Force-position decoupler for electrostatic gyroscope suspension system

Claim 2

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which incorporates pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; amplifying means having an input and an output for providing a control signal to said support means; first servomechanism means coupled to said sensing means for receiving said provided a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired centered position between said electrode pairs, said first servomechanism means being substantially responsive only to signals above a selected threshold of frequency; first switch means for controllably connecting the input of said amplifying means to receive either a control signal or a reference potential; storage means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing on its input; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; second servomechanism means connected to receive the output of said storage means and to provide an output signal proportional to the integral of said provided a-c output position signal, said second servomechanism means being substantially responsive only to signals below the selected threshold of frequency; summing means coupled to said first and second servomechanism means for summing the output signals therefrom to form the control sIgnal which is applied to said first switch means; and switch control means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods, said switch control means also for a segment of each period enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal.

Claim 3

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which includes four pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; amplifying means having an input and an output for providing a control signal to said support means; first servomechanism means coupled to said sensing means for receiving said provided a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired centered position between said electrode pair; first switch means for controllably connecting the input of said amplifying means to receive either a control signal or a reference potential; storage means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing on its input; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; second servomechanism means connected to receive the output of said storage means and to provide an output signal proportional to the integral of said provided a-c output position signal; summing means coupled to said first and said second servomechanism means for summing the output signals therefrom to form the control signal which is applied to said first switch means; and switch control means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods, said switch control means also for a segment of each period enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal, said switch control means sequentially enabling in a non-overlapping manner each of said first and second switch means associated with each electrode pair so as to at all times allow at least three electrode pairs to support said conductive ball.

Claim 4

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which includes four pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; amplifying means having an input and an output for providing a control signal to said support means; first servomechanism means coupled to said sensing means for receiving said provided a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired centered position between said electrode pair; first switch means for controllably connecting the input of said amplifying means to receive either a control signal or a reference potential; storage means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing on its input; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; second servomechanism means connected to receive the output of said storage means and to provide an output signal proportional to the integral of said provided a-c output position signal; summing means coupled to said first and said second servomechanism means for summing the output signals therefrom to form the control signal which is applied to said first switch means; and switch control means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods, said switch control means also for a segment of each period enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal, said switch control means sequentially enabling in a non-overlapping manner each of said first and second switch means associated with each electrode pair so as to at all times allow at least three electrode pairs to support said conductive ball.

Claim 5

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which incorporates pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis, and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; circuit means inductively coupling said sensing means to said support means for providing a control signal to said support means to control the a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes; first servomechanism means for receiving said a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired center position of said conductive ball between said electrode pair, said first servomechanism means being substantially responsive only to signals above a selected threshold of frequency; storaGe means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing at its input; an integrator connected to receive the output of said storage means, said integrator being substantially responsive only to signals below the selected threshold of frequency; a modulator for modulating the output of said integrator; summing means connected to receive the output from said first servomechanism means and the output from said modulator for summing the output signals therefrom to form a control signal; first switch means for controllably allowing said circuit means to receive either the control signal or a reference potential; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; and switch control means coupled to said first and second switch means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods, and for also enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal during a portion of each period.

Claim 6

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which incorporates pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis, and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; circuit means inductively coupling said sensing means to said support means for providing a control signal to said support means to control the a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes; first servomechanism means for receiving said a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired center position of said conductive ball between said electrode pair, said first servomechanism means being substantially responsive only to signals above a selected threshold of frequency; storaGe means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing at its input; an integrator connected to receive the output of said storage means, said integrator being substantially responsive only to signals below the selected threshold of frequency; a modulator for modulating the output of said integrator; summing means connected to receive the output from said first servomechanism means and the output from said modulator for summing the output signals therefrom to form a control signal; first switch means for controllably allowing said circuit means to receive either the control signal or a reference potential; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; and switch control means coupled to said first and second switch means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods, and for also enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal during a portion of each period.

Claim 7

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which includes four pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis, and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; circuit means inductively coupling said sensing means to said support means for providing a control signal to said support means to control the a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes; first servomechanism means for receiving said a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired center position of said conductive ball between said electrode pair; storage means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing at its input; an integrator connected to receive the output of said storage means; a modulator for modulating the output of said integrator; summing means connected to receive the output from said first servomechanism means and the output from said modulator for summing the output signals therefrom to form a control signal; first switch means for controllably allowing said circuit means to receive either the control signal or a reference potential; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; and switch control means coupled to said first and second switch means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods and for also enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal during a portion of each period, said switch control means sequentially enabling in a non-overlapping manner each of said first and second switch means associated with each electrode pair so as to at all times allow at least three electrode pairs to support said conductive ball.

Claim 8

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which includes four pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun about a spin axis, and wherein each pair of electrodes is provided with the system comprised of: support means for establishing an a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes for electrostatically supporting said conductive ball between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for providing an a-c position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball; circuit means inductively coupling said sensing means to said support means for providing a control signal to said support means to control the a-c potential between said conductive ball and a pair of said electrodes; first servomechanism means for receiving said a-c position signal and for providing a compensated position signal indicative of the displacement of said conductive ball with respect to the desired center position of said conductive ball between said electrode pair; storage means having an input and an output for storing for a limited time signals appearing at its input; an integrator connected to receive the output of said storage means; a modulator for modulating the output of said integrator; summing means connected to receive the output from said first servomechanism means and the output from said modulator for summing the output signals therefrom to form a control signal; first switch means for controllably allowing said circuit means to receive either the control signal or a reference potential; second switch means for controllably connecting and disconnecting the input of said storage means to said sensing means in order to selectively pass the provided a-c position signal; and switch control means coupled to said first and second switch means for periodically enabling said first switch means to only receive the reference potential during preselected periods and for also enabling said second switch means to pass said provided a-c position signal during a portion of each period, said switch control means sequentially enabling in a non-overlapping manner each of said first and second switch means associated with each electrode pair so as to at all times allow at least three electrode pairs to support said conductive ball.

Claim 9

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which incorporates pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun around a spin axis, said system comprising: a subsystem for each pair of electrodes comprising: support means for electrostatically supporting said conductive bAll between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for developing a position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball between said electrode pair; first means, coupled to said sensing means, being responsive to higher frequency components in the position signal for continuously developing a compensated position signal indicative of the relative displacement of said conductive ball between said electrode pair; second means, coupled to said sensing means, being responsive to lower frequency components in the position signal received during a portion of each of associated preselected time periods for developing a first signal proportional to the integral of the position signal; summing means coupled to said second and first means for summing the first and compensated position signals therefrom to form a composite signal; third means coupled to said support means for applying a control signal thereto in response to the composite signal; and switching means coupled to said second and third means for preventing said third means from applying the control signal to said support means during each of the preselected time periods and for allowing said second means to receive the lower frequency components in the position signal during the portion of each of the preselected time periods; and control means coupled to all of said switching means for sequentially enabling in a non-overlapping manner each of said switching means so as to allow at all times at least all but one of said electrode pairs to support said conductive ball.

Claim 10

A suspension and position indicating system for an electrostatic gyroscope of the type which incorporates pairs of electrodes arranged in a symmetrical array around a conductive ball, which ball is adapted to be spun around a spin axis, said system comprising: a subsystem for each pair of electrodes comprising: support means for electrostatically supporting said conductive bAll between said electrode pair; sensing means coupled to said support means for developing a position signal which varies as a function of the position of said conductive ball between said electrode pair; first means, coupled to said sensing means, being responsive to higher frequency components in the position signal for continuously developing a compensated position signal indicative of the relative displacement of said conductive ball between said electrode pair; second means, coupled to said sensing means, being responsive to lower frequency components in the position signal received during a portion of each of associated preselected time periods for developing a first signal proportional to the integral of the position signal; summing means coupled to said second and first means for summing the first and compensated position signals therefrom to form a composite signal; third means coupled to said support means for applying a control signal thereto in response to the composite signal; and switching means coupled to said second and third means for preventing said third means from applying the control signal to said support means during each of the preselected time periods and for allowing said second means to receive the lower frequency components in the position signal during the portion of each of the preselected time periods; and control means coupled to all of said switching means for sequentially enabling in a non-overlapping manner each of said switching means so as to allow at all times at least all but one of said electrode pairs to support said conductive ball.

Claim 11

A system of claim 5 wherein said second means includes: storage means for storing a limited time signal information derived from the position signal during each portion of each preselected time period; an integrator coupled to said storage means for developing integrated signal information; and fourth means, coupled to said integrator, being responsive to the integrated signal information therefrom for developing and applying the first signal to said summing means.

Claim 12

The system of claim 6, wherein said control means develops a first switching signal during the portion of each preselected time period and a second switching signal during each preselected time period, and said switching means includes: first switch means, coupled to said third means, being responsive to each second switching signal for preventing said third means from applying the control signal to said support means during each preselected time period; and second switch means, coupled to said second means, being responsive to each first switching signal for allowing said second means to receive the lower frequency components in the position signal during the portion of each preselected time period.