The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 19, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 09, 2016
Applicant:
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Inventors:
Benjamin F. Lane, Sherborn, MA (US);
William W. Whitacre, Boston, MA (US);
Assignee:
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01S 3/78 (2006.01); G01S 3/785 (2006.01); G01C 21/02 (2006.01); G01S 19/48 (2010.01); G01S 3/786 (2006.01); G01S 5/02 (2010.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01S 3/785 (2013.01); G01C 21/02 (2013.01); G01S 3/7867 (2013.01); G01S 5/0263 (2013.01); G01S 19/48 (2013.01);
Abstract
A navigation system determines a position by referring to artificial or natural satellites or other space objects during daylight or when the objects are in a planet's shadow. A telescope and image sensor observe and image shadows of the objects as the objects transit the sun or a sunlit surface of a planet or moon, thereby solving problems related to the two key times during which traditional SkyMark navigation is difficult or impossible.