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:
May. 11, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 28, 1997
Robert C Savoca, Ridgefield, CT (US);
EDO Corporation, Barnes Engineering Division, Shelton, CT (US);
Abstract
A multiple detector array is positioned in a satellite orbiting the earth for determining the attitude of the satellite with respect to the earth by detecting the earth's horizon. The multiple array of spaced detectors are mounted on a horizon sensor with a space detector viewing space, a horizon detector, with a field of view straddling the horizon and outer space space, a detector viewing the earth, and a gradient detector viewing the earth. Individual signals from these detectors are amplified and processed such that any gradients between the two earth viewing detectors are used to provide radiance compensation to correct for radiance errors in sensing the true position of the horizon.