Patents by Inventor Christopher M. Pong

Christopher M. Pong has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Multi-functional star tracker with precision focal plane position control for small cubesat-class satellites
    Patent number: 8772690
    Abstract: An optical system for use in an Earth-orbiting satellite includes a plurality of image sensors disposed on a focal plane having a reference axis orthogonal thereto, optics configured to focus incident light onto the image sensors, a piezoelectric actuator coupled to the image sensors and configured to translate the image sensors in at least two axes each orthogonal to the reference axis, and at least one controller operably coupled to the plurality of image sensors and the piezoelectric actuator. The image sensors are configured to generate at least one image frame from light detected by the plurality of image sensors, the image frame including a target star and at least one guide star. The controller is configured to stabilize the position of the target star by adjusting the position of the piezoelectric actuator based on the changes in the position of the guide star.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignees: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Matthew W. Smith, Christopher M. Pong, Sungyung Lim, David W. Miller, Sara Seager, Shawn Murphy
  • MULTI-FUNCTIONAL STAR TRACKER WITH PRECISION FOCAL PLANE POSITION CONTROL FOR SMALL CUBESAT-CLASS SATELLITES
    Publication number: 20130193303
    Abstract: An optical system for use in an Earth-orbiting satellite includes a plurality of image sensors disposed on a focal plane having a reference axis orthogonal thereto, optics configured to focus incident light onto the image sensors, a piezoelectric actuator coupled to the image sensors and configured to translate the image sensors in at least two axes each orthogonal to the reference axis, and at least one controller operably coupled to the plurality of image sensors and the piezoelectric actuator. The image sensors are configured to generate at least one image frame from light detected by the plurality of image sensors, the image frame including a target star and at least one guide star. The controller is configured to stabilize the position of the target star by adjusting the position of the piezoelectric actuator based on the changes in the position of the guide star.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Matthew W. Smith, Christopher M. Pong, Sungyung Lim, David W. Miller, Sara Seager, Shawn Murphy