초록 ▼

A tracking system for measuring at least the spatial coordinates of a target and possibly the angular orientation of the target. A collimated beam is directed to the target and a mirror attached to the target reflects this beam back to a tracking point. Photosensors attached to the tracking or targe

A tracking system for measuring at least the spatial coordinates of a target and possibly the angular orientation of the target. A collimated beam is directed to the target and a mirror attached to the target reflects this beam back to a tracking point. Photosensors attached to the tracking or target point provide error signals to a servo system which controls optics at the tracking or target points to provide the direction necessary to accomplish the coincidence of the beams. An interferometer interferes the source beam with the beam that has travelled twice between the tracking and target points in order to measure the separation. By measuring the directions of the beams relative to structure attached to the tracking and target points, the target point can be located in spatial coordinates and additionally the orientation of the target structure can be determined.

대표청구항 ▼

CM,7. A laser tracking system, comprising: a laser light source associated with a tracking point (A) for producing a beam of coherent light; a first rotatable planar reflector (28) associated with said tracking point for reflecting said beam from said laser light source into a first beam; a retrore

CM,7. A laser tracking system, comprising: a laser light source associated with a tracking point (A) for producing a beam of coherent light; a first rotatable planar reflector (28) associated with said tracking point for reflecting said beam from said laser light source into a first beam; a retroreflector (120) associated with a target point (B) for reflecting a beam incident thereupon into a second beam anti-parallel to said incident beam, said tracking point and said target point being separated by a separation; control means for controlling said first reflector to direct said first beam to said retroreflector at said target point, said control means controlling said first reflector to rotate in at least two degrees of freedom, said control means including means (128) associated with said tracking point for determining the planar position of a light beam falling thereupon and receiving said second beam; angular measuring means for measuring said at least two degrees of freedom; and interferometric means (124,48) associated with said tracking point for measuring said separation by interfering said light beam from said laser light source before it is reflected by said first reflector.