Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1993-10-20
1996-08-13
Chin, Gary
Boots, shoes, and leggings
364459, 342357, 244164, 244171, G06F16500
Patent
active
055463096
ABSTRACT:
An attitude sensing system utilizing simplified techniques and apparatus includes a Kalman filter which receives signals from an inertial measurement unit, a GPS receiver, and an integrated optical assembly. The output vector of the filter includes estimates of attitude misalignments and estimates of gyro drifts corresponding to the axes of the inertial measurement unit. The optical assembly includes a sensor array providing signals to the filter representing detection of the Earth's horizon or the center of the Sun. More particularly, a local vertical vector, computed from fore and aft detections of the Earth's horizon, is used in combination with GPS received signals to initially determine attitude by means of gyrocompassing. This attitude information is thereafter maintained by the inertial measurement unit and azimuth error resulting from drift of the inertial measurement unit and the initial gyrocompassing error is corrected by detections of the Earth's horizon and the Sun. The integrated optical assembly, used to detect the locations of both the Sun and Earth relative to the satellite, eliminates a need for separate apparatus dedicated to each sensing function. Moreover, the GPS receiver eliminates the need for ground tracking apparatus by providing the satellite ephemerides (including orbital pitch rate used in gyrocompassing) for use by the filter, rendering the attitude sensing system substantially autonomous. Additionally, the GPS receiver, in combination with the Sun and Earth detections, eliminates the need for a complex star tracker by providing an accurate inertial frame of reference.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4521855 (1985-06-01), Lehner et al.
patent: 4617634 (1986-10-01), Izumida et al.
patent: 4728061 (1988-03-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 4754280 (1988-06-01), Brown et al.
patent: 4786018 (1988-11-01), Cope
patent: 4807835 (1989-02-01), Fowler
patent: 4837699 (1989-06-01), Smay et al.
patent: 4883244 (1989-11-01), Challoner et al.
patent: 4944587 (1990-07-01), Harigae
patent: 5020744 (1991-06-01), Schwarzchild
patent: 5062051 (1991-10-01), Sainct et al.
patent: 5109346 (1992-04-01), Wertz
patent: 5412574 (1995-05-01), Bender et al.
Proprietary Document: Article, Title: "Space Based Precision Pointing System Using Pseudo Star Reference", Luniewicz, Woodbury, Gilmore, Chien, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., 555 Technology Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, (17 pages), Presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Jun. 21-23, 1993.
Proprietary Document: Article, Title: "Inertial Pseudo-Star Reference Unit (IPSRU)", Gilmore, Chien, The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Wingler, Phillips Laboratory, (9 pages) Sponsored by IEEE Aerospace and Electronics Systems Society Monterey, California, Mar. 23-27, 1992.
Johnson William M.
Musoff Howard
Chin Gary
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for autonomous satellite attitude sensing does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for autonomous satellite attitude sensing, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for autonomous satellite attitude sensing will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1053904