Laser guided celestial identification device

• US 20050246911A1
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nantong Schmidt Opto-Electrical Technology Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: John F. Acres
• Inventors: Acres, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,197,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/268
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/34 Sun- or astro-compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 27/00 Planetaria; Globes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 27/06 Celestial globes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

Disclosed is a celestial identification device. According to some embodiments, the device includes a housing, a positioning sensor, and a light generator structured to generate an indicator beam that can be pointed at celestial objects. The positioning sensor can include sensors to determine altitude and azimuth of the device. The light generator can be a laser and mounted to a moveable pivot or deflected by mirrors and/or lenses such that the light beam points in a different direction than the housing. The device can be coupled to a feedback device, such as an audio player to communicate information about celestial objects to a user. The device can also contain or be coupled to a database of celestial objects such that, when combined with the positional data of the device, can determine at which object the device is pointing. Further, in some embodiments, a celestial device can be selected from the database, and the device operates to point the indicator beam at the selected object, regardless of in which direction the device is pointing.

Claims

1. A pointing device, comprising:

a three-dimensional housing having a longitudinal axis;

a gravitational sensor having a reference axis, the gravitational sensor mounted to the housing so that the reference axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the housing; and

a light generator mounted to the housing and structured to generate an indicator beam.

2. The pointing device of claim 1 wherein the gravitational sensor is an inclinometer.

3. The pointing device of claim 1, wherein the light generator is a laser.

4. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising a moveable mount coupled between the light generator and the housing, the moveable mount structured to change a position of the light generator relative to the housing.

5. The pointing device of claim 1 wherein the light generator is mounted to the housing in a position to cause the generated indicator beam to be projected in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the housing.

6. The pointing device of claim 5, further comprising a beam deflector.

7. The pointing device of claim 6 wherein the beam deflector is a mirror.

8. The pointing device of claim 6 wherein the beam deflector is a lens.

9. The pointing device of claim 8 wherein the lens is electrically controlled.

10. The pointing device of claim 6 wherein the beam deflector can be controlled to cause the light generator to outline a collection of more than one celestial object.

11. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising an intensity modulator coupled to the light generator.

12. The pointing device of claim 4, further comprising a motion compensator coupled to the moveable mount and structured to control the moveable mount.

13. The pointing device of claim 12 wherein the motion compensator is structured to control the moveable mount according to a motion of the Earth relative to the celestial objects.

14. The pointing device of claim 12 wherein the motion compensator is structured to control the moveable mount according to a movement of the pointing device.

15. The pointing device of claim 14 wherein the movement of the pointing device is caused by human motion.

16. The pointing device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises a plurality of separate physical components.

17. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising a user feedback output.

18. The pointing device of claim 17 wherein the output is a speaker.

19. The pointing device of claim 17 wherein the output is a headphone jack.

20. The pointing device of claim 1 wherein the output is a communication bus.

21. The pointing device of claim 1 wherein the reference axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the housing by −

45 degrees.

22. The pointing device of claim 1 wherein the reference axis is offset from the longitudinal axis of the housing by −

55 degrees.

23. The pointing device of claim 2 wherein the inclinometer contains fluid.

24. The pointing device of claim 2 wherein the inclinometer measures rotation of a shaft.

25. The pointing device of claim 2 wherein the inclinometer is an accelerometer.

26. The pointing device of claim 25 wherein the accelerometer is a solid state device.

27. The pointing device of claim 25 wherein the accelerometer senses material properties selected from the group of strain, thermal, capacitive, piezoelectric, and resistive.

28. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic sensor coupled to the housing.

29. The pointing device of claim 1, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the pointing device.

30. The pointing device of claim 29, further comprising a roll sensor feedback structured to generate a roll signal to a user of the pointing device based on the detected roll angle.

31. The pointing device of claim 30 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate a visual signal.

32. The pointing device of claim 30 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate an audio signal.

33. A portable locating device, comprising:

a housing having a pointing end;

a light source coupled to the housing and structured to generate an indicator beam extending toward an object;

a magnetic sensor coupled to the housing and structured to sense a relative orientation of the housing in a magnetic field; and

a gravitational sensor coupled to the housing and structured to sense a pitch of the housing.

34. The locating device of claim 33 wherein the magnetic field is generated by the Earth.

35. The locating device of claim 33 wherein a direction of a main axis of the housing is different than a direction of the indicator beam.

36. The locating device of claim 33 wherein an output of the magnetic sensor and the gravitational sensor are combined to determine a pointing direction of the indicator beam.

37. The locating device of claim 36, further comprising a connection to a database of objects.

38. The locating device of claim 37 wherein a celestial object in the database of celestial objects is indexed by the pointing direction of the indicator beam.

39. The locating device of claim 37, further comprising a beam deflector structured to point the light source to an object selected from the database.

40. The locating device of claim 37, further comprising a locating feedback signal structured to guide a user to point the locating device in a direction of an object selected from the database.

41. The locating device of claim 33 wherein the gravitational sensor is mounted at an angle relative to an axis of the locating device.

42. The locating device of claim 33, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the pointing device.

43. The locating device of claim 42, further comprising a roll sensor feedback structured to generate a roll signal to a user of the pointing device based on the detected roll angle.

44. The locating device of claim 43 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate a visual signal.

45. The locating device of claim 43 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate an audio signal.

46. The locating device of claim 37 wherein the database of objects comprises a database of celestial objects.

47. A sighting device, comprising:

a sighting channel oriented in a first direction along a primary axis;

a gravitational sensor structured to measure a magnetic field of the sighting device, the gravitational sensor having a reference plane at an angle offset from the primary axis of the sighting channel.

48. The sighting device of claim 47 wherein the reference plane is offset approximately 45 degrees from the primary axis.

49. The sighting device of claim 47 wherein the reference plane is offset approximately 55 degrees from the primary axis.

50. The sighting device of claim 47, further comprising an inclinometer.

51. The sighting device of claim 50 wherein the inclinometer is an accelerometer.

52. The sighting device of claim 51 wherein the accelerometer simultaneously senses motion in one or more axes.

53. The sighting device of claim 47, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the sighting device.

54. The sighting device of claim 53, further comprising a roll sensor feedback structured to generate a roll signal to a user of the sighting device based on the detected roll angle.

55. A device for locating celestial objects, comprising:

a housing;

a magnetic sensor coupled to the housing and structured to sense orientation in a magnetic field;

an inclinometer coupled to the housing and having an orientation, the inclinometer structured to measure a pitch of the orientation; and

an inclinometer compensator coupled to the inclinometer and structured to generate a pitch of the housing.

56. The locating device of claim 55, further comprising a light generator mounted to the housing and structured to generate an indicator beam.

57. The locating device of claim 55, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the housing.

58. The locating device of claim 57, further comprising a roll sensor feedback coupled to the roll sensor.

59. A method of identifying a celestial object, comprising:

generating a beam of light that is mounted in a portable housing;

pointing the generated beam at a celestial object;

measuring an orientation in a magnetic field of the housing;

determining a pitch angle of the housing;

computing a direction in which the beam is pointing based on the measured orientation and the determined pitch; and

referencing a database of celestial objects using the computed direction.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein computing a direction in which the beam is pointing comprises accounting for the beam not being aligned with the housing.

61. The method of claim 59 wherein determining a pitch angle of the housing comprises generating an output from a gravitational sensor.

62. A method of locating a celestial object, comprising:

selecting, from a database storing information on a number of a celestial objects, a celestial object to be located;

sending location coordinates of the selected celestial object to a data storage component of a locating device;

sensing a pointing direction of the locating device;

generating a beam in the locating device; and

positioning the generated beam relative to the pointing direction of the locating device to point to the selected celestial object.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein sensing a pointing direction of the locating device comprises using a magnetic sensor.

64. The method of claim 62 wherein sensing a pointing direction of the locating device comprises using a gravitational sensor.

65. The method of claim 62 wherein sensing a pointing direction of the locating device comprises:

sensing an azimuth direction of the locating device with a magnetic sensor; and

sensing a pitch angle of the locating device with a gravitational sensor.

66. A sensing device for an aimer having a reference axis, comprising:

a gravitation sensor coupled to the housing and mounted at non-zero angle to the reference axis, the gravitation sensor structured to measure a pitch of the gravitation sensor; and

a gravitation compensator coupled to the gravitation sensor and structured to generate a signal representing a compensated pitch of the aimer.

67. The sensing device of claim 66, further comprising a magnetic sensor coupled to the aimer.

68. The pointing device of claim 66, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the aimer.

69. The pointing device of claim 66, further comprising a roll sensor feedback structured to generate a roll signal to a user of the aimer based on the detected roll angle.

70. The pointing device of claim 69 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate a visual signal.