Dynamic motion control

• US 8,326,561 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airmar Technology Corporation (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Airmar Technology Corporation (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Boericke, Frederic S. II, Rolt, Kenneth D., Boucher, Stephen G., Tancrell, Roger H., Navarro, Alfonso R. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERRY, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US12/154,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 702/93, 702/95, 702/150, 702/153
• US Class Current: 702/93
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/42 for indicating rate of turn; for integrating rate of turn
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/1654 with electromagnetic compass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships

Abstract

In one embodiment a method and corresponding apparatus are arranged to determine an accurate device heading by continuously combining an average magnetic heading with the compensated inertial heading. The example embodiment obtains the compensated inertial heading by compensating for a time delay of an inertial heading.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a processor, compensating a time delay of an inertial heading of a device by continuously filtering long term drift from measurements of the inertial heading of the device and subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the inertial heading of the device, wherein continuously filtering long term drift includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the inertial heading and adjusting the at least one low-pass filter based on long term measurements from the inertial heading; and

determining an accurate device heading as a function of continuously combining an average magnetic heading of the device with the compensated inertial heading.

2. The method of claim 1 including determining the average magnetic heading as a function of translating a magnetic heading from a device frame of reference to earth'"'"'s frame of reference.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining the average magnetic heading includes correcting the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein correcting the magnetic heading includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the magnetic heading to remove the artifacts.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein determining the average magnetic heading includes correcting orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove short term dynamic accelerations.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein correcting orientation measurements includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove the short term dynamic accelerations.

7. A method comprising:

in a processor, continuously combining an error corrected inertial heading of a device, obtained from continuously filtering long term drift from measurements of an inertial heading of the device and subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the inertial heading of the device, with an average magnetic heading of the device to provide accurate device heading;

wherein continuously filtering long term drift includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the inertial heading and adjusting the at least one low-pass filter based on long term measurements from the inertial heading.

8. The method of claim 7 including adjusting the at least one low-pass filter by long term measurements from the magnetic heading.

9. The method of claim 7 including determining the average magnetic heading as a function of translating a magnetic heading from a device frame of reference to earth'"'"'s frame of reference.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the average magnetic heading includes correcting the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein correcting the magnetic heading includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the average magnetic heading includes correcting orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove short term dynamic accelerations.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein correcting orientation measurements includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove the short term dynamic accelerations.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a compensation module to compensate a time delay of an inertial heading by continuously filtering long term drift from measurements of the inertial heading and subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the inertial heading, wherein continuously filtering long term drift includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the inertial heading and adjusting the at least one low-pass filter based on long term measurements from the inertial heading; and

a determination module to determine an accurate device heading as a function of continuously combining an average magnetic heading with the compensated inertial heading.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 including a second determination module arranged to translate a magnetic heading from a device frame of reference to earth'"'"'s frame of reference to determine the average magnetic heading.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second determination module is arranged to determine the average magnetic heading as a function of correcting the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the second determination module is arranged to correct the magnetic heading as a function of applying at least one low-pass filter to the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second determination module is arranged to determine the average magnetic heading as a function of correcting orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove short term dynamic accelerations.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the second determination module is arranged to correct orientation measurements as a function of applying at least one low-pass filter to the orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove the short term dynamic accelerations.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a combination module arranged to continuously combine an error corrected inertial heading, obtained from continuously filtering long term drift from measurements of an inertial heading and subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the inertial heading, with an average magnetic heading to provide accurate device heading, wherein continuously filtering long term drift includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the inertial heading and adjusting the at least one low-pass filter based on long term measurements from the inertial heading; and

a reporting module arranged to report the provided accurate device heading.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the adjustment module is further arranged to adjust the at least one low-pass filter by long term measurements from the magnetic heading.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 including a determination module arranged to translate a magnetic heading from a device frame of reference to earth'"'"'s frame of reference to determine the average magnetic heading.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the determination module is arranged to determine the average magnetic heading as a function of correcting the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the determination module is arranged to correct the magnetic heading as a function of applying at least one low-pass filter to the magnetic heading to remove artifacts.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the determination module is arranged to determine the average magnetic heading as a function of correcting orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove short term dynamic accelerations.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the determination module is arranged to correct orientation measurements as a function of applying at least one low-pass filter to the orientation measurements of the device frame of reference to remove the short term dynamic accelerations.

27. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

compensate a time delay of an inertial heading by continuously filtering long term drift from measurements of the inertial heading and subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the inertial heading, wherein continuously filtering long term drift includes applying at least one low-pass filter to the inertial heading and adjusting the at least one low-pass filter based on long term measurements from the inertial heading; and

determine an accurate device heading as a function of continuously combining an average magnetic heading with the compensated inertial heading.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a rate gyro determining rate of turn data for a device;

a low-pass filter coupled to the rate gyro, the low-pass filter continuously filtering long term drift from the rate of turn data and arranged to be adjusted based on long term measurements from an inertial heading; and

a subtractor coupled to the rate gyro, the low-pass filter, and an integrator, the subtractor subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the rate of turn data, the subtractor output being passed through the integrator providing a relative inertial heading of the device.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the low-pass filter is a first filter, the subtractor is a first subtractor and the integrator is additionally coupled to a second filter providing a filtered relative heading and a second subtractor providing a filtered relative inertial heading by subtracting the filtered relative heading from the relative inertial heading of the device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the second filter is a second low-pass filter with a time constant removing artifacts in the relative heading.

31. A method comprising:

receiving rate of turn data for a device from a rate gyro;

coupling the rate gyro to a low-pass filter, the low-pass filter continuously filtering long term drift from the rate of turn data;

coupling a subtractor to the rate gyro, the low-pass filter, and an integrator;

subtracting the continuously filtered drift from the rate of turn data;

adjusting the low-pass filter based on long term measurements from an inertial heading; and

integrating an output of the subtractor providing a relative inertial heading of the device.