US 12,080,000 B2
Initial orbit determination using angular velocity and angular acceleration measurements
Jeffrey J. Bloch, Santa Fe, NM (US); and David E. Briscoe, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to Applied Research Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by Applied Research Associates, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/350,039.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/389,538, filed on Jul. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0020852 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G06T 7/20 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/20 (2013.01) [G06T 2207/10032 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of determining an orbit of an object, the method comprising:
obtaining, by a sensor, data indicative of a plurality of objects in orbits;
wherein the data is indicative of angular velocity and angular acceleration of the object of the plurality of objects;
detecting locations of light events on pixels of the sensor,
wherein the locations of the light events are indicative of relative locations of the plurality of objects in a field of view;
tracking the plurality of objects over time;
identifying the object from the tracking;
determining the angular velocity and the angular acceleration of the object from the tracking;
determining an initial orbit of the object using the angular velocity and the angular acceleration; and
estimating orbital elements from the initial orbit of the object.