Patent ID: 6987257
Filing Date: 2006-01-17
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. An attitude determination system, the attitude determination system comprising: a) a first sensor set, the first sensor set including at least three sensors each having a different orientation, each of the at least three sensors receiving electromagnetic radiation from a first point source and measuring an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation from the first point source; b) a second sensor set, the second sensor set including at least three sensors each having a different orientation, each of the at least three sensors receiving electromagnetic radiation from a second point source and measuring an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation from the second point source; and c) an attitude calculator, the attitude calculator determining a first vector to the first point source based on ratios of the intensity measured bit each of the at least three sensors in the first sensor set and corresponding maximum intensities at each of the at least three sensors in the first sensor set, the attitude calculator determining a second vector to the second point source based on ratios of the intensity measured by each of the at least three sensors in the second sensor set and corresponding maximum intensities at each of the at least three sensors in the second sensor set, the attitude calculator determining an attitude using the first vector and the second vector.