Baffled sun sensor antenna alignment monitors

• US 20080169413A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunsight Holdings, LLC (Sunsight Industries, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sunsight Holdings, LLC (Sunsight Industries, LLC)
• Inventors: Weddendorf, Bruce, Mercier, Gregory A., Austin, Robert Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,718,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/206.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/272 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/785 using adjustment of orientation of directivity characteristics of a detector or detector system to give a desired condition of signal derived from that detector or detector system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1228 on a boom
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning

Abstract

A directional alignment and alignment monitoring sensor system that is designed to be mounted to a directional or omni-directional antenna wherein the system includes a sensor having one or more phototransistors that are associated with one or more baffle members and wherein each baffle member defines a restrictive light passageway toward a phototransistor such the by measuring the time that a phototransistor is illuminated, a correct orientation of the antenna may be accurately determined.

Claims

1. A directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus for directional and omni-directional antennas comprising;

a light sensor assembly having a housing adapted to be mounted so as to fixed in a known angular relationship on an antenna, at least a portion of the housing being transparent so that light from a light source exterior to the housing may enter into the housing, at least one phototransistor mounted within the housing, at least one light controlling baffle member mounted within the housing so as to control light entering the housing toward the at least one phototransistor, the at least one baffle member including a light admitting passageway that is aligned with the at least one phototransistor such that light entering the housing may be channeled to the at least one phototransistor through the passageway only when the light from the light source is generally aligned with the passageway, and circuit means for connecting the at least one phototransistor to a monitoring system whereby the time of illumination of the at least one phototransistor may be used to determine an angular position of the sensor relative to a know position of the light source.

2. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one baffle member includes opposing side walls, an outer wall oriented outwardly of the housing and an inner wall oriented toward the at least one phototransistor and the passageway extending between the opposing sides and that extends from the outer wall toward the inner wall.

3. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 2 wherein the passageway extends in a vertical arc a predetermined number of degrees along a first axis about which an angular measurement is to be taken.

4. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 3 wherein the passageway extends in an arc of at least 75 degrees.

5. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 4 wherein the passageway extends to approximately 10 degrees below a horizontal plane.

6. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 3 wherein the outer wall of the baffle member is convexly arcuate from a bottom thereof to a top thereof.

7. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 6 including at least one radially spaced curved projection extending inwardly from each of the opposing side walls such that the curved projections of the opposing side walls are aligned with one another and spaced to form a narrow slit along the passageway of predetermined width for further controlling light passage through the passageway toward the at least one phototransistor.

8. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 7 including a plurality of radially spaced opposing curved projections defining a plurality of radially spaced slits along the passageway.

9. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least an outermost of the aligned projections include outwardly oriented angled faces for reflecting incoming light away from the slits formed therebetween on one side thereof and generally planar faces on the opposite side thereof that are oriented generally perpendicularly relative to the passageway.

10. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least one pair of the opposing curved projections each include a rear angled face for reflecting light toward the at least one phototransistor and an opposite planar face that extends generally perpendicular with respect to the passageway.

11. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one phototransistor is seated within an inner portion of the passageway so that only light passing through the passageway may reach the at least one phototransistor.

12. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 11 including means for pivotally moving the at least one baffle member about the first axis within the housing to thereby change a directional orientation thereof and means for determining the directional orientation of the at least one baffle member.

13. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 12 further including means for pivotally moving the at least one baffle member about a second axis that is generally perpendicular to the first axis and means for determining an orientation of the at least one baffle member relative to the generally second axis.

14. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 13 including a plurality of baffle members with each being associated with a different phototransistor.

15. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 11 wherein the sensor includes a plurality of baffle members arranged in a generally circular relationship within the housing and each being associated with a separate phototransistor.

16. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 6 including a plurality of baffle members arranged in a generally circular relationship within the housing and each being associated with a separate phototransistor.

17. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one baffle member includes a stack of at least two opaque plates mounted above the at least one phototransistor, each plate having at least one slot formed therethrough which is aligned with the the slot in the other plate and which define the light admitting passageway, and reflecting means within the housing and oriented to reflect light entering into the housing toward the at least one slot of one of the at least two opaque plates.

18. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 17 including a plurality of radially extending slots in each opaque plate which align with a plurality of phototransistors, and each slot being defined by at least one angled wall that converges to an open slit through which light passes toward one of the plurality of phototransistors.

19. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 18 wherein the reflecting means includes a plurality of facets wherein each facet is aligned to reflect light toward a specific slot.

20. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 18 wherein the plurality of phototransistors are supported in a generally circular relationship within the housing, the at least one baffle member including more than two stacked opaque plates, the opaque plates being mounted within the housing such that the slits in the plurality of plates align with one another and with the plurality of phototransistors, and the reflecting means reflecting light entering the housing toward separate slits in the one of the opaque plates depending upon a relative position of the light source with respect to the apparatus.

21. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of baffle members arranged within the housing in a generally circular relationship and each of the baffle members being associated with a separate one of a plurality of phototransistors.

22. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 1 including a shield mounted above the housing to thereby prevent falling waste from adversely effecting passage of light into the housing.

23. The directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus of claim 1 including at least one level sensor mounted to the light sensor assembly.

24. A method of determining and monitoring the directional alignment of a directional or omni-directional antenna using a sensor that is mounted in a fixed and known relationship to the antenna and wherein the sensor includes at least one phototransistor that is connected to provide a controller with a signal whenever the at least one phototransistor is illuminated by a light source selected from a spaced fixed light source and the sun, the method including the steps of:

A. Placing an opaque baffle member between the at least one phototransistor and the light source wherein the baffle member has a light passageway therethrough that is configured to prevent light from the light source from illuminating the at least one phototransistor until the light and the passageway are aligned;

B. Determining the exact time when the at least one phototransistor is illuminated; and

C. Calculating a directional orientation of the sensor and thus the antenna using the exact time and known position of the light source.