US3715562A — Computer for use with ring laser rotational rate …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 196 words

In a ring laser rotational rate sensor system for measuring the rate and direction of rotation of the ring about an axis normal thereto including a ring laser having contrarotating beams and biasing means for selectively changing the effective optical path length around said ring of one of said beams with respect to the other, said ring laser providing a laser pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the difference in oscillation frequency between said beams: laser polarity selection means for providing a first polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said laser pulse sequence, compensation means for providing a bias compensation pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the change in said effective optical path length effected by said biasing means, compensation polarity selection means for providing a second polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said bias compensation pulse sequence and selected of opposite polarity to that of said first polarity signal, and pulse sequence combining means responsive to said laser pulse sequence, first polarity signal, bias compensation pulse sequence and second polarity signal for providing a combined pulse sequence and a combined polarity signal in accordance therewith.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 196 words

In a ring laser rotational rate sensor system for measuring the rate and direction of rotation of the ring about an axis normal thereto including a ring laser having contrarotating beams and biasing means for selectively changing the effective optical path length around said ring of one of said beams with respect to the other, said ring laser providing a laser pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the difference in oscillation frequency between said beams: laser polarity selection means for providing a first polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said laser pulse sequence, compensation means for providing a bias compensation pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the change in said effective optical path length effected by said biasing means, compensation polarity selection means for providing a second polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said bias compensation pulse sequence and selected of opposite polarity to that of said first polarity signal, and pulse sequence combining means responsive to said laser pulse sequence, first polarity signal, bias compensation pulse sequence and second polarity signal for providing a combined pulse sequence and a combined polarity signal in accordance therewith.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 196 words

In a ring laser rotational rate sensor system for measuring the rate and direction of rotation of the ring about an axis normal thereto including a ring laser having contrarotating beams and biasing means for selectively changing the effective optical path length around said ring of one of said beams with respect to the other, said ring laser providing a laser pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the difference in oscillation frequency between said beams: laser polarity selection means for providing a first polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said laser pulse sequence, compensation means for providing a bias compensation pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the change in said effective optical path length effected by said biasing means, compensation polarity selection means for providing a second polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said bias compensation pulse sequence and selected of opposite polarity to that of said first polarity signal, and pulse sequence combining means responsive to said laser pulse sequence, first polarity signal, bias compensation pulse sequence and second polarity signal for providing a combined pulse sequence and a combined polarity signal in accordance therewith.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 196 words

In a ring laser rotational rate sensor system for measuring the rate and direction of rotation of the ring about an axis normal thereto including a ring laser having contrarotating beams and biasing means for selectively changing the effective optical path length around said ring of one of said beams with respect to the other, said ring laser providing a laser pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the difference in oscillation frequency between said beams: laser polarity selection means for providing a first polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said laser pulse sequence, compensation means for providing a bias compensation pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the change in said effective optical path length effected by said biasing means, compensation polarity selection means for providing a second polarity signal representative of a polarity associated with said bias compensation pulse sequence and selected of opposite polarity to that of said first polarity signal, and pulse sequence combining means responsive to said laser pulse sequence, first polarity signal, bias compensation pulse sequence and second polarity signal for providing a combined pulse sequence and a combined polarity signal in accordance therewith.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 90 words

In the system recited in claim 1 in which said pulse sequence combining means comprises means for inhibiting each said laser pulse and each said bias compensation pulse that occur simultaneously with respect to each other and have opposite associated polarities with respect to each other and transmitting each said laser pulse and each said bias compensation pulse that occur separately with respect to each other thereby providing said combined pulse sequence and for transmitting the polarity signal associated with each said transmitted pulse thereby providing said combined polarity signal.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 33 words

In the system recited in claim 1 in which said laser polarity selection means includes means for selecting the polarity of said first polarity signal in accordance with the polarity of said bias.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 24 words

In the system recited in claim 3 in which said compensation means includes means for selectively providing a plurality of bias compensation pulse sequences.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

In the system recited in claim 4 further including bias control means for providing signals to said biasing means for alternately reversing said polarity of said bias.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 32 words

In the system recited in claim 3 in which said compensation means includes means for selectively providing first and second bias compensation pulse sequences in accordance with said polarity of said bias.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 109 words

In the system recited in claim 6 further including bias control means for providing bias control signals; said biasing means, said means for selecting the polarity of said first polarity signal in accordance with the polarity of said bias, said means for selectively providing first and second bias compensation pulse sequences in accordance with said polarity of said bias and said compensation polarity selection means for controlling said polarity of said bias being responsive to said control signals for selecting the polarity of said first polarity signal, for selectively providing said first and second bias compensation pulse sequences and for selecting the polarity of said second polarity signal, respectively.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 52 words

In the system recited in claim 7 in which said bias control means further includes means for alternately reversing said bias control signals to alternately reverse said polarity of said bias, alternately reverse said polarities of first and second polarity signals, and alternately select said first and second bias compensation pulse sequences.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 83 words

In the system recited in claim 6 in which said compensation means further includes means for providing to said pulse sequence combining means and instrument compensation pulse sequence whose pulse repetition frequency is representative of the zero offset of the response curve of said ring laser, and said compensation polarity selection means further includes instrument compensation polarity selection means for providing to said pulse sequence combining means a signal representative of a predetermined instrument compensation polarity associated with said instrument compensation pulse sequence.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 61 words

In the system recited in claim 9 in which said compensation means comprises an integrator of the digital differential analyzer type wherein predetermined numbers stored in respective Y-registers associated with said integrator are selectively accumulated in the R-register associated therewith thereby providing respectively said first bias compensation pulse sequence, said second bias compensation pulse sequence and said instrument compensation pulse sequence.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 90 words

In the system recited in claim 9 in which said pulse sequence combining means comprises means for inhibiting each said laser pulse and each said bias compensation pulse that occur simultaneously with respect to each other and have opposite associated polarities with respect to each other and transmitting each said laser pulse and each said bias compensation pulse that occur separately with respect to each other thereby providing said combined pulse sequence and for transmitting the polarity signal associated with each said transmitted pulse thereby providing said combined polarity signal.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 174 words

In the system recited iN claim 9 in which said pulse sequence combining means further includes means responsive to said laser pulse sequence and to said instrument compensation pulse sequence for inhibiting each said laser pulse and each said instrument compensation pulse that occur simultaneously with respect to each other and have opposite associated polarities with respect to each other, means responsive to said laser pulse sequence and to said instrument compensation pulse sequence for transmitting one pulse of simultaneously occurring laser and instrument compensation pulses having the same associated polarities with respect to each other thereby providing a pulse of said combined pulse sequence, means for storing the other pulse of said simultaneously occurring laser and instrument compensating pulses having the same associated polarities with respect to each other and for thereafter transmitting said other pulse thereby providing a pulse of said combined pulse sequence, and means for storing the polarity signal associated with said other pulse and for transmitting said polarity signal associated therewith concurrently with the transmission of said other pulse.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 99 words

In the system recited in claim 1 further including first computation means coupled to said pulse sequence combining means and responsive to said combined pulse sequence and said combined polarity signal for providing signals in accordance therewith representative of the sine and cosine of the angular displacement of said ring about said axis normal thereto, and second computation means coupled to said pulse sequence combining means and responsive to said combined pulse sequence and said combined polarity signal for providing a digital signal in accordance therewith representative of the angular velocity of said ring about said axis normal thereto.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 24 words

In the system recited in claim 13 in which said first and second computation means comprise integrator circuits of the digital differential analyzer type.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 26 words

In the system recited in claim 1 further including bias control means for providing bias control signals to said biasing means for energization and de-energization thereof.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 150 words

In the system recited in claim 15 further including rate detector means responsive to said combined pulse sequence and said combined polarity signal for providing a de-energizing signal and a rate detector polarity signal whenever the magnitude of said rate of rotation exceeds a predetermined magnitude, said rate detector polarity signal being representative of said direction of rotation of said ring about said axis normal thereto when the magnitude of said rate of rotation exceeds said predetermined magnitude, said bias control means being responsive to said de-energizing signal for de-energizing said biasing means, said laser polarity selection means including means responsive to said de-energizing signal and said rate detector polarity signal for providing said first polarity signal in accordance with said rate detector polarity signal, and said compensation means being responsive to said de-energizing signal for inhibiting said bias compensation pulse sequence from transmission to said pulse sequence combining means.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 112 words

In the system recited in claim 16 in which said rate detector means comprises a reversible pulse counter for counting the pulses of said combined pulse sequence selectively in an upward or downward direction in accordance with said combined polarity signal, means for periodically resetting said counter, means coupled to said counter for detecting a predetermined count to provide said de-energizing signal whenever said counter attains said predetermined count during said resetting period, and storage means responsive to said combined polarity signal for storing the polarity signal associated with the pulse of said combined pulse sequence that caused said counter to attain said predetermined count thereby providing said rate detector polarity signal.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 60 words

IN the system recited in claim 1 further including scaling means responsive to said combined pulse sequence and said combined polarity signal for multiplying said combined pulse sequence in accordance with said combined polarity signal by the desired scale factor thereby providing a signal representative of said rate and direction of rotation of said ring about said axis normal thereto.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 41 words

In the system recited in claim 18 in which said scaling means comprises an integrator of the digital differential analyzer type wherein a predetermined binary number representative of the desired scale factor is stored in the Y-register associated with said integrator.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 54 words

In the system recited in claim 1 further including integrating means responsive to said combined pulse sequence and combined polarity signal for integrating said combined pulse sequence in accordance with said combined polarity signal thereby providing a signal representative of said rate and direction of rotation of said ring about said axis normal thereto.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 61 words

In the system recited in claim 20 in which said integrating means further includes first computation means for providing signals representative of the sine and the cosine of the angular displacement of said ring about said axis normal thereto, and second computation means for providing a digital signal representative of the angular velocity of said ring about said axis normal thereto.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-02-06	1976-08-07	1977-02-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-02-06	1980-08-07	1981-02-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-02-06	1984-08-07	1985-02-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Computer for use with ring laser rotational rate sensors

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