Patent · US Expired

Method and device for determining the orientation of a solid

US5313054A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
7References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 16, 1992
Grant dateMay 17, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 16, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/26
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In an optical device for determining parameters that give the orientation of any solid within a given space, a first solid is fitted with at least one single-beam device producing a beam of light rays substantially parallel to a direction u.sub.i known in a coordinate system R.sub.s bound to the first solid, said beam of light rays containing an item of information that enables direction u.sub.i to be determined, and a second solid is fitted with at least one elementary sensor capable of picking up light rays originating substantially from a direction parallel to V.sub.j known in a coordinate system R.sub.o ; each sensor includes means for reading the information in the beam it has picked up when directions u.sub.i and V.sub.j correspond and the information thus read is processed to extract the parameters giving the orientation of coordinate system R.sub.s relative to coordinate system R.sub.o. One valuable application of the invention relates to the orientation of the headset of an aircraft or helicopter pilot relative to the pilot's cabin.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.