High altitude platform control system
AssigneeHughes Electronics Corporation
InventorDavid W. Lloyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for controlling a movable appendage on an aerospace vehicle independent from the position of the aerospace vehicle. First and second beacons containing actual position information for the movable appendage are tracked and acquired by first and second beacon tracking sites. The beacon tracking sites report the azimuth and elevation data relating to the position of the movable appendage to a processor where a correction command is determined based on an error calculated from the position data and a desired position. The correction command is communicated to the movable appendage so that appropriate correction to the desired position can be made.
Claims9
A method of controlling a position of a movable appendage for an aerospace vehicle having beam forming capability, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating a first downlink beacon with said beam forming capability;
- sending said first downlink beacon from said movable appendage to a first beacon tracking site on the ground;
- generating a second downlink beacon with said beam forming capability;
- sending said second downlink beacon from said movable appendage to a second beacon tracking site on the ground, said second beacon tracking site being spaced a predetermined distance from said first beacon tracking site;
- extracting actual position information of said movable appendage from said first and second downlink beacons;
- sending said actual position information to a processor;
- calculating an error between said actual position of said movable appendage and a desired position of said movable appendage;
- determining a command necessary to null said error;
- and
- sending said command to said movable appendage to move said actual position of said movable appendage to said desired position.
A method of controlling a position of a gimbaled communications platform for stratospheric aircraft having beam forming capability, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating a first downlink beacon with said beam forming capability;
- sending said first downlink beacon from said gimbaled communications platform to a first beacon tracking site on the ground;
- generating a second downlink beacon with said beam forming capability;
- sending said second downlink beacon from said gimbaled communications platform to a second beacon tracking site on the ground, said second beacon tracking site being spaced a predetermined distance from said first beacon tracking site;
- extracting actual position information of said gimbaled communications platform from said first and second downlink beacons;
- sending said actual position information to a processor;
- calculating an error between said actual position of said gimbaled communications platform and a desired position of said gimbaled communications platform;
- determining a command necessary to null said error;
- and
- sending said command to said gimbaled communications platform to move said actual position of said gimbaled communications platform to said desired position.
A system for controlling a movable appendage in a communications system to a desired position independent of a motion of the communications system, said system comprising:
- an aerospace vehicle;
- a movable appendage on said aerospace vehicle;
- beam forming on said movable appendage for sending first and second beacons containing actual position information of said movable appendage;
- a first tracking site for acquiring and tracking said first beacon;
- a second tracking site spaced a predetermined distance from said first tracking site, said second tracking site for acquiring and tracking said second beacon;
- and
- a processor in communication with said first and second tracking sites and said movable appendage, said processor receiving actual position information from said first and second tracking sites to calculate an error between said actual position information and a desired position, said error being used by said processor to calculate a correction command that is sent to said movable appendage;
- whereby said movable appendage is adjusted to said desired position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.