Motion analysis unit

• US 9,846,011 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Alan, Lattimore, Aaron C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alharbi, Adam
• Application Number:
  US15/331,157
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/001 Devices or systems for testing or checking
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/00 Systems for controlling missiles or projectiles, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/40 wherein the safety or arming action is effected electrically
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/16 by integrating acceleration or speed, i.e. inertial navigation

Abstract

A motion analysis system includes an acceleration measuring device, an acceleration processor, a velocity processor, a distance processor, a peak velocity processor, a profile correlation processor, and a vehicle action processor. The system determines a time for an initiation of an action for a vehicle by determining that a distance traveled by the vehicle is greater than a safe separation distance and that a peak velocity is greater than a minimum velocity. The system initiates the action for the vehicle based on the verified position of the vehicle and the confirmed profile data as determined by the profile correlation processor, and based on the determination that the distance traveled by the vehicle is greater than the safe separation distance and that the peak velocity is greater than the minimum velocity as determined by the vehicle action processor.

Claims

1. A motion analysis system comprising:

an acceleration measuring device and an acceleration processor operable to detect an initial motion of a vehicle;

a velocity processor operable to calculate a velocity of the vehicle by adding to a previously-computed velocity an average of a current acceleration and a previously-measured acceleration;

a distance processor operable to calculate a distance traveled by the vehicle by adding to a previously-computed distance an average of a current velocity and a previously-computed velocity;

a peak velocity processor operable to determine a peak velocity;

a profile correlation processor coupled to a motion profile database, operable to verify a position of the vehicle and to confirm profile data; and

a vehicle action processor operable to determine a time for an initiation of an action for the vehicle by determining that the distance traveled by the vehicle is greater than a safe separation distance and that the peak velocity is greater than a minimum velocity threshold;

wherein the system is configured to initiate the action for the vehicle based on the verified position of the vehicle and the confirmed profile data as determined by the profile correlation processor, and based on the determination that the distance traveled by the vehicle is greater than the safe separation distance and that the peak velocity is greater than the minimum velocity as determined by the vehicle action processor.

2. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration measuring device comprises first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices and first and second lateral acceleration measuring devices, wherein the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices and the first and second lateral acceleration measuring devices are configured to provide acceleration data to the acceleration processor.

3. The motion analysis system of claim 2, wherein the acceleration processor is configured to combine data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices, correlate the data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices, determine if the initial motion has occurred by examining the combined and correlated data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices, and determine a longitudinal velocity, a longitudinal distance, a longitudinal peak velocity, and a longitudinal velocity profile detection based on the combined and correlated data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices.

4. The motion analysis system of claim 2, wherein the acceleration processor is configured to combine and correlate data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices and data from the first and second lateral acceleration measuring devices and determine a corrected acceleration of the vehicle, a direction of the vehicle, and a velocity of the vehicle, and determine a longitudinal-lateral velocity, a longitudinal-lateral distance, a longitudinal-lateral peak velocity, and a longitudinal-lateral velocity profile detection based on the combined and correlated data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices and the first and second lateral acceleration measuring devices.

5. The motion analysis system of claim 3 or 4, wherein the system is configured to verify that the longitudinal velocity is not greater than the longitudinal-lateral velocity and that the longitudinal distance is not greater than the longitudinal-lateral distance, and the system is configured to enter a fail-safe mode when the longitudinal velocity is greater than the longitudinal-lateral velocity or when the longitudinal distance is greater than the longitudinal-lateral distance.

6. The motion analysis system of claim 2, wherein the system is configured to normalize data from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices and the first and second lateral acceleration measuring devices, and the system is configured to validate data ranges from the first and second longitudinal acceleration measuring devices and the first and second lateral acceleration measuring devices.

7. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration processor is operable to detect an initial launch acceleration and is operable to detect a crossing of an acceleration threshold.

8. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the profile correlation processor is operable to execute a motor profile verification via correlation with an expected motor profile.

9. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration processor is operable to sense acceleration of complex profiles in order to make eject or launch decisions.

10. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the motion analysis system is operable to enter a fail-safe mode when the distance traveled by the vehicle is less than a safe separation distance.

11. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration measuring device is operable to establish a baseline by analyzing a platform movement, an acceleration measuring device error, and an acceleration measuring device misalignment.

12. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the safe separation distance is computed to an accuracy of approximately 0.3 meters.

13. The motion analysis system of claim 1, wherein the acceleration measuring device comprises a first z-axis sensor, a second z-axis sensor, an x axis sensor, and a y axis sensor, and each axis of the acceleration measuring device is processed separately.

14. The motion analysis system of claim 1, comprising a validation processor coupled to one or more of the acceleration processor, the velocity processor, the distance processor, the peak velocity processor, the profile correlation processor, and the vehicle action processor;

wherein the validation processor is operable to monitor one or more of the acceleration processor, the velocity processor, the distance processor, the peak velocity processor, the profile correlation processor, and the vehicle action processor for proper operation and error detection.

15. The motion analysis system of claim 1, comprising a timer processor operable to determine one or more check points or wait periods.

16. A motion analysis system for a vehicle comprising:

a first longitudinal accelerometer and a second longitudinal accelerometer;

a first lateral accelerometer and a second lateral accelerometer; and

a computer processor coupled to the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, and the second lateral accelerometer;

wherein the computer processor is configured to;

execute a delay until the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, the second lateral accelerometer, and a filter stabilize;

independently minimize error associated with each of the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, and the second lateral accelerometer by detecting and removing fixed offsets;

normalize data received from the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, and the second lateral accelerometer;

verify that the normalized data are within a range for subsequent calculations and that the normalized data track across the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, and the second lateral accelerometer;

use data from the first longitudinal accelerometer and the second longitudinal accelerometer to;

determine a longitudinal acceleration;

determine an initial motion of the vehicle based on the longitudinal acceleration;

compute a longitudinal velocity of the vehicle by adding to a previously-computed velocity an average of a current acceleration and a previously-measured acceleration;

compute a longitudinal distance of the vehicle by adding to a previously-computed distance an average of a current velocity and a previously-computed velocity;

detect a longitudinal peak velocity; and

detect a longitudinal velocity profile;

use data from the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, and the second lateral accelerometer to;

determine a corrected longitudinal-lateral acceleration;

determine a longitudinal-lateral direction;

determine a longitudinal-lateral distance;

compute a longitudinal-lateral velocity by adding to a previously-computed longitudinal-lateral velocity an average of a current longitudinal-lateral acceleration and a previously-measured longitudinal-lateral acceleration;

compute a longitudinal-lateral distance by adding to a previously-computed longitudinal-lateral distance an average of a current longitudinal-lateral velocity and a previously-computed longitudinal-lateral velocity;

detect a longitudinal-latitude peak velocity; and

detect a longitudinal-latitude velocity profile;

use the computed longitudinal distance and the computed longitudinal-lateral distance to determine if a distance traveled by the vehicle is greater than a safe separation distance;

use the detected longitudinal peak velocity and the detected longitudinal-lateral peak velocity to determine if the vehicle has attained a minimum velocity;

validate the longitudinal velocity profile and the longitudinal-lateral velocity profile; and

initiate an action for the vehicle when a distance traveled by the vehicle is greater than a safe separation distance, the peak velocity is greater than a minimum velocity threshold, and a position of the vehicle has been verified and profile data have been confirmed.

17. The motion analysis system of claim 16, wherein the computer processor, during the delay, verifies that one or more registers are initialized, verifies one or more clocks, and verifies that intelligible data are received from one or more sensors;

and wherein the computer processor is configured to execute a second delay to measure one or more errors.

18. The motion analysis system of claim 16, wherein the detection of fixed offsets comprises detecting acceleration due to acceleration of the earth, an acceleration of a platform associated with the vehicle, and misalignment errors associated with one or more of the first longitudinal accelerometer, the second longitudinal accelerometer, the first lateral accelerometer, and the second lateral accelerometer.

19. The motion analysis system of claim 16, wherein the initial motion is determined by verifying that a second acceleration is greater than a first acceleration.