Odograph and heading indicator therefor
OwnerJohn T. McCrickerdinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An odograph in which calibrated portions of heading and distance signals are used for displaying locations. A magnetic compass is provided including a North-seeking spherical surface carrying a reflective segment, the position of which is sensed by electro-optical components which derive and generate an appropriate heading signal. An odometer generates distance signals which are integrated with the heading signals, calibrated by gating with a probabilistic function. A visual display is driven by means which are responsive to coincidence of the odometer and heading signals but which exclude response to coincidence of an odometor signal and two heading signals.
Claims15
An odograph, comprising:
- odometer means for generating first electrical signals in accordance with distance traveled by a vehicle;
- a magnetic compass element having a support and a spherical surface pivoted on said support for rotative response to the earth's magnetism, and including a predetermined reflective surface portion having greater light reflectivity than remaining portions of said surface;
- illumination means for directing light rays toward at least a portion of said spherical surface;
- a plurality of lenses for focusing said light rays onto said spherical surface and movable to cause said light rays to simultaneously traverse said spherical surface along a plurality of paths for coincidence with said reflective surface portion;
- means for sensing said coincident light rays and generating a second electrical signal in correspondence thereto;
- means for moving said lens means along a path respective said compass element whereby the extent of said second electrical signal generated as a result of said coincidence corresponds to the heading of said vehicle;
- and
- position indicator means responsive to coincidence of said first and second electrial signals to indicate the location of said vehicle.
The assembly of claim 3 wherein said reflective segment is proportional in length, at least approximately, to the positive cosine of azimuthal angle from a predetermined heading.
An odograph, comprising:
- means for generating travel signals, comprising:
- a. odometer means for generating odometer signals in accordance with distance traveled by a vehicle, and
- b. heading means for generating heading signals in accordance with the heading of said vehicle during said traveled distance in accordance with a predetermined heading of said vehicle and headings at azimuthal angular intervals therefrom;
- position indicator means responsive to coincidence of said odometer signal and said heading signal to provide location indications of said vehicle;
- and
- calibration means for adjusting changes in location indications to more accurately correspond with the actual location of the vehicle and operative by applying a part only of the total number of said travel signals to said position indicator means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.