Automated repeating sextant (ARS)

A fully automated, repeating sextant comprising:

• a lens for receiving a signal from a celestial body;
• a first inclinometer for measuring movement of the sextant about a first axis as a first signal which establishes an artificial horizon;
• a second inclinometer for measuring roll of the sextant about a second axis, perpendicular to said first axis, as a second signal;
• a semiconductor array for detecting the magnitude of at least one signal received from a celestial body and an angle of incidence of the received signal on the semiconductor array, said magnitude and angle of incidence being output by said detecting means;
• means responsive to plural values of said first signal and said angle of incidence for determining a mean altitude of the celestial body, and said magnitude being input to said determining means for deriving a calculated altitude of the celestial body from stored data ephemerides, a line of position of the celestial body being determined from said mean altitude and said calculated altitude;
• and,
• means for displaying the line of position.

An automated, repeating sextant comprising:

• an antenna for receiving a signal from a celestial body which emits a radio frequency signal;
• a first inclinometer for measuring movement of the sextant about a first axis as a first signal which establishes an artificial horizon;
• a second inclinometer for measuring roll of the sextant about a second axis, perpendicular to said first axis, as a second signal;
• a radio frequency receiver which identifies the radio frequency signal received by said antenna from said celestial body to determine an azimuth of said celestial body, said azimuth being output by said radio frequency receiver;
• means responsive to plural values of said first signal and said azimuth for determining a mean altitude of the celestial body, and determining a line of position using said mean altitude and stored data ephemerides for the celestial body;
• and,
• means for displaying the line of position.

A portable, handheld repeating sextant which is manually directed toward a celestial body comprising:

• a telescope for receiving a signal from a celestial body;
• a first inclinometer for measuring movement of the sextant about a first axis as a first signal which establishes an artificial horizon;
• a second inclinometer for measuring roll of the sextant about a second axis, perpendicular to said first axis, as a second signal, said second inclinometer inhibiting said first signal when said second signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold;
• a semiconductor array for detecting the magnitude of at least one signal received from a celestial body and an angle of incidence of the received signal on the semiconductor array, said magnitude and angle of incidence being output by said detecting means;
• means responsive to plural values of said first signal and said angle of incidence for determining a mean altitude of the celestial body, and said magnitude being input to said determining means for deriving a calculated altitude of the celestial body from stored data ephemerides, a line of position of the celestial body being determined from said mean altitude and said calculated altitude;
• and,
• means for displaying the line of position.

A method for determining a line of position from the location of a celestial body comprising the steps of:

• receiving a signal from a celestial body;
• measuring movement of the sextant about a first axis as a first signal which establishes an artificial horizon;
• detecting a signal received from a celestial body using a semiconductor array and an angle of incidence of the received signal on the semiconductor array, said angle of incidence being output by said semiconductor array;
• determining plural values of said first signal and said angle of incidence and calculating a mean altitude of the celestial body;
• determining a line of position using said mean altitude and stored data ephemerides for the celestial body;
• and,
• displaying the line of position.

A method for determining a line of position from the location of a celestial body comprising the steps of:

• receiving a signal from a celestial body;
• measuring movement of the sextant about a first axis as a first signal which establishes an artificial horizon;
• detecting a signal received from a celestial body using a radio frequency receiver to determine an azimuth of the celestial body, said azimuth being output by said radio frequency receiver;
• determining plural values of said first signal and said azimuth and calculating a mean altitude of the celestial body;
• determining a line of position using said mean altitude and stored data ephemerides for the celestial body;
• and,
• displaying the line of position.