Gyroscope using torus shaped channels and image processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022011110-A1
Application number	US-202017298655-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 23, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2019
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods related to gyroscope related applications. A platform having at least one toms shaped channel that is filled with a liquid is used in conjunction with at least one marker to determine the direction of forces applied to the platform. Each marker is neutrally buoyant within the liquid and a marker tracking system is used to determine the displacement of the marker from its resting place after a force has been applied to the platform. The tracking system may be based on at least one digital camera in conjunction with suitable image processing software to determine the marker's position before, during, and after the force has been applied. A gyroscope can be constructed using three such platforms with each platform being orthogonal to the other two. Each platform may have multiple concentric channels with a common center with each channel having a different sensitivity to the applied forces.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for use in gyroscope applications, the assembly comprising:
a planar platform comprising at least one torus-shaped, liquid filled channel containing at least one marker, said at least one marker being displaced from its resting position by forces applied to said platform; a marker tracking subsystem for determining an amount of displacement of said at least one marker from a resting position of said at least one marker whenever said at least one marker is displaced by said forces; wherein said at least one marker is neutrally buoyant in said liquid filling said channel.

2 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said channel is transparent and said marker tracking subsystem comprises:
at least one optoelectronic sensor for imaging said marker in said channel; a data processing system for image processing to determine a position of said at least one marker after said at least one marker has been displaced from its resting position by said forces.

3 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one marker is sphere shaped.

4 . The assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one channel comprises at least two concentric torus-shaped channels having a common center, each of said at least two channels and their respective markers having a different sensitivity to external forces than other channels in said platform.

5 . The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one optoelectronic sensor is placed opposite said channel such that a field of view of said camera includes a view of said channel and said at least one marker.

6 . The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said data processing system also determines a position of said at least one marker prior to said forces being applied to said platform.

7 . The assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature compensation subsystem for compensating for changes in temperature such that a performance of said assembly is substantially unaffected by temperature.

8 . A gyroscope comprising:
three assemblies for determining directions of forces applied to said gyroscope, each assembly being configured to determine forces applied relative to a specific plane; wherein each assembly comprises:
a planar platform comprising at least one torus-shaped, liquid filled channel containing at least one marker, said at least one marker being displaced from its resting position by forces applied to said platform;
a marker tracking subsystem for determining an amount of displacement of said at least one marker from its resting position whenever said at least one marker is displaced by said forces;
wherein
said at least one marker is neutrally buoyant in said liquid filling said channel;
a plane for each platform is orthogonal to planes for other platforms.

9 . The gyroscope according to claim 8 , wherein, for each assembly, said channel is transparent and said marker tracking subsystem comprises:
at least one optoelectronic sensor for imaging said at least one marker in said channel; a data processing system for image processing to determine a position of said at least one marker after said at least one marker has been displaced from its resting position by said forces.

10 . The gyroscope according to claim 9 , wherein, for each assembly, said at least one optoelectronic sensor is placed opposite said channel such that said field of view of said at least one optoelectronic sensor includes a view of said channel and said at least one marker.

11 . The gyroscope according to claim 8 , wherein, for at least one of said three assemblies, said at least one channel comprises at least two concentric torus-shaped channels having a common center, each of said at least two channels and their respective markers having a different sensitivity to external forces than other channels in said at least one assembly.

12 . The assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said at least one optoelectronic sensor comprises a digital camera.

13 . The gyroscope according to claim 9 , wherein said at least one optoelectronic sensor comprises a digital camera.

14 . A method for determining forces applied to a gyroscope, the gyroscope comprising a torus-shaped channel containing at least one particle, the method comprising:
a) acquiring a first image of said at least one particle in said channel prior to an application of a force to said gyroscope; b) acquiring at least one second image for said at least one particle in said channel after said force has been applied to said gyroscope; c) determining a centroid for said at least one particle in said first and said at least one second images; d) determining an amount of movement of said at least one particle relative to a position of said particle in said first image, said amount of movement being proportional to said force applied to said gyroscope; wherein said amount of movement is determined by an angle between a first vector and at least one second vector, said first vector being from a center of said torus of said torus-shaped channel and a position of said at least one particle in said first image and said at least one second vector being from said center of said torus of said torus-shaped channel and a position of said at least one particle in said at least one second image.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said method comprises computing a sum of absolute differences between said first image and said at least one second image.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising determining a position of said at least one particle in one of said first and said at least one second image comprises setting an image threshold and creating a binary image based on said threshold.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising, for each image, creating a region around said centroid based on a predetermined bounding box

18 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising, for each image, comparing pixel values within said region to a predefined reference value wherein said predefined reference value is based on a color of said at least one particle such that pixels that conform to said predefined reference value is defined as being within said region.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising, for each image, defining an outer edge of said at least one particle in said image using edge detection on said region.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , further comprising, for each image, fitting said outer edge to an actual geometric shape of said at least one particle using least squares adjustment.

Assignees

• Uti Lp

Inventors

• Youssef Ahmed
• El-Sheimy Naser

Classifications

• G01C19/00

  Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects · CPC title

• G01C19/42

  for indicating rate of turn; for integrating rate of turn · CPC title

• G01P15/008 Primary

  by using thermal pick-up · CPC title

• G01C19/14 Primary

  Fluid rotors · CPC title