초록 ▼

The present invention provides an acquisition sensor and system to align the communication lasers of two satellite communication terminals so that the satellites acquire one another to allow laser communication. The communications lasers of both satellites are scanned over their respective pointing

The present invention provides an acquisition sensor and system to align the communication lasers of two satellite communication terminals so that the satellites acquire one another to allow laser communication. The communications lasers of both satellites are scanned over their respective pointing uncertainty regions. Each satellite's acquisition sensor detects the presence of the scanned beam of the other satellite and provides positional resolution of the other satellite. Each satellite than adjusts its scanning to conform with the new positional data. of the other satellite. The acquisition sensor is a quadrant InGaAs photo-detector and accompanying monolithic acquisition processing circuitry sealed in a hermetic package with an optical window. Each quadrant of the sensor is responsive to the beam of the other satellite, thus providing positional resolution of the other satellite to the space of a single quadrant. Once the Field of View (FOV) of the acquisition sensor has realigned, the positional resolution repeats until the other satellite's tracking sensor is illuminated.

대표청구항 ▼

1. In a communication terminal for acquiring an optical beam transmitted by a source located in a region of uncertainty containing subdivisions, an acquisition sensor for determining the subdivision of the region in which the source is located comprising;a multi-channel photodetector, at least some

1. In a communication terminal for acquiring an optical beam transmitted by a source located in a region of uncertainty containing subdivisions, an acquisition sensor for determining the subdivision of the region in which the source is located comprising;a multi-channel photodetector, at least some of the channels being arranged so that the channel receiving the optical beam depends at least on part on the subdivision in which the source is located, the photodetector converting at least a portion of the optical beam to a corresponding received signal having a signal component, a noise component, and an amplitude; channel circuitry responsive to the received signal including; a threshold circuit connected to generate a threshold signal; a comparator connected to compare the amplitude of the received signal to the threshold signal and to generate a result signal indicating the results of the comparison; and at least one filter connected to lower the noise component in the received signal.