Patent ID: 8296096
Filing Date: 2012-10-23
Classification: G01B,G01S,G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for determining the location and attitude of a moving object relative to an external reference frame, comprising the steps of: providing an optical pattern detector for detecting a unique pattern in said external reference frame; providing a navigation engine coupled to said optical pattern detector for computing displacement of said unique pattern in said external reference plane; providing an optical path steering element for deviating the optical path of said optical pattern detector; providing a steering mechanism for controlling said optical path steering element; providing a control means for computing the required adjustment to said steering element based on data from said navigation engine and adjusting said optical path steering mechanism to keep said unique pattern visible to said optical pattern detector while the physical orientation of said pattern detector changes with respect to said external reference frame; providing a computational means for computing the location and attitude of said moving object using data obtained from said control means.