Wide angle sun sensor

Claim 2

A single-axis sun sensor comprising: a cylindrically shaped electrically insulating support member; at least a first pair of photosensitive detectors supported on the outer surface of said member on opposite sides thereof, with respect to an imaginary plane bisecting said member into two equal parts along its length and extending through the member''s longitudinal axis, each detector having first and second opposite ends; first means for connecting said first ends of said detectors to form a first terminal; second means including a D.C. potential source having first and second source terminals at +VR and -VR volts respectively, with respect to a D.C. reference potential; said first pair of detectors comprising first and second detectors which are strip-shaped of equal lengths between their ends and of constant width in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis and are deposited on said outer surface in a circular pattern in a plane perpendicular to the member''s longitudinal axis, each detector substantially defining a semicircle on either side of said imaginary plane and said second means further coupling the second ends of said first and second detectors to said first and second source terminals respectively, whereby the amplitude of the D.C. potential at said first terminal is a function of the angle between the direction of solar radiation and said imaginary plane and the polarity of said D.C. potential with respect to said reference D.C. potential is indicative of radiation direction with respect to said imaginary plane.

Claim 3

The sun sensor as described in claim 1 further including at least a second pair of said detectors deposited on the outer surface of said member spaced apart from said first pair and similarly coupled to said source terminals.

Claim 4

A single-axis radiation direction sensor comprising: a cylindrically shaped electrically insulating support member; a first pair of radiation-sensitive detectors, comprising first and second detectors supported on substantially a circumference of said cylinder, each detector having first and second ends, with the first ends of the two detectors adjacent one another at about a first point on said support member and the second ends of the two detectors adjacent one another at about a second point on said surface, diametrically opposite said first point, whereby each detector covers substantially a different half of said circumference, with said first and second points being aligned in an imaginary plane defining a null plane bisecting said cylinder into two halves; first means for connecting the detectors'' first ends to form a first terminal; a D.C. potential source having first and second source terminals at D.C. voltages of +VR and -VR respectively with respect to a D.C. reference potential; second means for selectively coupling said second ends of said first and second detectors to said first and second source terminals respectively, whereby the amplitude of the D.C. potential at said first terminal with respect to said reference potential is a function of the angle between radiation direction and said null plane and the polarity is a function of the radiation direction with respect to said null plane; and a second pair of radiation-sensitive detectors comprising first and second detectors supported on said support member on a circumference spaced from the circumference at which said first pair is deposited, with the first and second points at about which the first and second ends of the second-pair detectors are positioned being in said null plane, with the first detectors of said pairs being on one side of said plane and the second detectors being on the other side of said plane, said second means selectively connecting the second end of one of said fiRst detectors to said first source terminal and the second end of one of said second detectors to said second source terminal.

Claim 5

A single-axis radiation direction sensor comprising: a cylindrically shaped electrically insulating support member; a first pair of radiation-sensitive detectors, comprising first and second detectors supported on substantially a circumference of said cylinder, each detector having first and second ends, with the first ends of the two detectors adjacent one another at about a first point on said support member and the second ends of the two detectors adjacent one another at about a second point on said surface, diametrically opposite said first point, whereby each detector covers substantially a different half of said circumference, with said first and second points being aligned in an imaginary plane defining a null plane bisecting said cylinder into two halves; first means for connecting the detectors'' first ends to form a first terminal; a D.C. potential source having first and second source terminals at D.C. voltages of +VR and -VR respectively with respect to a D.C. reference potential; second means for selectively coupling said second ends of said first and second detectors to said first and second source terminals respectively, whereby the amplitude of the D.C. potential at said first terminal with respect to said reference potential is a function of the angle between radiation direction and said null plane and the polarity is a function of the radiation direction with respect to said null plane; and a second pair of radiation-sensitive detectors comprising first and second detectors supported on said support member on a circumference spaced from the circumference at which said first pair is deposited, with the first and second points at about which the first and second ends of the second-pair detectors are positioned being in said null plane, with the first detectors of said pairs being on one side of said plane and the second detectors being on the other side of said plane, said second means selectively connecting the second end of one of said fiRst detectors to said first source terminal and the second end of one of said second detectors to said second source terminal.

Claim 6

The sensor as described in claim 3 wherein said radiation is solar radiation and each of said detectors is a photosensitive detector.

Claim 7

The sensor as described in claim 4 wherein each photosensitive detector is a strip of cadmium sulfide deposited on said support member.

Claim 8

A sun sensor comprising: a support member having a sphere-shaped electrically insulating outer surface; a first pair of photosensitive detectors disposed on said sphere on a first great circle thereof, each detector having first and second ends and being strip-shaped of equal length and width and extending along substantially one-half of said first great circle; means for connecting the first ends of the detectors of said first pair to form a first common terminal; a second pair of photosensitive detectors disposed on said sphere on a second great circle thereof, each detector of said second pair having first and second ends and being strip-shaped of equal length and width and extending along substantially one-half of said second great circle, the two great circles being perpendicular to one another; means for connecting the first ends of the detectors of said second pair to form a second common terminal; a D.C. potential source having first and second source terminals at +VR and -VR volts with respect to a D.C. reference potential; and means for connecting the second end of one detector of each pair to said first source terminal and the second end of the other detector of each pair to the second source terminal, whereby the D.C. potential and polarity at said first common terminal are indicative of the direction of sunlight with respect to a first plane including said first great circle and the angle therebetween and the D.C. potential and polarity at said second common terminal are indicative of the direction of sunlight with respect to a second plane including said second great circle and the angle therebetween.

Claim 9

A sun sensor comprising: a support member having a sphere-shaped electrically insulating outer surface; a first pair of photosensitive detectors disposed on said sphere on a first great circle thereof, each detector having first and second ends and being strip-shaped of equal length and width and extending along substantially one-half of said first great circle; means for connecting the first ends of the detectors of said first pair to form a first common terminal; a second pair of photosensitive detectors disposed on said sphere on a second great circle thereof, each detector of said second pair having first and second ends and being strip-shaped of equal length and width and extending along substantially one-half of said second great circle, the two great circles being perpendicular to one another; means for connecting the first ends of the detectors of said second pair to form a second common terminal; a D.C. potential source having first and second source terminals at +VR and -VR volts with respect to a D.C. reference potential; and means for connecting the second end of one detector of each pair to said first source terminal and the second end of the other detector of each pair to the second source terminal, whereby the D.C. potential and polarity at said first common terminal are indicative of the direction of sunlight with respect to a first plane including said first great circle and the angle therebetween and the D.C. potential and polarity at said second common terminal are indicative of the direction of sunlight with respect to a second plane including said second great circle and the angle therebetween.

Claim 10

The sun sensor as described in claim 6 wherein said first and second terminals lie in a common imaginary straight line extending through the center of said sphere.