Patent classifications
G01C19/726
STIMULATED BRILLOUIN RING LASER GYROSCOPE WITH OPTICAL FREQUENCY OFFSET OF COUNTERPROPAGATING PUMP LASER SIGNALS
A disk resonator is pumped by counterpropagating pump signals to produce corresponding counterpropagating Brillouin laser signals. The pump laser optical frequencies are separated by a frequency offset Δν.sub.P but excite the same nominal resonator optical mode; the Brillouin laser optical frequencies are separated by a beat frequency Δν.sub.L with 0<Δν.sub.L<Δν.sub.P. A photodetector receives the Brillouin laser signals and produces an electrical signal at the beat frequency Δν.sub.L. The frequency offset Δν.sub.P can be large so enough to prevent locking of the Brillouin laser signals onto a common Brillouin laser frequency. A signal processing system derives from the beat frequency Δν.sub.L an estimated angular velocity component of the disk optical resonator about an axis substantially perpendicular to the disk optical resonator.
PHOTOELECTRIC SENSING SYSTEM AND FEEDBACK MODULE
A feedback module is formed with modules comprising a schedule hardware register module and a computation circuit module. The schedule hardware register module receives a modulation signal and a sensing signal, and schedules and temporarily stores signal values of the sensing signal in successive half modulation cycles in sequence by taking a half modulation cycle as a time interval to obtain a temporarily stored sensing signal which has been scheduled. In each half modulation cycle, the computation circuit module calculates a differential signal value of the temporarily stored sensing signal between the previous two half modulation cycles, and outputs the differential signal value as a signal value of the feedback signal. The schedule hardware register module temporarily stores the feedback signal, and the feedback module feedbacks the feedback signal to an integrated optics chip of the photoelectric sensing system integrated optics chip.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CORRECTING ERRORS IN GYROSCOPES
Techniques are provided for correcting for time varying changes to a gyroscope incorporating a resonator and/or to an environment in which the gyroscope is located, and which affect the resonator. Free spectral range of the gyroscope, which varies with such changes, is determined and is used to correct at least one of gyroscope bias and scale factor.
Multilayer waveguide optical gyroscope
A waveguide optical gyroscope includes a multilayer waveguide rotation sensor fabricated on a substrate. The multilayer waveguide rotation sensor includes one or more overlaying non-intersecting, spiraling coils that are vertically separated to reduce or eliminate optical cross coupling. The waveguides are optically coupled by a vertical waveguide and are optically coupled to the other components of the optical gyroscope, including a light source and detector, which may be integrated or fabricated on the substrate. A lithium niobate phase modulator chip may be disposed on the substrate and optically coupled to the waveguides in the multilayer waveguide rotation sensor. The multilayer waveguide rotation sensor enables a small cross section for the guiding channels thereby achieving a high coil density in a small volume.
Large-dynamic-range fiber optic gyroscope
A method for operating a fiber optic gyroscope to measure angular velocity uses a closed-loop modulation scheme. Two-state modulation voltages are applied to an optical modulator and continuously adjusted to maintain a null difference between corresponding demodulated voltages from a photodetector. If one of the modulation voltages reaches a threshold voltage, the continuous nulling adjustment is interrupted briefly while the two-state modulation voltages are reset to values that correspond to relative phases of /2 and /2 when the gyroscope is stationary, then the continuous adjustment is resumed. This reoccurring resetting, while the gyroscope accelerates or decelerates, substantially increases the dynamic range over which the gyroscope can precisely measure angular velocity.
Fiber optic gyroscope control system using sub-tau modulation
A system includes a modulation controller that generates a modulation output signal that is employed to generate a modulation output signal to control light signals in a fiber optic coil. The modulation controller receives light signal feedback from the fiberoptic coil and controls the light signals in the fiber optic coil with the modulation output signal based on the light signal feedback. A transit time clock in the modulation controller has a clock speed to control a time period of the modulation output signal generated by the modulation controller. The time period is set to a period less than an optical transit time, tau, of the light signals applied to the fiber optic coil and returned from the coil after being applied.
GYROSCOPE ASSEMBLY WITH RING RESONATOR AND INTERFERENCE PATH
An optical gyroscope assembly for measuring a rotation rate. The optical gyroscope assembly includes a first multimode interferometer with an input for receiving light and two outputs, each connected to a second light guide; a ring resonator on each of the second light guides; a second multimode interferometer with two inputs, each connected to one of the second light guides, and two outputs, each connected to a third light guide; and a third multimode interferometer with two inputs, each connected to one of the third light guides, and two outputs, each connected to a fourth light guide.
Hyperbolic modulation offset error reducer for an RFOG
A hyperbolic modulation offset reducer circuit for a resonator fiber optic gyro (RFOG) is provided. The circuit includes a first demodulation circuit that is configured to demodulate a received transmission signal from a resonator at twice a sideband heterodyne detection modulation frequency to reject signals due to backscatter. A slave resonance tracking loop of the circuit is coupled to an output of the first demodulation circuit. The slave resonance tracking loop is configured to create an offset frequency signal from the transmission signal that is applied to an optical phase lock loop of a RFOG. A hyperbolic modulator offset control loop is also coupled to the output of the first demodulation circuit. The hyperbolic modulator offset control loop is configured to create a subharmonic common modulation signal from the transmission signal that is coupled to a common phase module in a silicon photonics chip of the RFOG.
Resonator fiber-optic gyro with quadrature error reducer
A resonance fiber-optic gyro (RFOG) with quadrature error reducer is provided. The RFOG with quadrature error reducer includes a laser assembly, a fiber resonator assembly, a resonance tracking loop and a quadrature error reducer circuit. The resonance tracking loop, coupled to an output of the finder resonator assembly, is used to generate a resonance frequency signal that is coupled to an OPLL mixer in one of a CCW OPLL or the CW OPLL of the laser assembly. The quadrature error reducer circuit includes an amplitude control loop and a second harmonic phase control loop. The amplitude control loop is used to generate a common modulation signal. An output of the amplitude control loop is coupled to a common phase modulator in the laser assembly. The second harmonic phase control loop is used to selectively adjust a phase of a second harmonic modulation signal in the amplitude control loop at startup.
HYPERBOLIC MODULATION OFFSET ERROR REDUCER FOR AN RFOG
A hyperbolic modulation offset reducer circuit for a resonator fiber optic gyro (RFOG) is provided. The circuit includes a first demodulation circuit that is configured to demodulate a received transmission signal from a resonator at twice a sideband heterodyne detection modulation frequency to reject signals due to backscatter. A slave resonance tracking loop of the circuit is coupled to an output of the first demodulation circuit. The slave resonance tracking loop is configured to create an offset frequency signal from the transmission signal that is applied to an optical phase lock loop of a RFOG. A hyperbolic modulator offset control loop is also coupled to the output of the first demodulation circuit. The hyperbolic modulator offset control loop is configured to create a subharmonic common modulation signal from the transmission signal that is coupled to a common phase module in a silicon photonics chip of the RFOG.