Sextant having a microprocessor for calculating the position of heavenly bodies
Patent 4702011 Issued on October 27, 1987. Estimated Expiration Date: 
September 15, 2006. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
September 15, 2006. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent References 2941082 3027797 3571567 3854037 Electronic sextant Method and apparatus for celestial navigation Patent #: 4104722 InventorApplicationNo. 06/916496 filed on 09/15/1986US Classes:33/268, Celestial701/222Using star trackerExaminersPrimary: Martin, William D. Jr.Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassesG01C 1/00 (20060101)G01C 1/08 (20060101) Foreign Application Priority Data1985-01-16 AUAbstractA sextant having a telescope, a fixed split horizon mirror, a pivotal index arm supporting an index mirror and a stepping motor coupled to the index arm to cause rotation thereof on receipt of control pulses, the number of pulses applied to the stepping motor being proportional to the angle of the resultant pivotal movement of the index arm and thus the altitude angle of a heavenly body being observed through the sextant telescope. A microprocessor is programmed with information relating to the position data of heavenly bodies and monitors the pulses applied to the stepping motor and is arranged to calculate in accordance with known navigational equations, lattitude and longitude from time data and pulses applied to the stepping motor indicative of the altitude angle of the heavenly body being observed. | |
