Celestial object location device

• US 6,366,212 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamcon Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yamcon Inc.
• Inventors: Lemp, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOINS, DAVETTA WOODS
• Application Number:
  US09/511,400
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 340/999, 340/815.4, 701/13, 701/207, 701/300, 701/222, 356/145, 356/146, 356/147, 356/350, 356/363, 356/374, 332/68, 332/73, 332/81
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/16 Housings; Caps; Mountings; Supports, e.g. with counterweight
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/022 Viewing apparatus G02B27/04, G02B27/06, G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/06 for physics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 27/04 Star maps

Abstract

A hand-held electronic celestial object locating device assists in identifying a celestial object or directing a user to a desired celestial object. The device is useful for locating or identifying any celestial object including stars, constellations, planets, comets, asteroids, artificial satellites, and deep sky objects to name a few. The device utilizes sensors for 3-axis magnetic field and 3-axis gravitational field detection. The device utilizes a processor and an electronic database to perform the required calculations. The device'"'"'s database may be updated through access to the Internet through which the updates may be purchased.

Claims

1. A device for viewing from a location at a time and date comprising:

a. viewing means to observe along a viewing axis defined by an azimuth angle and a nadir angle;

b. a processor;

c. a 3-axis magnetic sensor adapted to provide the processor with azimuth data representing the azimuth angle;

d. a 3-axis gravitational sensor adapted to provide the processor with nadir data representing the nadir angle;

e. location means for providing location data representing the location to the processor;

f. time means for providing time and date data representing the time and date to the processor; and

g. a database adapted to be accessed by the processor and provide data such that the processor determines celestial coordinates of right ascension and declination corresponding to the viewing axis based on the azimuth data, the nadir data, the location data, and the time and date data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the viewing means comprises a viewing channel adapted to enable a user to observe through the device along the viewing axis.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a direction indicator adapted to announce directions to change the angular orientation viewing axis, wherein the direction indicator is further adapted to be controlled by the processor and comprises a visual indicator, an auditory indicator, or a tactile indicator.

4. The device of claim 2, further comprising a direction indicator for announcing directions to change the angular orientation viewing axis, wherein the direction indicator:

a. is adapted to be controlled by the processor;

b. comprises an illuminate-able visual display that is viewable by the user when the user is observing through the viewing channel; and

c. is adapted to illuminate at least a portion of the visual display such that a user changes the viewing axis based on the illuminated visual display.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the visual display is a circularly arranged series of illuminate-able arrows, wherein the processor and the arrows are adapted such that the processor directs a least a portion of the arrows to be illuminated.

6. The device of claim 4, further comprising a reticule adapted to be viewable by the user when the user is observing through the viewing channel.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the viewing means comprises a display screen adapted to display an image observed along the viewing axis.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a direction indicator adapted to announce directions to change the angular orientation viewing axis, wherein the direction indicator is further adapted to be controlled by the processor and comprises a visual indicator, an auditory indicator, or a tactile indicator.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a housing and wherein the viewing means comprises a viewing channel extending through the housing and adapted to permit a user to observe through the viewing channel along the viewing axis.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processor is spaced apart from the housing.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the housing is adapted to be held by the user while the user is observing through the viewing channel.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a direction indicator adapted to announce directions to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis, wherein the direction indication is further adapted to be controlled by the processor and comprises a visual indicator, an auditory indicator, or a tactile indicator.

13. The device of claim 12:

a. further comprising a user interface adapted for the user to input an identification of a celestial object or celestial coordinates to the processor; and

b. wherein the processor and the database is adapted such that the processor directs the user via the direction indicator to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis such that the viewing axis is aligned with the celestial object or the celestial coordinates, wherein the database comprises data associating the identification of the celestial object with the celestial object'"'"'s celestial coordinates.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is adapted to announce to the user via the direction indicator that the viewing axis is aligned with the celestial object or the celestial coordinates.

15. The device of claim 13:

a. wherein the user interface is adapted for the user to input an identification of a celestial object comprising multiple celestial coordinates; and

b. wherein the processor and the database is adapted such that the processor directs the user via the direction indicator to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis such that the viewing axis is serially aligned with the multiple celestial coordinates of the celestial object, thereby the user is provided with a tour of the celestial object.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the user interface is adapted for the user to input a signal to the processor to direct the user via the direction indicator to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis from a current celestial coordinate to a next multiple celestial coordinate.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a. a user interface adapted for the user to signal to the processor to identify a celestial object or celestial coordinates aligned with the viewing axis, wherein the database is adapted for the processor to access the database for data related to the celestial object or the celestial coordinates; and

b. the user interface is further adapted to announce to the user the celestial object or the celestial coordinates.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the user interface is adapted:

a. for the user to signal to the processor through activating a manual switch or through an auditory command; and

b. for the processor to announce to the user through a visual display or a speaker.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the database is adapted to be changed by:

a. the user editing the database through a user interface of the device in functional communication with the processor;

b. a plug-in module adapted to be in functional communication with the processor;

or

c. an information transfer system adapted to be in functional communication with the processor.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the location means comprises a user interface adapted for the user to input location information to the processor, wherein the database is adapted to provide the processor with the location data based on the inputted location information.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the time means comprises a time keeping device adapted to provide the time and date data to the processor.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein the location means and the time means comprises a global positioning device adapted to provide the location data and the time and date data to the processor.

23. The device of claim 1, further comprising an output device for announcing the elevation angle of the viewing axis, wherein the elevation angle is nadir angle minus 90 degrees.

24. The device of claim 1, further comprising an output device for announcing a compass heading as a function of the azimuth angle and the nadir angle.

25. The device of claim 1, further comprising compensation instructions readable by the processor and/or compensation data in the data base such that the processor compensates for procession, earth elongation, magnetic variation, parallax, nutation, or a combination thereof.

26. The device of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor adapted to interface with and enable the processor to make thermal error compensations of the magnetic and gravitational sensors.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a. the database contains additional data representing when a celestial object is visible to a naked eye at the location;

b. the device further comprises an announcement device functionally connected to the processor; and

c. the processor is adapted to announce through the announcement device the additional data representing when the celestial object is visible to a user at the location.

28. A process of observing a celestial object comprising the steps of:

a. providing the device of claim 12; and

b. updating the database with additional data concerning the celestial object such that a user of the device directs the processor to announce the directions to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis such that the viewing axis is aligned with the celestial object via the direction indicator.

29. The process of claim 28, wherein the updating step comprises the step of functionally connecting a plug-in module comprising the additional data to the device or the step of downloading the additional data to the database via an information transfer system.

30. The process of claim 29, wherein the downloading step comprises the step of accessing the Internet to retrieve the additional data.

31. The process of claim 30, wherein the accessing step comprises the step of purchasing the additional data.

32. A celestial object location device for use from a location at a time and a date comprising:

a. a housing comprising a viewing channel adapted for a user to observe through the viewing channel and along a viewing axis to a position in the sky aligned with the viewing axis, wherein the housing is adapted to be held by the user while the user is observing through the viewing channel;

b. a processor;

c. a 3-axis magnetic sensor adapted to provide the processor with azimuth data representing an azimuth angle of the viewing axis;

d. a 3-axis gravitational sensor adapted to provide the processor with nadir data representing a nadir angle of the viewing axis;

e. a location data input device adapted to provide the processor with location data representing the location of the celestial object location device;

f. a time data input device adapted to provide the processor with time and date data representing the time and date of a use of the device;

g. a user interface for inputting user data to the processor and announcing information to the user;

h. a direction indicator adapted for the processor to announce through the direction indicator to the user directions for changing the angular orientation of the viewing axis; and

i. a database adapted to be accessed by the processor such that the processor, based on the azimuth data, the nadir angle, the location data, the time and date data, the user data, and the database, announces to the user;

i) through the user interface an identification of a celestial object aligned with the viewing axis;

ii) through the user interface celestial coordinates aligned with the viewing axis;

or

iii) through the direction indicator directions for the user to change the viewing axis based on user data comprising identification of a celestial object or a celestial coordinate.

33. The celestial object location device of claim 32, wherein the processor is spaced apart from the housing.

34. The celestial object location device of claim 32, wherein the direction indicator comprises a circularly arranged series of illuminate-able arrows that are in functional communication with the processor, the arrows being adapted such that illuminated arrows are visible by the user observing through the viewing channel, and the direction indicator and the processor are adapted to illuminate at least a portion of the arrows such that a user changes the angular orientation of the viewing axis based on the illuminated portion of the arrows.

35. The celestial object location device of claim 32, wherein the database is adapted to be changed by:

a. the user editing the database through the user interface;

b. a plug-in module adapted to be in functional communication with the processor;

or

c. an information transfer system adapted to be in functional communication with the processor.

36. A process for observing celestial objects comprising the steps of:

a. providing a user with a device for observing the celestial objects along a viewing axis;

b. identifying an azimuth angle of the viewing axis via a 3-axis magnetic sensor adapted to determine the azimuth angle;

c. identifying a nadir angle of the viewing axis via a 3-axis gravitational sensor adapted to determine the nadir angle; and

d. determining celestial coordinates of right ascension and declination based on the azimuth angle, the nadir angle, a location of the device, and a current time and date.

37. The process of claim 36, wherein the providing step further comprises a step of holding the device, the 3-axis magnetic sensor, and the 3-axis gravitational sensor in a hand of the user.

38. The process of claim 37, wherein the 3-axis magnetic sensor and the 3-axis gravitational sensor are integral to the device.

39. The process of claim 36, further comprising the step of directing a processor to receive data representing the azimuth angle, the nadir angle, the device location, and the current time and date, consult a database, and announce the celestial coordinates via an announcement device.

40. The process of claim 36, further comprising the steps of:

a. inputting to a processor an identification of a desired celestial object wherein the processor is also directed to perform the determining the celestial coordinates step; and

b. directing the processor to announce, via a direction indicator, instructions understandable to the user concerning how to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis until the desired celestial object is aligned with the viewing axis.

41. The process of claim 40, further comprising the step of repeating the directing the processor to announce step such that the user is instructed to tour through portions of the desired celestial object.

42. The process of claim 36, further comprising the steps of:

a. inputting to a processor a desired celestial coordinate wherein the processor is also directed to perform the determining the celestial coordinates step; and

b. directing the processor to announce via a direction indicator instructions concerning how to change the angular orientation of the viewing axis until the desired celestial coordinate is aligned with the viewing axis.