JPS5839366Y2 - digital sun sensor - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a digital sun sensor that detects the incident angle of sunlight as a digital signal.

As is well known, information regarding the relative angle between the sensor optical axis direction and the sun direction is necessary for determining the attitude of an artificial satellite flying in outer space.

First, a conventional solar sensor will be briefly explained.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are conceptual diagrams showing the appearance of one configuration example of a digital solar sensor.

In this figure, 1 is a slit, 2 is a light shielding film, 3 is a prism, 4 is a light receiving surface having a gray code pattern formed by the light shielding film 2, 5 is a photodetector, and 6 is a fixed frame.

In such a configuration, sunlight S passing through slit 1
l is the light receiving surface 4 corresponding to the incident angle θ as shown in Figure 1.
Irradiate the top.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light-receiving surface 4 has a plurality of photodetectors 5 arranged thereon, and a gray code pattern formed by the light-shielding film 2 on the light-receiving surface side. When irradiated, the photodetector 5 hit by the light generates an electrical signal.

Then, in the ON/OFF circuit 7, this signal is 1...
Then, the output signal of the photodetecting element that is not hit by light is 0.
...and sends it to register 8, Tl 111 in the figure,
A combined signal of 0... is obtained.

Therefore, depending on the irradiation position of the light, one electric current may be used.
If the combinations of l and l are set differently, the solar incident angle θ can be determined from the output signal.

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional sensor, due to the difference in dimensions between the light-receiving surface on which the gray code pattern is directly formed on the photo-detecting element and the light-blocking surface...1.

! Since the angle of incidence θ is detected by changing the combination of 10 u signals, there are drawbacks such as the manufacturing process is complicated and the work is not easy.

Therefore, in this invention, instead of using a detection element with a gray code pattern formed directly on the photodetection element, the light-receiving surface is formed by a glass fiber cord, and the solar incident angle is detected by the combination of the output signals of each code. The present invention aims to provide a digital solar sensor with the following characteristics.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 3a to 3c are diagrams showing one structural concept of a digital solar sensor according to this invention.

In this figure, 1 is a slit, 2 is a light shielding film, 5 is a photodetector, 9 is a glass fiber cord, 10 is a glass fiber bundle, 11 is a glass fiber, and 12 is a cord glass.

Sunlight SA' passing through the slit 1 irradiates the glass fiber cord 9 corresponding to the incident angle.

The glass fiber cord 9 is constructed by attaching a plurality of cord glasses 12 to a fixed frame 6 as shown in FIG. When irradiating the position shown in FIG. 3C, the light hitting the cord glass 112 without a light-shielding film passes through the glass fiber 11, is further guided to the glass fiber bundle 10, and irradiates the photodetector 5 disposed at the cut end.

Let the output signal of the photodetector 5 at this time be n l tl,
If the output signal of the photodetector 5, which is not exposed to light due to the light shielding film 2, is n 011, then f+ 111 as shown in Figure C, ・
A combination of On signals is obtained.

Does this depend on the irradiation position of the light? + l 11 , N O
Gray code patterns on the cord glass 12 are formed so that the combinations of T+ are different, so that the solar incident angle is measured.

As is clear from the above, the digital solar sensor according to this invention is configured to generate a digital signal corresponding to the angle of incidence of sunlight using the gray code pattern formed on the glass fiber cord. It has advantages such as relaxed constraints on dimensions, easy formation of a gray code pattern, and simplified manufacturing process.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration concept of a conventional digital sun sensor, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the conventional photodetector array configuration and the concept of digital signal generation, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the digital sun sensor according to this invention. It is a diagram showing the concept of sunlight incident angle measurement, in which 1 is a slit, 2 is a light shielding film, 4 is a light receiving surface, 5 is a photodetector, 7 is an ON10 FF circuit, 8 is a resistor, 9 is a glass fiber cord, 10 is a glass fiber bundle, 11 is a glass fiber, and 12 is a cord glass. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A plurality of glass fiber cords constituted by arranging a plurality of cord glasses are assembled in a column direction to form a light-receiving surface, and a gray code pattern for dividing the sunlight incident angle is formed on each row of glass fiber cords. On the other hand, the ends of each glass fiber cord opposite to the light-receiving surface are bundled together, and a photodetector is associated with each glass fiber cord, so that a combination of output signals in each row direction corresponding to the solar incident angle is output. A digital solar sensor characterized by: