Abstract: A mechanism for correcting for time-varying errors that affect the pointing accuracy of a shipboard mounted antenna employs a Kalman filter for realizing an optimal correction estimator through which inputs to the antenna aiming control hardware are adjusted. A series of coordinate system transformations, corrected by the Kalman filter error estimator, are carried out to provide a command input to an antenna pointing servo system. The servo control system produces a servo error signal representative of a deviation in the actual direction of the antenna pointing mechanism from the command input to the servo loop as defined by the corrected aiming signal. The actual direction in which the servo control system points the antenna is compared with a reference (the actual direction to the satellite). As a result of this comparison, a pointing deviation signal representative of any offset from the intended pointing direction is generated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining remote object orientation and position with an electromagnetic coupling. A plurality of radiating antennas are provided for radiating electromagnetic energy. Each of the radiating antennas have independent components for defining a source reference coordinate frame. A transmitter is provided for applying electrical signals to the radiating antennas for generating a plurality of electromagnetic fields. The signals are multiplexed so that the fields are distinguishable from one another. A plurality of receiving antennas are disposed on a remote object for receiving the transmitted electromagnetic fields. The receiving antennas have a plurality of independent components for detecting the transmitted electromagnetic fields and defining a sensor reference coordinate frame.

Abstract: In an apparatus for maintaining the orientation of an antenna system with respect to a beacon, radio signals are received in four quadrants and converted into sum and difference signals, which are transformed in frequency, amplified in an amplifier (6) and detected in a first- and second-phase detector (9, 15) present in a corresponding channel (7, 8) to derive error voltages in first and second time intervals respectively for aligning the antenna system with respect to the beacon. During the tracking mode of the apparatus, the difference and sum signals separately pass in first, second and third, fourth time intervals, respectively. a VCO (21) supplies two orthogonal signals as reference voltages, to the phase detectors. In the tracking mode the VCO driven by a signal derived from the signals obtained in the first channel (7) in the fourth time interval and in the second channel (8) in the third time interval.