US3681528A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Harmonic information detection technique
Assignee: LTV Aerospace Corp
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Filing: 1970-12-21
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Granted: 1972-08-01
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Expires: 1990-12-21
Abstract
Abstract An optical tracking system wherein a first control means tends to lock a nutation electron beam upon and within the image of a target which has been projected upon a screen and constitutes a dark body upon a light background. A second control means functions to expand the nutating scanning pattern of the electron beam until it cuts across the light background in at least two different places to generate a signal whose frequency is equal to the second harmonic of the nutating scanning pattern. Said second control means maintains the amplitude of this second harmonic within certain limits to thereby insure that the scanning pattern always remains approximately the same size as the target. Other logic means are provided to cause the nutating scanning pattern to find and lock-on upon the target should the target suddenly reflect the sun and become a bright object upon a dark background.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles R Henderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 17:32
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01S; G01S3/00; G01S3/78; G01S3/782; G01S3/785; G01S3/786; G01S3/7864
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
Tracking means constructed to track a moving target and comprising: image reproducing means comprising a screen and constructed to optically project the image of said target and the background thereof upon said screen; said screen responsive to a beam of charged particles to generate electrical signals whose amplitude varies in accordance with the intensity of the light being projected upon said screen; scanning means comprising a beam of charged particles, a vertical deflecting means for deflecting said beam vertically, and a horizontal deflecting means for deflection said beam horizontally; means for supply first signals to said vertical and horizontal deflecting means to cause said beam to describe a nutating scanning pattern at a predetermined nutation rate; starting means for initially causing said nutating scanning pattern to lock-on upon said target image; first control means responsive to the impingement of said beam upon portions of said screen outside said target image to supply to said horizontal and vertical deflecting means signals of a polarity and a magnitude to deflect said beam so that said nutating scanning pattern will tend to remain within said target image when said target image is of a different brightness than said background; second control means responsive to that component of the signal, generated by said beam as it impinges alternately upon said target image and upon portions of said screen outside said target image, whose frequency is equal to a given harmonic of the nutation rate, to cause said nutating scanning pattern to increase in size until said given harmonic signal component reaches a predetermined amplitude.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
260 words
Tracking means constructed to track a moving target and comprising: image reproducing means comprising a screen and constructed to optically project the image of said target and the background thereof upon said screen; said screen responsive to a beam of charged particles to generate electrical signals whose amplitude varies in accordance with the intensity of the light being projected upon said screen; scanning means comprising a beam of charged particles, a vertical deflecting means for deflecting said beam vertically, and a horizontal deflecting means for deflection said beam horizontally; means for supply first signals to said vertical and horizontal deflecting means to cause said beam to describe a nutating scanning pattern at a predetermined nutation rate; starting means for initially causing said nutating scanning pattern to lock-on upon said target image; first control means responsive to the impingement of said beam upon portions of said screen outside said target image to supply to said horizontal and vertical deflecting means signals of a polarity and a magnitude to deflect said beam so that said nutating scanning pattern will tend to remain within said target image when said target image is of a different brightness than said background; second control means responsive to that component of the signal, generated by said beam as it impinges alternately upon said target image and upon portions of said screen outside said target image, whose frequency is equal to a given harmonic of the nutation rate, to cause said nutating scanning pattern to increase in size until said given harmonic signal component reaches a predetermined amplitude.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
132 words
Tracking means in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising: rate memory means for continuously recording a second signal representative of the direction and velocity of said target image upon said screen; nutation scanning pattern size memory means for continuously recording a third signal representative of the scanning pattern size; and logic control means responsive to the loss of lock-on of said nutating scanning pattern upon said target image to connect the second signal of said rate memory means and the third signal of said nutation scanning pattern size memory means to said vertical and horizontal deflecting means to cause the nominal center of said scanning pattern to follow the remembered path of said target image at the remembered velocity and to regain lock-on of said scanning pattern upon said target image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
177 words
Tracking means in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising: rate memory meanS for continuously recording a second signal representative of the direction and velocity of said target image upon said screen; nutation scanning pattern size memory means for continuously recording a third signal representative of the nutation scanning pattern size; automatic lock-on scanning mean constructed to cause the nominal center of the nutating scanning pattern to follow a collapsing spiral pattern; and logic control means responsive to a loss of lock-on of said nutating scanning pattern upon said target image to connect said rate memory means, said nutation scanning pattern size memory means, and said automatic lock-on scanning means to said vertical and horizontal deflecting means to cause the nominal center point of said nutating scanning pattern to follow a path defined by said collapsing spiral pattern with the nominal center of said collapsing spiral being translated along the remembered path of said target image and with the remembered velocity of said target image, and to regain lock-on of said scanning pattern upon said target image.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
Tracking means in accordance with claim 2 in which said first control means further comprises: polarity reversing means responsive to loss of lock-on upon said target image by said scanning pattern to condition said first control means to deflect said electron beam so that said nutation scanning pattern tends to remain within said target image with the relative brightnesses of said target image and the portions of said screen surrounding said target being reversed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
233 words
Tracking means constructed to track a moving target and comprising: a screen constructed to assume different energy states in response to images optically projected thereon and to be responsive to an impinging electron beam to generate a signal whose amplitude varies in accordance with the energy level of that portion of the screen upon which the electron beam is impinging; means for projecting the image of said target upon said screen; scanning means comprising an electron beam and deflecting means for deflecting said electron beam in vertical and horizontal directions; means for supplying first signals to said deflecting means to cause said electron beam to describe a nutating scanning pattern upon said screen; starting means for initially establishing lock-on of said nutating scanning pattern upon said target image; first control means responsive to the impingment of said electron beam upon a portion of said screen outside said target image to supply a second signal to said deflecting means to deflect said electron beam so that said nutating scanning pattern tends to remain within said target image; and second control means responsive to a signal component of a given frequency which is generated by said electron beam as it scans alternately between portions of the target image and portions of the screen outside said target image, to cause said nutating scanning pattern to increase in size until said signal component reaches a predetermined amplitude.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
233 words
Tracking means constructed to track a moving target and comprising: a screen constructed to assume different energy states in response to images optically projected thereon and to be responsive to an impinging electron beam to generate a signal whose amplitude varies in accordance with the energy level of that portion of the screen upon which the electron beam is impinging; means for projecting the image of said target upon said screen; scanning means comprising an electron beam and deflecting means for deflecting said electron beam in vertical and horizontal directions; means for supplying first signals to said deflecting means to cause said electron beam to describe a nutating scanning pattern upon said screen; starting means for initially establishing lock-on of said nutating scanning pattern upon said target image; first control means responsive to the impingment of said electron beam upon a portion of said screen outside said target image to supply a second signal to said deflecting means to deflect said electron beam so that said nutating scanning pattern tends to remain within said target image; and second control means responsive to a signal component of a given frequency which is generated by said electron beam as it scans alternately between portions of the target image and portions of the screen outside said target image, to cause said nutating scanning pattern to increase in size until said signal component reaches a predetermined amplitude.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
131 words
Tracking means in accordance with claim 5 and further comprising: rate memory means for continuously recording a second signal representative of the direction and velocity of said target image upon said screen; nutation scanning pattern size memory means for continuously recording a third signal representative of the scanning pattern size; and logic control means responsive to the loss of lock-on of said nutating scanning pattern upon said target image to connect the second signal of said rate memory means and the third signal of said nutation scanning pattern size memory means to said electron beam deflecting means to cause the nominal center of said scanning pattern to follow the remembered path of said target image at the remembered velocity and to regain lock-on of said scanning pattern upon said target image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
176 words
Tracking means in accordance with claim 5 and further comprising: rate memory means for continuously recording a sEcond signal representative of the direction and velocity of said target image upon said screen; nutation scanning pattern size memory means for continuously recording a third signal representative of the nutating scanning pattern size; automatic lock-on scanning means constructed to cause the nominal center of the nutating scanning pattern to follow a collapsing spiral pattern; and logic control means responsive to a loss of lock-on of said nutating scanning pattern upon said target image to connect said rate memory means, said nutation scanning pattern size memory means and said automatic lock-on scanning means to said electron beam deflecting means to cause the nominal center point of said nutating scanning pattern to follow a path defined by said collapsing spiral pattern with the nominal center of said collapsing spiral being translated along the remembered path of said target image and with the remembered velocity of said target image, and to regain lock-on of said scanning pattern upon said target image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
Tracking means in accordance with claim 7 in which said first control means further comprises: polarity reversing means responsive to loss of lock-on upon said target image by said scanning pattern to condition said first control means to deflect said electron beam so that said nutation scanning pattern tends to remain within said target image with the relative brightnesses of said target image and the portions of said screen surrounding said target image being reversed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3114859A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-01 | 1976-01-31 | 1976-08-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-01 | 1980-01-31 | 1980-08-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-01 | 1984-01-31 | 1984-08-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |