Method and apparatus using GPS to determine position and attitude of a rotating vehicle
US6128557A · kind A · utility
21Cited by
3References
3Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 3, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S19/53
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Apparatus using a global positioning system (GPS) for finding out the attitude of a rotating space vehicle employs first and second antennae mounted opposite from each other on a circumference of the body of the rotating space vehicle. The antennae receive GPS satellite signals in their channels. A control and tracking loop processor monitors the signal strength in each channel. Phase errors produced by phase discriminators of each channel arc combined to produce a spin signature which is used to calculate the vehicle spin rate and vehicle attitude.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.