Roll reference system for vehicles utilizing optical beam control

摘要

Control information for guiding of vehicles such as a missile, projectile or manned vehicle, is carried on an optical beam directed at such vehicle from a ground station. Information for roll stabilization of such vehicle is carried in such beam in the form of a polarized light wave. A polarizing beam splitter which is aligned with the vertical axis of the vehicle and carried thereon receives the beam and provides light outputs from one face thereof which is in accordance with the cosine squared of the angle between the vertical axis of the vehicle (or any other predetermined reference angle thereof) and the polarization angle of the light beam, and from an orthogonal face thereof which is in accordance with the sine squared of this same angle. The light emitted from each of the beam splitter surfaces is transduced to electrical form by means of light detectors and these electrical signals appropriately amplified for use in controlling a roll stabilization system.