54results about "Electromagnetic finder monitoring/testing" patented technology

To calibrate a tracking system, a computing device receives positional data of a tracked object from an optical sensor as the object is pointed approximately toward the optical sensor. The computing device computes a first angle of the object with respect to an optical axis of the optical sensor using the received positional data. The computing device receives inertial data corresponding to the object, wherein a second angle of the object with respect to a plane normal to gravity can be computed from the inertial data. The computing device determines a pitch of the optical sensor using the first angle and the second angle.

Systems and methods of calibrating heliostat parameters for subsequent open-loop sun-tracking, the calibration based on driving artificial light source reflections from one or more heliostats into one or more image sensors.

An imaging sensor system comprising: a rigid mount plate affixed to a vehicle; a first rigid mount unit affixed to the mount plate and having at least two imaging sensors disposed within the first mount unit, wherein a first imaging and a second imaging sensor each has a focal axis passing through an aperture in the first mount unit and the mount plate, wherein the first and second imaging sensor each generates a first array of pixels, wherein each array of pixels is at least two dimensional, wherein the first and second imaging sensors are offset to have a first image overlap area in the target area, wherein the first sensors image data bisects the second sensors image data in the first image overlap area.

An optical imaging system and method including a movable pixelated filter array, a shutter mechanism to which the pixelated filter array is attached, and a controller configured to implement a data reduction algorithm. The shutter mechanism is configured to move the pixelated filter array into and out of the optical path, and the data reduction algorithm allows the controller to account for axial and/or lateral misalignment of the filter array relative to the imaging detector array or its conjugate. In certain examples, the controller is further configured to use the data reduction algorithms also to perform wavefront sensing, for example to estimate wavefront error.

The invention is a system and method for heliostat mirror control. Here, each heliostat mirror generates a low intensity “signal beam”, directed at an angle off from the heliostat mirror's high intensity and sensor blinding “main beam” of reflected solar energy. The low intensity signal beams may be created by reflecting a small portion of the incident solar light at an angle from the main beam, by reflected artificial light, or from lasers shinning onto mirrors from known locations. The signal beams are detected by optical sensors mounted way from the main heliostat receiver focus, and can be used in a closed loop control system to efficiently ensure that individual heliostat mirrors in a heliostat array accurately track sunlight and direct the sunlight to a central receiver. Because heliostat mirrors need not be taken “off sun” for positioning, the system allows heliostat arrays to be run at high efficiency.

An atmospheric correction system (ACS) is proposed, which accounts for the errors resulting from the in-homogeneities in the operational atmosphere along the slant path by constructing atmospheric profiles from the data along the actual target to sensor slant-range path. The ACS generates a slant-range path based on the arbitrary geometry that models the sensor to target relationship. This path takes the atmosphere and obstructions between the two endpoints into account when determining the atmospheric profile. The ACS uses assimilation to incorporate weather data from multiple sources and constructs an atmospheric profile from the best available data. The ACS allows the user to take advantage of variable weather and information along the path that can lead to increased accuracy in the derived atmospheric compensation value.

Method and apparatus for determining the location at which radiation is incident on the sensor system which includes an EMI screening mesh by comparing the actual image detected, which includes the higher order diffraction effects, with a search or sample image applied sequentially at different locations and determing the location of the sample image which gives the closest match. The sample image corresponds to an expected pattern or image from a point source incident at a particular location on a particular window/sensor system, and may be generated from a real source of known location and properties incident on the system, or may be a generated image, such as a standard image such as a cross pattern or determined mathematically, for example using Fourier transforms. Preferably, once the location of the point of incidence of the radiation has been determined, image processing techniques are applied to remove the diffraction spots.

A fixed-source array test station provides a compact cost-effective high-throughput test bed for testing optical sensors that require stimulus at fixed angular positions. An array of fixed collimated sources at different angular positions in the sensor's FOV are positioned on a surface of a focal sphere at the effective focal length of a spherical lens and aligned along respective radial lines to the center of the spherical lens so that each said divergent optical beam is collimated by the spherical lens to form a collimated optical beam that overlaps the entire entrance pupil of the optical seeker. The sources are activated in accordance with an activation profile in order to calibrate or otherwise test the sensor.

Disclosed is a controlling apparatus for use in a photovoltaic system. The photovoltaic system includes a solar cell array, an inverter and a solar tracker. The solar tracker includes a solar position sensor, a controller connected to the solar position sensor, a first motor connected to the controller for rotating the solar cell array according to the azimuth of the sun and a second motor connected to the controller for tilting the solar cell array according to the elevation of the sun. The controlling apparatus includes a central unit, a basic unit, a diagnosis unit, a maintenance unit, a security unit and a check unit.

A method for measuring an infrared signature of a moving target includes: tracking the moving target with a tracking system along a path from a start position to an end position, measuring infrared radiation data of the moving target along the path, repositioning the tracking system to the start position, retracing the path to measure the infrared radiation data of the background, and determining the infrared signature of the moving target by comparing the infrared radiation data of the moving object with the infrared radiation data of the background without the moving object.

The invention discloses an amplitude comparison direction finding method and system. The method comprises the following steps of generating calibrating signals according to designated frequency and power; according to the calibrating signals, calculating a real-time channel amplitude ratio; collecting interception signals and calculating the measurement amplitude ratio of the interception signals;according to the real-time channel amplitude ratio and the measurement amplitude ratio of the interception signals, calculating the actual amplitude ratio of the interception signals; according to the actual amplitude ratio, searching for a preestablished amplitude comparison form to acquire an angle of arrival corresponding to the actual amplitude ratio. The amplitude comparison direction finding method greatly reduces requirements on consistency of amplitude comparison channels, and by controlling calibrating processes through software, is simple in operation.

In a directed infrared countermeasure system, to assure parallelism between the line-of-sight to a target and the output beam, the input and output mirrors are fixedly attached to a uni-construction arm mounted to a rotatable azimuth platter to which internal mirrors are also fixedly attached. A system is provided for zeroing out alignment errors by developing an aim-point map for the gimbal that records initial alignment errors induced by manufacturing tolerances and uses the aim-point map error values to correct the output mirror orientation. The system also corrects for alignment errors induced by thermal gradients.

An optical positioning apparatus and method are adapted for determining a position of an object in a three-dimensional coordinate system which has a first axis, a second axis and a third axis perpendicular to one another. The optical positioning apparatus includes a host device which has a first optical sensor and a second optical sensor located along the first axis with a first distance therebetween, and a processor connected with the optical sensors, and a calibrating device placed in the sensitivity range of the optical sensors with a second distance between an origin of the second axis and a coordinate of the calibrating device projected in the second axis. The optical sensors sense the calibrating device to make the processor execute a calibrating procedure, and then sense the object to make the processor execute a positioning procedure for determining the position of the object in the three-dimensional coordinate system.

The invention relates to a space debris angle measurement data simulation method. The method comprises the steps of dynamically receiving and loading observation plan data of observation equipment by loading polar shift data, dynamically loaded observation equipment information data and dynamically inputting system errors and random errors of the equipment, according to information such as the spatial debris position and speed in a J2000 inertial coordinate system received in real time, converting into a space debris station center position under the J2000 inertial system to obtain a horizontal right ascension and a horizontal declination of the space debris under the J2000 inertial system and a right ascension and a declination of the space debris under a station center equator coordinate system, further converting into an azimuth and a pitch under a horizon coordinate, and adding a system error, a random error and a wild value to generate space debris angle measurement simulation data. According to the method, by loading the observation plan data, the space debris can be observed in a planned manner, the consistency of the simulation environment and the real observation environment is ensured in the simulation process, and the simulation efficiency of the angle measurement data is improved.