Self-calibrating sensor orienting system

The method for controlling an orienting/positioning system, the orienting/positioning system comprising at least a sensor and an actuator for controlling at least one of an orienting and a positioning action of the sensor, comprising the steps of:

• (S1) mapping output information of the sensor in the input space coordinates of the sensor to actuator control coordinates using a predefined mapping function;
• (S2) determining a targeted post-action position, the decision taking place in the actuator control coordinates;
• (S3) defining a command for the actuator based on a result of the decision;
• and
• (S4) orienting the sensor by the actuator according to the defined command in order to carry out the orienting action of the sensor.

An auto-calibrating orienting/positioning system, comprising at least a sensor means, a computing means and an actuator means for controlling at least one of an orienting and a positioning action of the sensor means, the computing means comprising:

• means for evaluating pre-action output information of the sensor means in order to detect a pre-action position of a pattern in an input space of the sensor means;
• means for deciding on a targeted post-action position of the pattern in the input space of the sensor means;
• means for commanding the actuator means, a command being generated by mapping any deviation of the pre-action position and the targeted post-action position in the input space of the sensor means to actuator control coordinates using a predefined mapping function;
• means for detecting a real post-action position of the pattern in the input space of the sensor means;
• and
• means for calibrating the mapping function based on any difference of the real post-action position and the targeted post-action position of the pattern in the input space of the sensor means in order to carry out an incremental adaptive learning of the mapping function.