Optical tracking system for refueling

An aerial refueling system comprising:

• a refueling drogue assembly including a refueling drogue and a refueling hose in captive relation with the refueling drogue;
• and
• a drogue positioning system, the drogue positioning system including a radiation emitter, a radiation receiver and a signal processor;
• wherein the radiation emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a positioning area a defined distance from the radiation emitter, the positioning area including a plurality of positions where at least one of the radiation emitter and the radiation receiver are expected to be located, the radiation carrying a modulated location signal containing information corresponding to at least a portion of the plurality of positions within the positioning area using a predetermined coordinate system;
• wherein the radiation receiver is adapted to receive at least a portion of the emitted radiation carrying the modulated signal and output a signal to the signal processor indicative of the modulation of the location signal of the received radiation;
• and
• wherein the signal processor is adapted to process the outputted signal and identify the at least a portion of the plurality of positions within the positioning area indicative of the location in the positioning area of the received radiation,
• wherein the radiation emitted by the radiation emitter is a focused beam and the radiation emitter is adapted to scan the focused beam over the positioning area;
• wherein the drogue positioning system is adapted to virtually divide at least a portion of the positioning area into a virtual grid, the virtual grid including a plurality of distributed distinct sectors, the distributed distinct sectors spatially corresponding to sub-areas within the positioning area, the sub-areas being disbursed within the positioning area in a geometrically defined manner;
• wherein the drogue positioning system is adapted to change the modulated location signal carried on the focused beam as the focused beam is scanned over the positioning area, wherein change in the modulated location signal corresponds in a defined manner to the sub-areas such that a modulated location signal indicative of a beam being directed at a first sub-area is distinct from a modulated location signal indicative of a beam being directed at a second sub-area;
• and
• wherein the signal processor is adapted to analyze one or more outputted signals from the receiver indicative of the modulation of the location signal and identify a distinct sector corresponding to the received modulated location signal carried on the focused beam.