The present invention provides an attitude sensing device and method for determining an attitude of a reference axis of a package containing a fiber optic sensor sensor. The attitude sensing device comprises an electro-mechanical attitude sensor for generating an electrical signal indicative of the attitude sensor, and converter logic for converting the electrical signal into a stimulus signal. A local power source is preferably provided for the electro-mechanical attitude sensor in the converte...

An attitude sensor comprises a spherical ball suspended in a fluid contained in a housing. The ball is maintained neutrally buoyant with respect to the fluid and out of direct contact with the housing. A means is provided for detecting the orientation of the ball. The sensor is particularly useful as a compass, in which case one or more magnets may be provided within the ball or a passive magnetic element is provided which is influenced by the earth's magnetic field.

This invention relates to providing aural indications to a person indicative of that person's environment and, more particularly, to providing such indications in three-dimensional form. More specifically, this invention relates to providing such three-dimensional aural indications to an individual to provide aural attitude information useful to that individual.

In an aircraft automatic flight control system (FIG. 1) having pitch attitude synchronizing and beeping circuits 70-71 and airspeed control circuits 84, trimming of airspeed (233, 165) is achieved by beeping (104) or releasing trim (45) to adjust the pitch attitude synchronizer reference (208), causing the airspeed reference (232) to be synchronized (233, 165) for 25 seconds (156), unless the pilot applies force to the longitudinal axis (31, 32, 35) of the cyclic pitch stick (27), which causes (...

An attitude indicator having a circular, annular transparent tube containing a liquid, preferably colored, and a gas bubble, the tube being constructed for encircling and for being fastened non-rotatably upon the forearm, in a position perpendicular to the length of the forearm of a diver. The readily visible position of the bubble in the tube enables the diver to compare and determine instantly, at any moment, the angular attitude, with reference to gravitational lines of force, of the tube its...

An attitude indicator, or detector, having a circular, annular transparent tube containing a liquid, preferably colored, and a gas bubble, the tube being shaped and constructed for encircling and for fastening non-rotatably upon the forearm and perpendicularly to the length of the forearm of a diver. The position of the bubble in the tube, responsive to the forces of gravity, enables the diver to determine at any moment the attitude, or angular position, of the tube with reference to the planes ...

The invention consists essentially of two light sensors on a spacecraft that are mounted beneath a baffle which divides the light from a light source such as the sun or a star. The divided light reflects off of two reflective surfaces onto the two light sensors. When the spacecraft assumes its normal attitude the baffle divides the light from the light source into two equal parts cuasing the two light sensors to produce equal outputs. An electrical circuit containing the two sensors produces a z...

An instrument for indicating roll and pitch attitude of a host craft. The instrument comprises a support for attaching the instrument to the host craft and a terrain reference including a horizon line fixed relative to the host craft parallel to the transverse axis of the craft. A gyroscope is universally mounted in the support to maintain a stabilized datum reference perpendicular to the earth. The gyroscope is coupled through gears and linkages to a simulator which represents the host craft as...

An attitude sensing apparatus for determining the attitude of a mobile unit is provided that can reliably estimate an alignment angle between a GPS antenna coordinate system and an IMU coordinate system with good accuracy regardless of the magnitude of the alignment angle. Based on observation of the difference between a GPS angular velocity and an IMU angular velocity, an alignment angle estimating section estimates an alignment angle and sensor errors. An alignment angle adder and a sensor err...

Attitude acquisition methods and systems are provided which reduce the time generally required to acquire spacecraft attitude estimates and enhance the probability of realizing such estimates. The methods and systems receive, over a time span .DELTA.t, successive frames of star-sensor signals that correspond to successive stellar fields-of-view, estimate spacecraft rotation .DELTA.r throughout at least a portion of the time span .DELTA.t, and, in response to the spacecraft rotation .DELTA.r, pro...