Apparatus for automatically pointing a device at a target

• US 7,245,251 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TSX Products Corporation
• Original Assignee: TSX Products Corporation
• Inventors: Vogel, David A., Johnson, Erik W., McCulley, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Ali
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US10/971,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 362/276, 362/234, 342/61
• US Class Current: 342/61
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 27/28 Electrically-operated systems F41A27/02, F41A27/04, F41A27/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 5/14 for vehicle-borne guns

Abstract

A system for pointing a device at a given target has a sensor for sensing a number of positional information points of the target with the sensor relaying the positional information points to a controller. The controller is for computing a directional control information based on the relayed positional information points. The system also has an adjustment device for moving the device in a direction that bears a predetermined relationship to the target in response to the computed direction control information. The target moves and the sensor senses the positional information of the target and the sensor relays the positional information to the controller with the controller computing the directional control information to control the adjustment device. The adjustment device points the device at the target.

Claims

1. A system for pointing a device at a given target, the system comprising:

a sensor for sensing a plurality of positional information points of at least one of the target, the device, and a platform support for the device, said sensor relaying said plurality of positional information points to a controller, wherein the controller computes a directional control information based upon said relayed plurality of positional information points, and wherein said plurality of positional information points of the target comprises a latitude positional information point and a longitude positional information point; and

an adjustment device for positioning the device in a computed direction that bears a predetermined relationship to the target in response to said computed direction control information, wherein the target moves relative to said pointed device, and said sensor senses said plurality of positional information points, said sensor relaying said plurality of positional information points to said controller, said controller computing said directional control information to control said adjustment device, wherein said adjustment device points the device at the target, and wherein the device continuously points at the target as the target moves relative to said pointed device per unit time, and moves in response to the movement by the adjustment device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a searchlight, a camera, a video camera, a digital recording device, an electronic device, a rescue device, a beacon, a recording device, an automobile application, a wireless internet application, a mobile phone, a tracking device, a transportation device, a building, an obstruction, an airline application, a computer, and any combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller is a microprocessor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of a platform position sensor, a heading sensor, an elevation sensor, a pitch sensor, a roll sensor, and any combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said adjustment device comprises a motor, an elevation motor, an azimuth motor, and any combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said motor is a plurality of motors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said plurality of motors comprises at least one azimuth motor and at least one elevation motor.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a target positioning sequencer connected between said sensor and said controller, said target positioning sequencer supplying said plurality of positional information points of the target from said sensor to said controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said target positioning sequencer is integrated with said controller, and said controller is a microprocessor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor comprises a plurality of sensors.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of sensors comprise a device position sensor and a target position sensor.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said device position sensor is a platform sensor for providing electronic latitude and electronic longitude of the device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said target position sensor detects a horizontal direction of the target.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said target position sensor detects an elevation angle of the target.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of sensors comprise a device position sensor, a horizontal target position sensor, and an elevation angle target sensor.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of sensors have at least one pitch sensor.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of sensors have at least one roll sensor.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said controller locks a manually pointed device on the target.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising a memory, and wherein said plurality of positional information points of the target are recorded on said memory.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is stationary, and wherein the target moves.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the target is stationary, and wherein the device moves.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the target has said sensor thereon, and wherein said sensor transmits said plurality of positional information points of the target to a target position sequencer, said target position sequencer communicating said plurality of positional information points of the target to said controller.

23. An electronically controllable system for pointing a device at a given target, the system comprising:

a sensor for sensing a plurality of first positional information points of the target, said sensor relaying said plurality of first positional information points to a sequencer;

a controller for computing a first directional control information based upon said relayed plurality of first positional information points from said sequencer; and

an adjustment device for moving said device in a first direction that bears a predetermined relationship to the target in response to said computed first direction control information, wherein said adjustment device moves said device to said first direction, wherein said sensor senses a second plurality of positional information points, said sensor relaying said second plurality of positional information points to said sequencer, said controller computing a second directional control information to control said adjustment device, wherein said adjustment device moves said device in said second direction that bears said predetermined relationship to the target in response to said computed second direction control information, and wherein said device continuously points at the target in response to a movement path of the target.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the device is a movable light having a lamp wherein said controller controls an intensity of said lamp in response to a distance of the target from said movable light.

25. A method of moving a searchlight to shine on a target, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing a first position of the target;

communicating said first position of the target to a sequencer;

calculating a first direction to the target;

automatically moving the searchlight to point at said first location;

sensing a second position of the target;

communicating said second position of the target to said sequencer;

calculating a second direction to the target based on said second position, said second location being different from said first location, said different second location causing a first condition; and

automatically moving said searchlight from pointing at said first location to pointing at said second location in response to said first condition, wherein the method is repeated for a plurality of locations of the target after said second location.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising altering an intensity of the searchlight based on a calculated distance from the searchlight to the target, said intensity bearing a predetermined relationship to a timing cycle monitored by said controller.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of continuously moving said searchlight from pointing at said first location to pointing at said second location.

28. A system for pointing a device at a given target, the system comprising:

a first sensor for sensing a plurality of device positional information points, said first sensor relaying said plurality of device positional information points to a sequencer, said sequencer communicating said plurality of device positional information points to a controller;

a second sensor for sensing a plurality of target positional information points, said second sensor relaying said plurality of target positional information points to said sequencer, said sequencer for communicating said plurality of target positional information points to said controller, said controller for computing a directional control information of the target based upon said relayed plurality of device positional information points and said relayed plurality of target positional information points; and

an adjustment device for moving the device in a plurality of directions in response to said computed direction control information, wherein said device moves in response to the movement by the adjustment device, and wherein the device continuously points at the target as the target moves per unit time.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the device is a searchlight.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said searchlight has an intensity, and wherein said controller controls said intensity based upon a distance between at least one of said plurality of device positional information points and at least one of said plurality of target positional information points.

31. A method of moving a searchlight to shine on a target, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing a first searchlight position of the searchlight;

sensing a second target position of the target;

calculating an azimuth location to the target;

calculating an elevation location to the target;

sensing a pitch parameter of the searchlight;

sensing a roll parameter of the searchlight;

sensing a static offset of the searchlight;

moving the searchlight in a first initial direction based on said pitch parameter, said roll parameter, and said static offset; and

directing the searchlight to said azimuth location and said elevation location from said first initial direction, wherein the method is repeated for a plurality of positions of the target.

32. A system for pointing a searchlight at a given target, the system comprising:

a sensor for sensing a plurality of positional information points of at least one of the target, the searchlight, and a platform support for the searchlight, said sensor relaying said plurality of positional information points to a controller, wherein the controller computes a directional control information based upon said relayed plurality of positional information points, and wherein said plurality of positional information points of the target comprises a latitude positional information point and a longitude positional information point; and

an adjustment device for positioning the searchlight in a direction that bears a predetermined relationship to the target in response to said computed direction control information, wherein the target moves relative to said pointed searchlight, and said sensor senses said plurality of positional information points, said sensor relaying said plurality of positional information points to said controller, said controller computing said directional control information to control said adjustment device, wherein said adjustment device points the searchlight at the target, and wherein the searchlight continuously points at the target as the target moves relative to said pointed searchlight per unit time, and moves in response to the movement by the adjustment device.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the target is stationary and the searchlight moves.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the target and the searchlight both move.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the target and the searchlight are both stationary.