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. 01, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 01, 2009
Brian Keith Mccomas, Tucson, AZ (US);
Kent P. Pflibsen, Tucson, AZ (US);
Darin S. Williams, Tucson, AZ (US);
Brian Keith McComas, Tucson, AZ (US);
Kent P. Pflibsen, Tucson, AZ (US);
Darin S. Williams, Tucson, AZ (US);
Raytheon Company, Waltham, MA (US);
Abstract
An optical apparatus and method for measuring the attitude of an object in outer space includes an optical system having an aperture to receive optical radiation and a focal plane to image the optical radiation and an aperture-sharing element attached to the optical element and at least partially surrounding an optical path into the aperture. The aperture-sharing element directs optical radiation from a field of view of the aperture-sharing element to a corresponding first portion of the focal plane to provide multi-axis stellar attitude measurements, and the aperture receives optical radiation along the optical path into the aperture and directs the optical radiation to a second portion of the focal plane.