The system includes an algorithm that associates measured angles with beacon identities. The algorithm has been patented by the author. The navigation system has been implemented on a test vehicle. The optical and electronic parts of the anglemeter have been thoroughly analysed and simulated. The performance limits of the anglemeter are stated and design criteria for the optical and electronic parts are proposed.
Measurements support the simulations and the theoretical analysis.
No signal is received from beacons at close range. At long range the laser beam diameter is much larger than the width of the beacons which causes the range-dependence of the width of the received pulses to disappear. The shape of the pulses is approximately Gaussian in this region due to the intensity distribution of the laser beam. The width of the pulses is determined by the laser beam divergence and the scan velocity. Optical misalignments in the anglemeter cause the dominating systematic error in measured angles.