Determination of the rotational position of a sensor by means of a laser beam emitted by a satellite

• US 10,197,381 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesat Spacecom GmbH & Company KG (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Tesat Spacecom GmbH & Company KG (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Seel, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fein, Abra
• Application Number:
  US14/967,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20160169658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 250340
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/90 using synthetic aperture techniques , e.g. synthetic aperture radar [SAR] techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/784 using a mosaic of detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49

Abstract

The invention relates to the determination of the rotational position of a sensor by means of a laser beam emitted by a satellite. For this purpose, the sensor includes a rotational position determination device which has a laser beam detection device for detecting the laser beam emitted by the satellite. Moreover, the rotational position determination device includes a control device which is designed for determining the rotational position of the rotational position determination device based on the detected laser beam.

Claims

1. A rotational position determination device for a sensor, comprising:

a laser beam detection device configured to detect a laser beam emitted by a satellite; and

a control device,

wherein the control device is configured to determine a rotational position of the rotational position determination device based on the laser beam detected by the sensor device,

wherein the laser beam detection device comprises;

an image sensor which is divided into a plurality of sensor subunits; and

an imaging optical system configured to focus the detected laser beam onto the image sensor,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor subunits is configured to generate an electrical signal upon exposure to the focused laser beam,

wherein the control device is configured to determine the rotational position of the rotational position determination device by evaluating the electrical signals generated by the plurality of sensor subunits,

wherein the sensor subunits are pixels, and

wherein the control device is configured to determine the rotational position of the rotational position determination device by evaluating which pixels generate the electrical signals.

2. The rotational position determination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position detection device configured to detect a geographical position of the sensor; and

a transmission device configured to transmit the detected geographical position of the sensor to the satellite.

3. The rotational position determination device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a memory device in which a position of the satellite is stored,

wherein the control device is configured to determine, based on the stored position of the satellite, the rotational position of the rotational position determination device.

4. The rotational position determination device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory device in which a position of the satellite is stored,

wherein the control device is configured to determine, based on the stored position of the satellite, the rotational position of the rotational position determination device.

5. The rotational position determination device according to claim 1,

wherein the laser beam detection device is configured to detect the laser beam with an accuracy of at least 10 μ

rad.

6. The rotational position determination device according to claim 1,

wherein the image sensor is divided into four sensor subunits designed as quadrants;

and

wherein the control device is configured to determine the rotational position of the rotational position determination device by evaluating the intensities of the signals generated by the quadrants.

7. A sensor which includes the rotational position determination device according to claim 1.

8. The sensor according to claim 7,

wherein the control device is designed for orienting the sensor based on the determined rotational position.

9. The sensor according to claim 7,

wherein the sensor comprises at least one of an optical camera, an infrared camera, a radar sensor, and a radar with a synthetic aperture.

10. An aircraft or satellite which includes a sensor according to claim 7.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising determining, based on a position of the satellite, the rotational position of the sensor.

12. A sensor system which includes:

a first sensor which includes a first rotational position determination device; and

a second sensor which includes a second rotational position determination device,

wherein the first and the second rotational position determination devices each comprise;

a laser beam detection device configured to detect a laser beam emitted by a satellite; and

a control device,

wherein each control device is configured to determine a rotational position of a respective one of the first and the second rotational position determination devices based on a respective one of the detected laser beams,

wherein the control devices of the first and the second rotational position determination devices are configured to jointly orient the first sensor and the second sensor.

13. A method for orienting a sensor, the method comprising the acts of:

detecting a laser beam, emitted by a satellite, by a rotational position determination device comprising an image sensor divided into a plurality of pixels;

focusing, by an imaging optical system, the detected laser beam onto the image sensor;

generating, by the plurality of pixels, an electrical signal upon exposure to the focused laser beam; and

determining a rotational position of the sensor by evaluating which pixels generate electrical signals.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the acts of:

detecting a geographical position of the rotational position determination device; and

transmitting the detected position of the rotational position determination device to the satellite.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising determining, based on a position of the satellite, the rotational position of the sensor.

16. A rotational position determination device for a sensor, comprising:

a laser beam detection device configured to detect a laser beam emitted by a satellite; and

a control device,

wherein the control device is configured to determine a rotational position of the rotational position determination device based on the laser beam detected by the sensor device,

wherein the laser beam detection device comprises;

an image sensor which is divided into a plurality of sensor subunits; and

an imaging optical system configured to focus the detected laser beam onto the image sensor,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor subunits is configured to generate an electrical signal upon exposure to the focused laser beam,

wherein the control device is configured to determine the rotational position of the rotational position determination device by evaluating the electrical signals generated by the plurality of sensor subunits,

wherein the image sensor is divided into four sensor subunits designed as quadrants, and

wherein the control device is configured to determine the rotational position of the rotational position determination device by evaluating the intensities of the signals generated by the quadrants.