Patent ID: 7092156
Filing Date: 2006-08-15
Classification: F16M,G02B

Abstract:
1. In a computerized telescope system of the type including a telescope coupled for rotation about two orthogonal axes, together with first and second axial position indicators, one coupled to each axis, a method for orienting the telescope system with respect to a spherical coordinate system, the method comprising: activating a central control processor, the central processor connected to receive positional information from each position indicator; using the central control processor to receive a rotation metric, the rotation metric rotating a virtual telescope position in the spherical coordinate system in accord with a major axis of the spherical coordinate system; using the central control processor to receive a geographic input; moving the telescope about a first one of the axes to a first terrestrial reference position; communicating, between the central control processor and the first axial position indicator, a first reference value corresponding to the first terrestrial reference position; moving the telescope about the second one of the axes to a second terrestrial reference position; communicating, between the central control processor and the second axial position indicator, a second reference value corresponding to the second terrestrial reference position; and processing the first and second reference values and the rotation metric so as to define a virtual coordinate location of the telescope system with respect to the spherical coordinate system.