×

AZ/EL gimbal housing characterization

  • US 9,243,931 B2
  • Filed: 11/28/2012
  • Issued: 01/26/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for calibrating a gimbal assembly, the method comprising:

  • providing a gimbal assembly having a non-rotatable base and a steerable section, the steerable section having portions configured to rotate around a nominal azimuth axis and a nominal elevation axis;

    steadying the gimbal assembly base;

    measuring locations of a first single point affixed to the steerable section at different rotation angles of the steerable section around the nominal azimuth axis;

    measuring locations of a second single point affixed to the steerable section at different elevation angles of the steerable section around the nominal elevation axis;

    calculating an actual azimuth axis from the measurements at the different rotation angles of the steerable section around the nominal azimuth axis;

    calculating an actual elevation axis from the measurements at the different rotation angles of the steerable section around the nominal elevation axis;

    determining an azimuth axis error between the actual azimuth axis and the nominal azimuth axis;

    determining an elevation axis error between the actual elevation axis and the nominal elevation axis;

    storing information representing the azimuth axis error and elevation axis error;

    steering the steerable section of the gimbal assembly to point to a direction in space;

    acquiring a nominal pointing vector of the steerable section from a rotation angle around the nominal azimuth axis and a rotation angle around the nominal elevation axis; and

    transforming the nominal pointing vector to a corrected pointing vector using the stored information representing the azimuth and elevation axis errors.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×