Portable celestial compass

• US 20120116711A1
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Original Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Inventors: Bruns, Donald, Brinkley, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US12/283,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116711A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/34 Sun- or astro-compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/025 with the use of startrackers

Abstract

A portable celestial compass (PCC) that provides a new multi-functional capability for high precision target localization. The battery-powered PCC is built around US Army'"'"'s M-25 stabilized binocular and includes a miniature eye-safe laser range finder, a gyro stabilized binocular, a 3-axis tilt compensated digital compass, and a built-in specialized chip with star catalog and software for target AZ/EL determination and sight reduction. A gyro stabilized binocular rejects up to 98% of image motion caused by hand tremor and platform vibration. Laser rangefinder has the accuracy of ±2 m at 5 km range. The PCC uses celestial objects as absolute references for target azimuth and elevation determination. The azimuth and elevation accuracy is 2 mrad, or 10 m at 5 km range, which is by a factor of up to 5 better than that for a magnetic compass.

Claims

1. A portable celestial compass for determining the absolute position of a target comprising:

A) a telescope device for viewing the target

B) a 180 degree fisheye lens, a digital camera, and an inclinometer all mounted on the telescope device;

C) a GPS device for determining position of the portable celestial compass;

D) a laser rangefinder integrated adapted to determine distance to the target allows the observer to measure the target range; and

E) a computer processor programmed with software adapted to determine the azimuthal direction of a celestial object based on its celestial position determined from image data from said digital camera at a specific time and to use that information along with inclinometer reading data and the position of the portable celestial compass to determine the azimuthal position of the target and to use the azimuthal position and the target range to determine the position of the target.

2. The compass as in claim 1 and further comprising an ND filter mounted on the telescope device.

3. The compass as in claim 1 wherein the telescope is a pair of binoculars.

4. The compass as in claim 2 wherein the pair of binoculars is the US Army'"'"'s M-25 stabilized binoculars.

5. The compass as in claim 1 wherein the inclinometer is a MEMS inclinometer.

6. The compass as in claim 1 wherein the camera is adapted to image the position of the sun.

7. The compass as in claim 1 wherein the camera is adapted to image the position of the moon.

8. The compass as in claim 1 wherein the camera is adapted to image the position of one or more stars.

9. The compass as in claim 1 wherein time is provided by synchronizing the laptop computer to NIST Internet time using NIST Windows XP software.

10. The compass as in claim 1 wherein said compass is mounted on a tripod.

11. The compass as in claim 1 wherein said compass is handheld