OPTICAL TRACKING SYSTEM FOR AIRBORNE OBJECTS
First Claim
1. An airborne tracking system, comprising:
- a radiation receiver positioning system, the radiation receiver positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver and a signal processor, the radiation emitter, radiation receiver being adapted for use on airborne objects; and
wherein the radiation emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter, the radiation carrying a modulated location signal containing information corresponding to positions within the positioning area;
wherein the radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation carrying the modulated signal and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of the modulation of the location signal of the received radiation; and
wherein the signal processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a position within the positioning area indicative of the location in the positioning area of the received radiation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An airborne tracking system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver and a signal processor. The radiation emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter, the radiation carrying a modulated location signal containing information corresponding to positions within the positioning area. The radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation carrying the modulated signal and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of the modulation of the location signal of the received radiation. Signal processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a position within the positioning area indicative of the location in the positioning area of the received radiation.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. An airborne tracking system, comprising:
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a radiation receiver positioning system, the radiation receiver positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver and a signal processor, the radiation emitter, radiation receiver being adapted for use on airborne objects; and wherein the radiation emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter, the radiation carrying a modulated location signal containing information corresponding to positions within the positioning area; wherein the radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation carrying the modulated signal and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of the modulation of the location signal of the received radiation; and wherein the signal processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a position within the positioning area indicative of the location in the positioning area of the received radiation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 37)
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21. An airborne positioning system comprising:
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a radiation receiver positioning system, the radiation receiver positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver, and a signal processor; wherein the radiation emitter is adapted to direct a beam of emitted radiation to an area away from the radiation emitter, the radiation including discernable properties that vary in a corresponding manner with varying orientation of the beam of radiation with respect to the radiation emitter; wherein the radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of one or more of the discernable properties of the received radiation; and wherein the processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a first virtual orientation indicative of an orientation of the receiver relative to the radiation emitter when at least a portion of the radiation was received by the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of positioning a radiation receiver, comprising:
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positioning a radiation receiver proximate a refueling aircraft, the radiation receiver and the refueling aircraft being airborne; scanning a focused optical elongated beam from a radiation emitter onboard the refueling aircraft over a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter; modulating a signal carried on the beam as the beam is scanned over the positioning area in a manner corresponding to positions of the beam within the positioning area; receiving the optical beam carrying the modulated signal with the radiation receiver; and analyzing the modulation of the signal carried on the received optical beam to determine a position within the positioning area of the radiation receiver at the time the radiation was received. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An aerial refueling system comprising:
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an aerial refueling device adapted to transfer fuel to a receiver aircraft extendable from a refueling aircraft; and an aerial refueling device positioning system, the aerial refueling device positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver and a signal processor; wherein the radiation emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter, the radiation carrying a modulated location signal containing information corresponding to positions within the positioning area; wherein the radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation carrying the modulated signal and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of the modulation of the location signal of the received radiation; and wherein the signal processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a position within the positioning area indicative of the location in the positioning area of the received radiation. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. An aerial refueling system comprising:
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an aerial refueling device; and an aerial refueling device positioning system, the aerial refueling device positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver, and a signal processor;
wherein the radiation emitter is adapted to direct a beam of emitted radiation to an area away from the radiation emitter, the radiation including discernable properties that vary in a corresponding manner with varying orientation of the beam of radiation with respect to the radiation emitter;wherein the radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of one or more of the discernable properties of the received radiation; and wherein the processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify a first virtual orientation indicative of an orientation of the receiver relative to the radiation emitter when at least a portion of the radiation was received by the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of positioning an aerial refueling device, comprising:
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extending an aerial refueling device from a refueling aircraft; scanning a focused optical elongated beam from a radiation emitter onboard the refueling aircraft over a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter; modulating a signal carried on the beam as the beam is scanned over the positioning area in a manner corresponding to positions of the beam within the positioning area; receiving the optical beam carrying the modulated signal with a receiver on aerial refueling device; and analyzing the modulation of the signal carried on the received optical beam to determine a position within the positioning area of the receiver at the time the radiation was received. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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Specification