Method and apparatus for position location using angle encoding

Claim 1

A system for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, and comprising in combination: means disposed about said reference point for providing a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being Rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; means for providing a train of signals, each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beams independently of the angular velocity of said rotation; receiver means responsive to the respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; means responsive to said train for providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from a predetermined reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and means responsive to said train for providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said beams with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 2

A system for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, and comprising in combination: means disposed about said reference point for providing a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being Rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; means for providing a train of signals, each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beams independently of the angular velocity of said rotation; receiver means responsive to the respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; means responsive to said train for providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from a predetermined reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and means responsive to said train for providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said beams with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 3

A system for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, and comprising in combination: means disposed about said reference point for providing a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being Rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; means for providing a train of signals, each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beams independently of the angular velocity of said rotation; receiver means responsive to the respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; means responsive to said train for providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from a predetermined reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and means responsive to said train for providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said beams with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 4

A system for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, and comprising in combination: means disposed about said reference point for providing a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being Rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; means for providing a train of signals, each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beams independently of the angular velocity of said rotation; receiver means responsive to the respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; means responsive to said train for providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from a predetermined reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and means responsive to said train for providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said beams with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 7

A system for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, and comprising in combination: means disposed about said reference point for providing a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; means for rotating said beams in said relation; means for providing during rotation an omni-directional broadcast pulse of radiation at coincidence of a predetermined one of said beams with an arbitrary reference direction in said plane radial from said direction; means for providing a train of signals each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beam independently of the angular velocity of said location, said means being an incremental shaft encoder connected to said rotation means; receiver means responsive to the respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; first counting means responsive to said train and said pulse for providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from said reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and second counting means responsive to said train for providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said means with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 8

A system for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, and comprising in combination: means disposed about said reference point for providing a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; means for rotating said beams in said relation; means for providing during rotation an omni-directional broadcast pulse of radiation at coincidence of a predetermined one of said beams with an arbitrary reference direction in said plane radial from said direction; means for providing a train of signals each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beam independently of the angular velocity of said location, said means being an incremental shaft encoder connected to said rotation means; receiver means responsive to the respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; first counting means responsive to said train and said pulse for providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from said reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and second counting means responsive to said train for providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said means with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 11

A method for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, said method comprising the steps of: providing substantially about said reference point a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; providing a train of signals, each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beam independently of the angular velocity of said rotation; receiving respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from a predetermined reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said beams with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.

Claim 12

A method for determining an angular position in substantially a plane relative to a reference point in said plane, said method comprising the steps of: providing substantially about said reference point a pair of substantially collimated beams of substantially coherent electromagnetic energy, said beams being transmitted in substantially parallel relation to one another and being rotatable in said parallel relation substantially in common in a plane about a common axis; providing a train of signals, each corresponding to an angular increment of rotation of said beam independently of the angular velocity of said rotation; receiving respective changes in beam energy received upon passage of each of said beams through another position in said plane; providing a first count of said signals occurring upon rotation of one of said beams from a predetermined reference direction to an angular position wherein said one of said beams is directed at said another position, said first count being substantially proportional to the azimuth of said another position from said predetermined reference direction through said reference point; and providing a second count of said signals occurring from the angular incidence of said one of said beams with said another position to the incidence of said other of said beams with said another position, said second count being substantially proportional to the distance from said another position to said reference point.