Optical tracking system utilizing spaced-apart detector elements

Details Optical tracking system utilizing spaced-apart detector elements Optical tracking system utilizing spaced-apart detector elements

1973-02-26

1980-10-07

Buczinski, Stephen C.

Radiant energy

Photocells; circuits and apparatus

Photocell controls its own optical systems

244 316, 250209, 250342, 250578, G01J 120, F41G 700

Patent

active

042270774

ABSTRACT:
An optical tracking system in which an image of an object to be tracked is nutated about the image plane. Individual detector elements are arranged in a hexagonal array within the image plane such that each of the individual detector elements are located at respectively the centers of contiguous hexagonal cells. The nutation is provided, in one embodiment, by means of a tiltable mirror which rotates about an axis through the center of the mirror. The angle of tilt is variable so that the nutation can be varied to provide circular motion of an image point in circles concentric with a hexagonal cell and of varying diameter and, in particular, the image point can thereby be made to spiral inwardly toward the center of a hexagonal cell. The nutation of image points relative to the positions of the detector elements permit the various portions of an image to be scanned by individual detector elements. The inward spiraling of image points is utilized to provide for acquisition of the image points, and the position of an image point relative to a detector element at a given instant of time is utilized to provide elevation and azimuthal tracking data for tracking a desired object.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3116413 (1963-12-01), Fairbanks
patent: 3209150 (1965-09-01), Jung et al.
patent: 3258581 (1966-06-01), Buell
patent: 3609374 (1971-09-01), Gevas

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