Laser guided celestial identification device

• US 7,197,829 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US11/120,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 332/27, 332/68, 33276-279, 332/82, 332/83, 332/86, 33D/IG.21, 333/65, 333/661.1, 333/55.R
• 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 device for pointing at celestial objects, comprising:

a three-dimensional housing having a longitudinal axis;

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

a laser light generator mounted on the housing and structured to generate a visible indicator beam that appears to intersect one of the celestial objects when the device is in operative condition.

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. The pointing device of claim 4, further comprising a beam deflector.

6. The pointing device of claim 5 wherein the beam deflector is a mirror.

7. The pointing device of claim 5 wherein the beam deflector is a lens.

8. The pointing device of claim 7 wherein the lens is electrically controlled.

9. The pointing device of claim 5 wherein the beam deflector can be controlled to cause the light generator to outline a collection of more than one celestial object.

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

11. The pointing device of claim 3, further comprising a motion compensator coupled to the moveable mount and structured to control the moveable mount.

12. The pointing device of claim 11 wherein the motion compensator is structured to control the moveable mount according to a motion of the Earth relative to the celestial objects.

13. The pointing device of claim 11 wherein the motion compensator is structured to control the moveable mount according to a movement of the pointing device.

14. The pointing device of claim 13 wherein the movement of the pointing device is caused by human motion.

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

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

17. The pointing device of claim 16 wherein the output is a speaker.

18. The pointing device of claim 16 wherein the output is a headphone jack.

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

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

45 degrees.

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

55 degrees.

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

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

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

25. The pointing device of claim 24 wherein the accelerometer is a solid state device.

26. The pointing device of claim 24 wherein the accelerometer senses material properties selected from the group of strain, thermal, capacitive, piezoelectric, and resistive.

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

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

29. The pointing device of claim 28, 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.

30. The pointing device of claim 29 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate a visual signal.

31. The pointing device of claim 29 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate an audio signal.

32. A portable device for locating celestial objects, comprising:

a housing having a pointing end;

a laser light source coupled to the housing and structured to generate a visible indicator beam that appears to intersect one of the celestial objects when the device is in operative condition;

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.

33. The locating device of claim 32 wherein the magnetic field is generated by the Earth.

34. The locating device of claim 32 wherein a direction of a main axis of the housing is different than a direction of the indicator beam.

35. The locating device of claim 32 wherein an output of the magnetic sensor and the gravitational sensor are combined to determine a pointing direction of the indicator beam.

36. The locating device of claim 35, further comprising a connection to a database of objects.

37. The locating device of claim 36 wherein a celestial object in the database of celestial objects is indexed by the pointing direction of the indicator beam.

38. The locating device of claim 36, further comprising a beam deflector structured to point the light source to an object selected from the database.

39. The locating device of claim 36, 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.

40. The locating device of claim 32 wherein the gravitational sensor is mounted at an angle relative to an axis of the locating device.

41. The locating device of claim 32, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the pointing device.

42. The locating device of claim 41, 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.

43. The locating device of claim 42 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate a visual signal.

44. The locating device of claim 42 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate an audio signal.

45. The locating device of claim 36 wherein the database of objects comprises a database of celestial objects.

46. A device for sighting celestial objects, comprising:

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

a gravitational sensor structured to measure an orientation of the sighting device between a first position when the primary axis is aimed generally toward the horizon and a second position when the primary axis is aimed generally overhead, the gravitational sensor having a reference plane at an angle offset from the primary axis of the sighting channel.

47. The sighting device of claim 46 wherein the reference plane is offset approximately 45 degrees from the primary axis.

48. The sighting device of claim 46 wherein the reference plane is offset approximately 55 degrees from the primary axis.

49. The sighting device of claim 46 wherein the gravitational sensor is an accelerometer.

50. The sighting device of claim 49 wherein the accelerometer simultaneously senses motion in one or more axes.

51. The sighting device of claim 46, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the sighting device.

52. The sighting device of claim 51, 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.

53. The device of claim 46 wherein said gravitational sensor reference plane is substantially orthogonal to a plane containing the first and second positions of the primary axis.

54. 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;

a gravitational sensor coupled to the housing and having an orientations, the gravitational sensor structured to measure a pitch of the orientation; and

a gravitational-sensor compensator coupled to the gravitational sensor and structured to generate a pitch of the housing.

55. The locating device of claim 54, further comprising a light generator mounted to the housing and structured to generate an indicator beam.

56. The locating device of claim 54, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the housing.

57. The locating device of claim 56, further comprising a roll sensor feedback coupled to the roil sensor.

58. The locating device of claim 54 wherein the housing has a primary axis and the orientation of the gravitational sensor is offset from the primary axis.

59. The locating device of claim 58 wherein the compensator comprises a logic circuit having access to data representing an angle that the orientation of the gravitational sensor is offset from the primary axis.

60. The locating device of claim 59 wherein the logic circuit is programmed to measure an orientation of the housing between a first position when the primary axis is aimed generally toward the horizon and a second position when the primary axis is aimed generally overhead.

61. The locating device of claim 60, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the housing.

62. The locating device of claim 61, further comprising a roll sensor feedback structured to generate a roll signal to a user of the device based on the detected roll angle.

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

generating a visible laser light beam using a laser that is mounted on a portable housing;

moving the visible laser light beam toward a celestial object until the visible beam appears to intersect the celestial object from an observation position spaced away from the laser light beam axis;

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.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein computing a direction in which the beam is pointing comprises accounting for the beam not being aligned with the housing.

65. The method of claim 63 wherein determining a pitch angle of the housing comprises generating an output from a gravitational sensor.

66. 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 visible laser beam in the locating device; and

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

67. The method of claim 66 wherein sensing a pointing direction of the locating device comprises using a magnetic sensor.

68. The method of claim 66 wherein sensing a pointing direction of the locating device comprises using a gravitational sensor.

69. The method of claim 66 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.

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

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

71. The sensing device of claim 70, further comprising a magnetic sensor coupled to the aimer.

72. The pointing device of claim 70, further comprising a roll sensor structured to detect a roll angle of the aimer.

73. The pointing device of claim 70, further comprising a roll sensor feedback structured to generate a roll signal to a user of the aimer based on the detected roll angle.

74. The pointing device of claim 73 wherein the roll sensor feedback is structured to generate a visual signal.