Patent · US Expired

Remote alignment system

US5729234A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
9References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 23, 1996
Grant dateMar 17, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 23, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S2205/005
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An arrangement for coordinating positional and angle information made on separate relatively moving platforms, such as aircraft, having independent coordinate systems, uses measurements of a common reference made on both platforms. The measurements are transmitted to a common location. Measurements made at a first time are processed to determine two of three coordinate transformation angles. After a period of time, a second set of measurements is used to determine the third coordinate transformation angle. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the direction of motion of one of the platforms is controlled to be orthogonal to a coordinate axis of the other platform. When the coordinate transformation is determined, it can be used to coordinate or align navigation instruments, weapons, or the like. In one embodiment of the invention, a missile is directed toward a target, in a situation in which the target is viewed from the missile and another moving vehicle.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.