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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Laser gyro with dithered mirrors and current dither

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6535619
This patent describes a laser gyro for detecting rates of rotation, the gyro having a body with a polygonal shaped cavity therein forming a closed loop path through which two counter-rotating beams travel and having a mirror disposed at each of the corners of the cavity for reflecting the beams about the path. A means is included for eliminating errors in the output of the gyro caused by lock-in of the beams. The laser gyro comprises: means for generating a sine wave drive signal; first means responsive to the drive signal for vibrating one of the mirrors in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the mirror; second means responsive to the drive signal for vibrating another of the mirrors in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the mirror and 180/sup 0/ out of phase with the one mirror; means for deriving a feedback signal from one of the vibrating means; and means responsive to the feedback signal for modifying the sine wave drive signal to at least one of the mirror vibrating means.
Assignee:
Sundstrand Optical Technologies, Inc., Newbury, CA
Patent Number(s):
US 4653919
OSTI ID:
6535619
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English