Celestial object location device
AssigneeYamcon, Inc.
InventorMichael Lemp III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims12
A device for viewing an object, where the device is at a particular position on the Earth, at a time, and on a date, said device comprising:
- a means for viewing the object, said means for viewing the object having a viewing axis;
- a processor;
- a means for determining the orientation of the device operably connected to the means for viewing the object, said means for determining the orientation of the device providing, to the processor, orientation data representing the orientation of the viewing axis;
- a means for providing position data, representing the position of the device on the Earth, to the processor;
- a means for providing time and date data, representing the time and date, to the processor;
- and
- a database operatively connected to the processor, said database containing data representing at least one fact regarding each of a plurality of objects and data representing the location of each of the plurality of objects when observed from a particular position on the Earth, at a particular viewing axis orientation, at a particular time, and on a particular date.
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;
- a processor;
- at least two gyroscopes operably connected to the viewing means and to the processor, said gyroscopes adapted to provide the processor with data representing the change in orientation of the viewing axis, wherein the processor therein uses the data representing the change in orientation of the viewing axis to calculate azimuth data representing the azimuth angle and nadir data representing the nadir angle;
- a location means for providing location data representing the location to the processor;
- a time means for providing time and date data representing the time and date to the processor;
- and
- 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.
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;
- a processor;
- at least two global positioning satellite system readers operably connected to the viewing means and to the processor, wherein the processor determines the orientation of the readers with respect to each other and thereafter uses the orientation of the readers with respect to each other to calculate azimuth data representing the azimuth angle and nadir data representing the nadir angle;
- a location means for providing location data representing the location to the processor;
- a time means for providing time and date data representing the time and date to the processor;
- and
- 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.