Slaved reference control loop
US5967458A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 12, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 19, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 12, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF41G7/2253
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A gimballed camera (34) is attached to a moving body (20) so that it can remain pointed at a desired target (28) as the body (20) moves. A gyroscope (38) is attached to the camera (34) so that it may move independently from the camera (34), so that the gyroscope (38) continuously points in one direction while the camera (34) moves relative to the gyroscope (38). Measurement devices determine the positions of the moving body (20) and gyroscope (38) relative to the camera (34). The sum of these measures yields the position of the target relative to the gyroscope (38), which translates to a command to point the gyroscope (38) at the target. The camera (34) is then moved independently to a specified alignment relative to the gyroscope (38).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.