Gimbal stabilization system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060658-B2
Application number	US-201715816107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 17, 2016
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A gimbal stabilizing system for an aircraft having an airframe is disclosed. The gimbal stabilizing system may comprise a gimbal apparatus having at least one gimbal actuator to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus about an axis, wherein the gimbal apparatus is positioned on the airframe, an angular acceleration apparatus positioned on the airframe to generate an angular acceleration signal reflecting an angular acceleration of the airframe, and a gimbal controller operatively coupled to each of said angular acceleration apparatus and said gimbal apparatus. The gimbal controller may be configured to generate a gimbal control signal to compensate for the angular acceleration of the airframe based at least in part on a feedback control loop and a feedforward control loop, the feedforward control loop having the angular acceleration signal as an input thereto. The gimbal controller may be further configured to output the gimbal control signal to said gimbal apparatus to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gimbal stabilizing system for an aircraft having an airframe, the gimbal stabilizing system comprising:
a gimbal apparatus having at least one gimbal actuator to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus about an axis, wherein the gimbal apparatus is positioned on the airframe;
a distributed acceleration sensing assembly comprising a rate gyroscope and a plurality of accelerometers and configured to generate an angular acceleration signal reflecting an angular acceleration of the airframe,
wherein the plurality of accelerometers comprises at least three accelerometers positioned in a single plane, and
wherein the rate gyroscope is positioned to at least partially align with a center of gravity of the airframe and each accelerometer of the plurality of accelerometers is positioned at a same predetermined distance from the center of gravity; and

a gimbal controller operatively coupled to each of said distributed acceleration sensing assembly and said gimbal apparatus and configured to receive a position command to set the gimbal apparatus on a target,
wherein the gimbal controller is configured to generate a gimbal control signal using the position command that compensates for the angular acceleration of the airframe based at least in part on a feedback control loop and a feedforward control loop, the feedforward control loop having the angular acceleration signal as an input thereto, and
wherein the gimbal controller is configured to output the gimbal control signal to said gimbal apparatus to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus relative to the airframe to maintain the gimbal apparatus on the target.

2. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the feedback control loop is an angular position and rate feedback control loop.

3. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 2 , wherein the angular position and rate feedback control loop is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

4. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the distributed acceleration sensing assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly.

5. The gimbal stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of accelerometers is a linear tri-axial accelerometer.

6. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 1 , wherein the position command is updated as the aircraft maneuvers to maintain the gimbal apparatus on the target.

7. A gimbal stabilizing system for an aircraft having an airframe, the gimbal stabilizing system comprising:
a gimbal apparatus having at least one gimbal actuator to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus about an axis, wherein the gimbal apparatus is configured to couple to the airframe;
a distributed acceleration sensing assembly positioned on a rigid portion of the gimbal apparatus and configured to generate an angular acceleration signal reflecting an angular acceleration of the rigid portion,
wherein the distributed acceleration sensing assembly comprises a rate gyroscope and a plurality of accelerometers, wherein the and wherein each accelerometer of the plurality of accelerometers is positioned in a single plane at a same predetermined distance from a center of gravity of the airframe;

a gimbal controller operatively coupled to each of said distributed acceleration sensing assembly and said gimbal apparatus and configured to receive a position command to set the gimbal apparatus on a target,
wherein the gimbal controller is configured to generate a gimbal control signal using the position command that compensates for the angular acceleration of the rigid portion based at least in part on a feedback control loop, the feedback control loop having as an input thereto the angular acceleration signal, an angular position of the rigid portion, and an angular rate of the rigid portion, and
wherein the gimbal controller is configured to output the gimbal control signal to said gimbal apparatus to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus.

8. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 7 , wherein the feedback control loop is a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller.

9. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 7 , wherein the distributed acceleration sensing assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly.

10. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 7 , wherein each of the at least three accelerometers is a linear tri-axial accelerometer.

11. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 7 , wherein the rate gyroscope is positioned to at least partially align with a center of gravity of the airframe.

12. A gimbal stabilizing system comprising:
a gimbal apparatus having at least one gimbal actuator to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus about an axis;
a distributed acceleration sensing assembly comprising a rate gyroscope and at least three accelerometers and configured to generate an angular acceleration signal reflecting an angular acceleration of a rigid body,
wherein each accelerometer of the at least three accelerometers is positioned in a single plane at a same predetermined distance from a center of gravity of the rigid body; and
a gimbal controller operatively coupled to each of said distributed acceleration sensing assembly and said gimbal apparatus and configured to receive a position command to set the gimbal apparatus on a target,
wherein the gimbal controller is configured to generate a gimbal control signal based at least in part on said position command and said angular acceleration signal,
wherein the gimbal control signal is configured to compensate for the angular acceleration of the rigid body, and
wherein the gimbal controller is configured to output the gimbal control signal to said gimbal apparatus to adjust a position of the gimbal apparatus.

13. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein the gimbal control signal is generated based at least in part on the angular acceleration signal and an angular position and rate feedback control loop.

14. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein the gimbal control signal is configured to control said at least one gimbal actuator.

15. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein each of the at least three accelerometers is a linear tri-axial accelerometer.

16. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein the rigid body is an airframe.

17. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein the rigid body is a component of the gimbal apparatus.

18. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein the gimbal actuator is motor-driven.

19. The gimbal stabilizing system of claim 12 , wherein the gimbal apparatus is a three-dimensional gimbal apparatus.

Assignees

• Aurora Flight Sciences Corp

Inventors

• Griffin Riley
• Saunders Jeffery

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• G05B6/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• F16M2200/04

  Balancing means · CPC title

• F16M11/18

  with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• F16M11/2007

  comprising means allowing pivoting adjustment · CPC title