Optical device for determining the relative position of two vehicles, and an alignment system comprising an application thereof
US5302816A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 9, 1992 |
| Grant date | Apr 12, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 9, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S17/875
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The device for determining the relative attitude and range of a chaser vehicle and of a target vehicle comprises, on the chaser, a camera for forming the image of a field of view of determined angular extent and, on the target, a set of several markers. The spacing between the markers is such that they are at least partially outside the angular field of view of the camera carried by the chaser when the range between the chaser and the target is less than a determined value, and the target (11) carries reflector means (16) which remain entirely within the field of view, even at ranges less than said value, and which provide images of the markers (14) in the field of the camera.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.