Direction detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9441968-B2
Application number	US-201414776738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2014
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A direction detector that allows true north detection accuracy to be improved is provided. In a direction detector 1 , an attitude changer 100 rotates an angular velocity sensor 26 around a detection axis and controls an attitude of the angular velocity sensor 26 so that the detection axis is directed in a predetermined measuring direction and an opposite direction to the predetermined measuring direction. A control device 30 controls the attitude changer 100 so that the angular velocity sensor 26 rotates in a first rotation direction around the detection axis before the angular velocity sensor 26 starts to detect an angular velocity around the predetermined measuring direction. The control device 30 controls the attitude changer 100 so that the angular velocity sensor 26 rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction around the detection axis and, thereafter, the angular velocity sensor 26 rotates in the first rotation direction around the detection axis before the angular velocity sensor 26 starts to detect an angular velocity around the opposite direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A direction detector, comprising:
an angular velocity sensor;
an attitude changer that rotates the angular velocity sensor around a detection axis and changes an attitude of the angular velocity sensor so that the detection axis is directed in a predetermined measuring direction and an opposite direction to the predetermined measuring direction; and
a control device that controls the attitude changer,
the control device comprising:
a first controller that controls the attitude changer so that the angular velocity sensor rotates in a first rotation direction around the detection axis before the angular velocity sensor starts to detect an angular velocity around the predetermined measuring direction, and
a second controller that controls the attitude changer so that the angular velocity sensor rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction around the detection axis and, thereafter, the angular velocity sensor rotates in the first rotation direction around the detection axis before the angular velocity sensor starts to detect an angular velocity around the opposite direction.

2. The direction detector according to claim 1 , wherein the control device obtains a rotational angular velocity around an axis along the predetermined measuring direction by calculating a difference between an angular velocity around the predetermined measuring direction detected by the angular velocity sensor and an angular velocity around the opposite direction detected by the angular velocity sensor.

3. The direction detector according to claim 1 , wherein the attitude changer is provided in an XYZ rectangular coordinate system,
the attitude changer comprises:
a shaft extending in an X-axis direction,
a rotation member provided rotatably around an axis inclined at a deg with respect to the shaft, coupled to the shaft, and having an xyz rectangular moving coordinate system, the rotation member including a spherical surface and an orbit portion formed around an x-axis of the spherical surface,
a driving source controlled by the control device to rotate the shaft around the X axis, and
a guide member fixed to the XYZ rectangular coordinate system and in contact with the orbit portion,
the orbit portion has such a shape that an y axis of the rotation member is sequentially directed in positive and negative directions along a U axis, a V axis, and a W axis crossing one another at intervals of 60 deg around the X axis when the orbit portion rotates in contact with the guide member by the rotation of the shaft, the orbit portion having a zigzag shape including four mountain-like portions raised in a positive direction of the x axis and four valley-like portions raised in a negative direction,
the angular velocity sensor is attached to the rotation member so that the detection axis is directed along the y axis, and
the opposite direction to the predetermined measuring direction matches one of the U axis, the V axis, and the W axis.

4. The direction detector according to claim 3 , wherein when the angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity around an axial direction of one of the U axis, the V axis, and the W axis, the control device controls the attitude changer so that the detection axis is directed in the positive direction, the negative direction, and the positive direction of the one axis in the mentioned order, and
when the angular velocity sensor detects an angular velocity around the one axial direction, control by the second controller is carried out a smaller number of times than control by the first controller.

5. The direction detector according to claim 3 , wherein when the detection axis is directed in the positive direction of one of the U axis, the V axis, and the W axis, the detection axis has a plus sign, while when the detection axis is directed in the negative direction of one of the U axis, the V axis, and the W axis, the detection axis has a minus sign,
when the shaft rotates clockwise as viewed from a front of the direction detector, the rotation direction of the shaft has a plus sign, while when the shaft rotates counterclockwise, the rotation direction of the shaft has a minus sign, and
when the detection axis is directed in the positive direction and the negative direction of the one axis, whether or not to control the attitude changer by the first controller is determined based on a product of the sign of the detection axis and the sign of the rotation direction.

6. A control program product for a computer provided in a direction detector comprising an angular velocity sensor that detects an angular velocity around a detection axis and an attitude changer that rotates the angular velocity sensor around the detection axis and changes an attitude of the angular velocity sensor so that the detection axis is directed in a predetermined measuring direction and an opposite direction to the predetermined measuring direction,
the control program product allowing the computer to perform the steps of:
controlling the attitude changer so that the angular velocity sensor rotates in a first rotation direction around the detection axis before the angular velocity sensor starts to detect an angular velocity around the predetermined measuring direction; and
controlling the attitude changer so that the angular velocity sensor is rotated in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction around the detection axis and, thereafter, the angular velocity sensor is rotated in the first rotation direction around the detection axis before the angular velocity sensor starts to detect an angular velocity around the opposite direction.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Precision Prod Co

Inventors

• Moriguchi Takafumi

Classifications

• G01C19/38 Primary

  with north-seeking action by other than magnetic means, e.g. gyrocompasses using earth's rotation · CPC title

• G01C19/00 Primary

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