Dead reckoning optoelectronic intelligent docking system

An Optoelectronic system for docking a host object to a target object having a docking port comprising:

• (a) first optical means secured on said host object and effective for both establishing a source of light radiation waveforms and receiving reflected light radiation;
• (b) data processing means comprising a master central processing unit associated with said first optical means effective to analyze target information to produce guidance commands for maneuvering said host object to dock with said target object;
• (c) second optical means secured on said target object and effective for returning incident light radiation in the direction of said source of light radiation, said second optical means comprising a pattern of three retroreflectors separated and arranged in an isosceles triangle about said docking port and a retroreflective image plate juxtaposed to said docking port, said image plate being defined by a flat surface having a centroid thereon and having a preselected perimetric shape subtending a contrasting crosshair pattern of nonretroreflective material effective to identify said centroid;
• said first optical means comprising first, second and third optoelectronic sensors including first, second and third microcomputers, respectively, and first, second and third range processing circuits, respectively, connected therewith, said first and said second optoelectronic sensors being configured for illuminating at preselected target distances said retroreflectors and said image plate and detecting and processing light illumination waveforms returned from said retroreflectors, and said third optoelectronic sensor being configured for further illuminating within preselected target distances said image plate and detecting and processing light illumination waveforms returned therefrom, each of said optoelectronic sensors, associated microcomputers and range processing circuits being configured for determining within preselected target distances and independently of the other said optoelectronic sensors the position and range of said target object from said host object and transmitting information on said position and range to said master central processing unit;
• said first optoelectronic sensor comprising a pulsed array laser radar subsystem;
• said second optoelectronic sensor comprising a continuous array laser radar subsystem;
• and
• said third optoelectronic sensor comprising a charge coupled device television laser radar subsystem.