US3090583A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System and method for determining the attitude of a space vehicle
Assignee: TDK Micronas GmbH
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Filing: 1960-02-08
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Granted: 1963-05-21
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Expires: 1980-02-08
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Behun Eugene
- 👤 Ray E Cronkwright
- 👤 Jerry D Griffith
- 👤 Kenneth F Moore
- 👤 Robert E Stalcup
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 19:25
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64G; B64G1/00; B64G1/22; B64G1/24; B64G1/36; B64G1/369
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
THE METHOD OF DETERMINING THE ATTITUDE OF A SPACE VEHICE WITH REFERENCE TO A FIRST LINE EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM THE CENTER OF A PLANET TO THE VEHICLE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF; SCANNING THE PLANET FROM SAID VEHICLE IN TWO MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANES; AND FOR EACH SCAN DETERMINING THE TIME INTERVAL BETWEEN THE INSTANT WHEN HALF OF A PLANET SCAN HAS OCCURRED AND THE INSTANT WHEN THE SCAN COINCIDES WITH THE LINE DEFINED BY THE INTERSECTION OF THE SCANNING PLANES.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
THE METHOD OF DETERMINING THE ATTITUDE OF A SPACE VEHICE WITH REFERENCE TO A FIRST LINE EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM THE CENTER OF A PLANET TO THE VEHICLE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF; SCANNING THE PLANET FROM SAID VEHICLE IN TWO MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANES; AND FOR EACH SCAN DETERMINING THE TIME INTERVAL BETWEEN THE INSTANT WHEN HALF OF A PLANET SCAN HAS OCCURRED AND THE INSTANT WHEN THE SCAN COINCIDES WITH THE LINE DEFINED BY THE INTERSECTION OF THE SCANNING PLANES.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
148 words
A SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE ATTITUDE OF A SPACE VEHICLE WITH REFERENCE TO A FIRST LINE EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM THE CENTER OF A PLANET TO THE VEHICLE COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND SCANNING MEANS IN SAID VEHICLE FOR GENERATING TWO NARROW SEARCH BEAMS AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING THE SAME WITH CONSTANT ANGULAR VELOCITY IN TWO MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANES; AND A PAIR OF COMPUTING MEAN RESPECTIVELY COUPLED TO SAID SCANNING MEANS FOR COMPUTING THE ANGLE THROUGH WHICH EACH BEAM MOVES BETWEEN A LINE MIDWAY BETWEEN ITS POINT OF INITIAL INTERCEPTION OF THE PLANET AND ITS POINT OF FINAL DEPARTURE FROM THE THE PLANET AND A SECOND LINE DEFINED BY THE INTERSECTION OF SAID PLANES; EACH OF SAID COMPUTING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE RESPECTIVE BEAM FOR GENERATING A STEPPED SIGNAL HAVING A WIDTH PROPROTIONAL TO THE BEAM INTERCEPTING PLANET, MEANS COUPLED TO THE RESPECTIVE SCANNING MEANS FOR PROVIDING
Claim 4
Independent Claim
148 words
A SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE ATTITUDE OF A SPACE VEHICLE WITH REFERENCE TO A FIRST LINE EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM THE CENTER OF A PLANET TO THE VEHICLE COMPRISING: FIRST AND SECOND SCANNING MEANS IN SAID VEHICLE FOR GENERATING TWO NARROW SEARCH BEAMS AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING THE SAME WITH CONSTANT ANGULAR VELOCITY IN TWO MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR PLANES; AND A PAIR OF COMPUTING MEAN RESPECTIVELY COUPLED TO SAID SCANNING MEANS FOR COMPUTING THE ANGLE THROUGH WHICH EACH BEAM MOVES BETWEEN A LINE MIDWAY BETWEEN ITS POINT OF INITIAL INTERCEPTION OF THE PLANET AND ITS POINT OF FINAL DEPARTURE FROM THE THE PLANET AND A SECOND LINE DEFINED BY THE INTERSECTION OF SAID PLANES; EACH OF SAID COMPUTING MEANS COMPRISING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE RESPECTIVE BEAM FOR GENERATING A STEPPED SIGNAL HAVING A WIDTH PROPROTIONAL TO THE BEAM INTERCEPTING PLANET, MEANS COUPLED TO THE RESPECTIVE SCANNING MEANS FOR PROVIDING
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1966-05-20 | 1966-11-19 | 1967-05-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1970-05-20 | 1970-11-19 | 1971-05-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1974-05-20 | 1974-11-19 | 1975-05-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |