Fast access, low memory, pair catalog

US7310578B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• James P. Alstad · Yorba Linda, US
• David D. Needelman · Torrance, US
• Rongsheng Li · La Puente, US
• Richard A. Fowell · Lomita, US
• Peter Lai · Palo Alto, US
• Yeong-Wei A. Wu · Rancho Palos Verdes, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 24, 2004
• Grant date: Dec 18, 2007
• Expiry date: Jul 20, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B64G1/361
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system (18) includes: a) A vehicle (12) includes an attitude or angular velocity control system (38), a plurality of star trackers or star sensors (22) each having a field of view (28); b) a memory (30) having a star catalog (32), a star pair catalog (58) and a reference table (56) stored therein; and c) a processor (24) coupled to the attitude or angular velocity control system (38), the star trackers or star sensors (22), and the memory (30). The processor (24) determines the vehicle inertial attitude or angular velocity or sensor alignment, based, in part, on the star pair catalog (58) and reference table (56). The design of the star pair catalog (58) and reference table (56) is suitable for rapid determination of attitude or angular velocity or sensor alignment, and an efficient use of memory.