and send signals to the actuators to move the platform to a horizontal orientation. The horizon device also includes either a display unit comprising an indicator of a horizon line which substantially corresponds to the horizontal orientation of the platform or a secondary device.

Claims

1. A self-leveling laser horizon device for navigational guidance comprising:

a housing that is adapted to removably engage a substrate of a vehicle and having a power supply defined therein;

a sensor unit having a platform, at least one actuator to move said platform and at least one sensor to sense the orientation of said platform relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector, and at least one local sensor that is operatively disposed on said housing to sense the orientation of said platform relative to a portion of said housing;

a processing unit that is operatively connected to said sensor unit, said processing unit having a receiver to receive a signals from said sensor and said local sensor, a processor to process signals from said sensor unit at a predetermined refresh rate utilizing a compensation factor to substantially eliminate an observed gravity vector perceived by said sensor unit during movement of the vehicle, a transmitter to deliver signals to said actuator to level said platform in a manner that is substantially perpendicular to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector and an output link to deliver an output signal to a secondary device that displays data contained within said output signal in a manner that is humanly understandable; and

a display unit operatively engaged to said processing unit and adapted to provide a humanly perceptible indicator of an artificial horizon across a portion of an instrument panel of the vehicle and having a control member to control said humanly perceptible indicator;

wherein said humanly perceptible indicator is a light line that corresponds to the substantially perpendicular orientation of said platform relative to Earth'"'"'s gravitation vector on said housing and wherein said sensor unit, processing unit and display unit are operatively disposed within said housing so as to provide a portable artificial horizon device for use within a vehicle.

2. A self-leveling laser horizon device for navigational guidance comprising:

a sensor unit having a platform, at least one actuator to move said platform and at least one primary sensor to sense the movement of said platform along a first and second axis of rotation relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector, and at least one secondary sensor to sense the yaw rate of said platform relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector;

a processing unit having a receiver to receive a signals from said sensor unit, a processor to process signals from said sensor unit at a predetermined refresh rate and a transmitter to deliver signals to said actuator to level said platform in a manner that is substantially perpendicular to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector;

a display unit that is operatively engaged to said processing unit and adapted to provide at least one humanly perceptible indicator of an artificial horizon within the vehicle which corresponds to the substantially perpendicular orientation of said platform relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector; and

a housing that is removably engaged to the substrate of the vehicle and having a power supply defined therein to provide a source of power to at least one of said sensor unit, said processing unit and said display unit, wherein said sensor unit, processing unit and display unit are operatively disposed within said housing to provide a portable artificial horizon device.

3. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sensor unit further includes at least one dual-axis accelerometer operatively disposed within said housing and at least a pair of gyroscopes operatively disposed on said platform wherein said gyroscopes correspond to an axis of rotation of said platform.

4. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said processor further includes a compensation factor to substantially eliminate an observed gravity vector perceived by said sensor unit during movement of the vehicle.

5. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said processing unit further includes an output link to deliver an output signal to a secondary device that displays data contained within said output signal in a manner that is humanly understandable.

6. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said display unit further includes at least one control member to control the artificial horizon displayed within a vehicle.

7. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said humanly perceptible indicator includes a light line that is projected from said display unit and displayed across at least a portion of a vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel.

8. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sensor unit further includes at least one local sensor that is operatively disposed on said housing to sense the orientation of said platform relative to the substrate of the vehicle to which said housing is removably engaged.

9. A self-leveling laser horizon device for navigational guidance comprising:

a sensor unit having a platform, at least one actuator to move said platform and at least one sensor to sense the orientation of said platform relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector;

a processing unit operatively connected to said sensor unit and adapted to receive a signal from said sensor and direct said actuator to level said platform in a manner that is substantially perpendicular to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector;

a display unit that is operatively engaged to said processing unit and adapted to provide at least one humanly perceptible indicator of an artificial horizon within a vehicle which corresponds to the substantially perpendicular orientation of said platform relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector; and

a housing that is removably engaged to a substrate of the vehicle and having a power supply defined therein to provide a source of power to at least one of said sensor unit, said processing unit and said display unit, wherein said sensor unit, processing unit and display unit are operatively disposed within said housing.

10. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said processing unit includes a receiver that is adapted to receive signals from said sensor, a processor to process the signals from said sensor at a predetermined refresh rate and a transmitter to deliver signals to said actuator to level said platform in manner that is substantially perpendicular relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector.

11. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 10 wherein said processor further includes a compensation factor to substantially eliminate an observed gravity vector that is perceived by said sensor unit during movement of a vehicle.

12. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said processing unit further includes an output link to deliver an output signal to a secondary device that displays data contained within said output signal in a manner that is humanly understandable.

13. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sensor includes at least one accelerometer to signal said processor unit when the orientation of said platform is non-perpendicular relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector.

14. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sensor includes as at least one gyroscope to signal said processor unit when the orientation of said platform is non-perpendicular relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector.

15. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sensor includes at least one speedometer to signal said processor unit when the orientation of said platform is non-perpendicular relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector.

16. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sensor is defined as at least one linear variable differential transducer to measure the orientation of said platform relative to a portion of said housing.

17. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sensor unit further includes at least one local sensor that is operatively disposed on said housing and adapted to sense the orientation of said platform relative to the substrate of a vehicle to which said housing is removably engaged.

18. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sensor unit includes two actuators to move said platform along at least two axes to level said platform in a manner that is substantially perpendicular relative to the Earth'"'"'s gravitational vector.

19. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said display unit further includes at least one control member to control the artificial horizon displayed within a vehicle.

20. The self-leveling laser horizon device as set forth in claim 9 wherein said humanly perceptible indicator includes a light line that is projected from said display unit and displayed across at least a portion of a vehicle'"'"'s instrument panel.