Light-detecting system

Claim 1

A system for detecting the position of a source of light for use as a star tracker comprising: a support structure, optical telescope means fixedly mounted on said support structure and arranged to receive and to focus the image of the source of light, reflecting means resiliently mounted for oscillation on said support structure, said reflecting means having a surface arranged to receive the image of the source of light focused thereon by said optical telescope means and to reflect said image therefrom, a V-slit detector fixedly mounted on said support structure, said V-slit detector having a face arranged to receive the reflected image of the source of light, said V-slit detector including at least two photoconductive slit-sensing means disposed at a predetermined angle and being arranged to separately and sequentially receive said reflected image, each said slit-sensing means being normally nonconductive and being separately operative to turn conductive and to pass a peak output when being engaged by said reflecting image, a shaft fixedly connected to said reflecting means and resiliently mounted on said support structure for oscillating said reflecting means through a predetermined angle of rotation, said shaft being an elongated torsion bar having a center portion on which said reflecting means is fixedly mounted, said bar having opposite end portions respectively having torsional flexure members fixedly connected to said support structure, motor means connected to said shaft for oscillating said shaft at a predetermined rate of oscillation, said motor means including an arm fixedly connected to said torsion bar and means including a pair of magnetic pole pieces disposed adjacent at least one end of said arm and being mounted on said support structure, said arm having means disposed adjacent said pole pieces for applying an oscillating electromagnetic field to produce oscillation of said torsion bar, monitoring means to monitor the instantaneous position of said reflecting means relative to said support structure including a light source mounted on said support structure, a second optical detector and a lens system, said lens system being arranged to transmit a beam of light from said mounted light source to said reflecting means thence to said second detector, and, logic circuitry means connected to said monitoring means and to said V-slit detector for locating the position of said image as received by said optical telescope means.

Claim 2

A system for detecting the position of a source of light for use as a star tracker comprising: a support structure, optical telescope means fixedly mounted on said support structure and arranged to receive and to focus the image of the source of light, reflecting means resiliently mounted for oscillation on said support structure, said reflecting means having a surface arranged to receive the image of the source of light focused thereon by said optical telescope means and to reflect said image therefrom, a V-slit detector fixedly mounted on said support structure, said V-slit detector having a face arranged to receive the reflected image of the source of light, said V-slit detector including at least two photoconductive slit-sensing means disposed at a predetermined angle and being arranged to separately and sequentially receive said reflected image, each said slit-sensing means being normally nonconductive and being separately operative to turn conductive and to pass a peak output when being engaged by said reflecting image, a shaft fixedly connected to said reflecting means and resiliently mounted on said support structure for oscillating said reflecting means through a predetermined angle of rotation, said shaft being an elongated torsion bar having a center portion on which said reflecting means is fixedly mounted, said bar having opposite end portions respectively having torsional flexure members fixedly connected to said support structure, motor means connected to said shaft for oscillating said shaft at a predetermined rate of oscillation, said motor means including an arm fixedly connected to said torsion bar and means including a pair of magnetic pole pieces disposed adjacent at least one end of said arm and being mounted on said support structure, said arm having means disposed adjacent said pole pieces for applying an oscillating electromagnetic field to produce oscillation of said torsion bar, monitoring means to monitor the instantaneous position of said reflecting means relative to said support structure including a light source mounted on said support structure, a second optical detector and a lens system, said lens system being arranged to transmit a beam of light from said mounted light source to said reflecting means thence to said second detector, and, logic circuitry means connected to said monitoring means and to said V-slit detector for locating the position of said image as received by said optical telescope means.