Method and apparatus for stabilizing payloads, including airborne cameras
First Claim
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1. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
- a first support;
a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis;
a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload;
a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis;
a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis; and
wherein the first actuator is positioned to move the first support through a first angular range, the second actuator is positioned to move the second support through a second angular range, and the third actuator is positioned to move the tracking payload through a third angular range, the third angular range being less than both the first and second angular ranges.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for stabilizing payloads, including airborne cameras, are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus employs a gimbal system in which the camera is mounted, together with suitable motors for pointing the camera by actuating this gimbal system and suitable sensors for deriving a signal to drive these gimbal motors. The gimbal axes can be arranged in a sequence that can provide for camera stabilization while reducing complexity, avoiding gimbal lock, increasing redundancy and enhancing performance.
162 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis; a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis; and wherein the first actuator is positioned to move the first support through a first angular range, the second actuator is positioned to move the second support through a second angular range, and the third actuator is positioned to move the tracking payload through a third angular range, the third angular range being less than both the first and second angular ranges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An airborne surveillance apparatus, comprising:
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a camera having a camera aperture configured to receive radiation along a line of sight, the camera further having an image field with a first image axis and a second image axis generally transverse to the first image axis; a gimbal system supporting the camera, the gimbal system including; a first support coupled to a first actuator to rotate about a first axis, the first actuator having a first actuation rate capability; a second support carried by the first support and coupled to a second actuator to rotate about a second axis transverse to the first axis, the second support carrying the camera, the second actuator having a second actuation rate capability; a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator being operatively coupled to the camera to rotate the camera relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, the third actuator having a third actuator rate capability greater than the first actuator rate capability; and a controller operatively coupled to the first, second and third actuators and being configured to direct movement of the actuators such that; when the second support is in the first angular position, the first actuator moves the line of sight along the first image axis and the second actuator moves the line of sight along the second image axis; and when the second support is in the second angular position, the third actuator moves the line of sight along the first image axis and the second actuator moves the line of sight along the second image axis. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An apparatus for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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first support means; first actuation means for rotating the first support means about a first axis; second support means carried by the first support means and configured to carry a tracking payload; second actuation means for rotating the second support means relative to the first support means about a second axis transverse to the first axis; and third actuation means for rotating the tracking payload about a third axis, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support means is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being generally inclined relative to the first axis when the second support means is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, wherein the second and third actuation means are configured to stabilize the tracking payload against vibrations. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis; and a housing carried by the first support, the housing having a generally strip-shaped window curved about a single axis, the window being positioned to pass radiation to and/or from the tracking payload. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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rotating a first support about a first axis by activating a first actuator; rotating a second support relative to the first support about a second axis transverse to the first axis by activating a second actuator, the second support carrying a tracking payload; and rotating the tracking payload about a third axis by activating a third actuator, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being generally inclined relative to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, wherein rotating the tracking payload about the second and third axes includes stabilizing the tracking payload against vibrations. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer-implemented method for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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directing a first actuator to rotate a first support about a first axis; directing a second actuator to rotate a second support relative to the first support about a second axis transverse to the first axis, the second support carrying a tracking payload; and directing a third actuator to rotate the tracking payload about a third axis, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, wherein rotating the tracking payload about the second and third axes includes stabilizing the tracking payload against vibrations. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A method for operating an airborne camera, comprising:
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launching an aircraft carrying an airborne camera; selecting a target; directing a viewing line of sight of the camera toward the target; and moving the camera to maintain the viewing line of sight directed to the target as the aircraft moves relative to the target by; activating a first actuator to pan the camera about a pan axis; activating a second actuator to tilt the camera about a tilt axis transverse to the pan axis; and activating a third actuator to rotate the camera about a scan axis and stabilize the camera against vibration, with the scan axis being generally parallel to the pan axis when the camera is in a first angular position relative to the tilt axis, the scan axis being generally inclined relative to the pan axis when the camera is in a second angular position relative to the tilt axis. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis through a total angular range of about 360 degrees; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis through a total angular range of about 180 degrees; and a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis through a total angular range of about 20 degrees, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis.
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39. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis; a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis; and a controller operatively coupled to the first, second and third actuators to direct motion of the actuators, the controller being configured to direct the first actuator to rotate the first support by 180 degrees when the second actuator rotates the tracking payload to face downwardly.
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40. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis, the first actuator having a first actuation rate; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis; and a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator having a third actuation rate higher than the first actuation rate, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis.
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41. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis, the first actuator being configured to operate at a first maximum frequency; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis, the second actuator being configured to operate at a second maximum frequency; and a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator being configured to operate at a third maximum frequency, with the first maximum frequency being less than the second and third maximum frequencies, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis.
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42. A gimbal apparatus, comprising:
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a first support; a first actuator coupled to the first support to rotate the first support about a first axis; a second support rotatably carried by the first support and configured to carry a tracking payload; a second actuator coupled to the second support to rotate the second support about a second axis transverse to the first axis; and a third actuator carried by the second support to rotate about a third axis, the third actuator being operatively coupleable to the tracking payload to rotate the tracking payload relative to the second support, the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being non-parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, wherein the second and third actuators are configured to stabilize the tracking payload against vibrations.
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43. A method for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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rotating a first support about a first axis by activating a first actuator having a first actuation frequency response; rotating a second support relative to the first support about a second axis transverse to the first axis by activating a second actuator, the second support carrying a tracking payload; and rotating the tracking payload about a third axis by activating a third actuator having a third actuation frequency response greater than the first actuation frequency response, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being generally inclined relative to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis.
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44. A method for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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rotating a first support about a first axis by activating a first actuator; rotating a second support relative to the first support about a second axis transverse to the first axis by activating a second actuator, the second support carrying a tracking payload; and rotating the tracking payload about a third axis by activating a third actuator, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being generally inclined relative to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, wherein rotating the tracking payload about the first axis includes rotating the tracking payload at a first frequency to track a target, and wherein rotating the tracking payload about the third axis includes rotating the tracking payload at a second frequency higher than the first frequency to at least partially correct for vibration of the tracking payload.
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45. A method for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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rotating a first support about a first axis by activating a first actuator; rotating a second support relative to the first support about a second axis transverse to the first axis by activating a second actuator, the second support carrying a tracking payload; and rotating the tracking payload about a third axis by activating a third actuator, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being generally inclined relative to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis, wherein rotating the tracking payload about the second and third axes includes stabilizing the tracking payload against vibrations.
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46. A method for tracking a target from the air, comprising:
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rotating a first support about a first axis by activating a first actuator; rotating a second support relative to the first support about a second axis transverse to the first axis by activating a second actuator, the second support carrying a tracking payload; and rotating the tracking payload about a third axis by activating a third actuator, with the third axis being generally parallel to the first axis when the second support is in a first angular position relative to the second axis, the third axis being generally inclined relative to the first axis when the second support is in a second angular position relative to the second axis; and rotating the tracking payload 180 degrees about the first axis with the first actuator when the second actuator tilts the payload to face downwardly.
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Specification