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:
Dec. 30, 1997
Filed:
Sep. 11, 1995
Ernst Bruederle, Ottobrunn, DE;
Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG, , DE;
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for determining the angular momentum vector of a satellite, located in an external magnetic field, relative to a satellite-integral orthogonal system of coordinates. The satellite has a torque generating system to generate pulse-shaped torques around all three axes. A magnetometer measuring on three axes is used, whose measured values are fed to a computer. In the latter, at successive points in time and using the current measured values, an observer equation is integrated, with new estimated values being determined for the angular momentum vector. Using these as well as the current measured values, an inequality is continuously checked; when it is not fulfilled, the torque generating system operates briefly, so that finally the fulfillment of the inequality is forced and identity of the last estimated value that has been determined with the rotary pulse vector to be determined is achieved.