Laser scanning for spatial acquisition of a satellite receiver

An electromagnetic beam transmission system that comprises:

• an electromagnetic beam system configured to transmit an electromagnetic beam;
• and
• a controller configured to control the electromagnetic beam transmission system to:
• direct the electromagnetic beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which an object is expected to be located;
• move the electromagnetic beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the object is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the electromagnetic beam;
• continue to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location with a dwell time at each location in response to not receiving the confirmation that a satellite has received the laser beam;
• and
• continue to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the electromagnetic beam has encountered the object.

An electromagnetic beam transmission system that comprises:

• an electromagnetic beam system configured to transmit an electromagnetic beam;
• and
• a controller configured to control the electromagnetic beam transmission system to:
• direct the electromagnetic beam to a location in an uncertainty area using a scan metric, wherein the uncertainty area is one in which an object is expected to be located;
• move the electromagnetic beam from the location to a next location using the scan metric in response to not receiving a confirmation that the object is at the location, wherein;
• the controller selects the next location in the uncertainty area from a set of candidate locations that has a highest value for the scan metric, wherein the scan metric is as follows:
• M=PDFint/ttot where PDFint is a probability density function integrated over an area of interest for a next potential location and ttot is a total time ttot=tslew+tdwell, tslew is a time to slew a line-of-sight from a current location to the next potential location, and tdwell is a time the line of site dwells at the next potential location;
• and
• the next location becomes a current location for the electromagnetic beam;
• and
• continue to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location using the scan metric in response to not receiving the confirmation that the electromagnetic beam has encountered the object.

A method for pointing a laser beam, the method comprising:

• directing the laser beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which a satellite is expected to be located;
• moving the laser beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the satellite is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the laser beam;
• and
• continuing to move the laser beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location with a dwell time at each location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the satellite has received the laser beam.

A method for pointing an electromagnetic beam, the method comprising:

• directing the electromagnetic beam at a location nearest to a maximum of an uncertainty area in which an object is expected to be located;
• moving the electromagnetic beam from the location to a next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area in response to not receiving a confirmation that the object is at the location, wherein the next location becomes a current location for the electromagnetic beam;
• continue to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location with a dwell time at each location in response to not receiving the confirmation that a satellite has received the laser beam;
• and
• continuing to move the electromagnetic beam from the current location to the next location nearest to the maximum of the uncertainty area from the current location in response to not receiving the confirmation that the electromagnetic beam has encountered the object.