IP Library Granted Patent US 10,832,054
Granted Patent B2
US 10,832,054 · App. 16/160,643 · Granted Nov 10, 2020

Guidance seeking device for a satellite and method for enhancing the performance of the same

Inventors: Pei Hsuan Wu (Taipei, TW); Jer Ling (Taipei, TW); Po-Yen Huang (Taipei, TW)
Assignee: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
G06K9/0063G05D1/0094G06K9/4604G06N20/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,832,054
App. No.
16/160,643
Granted
Nov 10, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A guidance seeking device for a satellite and a method of enhancing the performance of the same. The device includes a seeking device, at least one image-capturing device and a processing device. The seeking device and the at least one image-capturing device are for capturing an image to produce an image data. The processing device is configured to analyze the image data to determine a target and/or an obstacle therein, to produce an image-capturing path according to the target and/or the obstacle in the image data, and to produce a control signal to control the at least one image-capturing device to capture an image corresponding to one part of the image-capturing path. The method includes a seeking step, an analyzing step, a determination step and a controlling step.

Claims (24)

1. A guidance seeking device for a satellite, comprising a seeking device and at least one image-capturing device for capturing an image to produce an image data; and

a processing device configured to analyze the image data to determine an target and/or an obstacle therein; to produce an image-capturing path according to the target and/or the obstacle in the image data, and to produce a control signal to control the at least one image-capturing device to capture an image corresponding to one part of the image-capturing path, and to produce an image-capturing path according to a historical trajectory in a time period of the target and/or the obstacle, to compare an actual trajectory in progress with the part of the image capturing path and produce a comparison result, and to correct the remaining part of the image capturing path according to the comparison result.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a plurality of targets or a plurality of obstacles in the image data and to determine the image-capturing path according to the distribution of the plurality of targets or the plurality of obstacles.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one image-capturing device is provided with plurality of lens, and the at least one image-capturing device captures an image corresponding to the one part of the image-capturing path with at least one of the plurality of lens.

4. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a labeling device for labeling an additional target or the obstacle in the image data to produce the image-capturing path.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the seeking device or the at least one image-capturing device is further provided with a VNIR-SWIR imaging sensor.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to determine at least one angle at which the image data corresponding to the part of the image-capturing path is captured according to an orbit height of the satellite and a position of the target and/or the obstacle.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing device is a machine-learning based processing device.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the seeking device is provided with a low resolution and wide angle lens; the at least one image-capturing device is provided with a high resolution lens.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the obstacle is a cloud, and/or the target is transportation.

10. A method of enhancing the performance of a satellite, comprising:

a seeking step: capturing, with a seeking device, an image to produce an image data;

an analyzing step: analyzing, by the processing device, the image data to determine at least one of a target and/or an obstacle;

a determination step: producing, by the processing device, an image-capturing path according to the target and/or the obstacle; and

a controlling step: producing, by the processing device, a control signal to control at least one image-capturing device to capture an image corresponding to one part of the image-capturing path;

wherein the determination step further comprises: producing, by the processing device, an image-capturing path according to a historical trajectory in a time period of the target and/or the obstacle; and the method further comprising a correcting step after the controlling step: comparing an actual trajectory in progress with the part of the image capturing path and producing a comparison result; and correcting the remaining part of the image capturing path according to the comparison result.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the analyzing step further comprises: determining a plurality of targets or a plurality of obstacles in the image data, and the determination step further comprises: producing the image-capturing path with the processing device according to the distribution of the plurality of targets and/or the plurality of obstacles.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one image-capturing device is provide with plurality of lens, and the determination step further comprises: capturing an image corresponding to the part of the image-capturing path with at least one of the plurality of lens by the at least one image-capturing device.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprising a labeling step: labeling an additional target or the obstacle in the image data to produce the image-capturing path.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the seeking device or the at least one image-capturing device is further provided with a VNIR-SWIR imaging sensor.

15. The method according to claim 10 further comprising an angle-determining step: determining the at least one angle at which the image data corresponding to at least one part of the image-capturing path is captured according to the orbit height of the satellite and the position of the target or the obstacle.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the processing device is a machine-learning based processing device.

17. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the seeking device is provided a low resolution and wide angle lens; the at least one image-capturing device is provided a high resolution lens.

18. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the obstacle is a cloud, and/or the target is transportation.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
To: TAIWAN SPACE AGENCY
Reel/Frame 064736/0365 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2018
From: WEI, PEI HSUAN; LING, JER; HUANG, PO-YEN
To: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
Reel/Frame 047209/0985 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200117880A1 · Apr 16, 2020