Measurement and localization system using bases three and nine and corresponding applications

• US 7,065,886 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ségur, Patrick
• Original Assignee: Ségur, Patrick
• Inventors: Ségur, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US10/678,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20040064958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1.F, 33/1.G, 33/1.H, 33/1.B, 33/1.CC, 33/1.SB, 33/1.SA, 33/1.D, 335/62, 335/63, 335/66, 334/31, 336/791, 334/74, 434/131, 434/141, 434/150, 434/153, 434/213, 434/214, 701/208
• US Class Current: 33/1.0CC
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/005 Map projections or methods associated specifically therewith
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/02 sectional

Abstract

A system for localizing a zone in space in relation to a predetermined point on a surface, wherein the surface is divided into nine zones of first rank obtained by dividing the surface into three parts in two different directions, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 is attributed to each of the zones of first rank, each zone of rank n, n being a whole number greater than or equal to 1, is divided successively into zones of rank n+1, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 being attributed to each of the zones of rank n+1 of a zone of inferior rank n, and a zone of rank n is position referenced by a zone reference sequence having n digits containing the number of the zone, the respective numbers of all of the zones of inferior rank, 1 to n−1, in which the zone is located, including means for determining the position reference sequence of a zone of rank n in which is located a zone to be localized in the surface, n being the maximum value such that the surface of the zone to be localized is included in the zone of rank n, and means for transmitting and/or receiving and/or displaying and/or using such a position referencing sequence.

Claims

1. A system for localizing an area in space in relation to a predetermined point on a surface of circular form, wherein the surface is divided into six equal main sectors, each sector being divided into three equal sectors and by two circles centered on the center of the surface so as to obtain nine zones of a first rank, each zone of a rank n, n being an integer number greater than 1, being divided successively in a same manner into nine zones of higher rank n+1, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 6 being attributed to each of said six main sectors, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 being attributed to each of the zones of first rank and to each of the zones of rank n+1 in the zone of rank n, a zone of rank n being localized by a zone reference sequence having n+1 digits containing the number of said zone, the respective numbers of all of zones of lower ranks n−

1 to 1, and the number of the main sector, in which said zone is located, said system comprising;

means for detenniing the zone reference sequence of a zone of rank n in which is located an area to be localized in the surface, n being the maximum value such that the surface of the area to be localized is included in said zone of rank n, and

means for manipulating said zone reference sequence.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the zone division circles have radii selected such that the zones of a same rank n have a same surface measurement.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the zone division circles have radii selected such that the zones of rank n have a constant radial width.

4. A system for localizing an area in space in relation to a predetermined point on an essentially spherical surface, an area to be localized being localized in relation to a predetermined meridian of the spherical surface, the spherical surface being divided into two hemispherical zones by a radial plane passing through a meridian selected as reference, each hemispherical zone being divided into three identical spherical sectors by two radial planes each including a respective meridian, and each of the three spherical sectors by two planes perpendicular to the radial planes each including a respective parallel, so as to obtain nine zones of a first rank, each zone of a rank n being successively divided in a same manner into nine zones of higher rank n+1, n being an integer number greater than 1, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 being attributed to each of the nine zones of first rank and to each of the zones of rank n+1 in the zone of rank n, and a zone of rank n being localized by a zone reference sequence having n digits containing the number of said zone, and the respective numbers of all of zones of lower rank n−

1 to 1, in which said zone is located, said system comprising;

means for determining the zone reference sequence of a zone of rank n in which is located an area to be localized in the surface, n being the maximum value such that the surface of the area to be localized is included in said zone of rank n, and

means for manipulating said zone reference sequence.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the spherical surface is the surface of a terrestrial globe.

6. The system according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising in order to localize an area in space, means for determining a cone in which is located said area in space, said cone having for its center, the center of the spherical surface, and for its directrix curve, the contour of one of said zones of rank n, n being the maximum value such that the area to be localized is included in said cone.

7. The system according to claim 4, further comprising means for associating with all fixed or mobile elements in relation to the sphere the zone referencing sequence of the zone of rank n in which said element is located.

8. The system according to claim 4, further comprising means for converting a zone reference sequence into at least two coordinates respectively according to a meridian and a parallel of the spherical surface, in relation to a point selected as origin and vice versa.

9. The system according to claim 4, further comprising at least one device comprising reception means for receiving localization signals, calculation means for determining a zone reference sequence of a zone of rank n in which the device is located, the rank n being selected to correspond to the precision of the localization signals.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the localization signals are transmitted by satellites in orbit around a terrestrial globe.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said device is a cellular telephone network terminal comprising a multiplicity of local retransmission relays designed to serve a respective cell, each local relay transmitting as a localization signal a zone reference sequence of a zone of rank n, the rank of which is greater than or equal to the maximum value such that said zone includes the cell served by said local relay, the terminal comprising means for displaying the zone reference sequence received.

12. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a geographic map showing said division of a terrestrial globe into zones of rank n, and indicating the zone reference sequences associated with said zones, the value of rank n being selected to be adapted to the scale of the map.

13. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a tool designed to be pointed at a point and means for pointing the tool in a zone determined by said zone reference sequence.

14. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a calculator adapted to the conversion of numbers of base 10 to base 9 and vice versa.

15. A system for localizing an area in a digital image constituted by pixels, wherein the digital image is divided into nine zones of a first rank obtained by dividing the surface into three parts in two different directions, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 is attributed to each of the zones of first rank, each zone of rank n is divided in a same manner into nine zones of higher rank n+1, n being an integer number successively equal to from 1 to m, m being adapted to the size and number of pixels of the image, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 being attributed to each of the zones of rank n+1 in the zone of rank n, and a zone of rank n is localized by a zone reference sequence having n digits containing the number of said zone, and the respective numbers of all of zones of lower rank n−

1 to 1, in which said zone is located, said system comprising;

means for determining the zone reference sequence of a zone of rank n in which is located an area to be localized in the image, n being the maximum value such that the surface of the area to be localized is included in said zone of rank n, and

means for manipulating said zone reference sequence.

16. A method of geographically localizing an area of a terrestrial globe in relation to a predetermined meridian of the terrestrial globe, comprising:

dividing the terrestrial globe into two hemispherical zones with a radial plane passing through the meridian,

dividing successively the surface of each hemispherical zone into zones of rank n, n being an integer value greater than or equal to 1, obtained by dividing successively each zone of lower rank n−

1 into three substantially identical spherical sectors by two radial planes each including a respective meridian, and each of three spherical sectors by two planes perpendicular to the radial planes each including a respective parallel, so as to obtain nine zones for each rank n,

attributing a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 to each of the zones of rank n in each zone of lower rank n−

1,

determining the position of the area to be localized by associating the respective numbers of zones of rank 1 to n, and a respective sign indicating the hemispherical zone, in which is located the area to be localized, to obtain a zone reference sequence localizing said area, and manipulating said zone reference sequence.

17. A computer program stored on a medium for operation on a computer system comprising code which:

divides the terrestrial globe into two hemispherical zones with a radial plane passing through the meridian,

divides the surface of each hemispherical zone into zones of rank n obtained by dividing successively each zone of lower rank n−

1 into three substantially identical spherical sectors by two radial planes each including a respective meridian, and each of three spherical sectors by two planes perpendicular to the radial planes each including a respective parallel, n being an integer number equal to or greater than 1,

attributes a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 to each of the zones of rank n in each zone of lower rank n−

1,

determines a position of an area to be localized by associating the respective numbers of zones of ranks 1 to n, and a respective sign indicating the hemispherical zone, in which is located the area to be localized, to obtain a zone position sequence of said area, and manipulates said zone position sequence.

18. A fixed or mobile geographic positioning device comprising a computer program according to claim 17.

19. A system for localizing an area in space in relation to a predetermined point on an essentially spherical surface, wherein the surface is divided into nine zones of first rank obtained by dividing the surface into three parts in two different directions, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 is attributed to each of the zones of first rank, each zone of rank n, n being an integer successively equal to from 1 to m, being divided in the same manner into nine zones of higher rank n+1, a predetermined respective number from 1 to 9 being attributed to each of the zones of rank n+1, and a zone of rank n is localized by a zone reference sequence having n digits containing the number of said zone and the respective numbers of all of the zones of lower rank n−

1to 1, in which said zone is located, comprising;

means for determining the position reference sequence of a zone of rank n in which is located a zone to be localized in the surface, n being the maximum value such that the surface of the zone to be localized is included in said zone of rank n, and

the zone to be localized being zone referenced in relation to a predetermined meridian of the spherical surface, the spherical surface having been previously divided into two hemispherical zones by a radial plane passing through a meridian selected as reference, the nine zones of first rank being obtained by dividing each hemispherical zone into three spherical sectors of identical preference by two radial planes each including a respective meridian, and each of the three spherical sectors by two planes perpendicular to the radial planes and each including a respective parallel.