Abstract: Motion and/or orientation sensing systems can utilize gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, and other sensors for measuring motion or orientation of connected objects. Temperature changes affect the precision of the data output by the motion/orientation sensing device. A system is provided for controllably heating a device within a package to a desired temperature that varies based on the ambient temperature. The operating temperature of the device can then be known and controlled. The ambient temperature can be known through an ambient temperature sensor, for example. Given this information, a controller compensates the data output by the device to further improve the accuracy in the measurements. Like the amount of heating provided to the package, the amount of compensation is also based on the ambient temperature and/or the device temperature.

Abstract: A MEMS (Microelectromechanical System) INU (Inertial Navigation Unit) chip comprises a compact autonomous device undergoing motion tracks and analyzes its definite movement relative to local Earth coordinates with optimal accuracy and repeatability of lmm over distances of greater than two meters. The MEMS INU includes an Inertial Motion Tracking Device (IMTD) comprises a gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, and digital processor programmed with a general purpose Inertial Measurement Engine (IME), an application specific Motion Analysis and Adaptation (MAA) program and a low power radio. The IMTD tracks its motion with optimum accuracy using compact practical sensors that may have noise and drift by periodically and autonomously checking its velocity changes at an optimum interval, computing a linear acceleration therefrom and determining a no-motion or motion condition relative to a threshold and correcting its velocity, position and acceleration errors when there is no motion.

Abstract: Motion and/or orientation sensing systems can utilize gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, and other sensors for measuring motion or orientation of connected objects. Temperature changes affect the precision of the data output by the motion/orientation sensing device. A system is provided for controllably heating a device within a package to a desired temperature that varies based on the ambient temperature. The operating temperature of the device can then be known and controlled. The ambient temperature can be known through an ambient temperature sensor, for example. Given this information, a controller compensates the data output by the device to further improve the accuracy in the measurements. Like the amount of heating provided to the package, the amount of compensation is also based on the ambient temperature and/or the device temperature.

Abstract: A compact Inertial Wave Angle Gyroscope (IWAG) is operated using a phase lock loop to track resonator phase and a baseband regulator to null quadrature. The resonator velocity or its components computed from precession angle are first determined at baseband and then applied to gain matrices in order to generate the feedback control forces for self-precession, cancellation of damping and compensation of anisodamping. The inertial rotation input is determined from the measured total precession angle by removing the computed or calibrated self-precession angle. The resonator energy can be regulated to a fixed magnitude and the baseband feedback force for self-precession at a fixed rate determined from components computed from precession angle such that the total force is in phase with baseband velocity but has fixed magnitude. The IWAG inertial rotation input can be determined from the measured total precession rate by removing the computed self-precession rate.

Abstract: Motion and/or orientation sensing systems can utilize gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, and other sensors for measuring motion or orientation of connected objects. Temperature changes affect the precision of the data output by the motion/orientation sensing device. A system is provided for controllably heating a device within a package to a desired temperature that varies based on the ambient temperature. The operating temperature of the device can then be known and controlled. The ambient temperature can be known through an ambient temperature sensor, for example. Given this information, a controller compensates the data output by the device to further improve the accuracy in the measurements. Like the amount of heating provided to the package, the amount of compensation is also based on the ambient temperature and/or the device temperature.

Abstract: A compact Inertial Wave Angle Gyroscope (IWAG) is disclosed without zero rate drift due to residual asymmetry comprises antisymmetric velocity feedback of sufficient magnitude to produce a continual self-precession of its vibration pattern to overcome any rate threshold and average the effects of its residual asymmetry on zero rate drift to zero over each revolution of the precession pattern in the case. The inertial rotation input is determined from the measured total precession rate by removing the computed self-precession rate.

Abstract: A compact autonomous device undergoing motion tracks and analyzes its definite movement relative to local Earth coordinates with optimal accuracy and repeatability of 1 mm over distances of greater than two meters. The Inertial Motion Tracking Device (IMTD) comprises a gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, and digital processor programmed with a general purpose Inertial Measurement Engine (IME), an application specific Motion Analysis and Adaptation (MAA) program and a low power radio. The IMTD tracks its motion with optimum accuracy using compact practical sensors that may have noise and drift by periodically and autonomously checking its velocity changes at an optimum interval, computing a linear acceleration therefrom and determining a no-motion or motion condition relative to a threshold and correcting its velocity, position and acceleration errors when there is no motion.

Abstract: Motion and/or orientation sensing systems can utilize gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, and other sensors for measuring motion or orientation of connected objects. Temperature changes affect the precision of the data output by the motion/orientation sensing device. A system is provided for controllably heating a device within a package to a desired temperature that varies based on the ambient temperature. The operating temperature of the device can then be known and controlled. The ambient temperature can be known through an ambient temperature sensor, for example. Given this information, a controller compensates the data output by the device to further improve the accuracy in the measurements. Like the amount of heating provided to the package, the amount of compensation is also based on the ambient temperature and/or the device temperature.

Abstract: System and methods for donation direction with transaction verification are provided. A system implemented method includes electronically receiving a first data file including an amount of a transaction between a user and the affiliate and a unique identifier associated with the user and the donation system, creating a record in an electronic database indicating an amount of money to be received from the affiliate for charity accounts, electronically receiving a second data file containing data captured by a personal computing device of the user regarding the transaction, comparing, verifying the amount of the transaction based on the first and second data files, and transmitting instructions to cause a transfer from an affiliate account to each of charity accounts portions of the amount of money based on an apportionment from the user.

Abstract: A gyroscope system may include a disc resonator gyroscope including a plurality of electrodes embedded in the disc resonator gyroscope. The electrodes may be configured for at least applying a drive voltage and a tuning voltage to the disc resonator gyroscope and for sensing operating parameters of the disc resonator gyroscope. The gyroscope system may also include a quadrature stabilization circuit configured to measure a quadrature error and generate a quadrature regulating voltage based on the quadrature error. The tuning voltage may be adjusted by the quadrature regulating voltage to cancel an effect of voltage flicker before being applied to a tuning electrode of the disc resonator gyroscope.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously identifying an inertial rate of a gyroscope and a bias for a gyroscope. A set of equations for an output of the gyroscope is identified using a model for motion of the gyroscope. The set of equations includes a set of parameters for the bias of the gyroscope. The inertial rate of the gyroscope and a set of values for the set of parameters for the bias of the gyroscope are identified using the set of equations and measurements generated by the gyroscope for a plurality of drive angles.

Abstract: A method for compensating for bias of a gyroscope. In one embodiment, bias measurements for a plurality of drive angles are generated using the gyroscope. A set of equations for the bias of the gyroscope is identified using a model for motion of the gyroscope. The set of equations includes a set of parameters for the bias of the gyroscope. A set of values for the set of parameters is identified using the bias measurements and the set of equations.

Abstract: A gyroscope system may include a disc resonator gyroscope including a plurality of electrodes embedded in the disc resonator gyroscope. The electrodes may be configured for at least applying a drive voltage and a tuning voltage to the disc resonator gyroscope and for sensing operating parameters of the disc resonator gyroscope. The gyroscope system may also include a quadrature stabilization circuit configured to measure a quadrature error and generate a quadrature regulating voltage based on the quadrature error. The tuning voltage may be adjusted by the quadrature regulating voltage to cancel an effect of voltage flicker before being applied to a tuning electrode of the disc resonator gyroscope.

Abstract: A method and system for user-directed donations from a company to a charity in which an affiliate company agrees to donate a percentage of each transaction with a registered user to one or more charities selected by the user. The user may also select a percentage of each donation which is to be donated to each of its selected charities. The user conducts the transaction with a personal payment account, which is any form of payment which is not specific to a single company or related group of companies. In this way, the user may conduct business with substantially any business and generate donations which the user directs, so long as the business is an affiliate.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for the treatment of an endobronchial infection in a patient by administering to the endobronchial system of the patient a dry powder aerosol composition comprising from 90 to 130 mg of an aminoglycoside antibiotic one to three times a day for a first treatment period of 20 to 36 days.

Abstract: A patient suffering from an endobronchial infection is treated by administering to the patient for inhalation a dose of less than about 4.0 ml of a nebulized aerosol formulation comprising from about 60 to about 200 mg/ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic, such as tobramycin, in a physiologically acceptable carrier in a time period of less than about 10 minutes. Unit dose devices for storage and delivery of the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulations are also provided.

Abstract: A method for compensating for bias of a gyroscope. In one embodiment, bias measurements for a plurality of drive angles are generated using the gyroscope. A set of equations for the bias of the gyroscope is identified using a model for motion of the gyroscope. The set of equations includes a set of parameters for the bias of the gyroscope. A set of values for the set of parameters is identified using the bias measurements and the set of equations.

Abstract: Micromachined disc resonator gyroscopes (DRGs) are disclosed designed to be virtually immune to external temperature and stress effects. The DRG is a vibratory gyroscope that measures angular rate which is designed to have reduced sensitivity to external thermal and mechanical stress. The DRG features an integrated isolator that may be fabricated on the same wafer as the electrode wafer forming a plurality of integrated isolator beams. In addition, the DRG may include a wafer level hermetical vacuum seal, flip chip ball grid array (BGA), and vertical electrical feedthrough to improve reliability and to reduce manufacturing cost. An additional carrier layer may be used with shock stops, vertical electrical feedthrough, and the flip chip BGA. A pyrex or quartz cap with embedded getter and shock stops can be employed.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing the frequency split between the Coriolis-coupled modes in disc resonator gyroscopes (DRGs) by perturbing the mass distribution on the disc resonator based on an identified model are disclosed. A model-identification method of tuning a resonator comprises perturbing the mass and measuring a frequency response matrix of the resonator. The frequency response matrix includes a plurality of inputs and a plurality of outputs and the resonator has a plurality of coupled resonance modes. A reduced structural mechanics matrix model of the resonator in sensor and actuator coordinates is identified from the measured frequency response matrix and analyzed to determine generalized eigenvectors of the structural mechanics model and their variations due to selected mass perturbations which is then estimated to improve degeneracy of the plurality of coupled resonance modes based on the generalized eigenvectors of the mass and the stiffness.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a small size hand-held device for aligning two or more structures by attaching the device to master and slave structures and providing real-time position/orientation data to enable the accurate alignment of the structures. The handheld device includes a sensor box containing at least one inertial sensor, such as for example, a gyroscope (such as a disc resonator gyroscope) or an accelerometer. The handheld device further includes an alignment socket designed to mate with an alignment key that may be fixed to the structures to be aligned, and a display for showing a position data output received from the at least one inertial sensor. The handheld device may further include a processor for processing and outputting data to the display and/or the handheld device may include a transmitter for transmitting the data to a central processing unit.