Centralized Orientation Control for Satellite Optical Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Satellites face challenges in maintaining accurate orientation direction for communication, particularly due to disturbances, which can degrade communication quality, and existing solutions require high-performance sensors for correction.
Innovation Solution
An orientation direction control device that uses a network of transmission/reception devices to detect and correct orientation errors without relying on high-performance sensors, utilizing error detection and capture/tracking mechanisms to adjust the orientation of transmission/reception units based on received light or radio wave direction information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-performance sensors are provided for each transmission/reception device to maintain orientation accuracy, then orientation accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the orientation direction control functions of multiple transmission/reception devices into a single centralized control device. This control device receives orientation information from multiple transmission/reception devices and generates unified control commands, eliminating the need for each device to have its own high-performance sensor while maintaining overall orientation accuracy through collaborative control.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized control device performs multiple functions: it receives orientation information from various transmission/reception devices, processes this information to determine orientation errors, generates correction commands, and transmits these commands to the appropriate devices. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate high-performance sensing systems into a single versatile control unit.
2Reliability
If high-performance sensors are provided for each transmission/reception device to correct orientation deviation, then communication quality is improved, but equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the expensive high-performance sensor functions into a single centralized control device that serves multiple transmission/reception devices. By consolidating these functions, the system achieves improved communication quality through better orientation control while significantly reducing overall equipment cost by eliminating the need for multiple separate high-performance sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing each transmission/reception device with its own expensive high-performance sensor, the system uses a centralized control device that copies and distributes control commands to multiple devices. This allows the system to achieve the reliability benefits of high-performance sensing across all devices without the cost of providing actual high-performance sensors to each one.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple transmission/reception devices are installed on a satellite to communicate with multiple other satellites, then communication versatility is improved, but the difficulty of maintaining orientation accuracy for all devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the orientation direction control functions for multiple transmission/reception devices into a single centralized control device. This control device receives orientation information from all devices, processes the information to identify errors, and generates unified correction commands, thereby maintaining orientation accuracy across all devices without increasing the difficulty of detection and measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized control device continuously receives orientation information from multiple transmission/reception devices, compares this information to determine orientation errors, and generates feedback control commands to correct deviations. This feedback mechanism enables the system to maintain orientation accuracy for all devices while preserving communication versatility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for accurate maintenance of orientation direction without the need for high-performance sensors, improving communication quality and reducing equipment costs by leveraging existing devices for error correction.
Implementation Method 1
a first transmission/reception unit to transmit and receive light, and a receiving direction information acquisition unit to acquire receiving direction information regarding a direction in which the light is received by the first transmission/reception unit
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
An orientation direction control device (11) includes: an orientation direction control information acquisition unit (13) to acquire orientation direction control information for controlling an orientation direction in which a first optical communication terminal (101) as a first transmission/reception device transmits and receives light; and a capture and tracking control unit (17) as an orientation direction control unit to control an orientation direction in which a second optical communication terminal (102) as a second transmission/reception device transmits and receives the light or a radio wave on the basis of the orientation direction control information acquired by the orientation direction control information acquisition unit (13).