A camera imaging control method and apparatus for avoiding midnight sunlight.

Abstract

This invention discloses a camera imaging control method and apparatus for midnight sunlight avoidance, belonging to the field of spacecraft attitude and orbit control. The method includes: determining whether the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase; if the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, and the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met, then the satellite is initialized to enter the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, and the satellite is set to rapidly maneuver to a preset target avoidance trajectory; if the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, and the satellite receives a satisfactory imaging command, then the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging; otherwise, the satellite remains on the target avoidance trajectory; if the satellite is in the imaging state during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase and is exposed to sunlight, then the satellite is rapidly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the satellite's imaging state is maintained. This invention can ensure the imaging safety of the camera during midnight sunlight avoidance, improve the utilization efficiency of the camera payload, and enhance the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spacecraft attitude and orbit control technology, and in particular to a camera imaging control method and apparatus for avoiding midnight sunlight. Background Technology

[0002] When a high-orbit remote sensing satellite is in orbit, the solar vector passes through the z-axis of the satellite at midnight. Since the optical axis of the camera payload of a typical remote sensing satellite is basically aligned with the satellite's z-axis, it is necessary to set the camera to enter a midnight sunlight avoidance mode to ensure the camera's protection from sunlight.

[0003] In related technologies, traditional satellites typically perform midnight avoidance for 3 to 4 hours, and generally do not perform user tasks during this period. However, during midnight avoidance, satellites can still image on the Earth's surface in areas where the angle between the satellite and the sun vector is greater than the avoidance angle. In particular, large areas can still be imaged during the period immediately before midnight sunlight avoidance and just before midnight avoidance. During the Earth's shadow period, satellites can image globally. Therefore, performing avoidance without imaging during midnight reduces the efficiency of the payload and seriously affects the user experience.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a camera imaging control method and device for avoiding midnight sunlight to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a camera imaging control method and apparatus for midnight sunlight avoidance, which can ensure camera imaging safety during midnight avoidance, improve camera payload efficiency, and enhance user experience. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, a camera imaging control method for midnight sunlight avoidance is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] Determine if the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase;

[0008] When the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met. If they are met, the midnight sunlight avoidance phase is initialized and the satellite is set to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory.

[0009] When the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the satellite has received an imaging command that meets the requirements. If so, the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging. Otherwise, the satellite is kept running on the target avoidance trajectory, and the yaw angle is slowly adjusted according to the satellite's orbital position.

[0010] When the satellite is in the imaging state during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight. If so, the satellite is quickly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the imaging state of the satellite is maintained.

[0011] On the other hand, a camera imaging control device for avoiding midnight sunlight is provided, the device comprising:

[0012] The first judgment module is used to determine whether the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase;

[0013] The second judgment module is used to determine whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met when the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If the conditions are met, the satellite is initialized to enter the midnight sunlight avoidance phase and the satellite is set to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory.

[0014] The third judgment module is used to determine whether the satellite has received a satisfactory imaging command when the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If so, the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging. Otherwise, the satellite is kept running on the target avoidance trajectory and the yaw angle is slowly adjusted according to the satellite's orbital position.

[0015] The fourth judgment module is used to determine whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight when it is in the imaging state during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If so, the satellite is quickly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the imaging state of the satellite is maintained.

[0016] On the other hand, a computer device is provided, the computer device including a memory and a processor, the memory for storing a computer program, and the processor for executing the computer program stored in the memory to implement the steps of the camera imaging control method for midnight sunlight avoidance described above.

[0017] On the other hand, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, and when executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the camera imaging control method for midnight sunlight avoidance described above.

[0018] On the other hand, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the camera imaging control method for midnight sunlight avoidance described above.

[0019] The technical solution provided by this invention can bring at least the following beneficial effects: In the imageable area, this method can maneuver to point to the imaging point, ensuring the satellite's three-axis stability relative to the Earth, and imaging the imaging point. As the satellite moves along its orbit, if the imaging point does not meet the sunlight avoidance conditions, it automatically points to the default theoretical avoidance trajectory point for a track-based avoidance maneuver. If it is in the Earth's shadow area, the globally accessible area can be imaged. Before exiting the Earth's shadow, considering sufficient time margin, it performs another track-based avoidance maneuver along the default theoretical avoidance trajectory point, achieving full imaging of the imageable area during midnight sunlight avoidance. Simultaneously, the autonomous judgment of various state transitions is reasonable and smooth, ensuring the safety of the camera payload. This improves the utilization efficiency of the camera payload and the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a camera imaging control method for avoiding midnight sunlight provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of a camera imaging control device for avoiding midnight sunlight provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a hardware architecture diagram of a computer device provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] As mentioned earlier, in order to ensure the safety of the camera from being exposed to sunlight, traditional high-orbit remote sensing satellites do not perform user tasks during the midnight avoidance period, which greatly reduces the efficiency of satellite use and seriously affects the user experience.

[0026] Based on this, the concept of the present invention is to dynamically adjust the maneuvering state of the satellite and the camera by using the sun exposure status and imaging commands of the onboard camera, so as to achieve the effect of fully imaging the area during the midnight sun avoidance period, while the various state transitions are judged reasonably and smoothly, ensuring the safety of the camera payload.

[0027] The specific implementation of the above concept is described below.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 This invention provides a camera imaging control method for avoiding midnight sunlight, the method comprising:

[0029] Step 100: Determine whether the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase;

[0030] Step 102: When the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, determine whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met. If they are met, initialize the midnight sunlight avoidance phase and set the satellite to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory.

[0031] Step 104: When the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, determine whether the satellite has received an imaging command that meets the requirements. If so, maneuver the satellite to the imaging point for imaging. Otherwise, keep the satellite running on the target avoidance trajectory and slowly adjust the yaw angle according to the satellite's orbital position.

[0032] Step 106: When the satellite is in the imaging state during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, determine whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight. If so, quickly maneuver the satellite to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, maintain the imaging state of the satellite.

[0033] In this embodiment of the invention, the method enables the satellite to maneuver towards the imaging point within the imageable area, ensuring three-axis Earth-aligned stability and imaging of the point. As the satellite orbits, if the imaging point does not meet the sunlight avoidance conditions, it automatically maneuvers along the default theoretical avoidance trajectory point. If it is in the Earth's shadow area, the globally accessible area can be imaged. Before exiting the shadow, considering sufficient time margin, it performs another along the default theoretical avoidance trajectory point, ensuring that the imageable area is fully imaged during midnight sunlight avoidance. Simultaneously, the method ensures smooth and reasonable autonomous judgment of various state transitions, guaranteeing the safety of the camera payload. This improves the utilization efficiency of the camera payload and the user experience.

[0034] The following description Figure 1 The execution method of each step is shown.

[0035] First, for step 100, determine whether the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase.

[0036] In this embodiment of the invention, when the satellite does not meet the conditions for avoiding midnight sunlight, the satellite's original motion state is maintained and the situation is reassessed in the next cycle.

[0037] Then, regarding step 102, when the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met. If they are met, the midnight sunlight avoidance phase is initialized, and the satellite is set to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, when the satellite's onboard camera is not in the midnight avoidance phase but meets the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, the satellite's maneuvering state needs to be initialized to a rapid maneuvering avoidance state, that is, the satellite flag flgAvoidStart = 1; and the onboard camera's maneuvering state needs to be initialized to a rotation state, that is, the satellite flag YawMoving = 1, so as to facilitate the satellite to quickly move to the preset target avoidance trajectory after entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase.

[0039] In this embodiment of the invention, the target avoidance trajectory is determined as follows: the current orbital coordinate system of the satellite is determined as the reference coordinate system; the yaw angle of the satellite is rotated to determine the motion trajectory that keeps the solar vector always within the XOZ plane of the satellite's body coordinate system as the target avoidance trajectory.

[0040] Specifically, the satellite uses its current orbital coordinate system as a reference system and rotates only the yaw angle to bring the solar vector into the XOZ plane of its body coordinate system. If the angle between the solar vector and the z-axis satisfies the sunlight avoidance condition, this direction is the current target avoidance trajectory. Otherwise, the satellite rotates the pitch axis by a negative angle until the angle between the solar vector and the z-axis exactly satisfies the sunlight avoidance condition. This direction is the current target avoidance trajectory. In other words, the satellite determines whether the angle between the solar vector and the z-axis of its body coordinate system satisfies the preset avoidance angle. If so, the yaw angle and pitch angle at this time are set as the yaw angle and pitch angle of the target avoidance trajectory. Otherwise, the satellite continues to rotate the pitch angle until the requirements are met.

[0041] Then, regarding step 104, when the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the satellite has received an imaging command that meets the requirements. If so, the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging; otherwise, the satellite is kept running on the target avoidance trajectory, and the yaw angle is slowly adjusted according to the satellite's orbital position.

[0042] In this embodiment of the invention, when the satellite enters the midnight avoidance phase and reaches the target avoidance trajectory, the satellite's maneuvering state is adjusted to slowly maneuver along the avoidance trajectory to avoid the sun, that is, the satellite flag flgAvoidStart = 0.

[0043] It is worth noting that during slow maneuvering evasion, since the satellite moves continuously along its orbit, the yaw and pitch angles change continuously and slowly when running on the default trajectory.

[0044] Furthermore, when the satellite is in a slow maneuver to avoid the sun, if it receives an imaging command that meets the requirements, it will maneuver the satellite to the imaging point and adjust the maneuvering state of the onboard camera to a stationary state, that is, set the satellite flag YawMoving = 0, so that the satellite's three axes remain stationary relative to the orbital coordinate system, thereby obtaining a clear imaging result.

[0045] In this embodiment of the invention, whether the imaging command meets the requirements is determined in the following way: when the imaging command is received, it is determined whether the angle between the camera optical axis pointing to the imaging point and the solar vector is within the preset avoidance angle range. If so, the imaging command is determined to meet the imaging requirements; otherwise, the imaging command is determined not to meet the imaging requirements.

[0046] Regarding step 106, when the satellite is in the imaging state during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight. If so, the satellite is quickly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the imaging state of the satellite is maintained.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, the exposure state is determined by the following methods: determining whether the angle between the solar vector and the camera optical axis during satellite imaging is within a preset avoidance angle range; when the angle is within the preset avoidance angle range, determining whether the satellite is in the Earth's shadow period; if so, determining that the satellite is not exposed to sunlight and maintaining the imaging state; otherwise, determining that the satellite is exposed to sunlight; when the angle exceeds the preset avoidance angle range, determining that the satellite is exposed to sunlight.

[0048] When the satellite is exposed to sunlight, its maneuvering state needs to be adjusted to a rapid maneuvering avoidance state, and the rotation state of the onboard camera needs to be maintained until the satellite re-enters the target avoidance trajectory.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 2 This invention provides a camera imaging control device for avoiding midnight sunlight, the device comprising:

[0050] The first judgment module 200 is used to determine whether the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase;

[0051] The second judgment module 202 is used to determine whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met when the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If the conditions are met, the satellite is initialized to enter the midnight sunlight avoidance phase and the satellite is set to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory.

[0052] The third judgment module 204 is used to determine whether the satellite has received a satisfactory imaging command when the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If so, the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging. Otherwise, the satellite is kept running on the target avoidance trajectory and the yaw angle is slowly adjusted according to the satellite's orbital position.

[0053] The fourth judgment module 206 is used to determine whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight when the satellite is in the imaging state of the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If so, the satellite is quickly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the imaging state of the satellite is maintained.

[0054] In this embodiment of the invention, when the satellite does not meet the conditions for avoiding midnight sunlight, the satellite's original motion state is maintained and the situation is reassessed in the next cycle.

[0055] In this embodiment of the invention, the target avoidance trajectory is determined as follows: the current orbital coordinate system of the satellite is determined as the reference coordinate system; the yaw angle of the satellite is rotated to determine the motion trajectory that keeps the solar vector always within the XOZ plane of the satellite's body coordinate system as the target avoidance trajectory.

[0056] In this embodiment of the invention, determining the trajectory that keeps the solar vector always within the XOZ plane of the satellite body coordinate system as the target avoidance trajectory includes: determining whether the angle between the solar vector and the z-axis of the satellite body coordinate system satisfies a preset avoidance angle; if so, setting the yaw angle and 0 pitch angle at this time as the yaw angle and pitch angle of the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, continuing to rotate the pitch angle until the requirement is met, and setting the yaw angle and pitch angle at this time as the yaw angle and pitch angle of the target avoidance trajectory.

[0057] In this embodiment of the invention, the imaging command is determined to meet the requirements in the following way: when the imaging command is received, it is determined whether the angle between the camera optical axis pointing to the imaging point and the solar vector is within the preset avoidance angle range. If so, the imaging command is determined to meet the imaging requirements; otherwise, the imaging command is determined not to meet the imaging requirements.

[0058] In this embodiment of the invention, the sun exposure state is determined by the following methods: determining whether the angle between the solar vector and the camera optical axis during satellite imaging is within a preset avoidance angle range; when the angle is within the preset avoidance angle range, determining whether the satellite is in the Earth's shadow period; if so, determining that the satellite is not exposed to sunlight and maintaining the imaging state; otherwise, determining that the satellite is exposed to sunlight; when the angle exceeds the preset avoidance angle range, determining that the satellite is exposed to sunlight.

[0059] It should be noted that the camera imaging control device for midnight sunlight avoidance provided in the above embodiments is only an example of the division of the above functional modules. In practical applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above. In addition, the camera imaging control device for midnight sunlight avoidance provided in the above embodiments and the camera imaging control method embodiments for midnight sunlight avoidance belong to the same concept. The specific implementation process is detailed in the method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0060] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer device, please refer to... Figure 3 The computer device includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set, the at least one instruction, at least one program, code set or instruction set being loaded and executed by the processor to implement the camera imaging control method for midnight sunlight avoidance provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0061] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set, wherein the at least one instruction, at least one program, code set, or instruction set is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the camera imaging control method for avoiding midnight sunlight provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0062] Embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, which includes a computer program. A processor of a computer device reads the computer program from a computer-readable storage medium and executes the computer program, causing the computer device to perform any of the camera imaging control methods for midnight sunlight avoidance described in the above embodiments.

[0063] For ease of description, the above systems or devices are described separately as various modules or units based on their functions. Of course, in implementing this application, the functions of each unit can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components.

[0064] As can be seen from the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that this application can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a storage medium, such as ROM / RAM / EEPROM / flash, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments of this application.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as first, second, third, and fourth are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0066] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A camera imaging control method for midnight sunlight avoidance, characterized in that, The method includes: Determine if the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase; When the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met. If they are met, the midnight sunlight avoidance phase is initialized and the satellite is set to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory. When the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the satellite has received an imaging command that meets the requirements. If so, the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging. Otherwise, the satellite is kept running on the target avoidance trajectory, and the yaw angle is slowly adjusted according to the satellite's orbital position. When the satellite is in imaging mode during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase, it is determined whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight. If so, the satellite is quickly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the imaging mode is maintained. The exposure to sunlight is determined in the following ways: Determine whether the angle between the solar vector and the camera optical axis is within the preset avoidance angle range during satellite imaging; When the included angle is within the preset avoidance angle range, it is determined whether the satellite is in the shadow period. If so, it is determined that the satellite is not exposed to sunlight and maintains the imaging state; otherwise, it is determined that the satellite is exposed to sunlight. When the included angle exceeds the preset avoidance angle range, it is determined that the satellite is in a state of exposure to sunlight.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, If the satellite does not meet the conditions for avoiding midnight sunlight, the satellite's original motion state will be maintained and the situation will be reassessed in the next cycle.

3. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The target avoidance trajectory is determined in the following way: The current orbital coordinate system of the satellite is determined as the reference coordinate system; By rotating the yaw angle of the satellite, the trajectory that keeps the solar vector within the XOZ plane of the satellite's body coordinate system is determined as the target avoidance trajectory.

4. The method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The determination of the trajectory that keeps the solar vector within the XOZ plane of the satellite's coordinate system as the target avoidance trajectory includes: Determine whether the angle between the solar vector and the z-axis of the satellite body coordinate system meets the preset avoidance angle. If so, set the yaw angle and pitch angle at this time as the yaw angle and pitch angle of the target avoidance trajectory. Otherwise, continue to rotate the pitch angle until the requirements are met. At this time, set the yaw angle and pitch angle as the yaw angle and pitch angle of the target avoidance trajectory.

5. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The imaging command determines whether the requirements are met in the following ways: When an imaging command is received, it is determined whether the angle between the camera's optical axis pointing to the imaging point and the solar vector is within the preset avoidance angle range. If so, the imaging command is determined to meet the imaging requirements; otherwise, the imaging command is determined not to meet the imaging requirements.

6. A camera imaging control device for avoiding midnight sunlight, characterized in that, The apparatus, used in the method of any one of claims 1-5, comprises: The first judgment module is used to determine whether the satellite is currently in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase; The second judgment module is used to determine whether the conditions for entering the midnight sunlight avoidance phase are met when the satellite is not in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If the conditions are met, the satellite is initialized to enter the midnight sunlight avoidance phase and the satellite is set to quickly maneuver to the preset target avoidance trajectory. The third judgment module is used to determine whether the satellite has received a satisfactory imaging command when the satellite is in the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If so, the satellite is maneuvered to the imaging point for imaging. Otherwise, the satellite is kept running on the target avoidance trajectory and the yaw angle is slowly adjusted according to the satellite's orbital position. The fourth judgment module is used to determine whether the satellite is exposed to sunlight when it is in the imaging state during the midnight sunlight avoidance phase. If so, the satellite is quickly maneuvered to the target avoidance trajectory; otherwise, the imaging state of the satellite is maintained.

7. A computer device, characterized in that, The computer device includes a memory and a processor. The memory is used to store computer programs, and the processor is used to execute the computer programs stored in the memory to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1-5.

9. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

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