79 results about "Nadir" patented technology

An earth station receives a return signal via more than one satellite link from a mobile terminal using TDMA. The earth station selects one or more of the satellite links for transmitting a forward signal on the basis of the quality of signal received via each link. The earth section allocates frequency channels to the mobile terminals according to their location on the surface of the earth, so that the propagation time to and from those mobile terminals which share the same frequency channel is approximately the same. The satellite includes an antenna which generates an array of beams which are individually pointed to fixed regions of the earth, until the elevation of the satellite relative to a fixed region falls below a minimum value, in which case the corresponding beam is redirected to a new area, while the other beams remain pointed at the corresponding fixed areas. In this way, beam-to-beam handover is reduced, while maintaining the boresight of the antenna pointing at the nadir.

The present apparatus and method for using the same detects REM in a sleeping mammal and awakens the mammal after the cessation of a specific episode of REM. The system comprises an alarm setting means for setting a predetermined wakeup time, a data collection means for collecting physiological data from the mammal over time, a processing means for determining the occurrence and cessation of REM and means of providing a stimulation signal for awakening the mammal within a prescribed window of time before said predetermined wakeup time and after the cessation of REM and after the mammal's nadir in body temperature with respect to time.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a radar altimeter which utilizes a downward looking MIMO phased array to form multiple beams, covering a relatively wide sector, e.g., +/−60 degrees or thereabouts. The distance to the ground is then measured in each beam allowing the ground profile to be formed. The beams may be tilted forward to cover from about +90 degrees forward (horizontal) to about 30 degrees behind nadir. The provision of such a forward tilt gives a greater degree of coverage in the direction of approach vector to the ground. This additional cover enables the altimeter to more accurately detect other vehicles in the proximity to the current approach vector of the vehicle to the desired landing zone.

A full cutoff luminaire having a housing with an open bottom, a vertically mounted lamp centrally located within the housing, a radial reflector surrounding a portion of the lamp and a downwardly extending optic lens having an open top enshrouding a lower portion of the lamp wherein light emitted from the luminaire does not exceed 90° above nadir.

Spacecraft payload orientation steering is provided for an orbiting spacecraft in motion along an orbit track around a celestial body, the orbit track having a nominal inclination with respect to an equatorial orbit, a substantial eccentricity, and a drift angle with respect to the nominal inclination. Coordinates of an optimal payload target location as a function of a spacecraft position along the orbit track are determined, the target location being on the surface of the celestial body and having a substantial motion with respect to the surface and with respect to a spacecraft nadir. A payload of the spacecraft is substantially aligned with the determined coordinates by steering the satellite body to correct for at least one of the inclination drift angle, and the eccentricity, thereby adjusting the spacecraft orientation as a function of the spacecraft position along the orbit track.

The invention relates to the technical field of remote sensing, in particular to a comprehensive laser-measured height echo simulation method. The method can accurately simulate an echo signal produced by an oblique or fluctuant naked ground as well as the echo signal produced by a vegetation-covered ground. On the basis, simulation experiment design can be guided through the suggested concept ofvegetation cover effective area ratio so as to deduce the effect of the changes of factors such as ground fluctuation or obliqueness, vegetation thickness, a vegetation cover effective area and the like on an echo and deeply research a method for inverting terrain and ground feature parameters from a true echo signal. Lastly, the method can also consider an echo of which the laser alignment angleis not pointing to a nadir direction, but forms a certain included angle with the nadir direction.

The invention relates to piggyback secondary payloads, a device for and a method of attaching piggyback secondary payloads, including a primary satellite and at least one secondary payload, such as a deployable microsatellite, affixed instrument package or the like, wherein the secondary payload is mounted on the nadir end of the primary satellite, preferably employing a universal adapter between the primary satellite and the at least one secondary payload.

The invention discloses a device for calibrating a plumb aligner. An upright column is provided with a plumb aligner holding cabin and an operating platform which are connected with a laser mirror cabin through a supporting column; the laser mirror cabin is connected with a fine adjusting cabin through a supporting column; the fine adjusting cabin is provided with a rough adjusting head; and the rough adjusting head is provided with a plurality of rough adjusting bolts. The invention provides the device and a method for calibrating the plumb aligner, which are used for calibrating a sight axis and a laser optical axis by taking a vertical axis and a zenith/nadir sighting mark (or remote fixed sighting mark) of the plumb aligner calibrated by a water level as dynamic bench marks. In the calibration process, the calibrated plumb aligner always keeps the leveling state during use, the target seeking task is completely finished by the zenith/nadir sighting mark, and therefore, the influence of included target seeking of the plumb aligner in the traditional method on the indeterminacy of a calibration result is greatly reduced. In addition, fewer adjustment times, shorter adjustment time, higher correction precision and more convenience for operation are realized.

The present invention relates to a service satellite having a body, a controller and a docking unit. The docking unit includes at least two foldable, adjustable gripping arms pivotally mounted on the satellite body, each gripping arm being pivotable relative to the satellite body, and a gripping end at each free end of the gripping arms, wherein the gripping ends are adapted and configured to capture and grip a target portion of an orbiting satellite. Each gripping arm is controllable independently by the controller, which coordinates the motion of the arms. The service satellite also includes a propulsion unit including a first thruster mounted adjacent a Nadir end of the service satellite body, and a balance thruster, the balance thruster being distanced from the first thruster and facing a different direction than the first thruster, propellant for the thruster and the balance thruster; and means for aligning the thrusters so that a thrusting vector passes through a joint center of gravity of the service satellite and the serviced satellite.

A measurement device for measuring water concentration in an oil water mixture has a transmitter that is used to transmit a designated spectrum of microwave frequencies to a transmitting antenna and then through the oil water mixture. A separate receiving antenna is used to detect the amplitude of each frequency of the transmitted spectrum after it has interacted with the oil water mixture. The detected signal from each microwave frequency that has interacted with the fluid mixture is digitized and sent to a processing unit. The processing unit receives the digitized frequencies and identifies the microwave frequency having the lowest amplitude, or amplitudinal nadir. The microwave frequency having the lowest amplitude is then used to calculate the percentage of water in the oil water mixture.

Embodiments of this invention relates to orthorectifying oblique imagery to a nadir view. In an embodiment, a method orthorectifies oblique photographic imagery. An oblique photographic image is projected onto a three-dimensional model of terrain. Points are sampled from the projected photographic image at the intersection of the three-dimensional model of terrain and parallel rays extended from a virtual viewport having a nadir perspective. The sampled points are assembled into an orthorectified image. Finally, the orthorectified image or the sampled points are adjusted approximately according to a difference in tilt angle between a camera that captured the oblique photographic image and the viewport having the nadir perspective to generate a foreshortened orthorectified image. Each location in the foreshortened orthorectified image corresponds linearly to a corresponding location in a two-dimensional map.

In an example, a spherical drinking vessel is providing. The spherical drinking vessel may include a curved sidewall having a first hemisphere-shaped section and a second remaining section. The second remaining section of the curved sidewall may define an opening for receiving a liquid. A first thickness of the curved sidewall at a point corresponding to a nadir of the first hemisphere-shaped section of the curved sidewall may be different than a different point on the first hemisphere-shaped section of the curved sidewall. In an example, the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

A light fixture useful in the lighting of parking garages, including a base, a reflector element and at least one light-emitting lamp. The reflector element includes a reflector portion that extends vertical from the base to a distal edge that extends beyond the lamp. The extending reflector portions include a plurality of planer panels positioned in a plane at an angle that faces toward the lamp. A portion of the emitted light is reflected by the extending reflector portion in the opposed horizontal direction away from the fixture at a reflected angle from nadir that is greater than the emitted angle. The light fixture provides a uniform lighting pattern that allows for using fewer of the light fixtures, by projecting or reflecting emitted light horizontally at very high angles from nadir, and delivering more light to areas laterally remote from the fixture, and potentially using less energy.

A method for configuring and operating a spacecraft in an orbit that is inclined with respect to Earth's equatorial plane, the spacecraft including at least a solar array, a receive antenna, a transmit antenna, and radiator panels. The method includes the step of nominally orienting the yaw axis of the spacecraft, the roll axis of the spacecraft, and the radiator panels substantially parallel to Earth's equatorial plane, the pitch axis of the spacecraft and rotation axis of the solar array substantially parallel to Earth's polar axis, the Nadir vector in the yaw-pitch plane of the spacecraft, and the transmit antenna and receive antenna to angle φ_nom. The method also includes the step of correcting the attitude of the receive antenna and the transmit antenna to maintain a desired degree of the receive antenna and the transmit antenna steered toward a coverage region on Earth's surface.