Distributed Sensor Inertial Measurement Unit
An inertial measurement unit with distributed sensors to provide superior accuracy for acceleration, angular velocity and in some cases orientation. By using a distributed sensor configuration, improved accuracy is possible by leveraging the geometric configuration of the sensor array. The devices and methods described below provide for a distributed sensor IMU with distributed accelerometers, in addition to optionally distributed magnetometers and a further optional gyroscope.
1 . A distributed inertial measurement unit comprising:
six or more accelerometers oriented in a distributed array, each accelerometer producing an output signal, the six or more accelerometer output signals are processed by a first signal processor to produce an acceleration signal and a velocity signal;
six or more magnetometers oriented in a distributed array, each magnetometer producing an output signal, the six or more magnetometer output signals processed by a second processor to produce compass data and processed compass data, the processed compass data is applied to the first processor to produce an angular velocity prediction and centripetal acceleration signals.
2 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the accelerometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more accelerometers aligned with the vertices of a polyhedron.
3 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the accelerometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more accelerometers aligned with the surfaces of a polyhedron.
4 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the accelerometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more accelerometers aligned with the vertices and surfaces of a polyhedron.
5 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices of a polyhedron.
6 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 2 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices of a polyhedron.
7 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 3 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices of a polyhedron.
8 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 4 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices of a polyhedron.
9 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices and surfaces of a polyhedron.
10 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 2 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices and surfaces of a polyhedron.
11 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 3 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices and surfaces of a polyhedron.
12 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 4 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the vertices and surfaces of a polyhedron.
13 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the first signal processor produces an angular velocity prediction signal and a centripetal velocity signal and the distributed inertial measurement unit further comprises:
a third signal processor operatively connected to the first signal processor to receive and process the angular velocity prediction signal and a centripetal acceleration;
a gyroscope producing a gyroscope output signal that is operatively connected to the third signal processor.
14 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 1 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the surfaces of a polyhedron.
15 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 2 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the surfaces of a polyhedron.
16 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 3 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the surfaces of a polyhedron.
17 . The distributed inertial measurement unit of claim 4 wherein the magnetometers are oriented in distributed array with each of the six or more magnetometers aligned with the surfaces of a polyhedron.