Disturbance compensation system for a camera on board a spacecraft

• US 5,460,341 A
• Filed: 07/28/1993
• Issued: 10/24/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nec Toshiba Space Systems, Ltd. (NEC Space Technologies, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Takizawa, Naoki, Sato, Akinori, Katsuyama, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Barefoot, Galen L.
• Application Number:
  US08/098,962
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 244/1 R, 244/158 R, 244/129.1, 244/118.1, 348/208, 348/117
• US Class Current: 244/118.1
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/22 Parts of, or equipment specially adapted for fitting in or to, cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/32 using earth's magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/36 using sensors, e.g. sun-sensors, horizon sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/38 damping of oscillations, e.g. nutation dampers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position

Abstract

A disturbance compensation system for a camera on board a spacecraft and having an imaging device and condensing means for condensing light onto the imaging device. Linear actuators adjust the position of the imaging device by moving it with multifreedom. A control circuit computes, in response to position information associated with the imaging device, an amount in which the position of the imaging device should be corrected, and controls the linear actuators on the basis of the computed amount.

Claims

1. A disturbance compensation system for a camera on board a spacecraft and having an imaging device and condensing means for condensing light onto said imaging device, said system comprising:

position adjusting means for adjusting a position of the imaging device by moving said imaging device with multifreedom; and

control means for computing, in response to position information associated with the imaging device, an amount in which the position of said imaging device should be corrected, and controlling said position adjusting means on the basis of said amount;

wherein said position adjusting means comprises a plurality of non-contact type linear actuator means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plurality of non-contact type linear actuator means each comprises a voice coil motor.

3. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said plurality of non-contact type linear actuator means each comprises a moving magnet.