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:
Jul. 22, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 06, 1994
Peter R. Silverglate, Monroe, CT (US);
Richard A. Rockwell, Sandy Hook, CT (US);
Edward F. Zalewski, Sandy Hook, CT (US);
Goodrich Corporation, Charlotte, NC (US);
Abstract
Calibration is provided for a diffuser panel ( ) on board a spacecraft ( ) employed in measuring the intensity of sunlight reflected from subjects on the earth. The calibration is accomplished by comparing the intensity of solar radiation reflected from the panel with the intensity of the solar radiation incident directly from the sun. The comparison is obtained by directing both radiation into an integrating sphere ( ) through separate ports ( ) which are sized to admit substantially equal amounts of power of the reflected and the direct radiations. A detector ( ) detects an average value of intensity of the reflected radiation while the direct rays are excluded by a shutter ( ). Upon an opening of the shutter and a deflecting of the diffuser panel from the calibrating position, the detector detects the average value of radiation intensity from the direct rays of the sun. The detected values of the radiation intensities may be transmitted back to earth, or are stored in memories and of a computer , and then applied to an arithmetic unit to produce the calibration ratio which is then made available for transmission with imaging data back to the earth.