Patent ID: 7718941

Claim:
A directional alignment and alignment monitoring apparatus for directional and omni-directional antennas comprising; a light sensor assembly having a housing adapted to be mounted in a known angular relationship on an antenna, at least a portion of the housing being transparent so that light from a source exterior to the housing may enter into the housing, at least one phototransistor mounted within the housing and spaced from the transparent portion of the housing, at least one light controlling baffle member mounted within the housing so as to control illumination of the at least one phototransistor by light entering the housing, the at least one baffle member including a light admitting passageway having a outer light entrance opening that is oriented toward the transparent portion of the housing and is spaced from the at least one phototransistor and an inner opening that is adjacent the at least one phototransistor, the passageway being aligned with the at least one phototransistor such that light entering the outer light entrance is channeled to the at least one phototransistor through the passageway only when the light source is generally aligned with the passageway, the passageway extending at least partially at a vertical angle relative to a horizontal plane, and circuit means for connecting the at least one phototransistor to a monitoring system whereby a time of illumination of the at least one phototransistor by the light passing through the passageway is used to determine an angular position of the sensor relative to a known position of the light source.