초록 ▼

An improved system for acquiring and tracking an optical beam. In the illustrative application, the inventive system is used to facilitate optical communication between two satellites and provides an improved technique for acquiring and tracking two optical beams. The illustrative embodiment include

An improved system for acquiring and tracking an optical beam. In the illustrative application, the inventive system is used to facilitate optical communication between two satellites and provides an improved technique for acquiring and tracking two optical beams. The illustrative embodiment includes an optical transmitter (26) mounted on the first satellite for transmitting a first optical beam. The beam is scanned over a predetermined area in a predetermined pattern at a predetermined rate. When the beam is detected at the second satellite, the receiver at the second satellite generates a signal indicative of the time at which the beam is detected. This signal is used to modulate a second beam transmitted by the second satellite. The second beam is scanned over a predetermined area in a predetermined pattern at a predetermined rate. A receiver (34, 35, 38, 40, 42) mounted on the first satellite receives the second beam and modulates the first beam with a second signal indicative of the time at which the second beam is detected. Processors (38, 40, 18, 20, 22, 24) on each satellite adjust the scan of the transmitted beam to nutate about the line-of-sight to the remote receiver to track the acquired beam. Thereafter, satellite-to-satellite communication may be effected by continuously detecting and correcting pointing errors and injecting the corrective signals into the normal data stream.

대표청구항 ▼

In an optical communication system, an improved system for acquiring and tracking an optical beam, the improved system comprising: first means mounted at a first location for scanning a first transmit beam over a predetermined area and second means mounted at a second location for detecting the firs

In an optical communication system, an improved system for acquiring and tracking an optical beam, the improved system comprising: first means mounted at a first location for scanning a first transmit beam over a predetermined area and second means mounted at a second location for detecting the first transmit beam and providing a first signal in response thereto indicative of the scan position of the first transmit beam at a time that the first transmit beam is detected by the second means, said first signal further providing an indication of the time at which the first transmit beam was detected by the second means, and said second means further including means for modulating a second transmit beam with the first signal.