Optical Scan Acquisition Using Pre-Track Data Encoding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical data beam acquisition techniques for distant terminals are inefficient due to high uncertainty regions and require precise alignment between sensors and transmitters, leading to prolonged acquisition times and potential misalignment issues.
Innovation Solution
The technique divides uncertainty regions into multiple scan sections, with encoded information indicating the current section being scanned, allowing terminals to reduce uncertainty regions by decoding received scan beams, eliminating the need for precise sensor-transmitter alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional acquisition techniques are used to align terminals, then data transmission can be established, but the acquisition time is prolonged due to large uncertainty regions
Solution Approach 1:
The uncertainty region is divided into multiple scan sections, each identified by a unique code. The scan beam systematically illuminates each section while encoding the current section identifier, allowing the receiving terminal to decode its position and progressively reduce the uncertainty region through sequential section identification rather than searching the entire region at once.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the uncertainty region is large to account for position errors, then terminal location flexibility is maintained, but the acquisition time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The large uncertainty region is segmented into multiple coded scan sections, allowing the system to maintain adaptability to terminal position errors while reducing acquisition time through systematic sequential scanning and identification of the containing section.
Solution Approach 2:
The scan beam performs preliminary scanning through coded sections to identify which section contains the target terminal before initiating precise tracking, thereby preparing the system in advance for accurate alignment without requiring the entire uncertainty region to be covered at full precision from the start.
3Measurement precision
If precise alignment between sensor and transmitter is required for acquisition, then tracking accuracy is improved, but the system complexity and difficulty of implementation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The scan beam carries encoded information about which section it is currently scanning, enabling the receiving terminal to autonomously decode its position and provide feedback to the transmitting terminal. This self-service mechanism allows the system to achieve precise alignment without requiring complex external alignment equipment or manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving terminal decodes the section identifier from the incoming scan beam and uses this information to determine its position within the uncertainty region. This decoded position information is fed back to the transmitting terminal, which uses it to adjust its beam pointing and achieve accurate alignment, creating a closed-loop feedback system that simplifies the alignment process.
Data Source
AI summary
A scan acquisition technique for acquiring terminals (62, 64) that does not rely on precise alignment between a sensor (66, 70) and a transmitter (68, 72) associated with the terminals (62, 64). The terminals (62, 64) separate uncertainty regions (76, 78) into a plurality of sections (88, 90). Scan beams (82, 84) include encoded information of what section (88, 90) the scan beam (82, 84) is currently scanning. Each terminal (62, 64) will eventually receive the scan beam (82, 84) of the other terminal (62, 64). When it does, it will encode its scan beam (82, 84) with both the outgoing code and the return code for that section (88, 90), so that when it's scan beam (82, 84) is received by the other terminal (62, 64), that terminal (62, 64) will know what scan section (88, 90) the other terminal (62, 64) is located.