Patent GB-994489-A (GB)
Title: Coordinate conversion system
Inventor: WILLIAMSON ROBERT RAYMOND
IPC: G06J1/00
Filed: 1962-08-09
Abstract: 994, 489. Gyroscopic apparatus. GENERAL PRECISION Inc. Aug. 9, 1962, No. 30531/62. Heading G1C. [Also in Division G4] A system for transforming the components of a vector with respect to a moving frame (x, y, z) into components with respect to a fixed frame (x<SP>1</SP>, y<SP>1</SP>, z<SP>1</SP>) includes a first computer means for producing trignometrical functions representative of the angular position of the moving frame and second computer means which uses these functions to resolve the components of a vector, such as changes in the velocity of the origin of the moving frame, with respect to the moving frame into components with respect to the fixed frame. The system may be an inertial guidance system for missiles, aircraft, ships or submarines. The trignometrical functions may be the direction cosines α 1 , α 2 , α 3 , # 1  &c. defined by the transformation:- The direction cosines may be determined by three groups of three identical modules. The group corresponding to α 1 , α 2 , α 3  uses the simultaneous linear difference equations. where (α 1 ) n  &c. are values of α 1  &c. determined by the Nth set of calculations after the initial condition have been fed in. A check module checks at each stage to see that (α 1 )<SP>2</SP> n  + (α 2 )<SP>2</SP> n  + (α 3 )<SP>2</SP> n  does not exceed unity. The α 1  module (Fig. 14) includes two registers 120, 134. The value of α 1  is stored in binary form with the least significant digits in the remainder register 120 and the most significant digits in the addend register 134. The number in the remainder register 120 is circulated through a logic device 124 and a four-input adder subtractor 122. The values (α 2 ) n , (α 3 ) n  of α 2  and α 3  determined during the previous cycle are fed into the input logic from other modules. Terms (#z) n . (#y) n  determined by gyros 16, 18, 20 (not detailed) are introduced in digital form i.e. series of pulses and spaces representing one or nought an alternating series of ones' and nought's representing zero for (#z) n  or (#y) n  while an excess of noughts represents a negative (#z) n  or (#y) n . The input logic 124 forms the function (α 2 ) n  (#z) n - (α 3 ) n (#y) n <SP>+</SP> a correction term which may be +1, 0 or -1 according to the value of a error function:- This function formed by the logic 124 is then added to the remainder from the register 120 and overflow from the adder-subtractor may occur. Overflow gated at 130 causes a single increment to be added to the most significant digit in the addend register 134 while an absence of overflow causes an increment to be subtracted. A critical condition scanning logic (Fig. 20) includes two flip flows S 1 , S 2 . S 1  is set at the commencement of a cycle through and gates 254, 256 according to the least significant digit in the remainder register RL, and the flip flop S 2  which is set to have its output #S 2  up at the end of each cycle is arranged to scan the remaining digits from the register 122 and bring down the output #S 2  if it finds a digit different to the least significant one. If the digits are all the same a critical condition has occurred and the output #S 2  is combined with each of the output from the flip flop S 1  in a pair of "and" gates 250, 252 The plus and minus one correction terms are also fed to the respective "and" gates and if conditions are such that the correction term would influence the overflow one of the gates 250, 252 is opened and a flip flop V is set to bring its V output up causing the number in the register 120 to be complimented. The check module for the α<SP>1</SP>s causes an "and" gate 266 to be enabled and bring up an output #V<SP>1</SP> if an error has occurred, this being indicated if α 1 <SP>2</SP> + α 2 <SP>2</SP> + α 3 <SP>2</SP> is greater than unity. The output causes a logic circuit 130 to operate to complement the overflow so that it is subtracted in the newwork 132 instead of added or vice versa. The valve of α 1  stored in the addend register 134 is fed out to the other modules and in particular to the module shown in Fig. 21 which is a simplified form of the module of Fig. 14, forms the (#x<SP>1</SP>) n # (X<SP>1</SP>) n -(X<SP>1</SP>) n-1  where (#x<SP>1</SP>) n  = (α 1 ) n (#x) n  + (α 2 ) n (##y) n  + (α 3 ) n (##z) n . The (##x) n , (##y) n  and (##z) n  digital form by accelerometers 10, 12, 14 (not detailed). Five similar modules may be provided for the #'s and five for the y's, or a single set of five modules working on a time shared basis may be used.