Patent ID: 6972902
Filing Date: 2005-12-06
Classification: G01S,G02B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for calibrating an alt-az telescope system with a latitude of an observer location to allow the telescope system to automatically track celestial objects, the method comprising: providing a telescope tube mounted to a base for pivotal motion about an altitude axis that is generally parallel to a plane of the base and an azimuthal axis that is generally normal to the plane of the base; providing a latitude indicator coupled to a corresponding one of the altitude and azimuthal axes, the latitude indicator indicating a altitude value which varies with movement of the telescope tube about the corresponding axis; inputting an internal latitude representation of the latitude of the observer location in a controller of the telescope system by: providing the controller with access to information indicative of a first angular position of the telescope tube about the corresponding axis, wherein at the first angular position, the latitude indicator indicates a first latitude value; adjusting an orientation of the telescope tube about the corresponding axis to a second angular position, wherein at the second angular position, the latitude indicator indicates a second latitude value that differs from the first latitude value by an amount corresponding to the observer latitude; providing the controller with access to information indicative of the second angular position; and performing a subtraction operation in the controller to subtract the information indicative of the first angular position from the information indicative of the second angular position and to thereby determine a difference value, the difference value indicative of the latitude of the observer location and whereby the internal latitude representation is based on the difference value.