Patent ID: 7079317

Claim:
An automated telescope, comprising: an optical system for viewing celestial objects; an altitude motor system rotatably coupled to the optical system for rotating the optical system with respect to an altitude axis of the telescope, the altitude motor system comprising a first motor and a first microprocessor coupled to control the first motor; an azimuth motor system rotatably coupled to the optical system for rotating the optical system with respect to an azimuth axis of the telescope, the azimuth motor system comprising a second motor and a second microprocessor coupled to control the second motor; a third microprocessor connected to the first microprocessor and to the second microprocessor and configured to receive altitude position information provided by the altitude motor system and azimuth position information provided by the azimuth motor system, the third microprocessor connected to a memory configured to store program instructions, wherein the program instructions comprise instructions for (a) determining a relationship between a celestial coordinate system and an altitude-azimuth coordinate system of the telescope, and (b) generating motion control commands based at least in part on the determined relationship, whereby the first microprocessor controls the first motor and the second microprocessor controls the second motor based at least in part on the motion control commands.