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US 5,669,148 AGranted
Altered light navigation device
OwnerKevin McDermottinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A navigational device that employs the azimuthal position of a housing assembly relative to the Earth's magnetic field to alter light such that the altered light becomes a direction indicator. By using the altered light as a signal the device is both economical and reliable.
Claims51
A navigation device comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a light source;
- a magnet rotatably mounted in said housing assembly for maintaining an alignment with Earth's magnetic field;
- a light altering means connected to said housing assembly for altering light from said light source in response to a rotational position of said housing assembly, said altered light providing a direction signal indicative of said housing assembly being oriented at a first predetermined angular position relative to said Earth's magnetic field;
- and
- adjustment means to permit said direction signal to indicate said housing assembly being oriented at a second angular position relative to Earth's magnetic field.
3 more elements
A navigation device comprising:
- a light source;
- a housing assembly;
- an indicator assembly connected to said housing assembly, said indicator assembly including a rotatably mounted magnet and a light altering means for altering light from said light source in response to a rotational position of said magnet, said altered light providing a first direction signal indicative of said housing assembly being oriented at a first predetermined angular position relative to Earth's magnetic field, said first direction signal being selectively applied at the beginning of an angular bandwidth corresponding with said first predetermined angular position by rotation of the navigation device in a first azimuthal direction and remaining applied over said angular bandwidth by continued rotation of the navigation device in said first azimuthal direction beyond said first predetermined angular position.
A navigation device comprising:
- a housing assembly attached to a mobile object;
- a light source connected to said housing assembly;
- a magnet rotatably mounted in said housing assembly for maintaining an alignment with Earth's magnetic field;
- and
- a light altering means for altering light from said light source in response to a rotational position of said magnet, said altered light providing a direction signal indicative of said housing assembly being oriented at a first predetermined angular position relative to said Earth's magnetic field;
- and said housing assembly rotatable relative to said mobile object thereby changing said first predetermined angular position.
3 more elements
A navigation device comprising:
- a housing assembly;
- a light source;
- a magnet in said housing assembly rotatably mounted about a vertical axis for maintaining an alignment with Earth's magnetic field, said light source being at a distance from said vertical axis;
- a light alternating means connected to said housing assembly for altering light from said light source in response to a rotational position of said housing assembly, said altered light providing a direction signal indicative of said housing assembly's being oriented at a first angular position relative to said Earth's magnetic field.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.