WO2006097102A1 - User interface for astronomical telescope mounting - Google Patents
User interface for astronomical telescope mounting Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2006097102A1 WO2006097102A1 PCT/DK2006/000143 DK2006000143W WO2006097102A1 WO 2006097102 A1 WO2006097102 A1 WO 2006097102A1 DK 2006000143 W DK2006000143 W DK 2006000143W WO 2006097102 A1 WO2006097102 A1 WO 2006097102A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- user interface
- telescope mounting
- rotational
- astronomical telescope
- signals
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B23/00—Telescopes, e.g. binoculars; Periscopes; Instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies; Viewfinders; Optical aiming or sighting devices
- G02B23/16—Housings; Caps; Mountings; Supports, e.g. with counterweight
Definitions
- the present invention relates to astronomical telescope mountings and, more particularly, to user interfaces for such mountings.
- Telescopes for observing and/or photographing celestial objects are well known.
- Common types of astronomical telescopes include refractor telescopes, reflector telescopes and catadioptic (compound) types.
- Astronomical telescopes are normally mounted upon mountings typically having two orthogonal axes of rotation. Rotation around these axes allows the telescope to be pointed in any arbitrary direction.
- the rotation around each axis is typically driven by a kind of drive unit. These drive units can be manually or electrical driven via a handle or a motor (see US 4,709,178).
- the wish to have a motorized telescope mounting originate from the need to be able to compensate for the earth rotation by turning the telescope very slowly keeping a celestial object centered in the telescopes field of view over extended periods of time. All kinds of photographic observations need the telescope to precisely track the object as it moves across the sky.
- the earliest telescope mountings had mechanical clocks as the drive units. Later, different kinds of electrical motor driven units have been used. Introduction of modern types of motors e.g. step motors or servo motors made it possible to slew the telescope between different objects using the drive units on the mounting axes. This caused the need for a user interface to enable the observer to control the motors of the mounting and point the telescope towards selected objects.
- microprocessor controlled telescope mountings have brought a number of new possibilities such as, automatic pointing to selected objects, tracking fast moving objects e.g. satellites, movement in spherical coordinate systems with axes not coincident with the mountings movement axes etc.
- User interfaces used to control these microprocessor controlled telescope mountings are all based on pushbuttons alone.
- the typical user interface contains 4 main pushbuttons to activate the movement of the mounting in the four possible directions and moreover a number of pushbuttons to receive other inputs to the microprocessor.
- a kind of keyboard is used for the input of data and in other cases a limited number of pushbuttons are used to select between different commands presented to the user on a display (see US 6,392,799 fig- 5a, fig. 6a).
- the objective of the present invention is to create a user interface that is easier to use in darkness and when wearing gloves.
- the use of, one or more rotational encoders for sensing user inputs gives the possibl ⁇ ty to construct a user interface based on a few large rotational knobs for handling all user inputs. These knobs are very easy to identify and operate in complete darkness and wearing gloves. Additionally it gives the user new improved possibilities for adjusting the movements and position of the telescope.
- the invention consists of a control unit that uses two rotational knobs with encoders, to control the movement of the telescope mounting around two axes in a spherical coordinate system.
- the connected encoder When a user turns one of the knobs, the connected encoder sends signals to a data processing unit The data processing unit processes these signals and commands the motors to perform a certain motion around the relevant axis.
- the relationship between the turning of the knobs and the movements of the mounting can, by the user, be selected to follow different rules.
- One possibility is to have a certain angular movement of a knob resulting in a certain angular movement of the telescope mounting around one axis, in one spherical coordinate system.
- Another possibility is to have a certain angular movement of a knob resulting in the telescope mounting rotating at a certain speed around one axis, in one spherical coordinate system, until another control signal is given.
- the speed at which a knob is rotated can also be used to control the movements of the mounting. Besides the above described relations between the movements of the knobs and the resulting movements of the mounting several other relations are possible.
- the rotational knobs are also used for inputting data to the software applications used for controlling the telescope mounting. They are among others things used for scrolling in menu's, scrolling in lists and scrolling in alphanumerical sets of characters.
- Fig.l shows one possible embodiment of a telescope user interface in accordance with the present invention.
- the altitude rotational knob (1) is connected to an encoder that gives signals to a microprocessor. Based on these signals the microprocessor calculates control signals for the two motors in the telescope mounting . Often, but not always, the altitude rotational knob is used for controling the motor that operates the altitude or the declination axis.
- the azimuth rotational knob (2) is connected in the same way as the altitude rotational knob. Often, but not always, the azimuth rotational knob is used for controlling the motor that operates the azimuth or the right ascension axis. Both rotational knobs are used for scrolling and selecting in software menues showed on the display (3) and for inputting data necessary for the use of the telescope mounting.
Abstract
User interfaces for astronomical telescope mountings are normally based on pushbuttoms. The user interface in accordance with the invention uses rotational encoders as users input device. The signals from the rotational encoders are via a data processing unit transformed to control signals for one or more motors driving the movement of the telescope mounting. The transformation of the signals from the rotational encoders to the motor control signals can be done based on different principles giving the user the possibility to perform advanced control tasks through a very simple interface.
Description
Field of the invention
The present invention relates to astronomical telescope mountings and, more particularly, to user interfaces for such mountings.
Background art
Telescopes for observing and/or photographing celestial objects are well known. Common types of astronomical telescopes include refractor telescopes, reflector telescopes and catadioptic (compound) types. Astronomical telescopes are normally mounted upon mountings typically having two orthogonal axes of rotation. Rotation around these axes allows the telescope to be pointed in any arbitrary direction. To enable precisely control of the telescope movements, the rotation around each axis is typically driven by a kind of drive unit. These drive units can be manually or electrical driven via a handle or a motor (see US 4,709,178). The wish to have a motorized telescope mounting originate from the need to be able to compensate for the earth rotation by turning the telescope very slowly keeping a celestial object centered in the telescopes field of view over extended periods of time. All kinds of photographic observations need the telescope to precisely track the object as it moves across the sky. The earliest telescope mountings had mechanical clocks as the drive units. Later, different kinds of electrical motor driven units have been used. Introduction of modern types of motors e.g. step motors or servo motors made it possible to slew the telescope between different objects using the drive units on the mounting axes. This caused the need for a user interface to enable the observer to control the motors of the mounting and point the telescope towards selected objects. This task was solved using a number of pushbuttons for activating a motor in a certain direction at a certain speed. Introduction of microprocessor controlled telescope mountings has brought a number of new possibilities such as, automatic pointing to selected objects, tracking fast moving objects e.g. satellites, movement in spherical coordinate systems with axes not coincident with the mountings movement axes etc. User interfaces used to control these microprocessor controlled telescope mountings are all based on pushbuttons alone. The typical user interface, according to the prior art, contains 4 main pushbuttons to activate the movement of the mounting in the four possible directions and moreover a number of pushbuttons to receive other inputs to the microprocessor. In some systems a kind of keyboard is used for the input of data and in other cases a limited number of pushbuttons are used to select between different commands presented to the user on a display (see US 6,392,799 fig- 5a, fig. 6a).
Using pushbuttons for the user interface is a cheap and well knows principle but has a number of limitations when used in darkness and in cold weather wearing gloves.
Disclosure of invention
The objective of the present invention is to create a user interface that is easier to use in darkness and when wearing gloves. The use of, one or more rotational encoders for sensing user inputs (claim 1), gives the possiblϊty to construct a user interface based on a few large rotational knobs for handling all user inputs. These knobs are very easy to identify and operate in complete darkness and wearing gloves. Additionally it gives the user new improved possibilities for adjusting the movements and position of the telescope. The invention consists of a control unit that uses two rotational knobs with encoders, to control the movement of the telescope mounting around two axes in a spherical coordinate system. When a user turns one of the knobs, the connected encoder sends signals to a data processing unit The data processing unit processes these signals and commands the motors to perform a certain motion around the relevant axis. The relationship between the turning of the knobs and the movements of the mounting can, by the user, be selected to follow different rules. One possibility is to have a certain angular movement of a knob resulting in a certain angular movement of the telescope mounting around one axis, in one spherical coordinate system. Another possibility is to have a certain angular movement of a knob resulting in the telescope mounting rotating at a certain speed around one axis, in one spherical coordinate system, until another control signal is given. The speed at which a knob is rotated can also be used to control the movements of the mounting. Besides the above described relations between the movements of the knobs and the resulting movements of the mounting several other relations are possible. The rotational knobs are also used for inputting data to the software applications used for controlling the telescope mounting. They are among others things used for scrolling in menu's, scrolling in lists and scrolling in alphanumerical sets of characters.
Brief description of drawings
Fig.l shows one possible embodiment of a telescope user interface in accordance with the present invention.
The altitude rotational knob (1) is connected to an encoder that gives signals to a microprocessor. Based on these signals the microprocessor calculates control signals for the two motors in the telescope mounting . Often, but not always, the altitude rotational knob is used for controling the motor that operates the altitude or the declination axis. The azimuth rotational knob (2) is connected in the same way as the altitude rotational knob. Often, but not always, the azimuth rotational knob is used for controlling the motor that operates the azimuth or the right ascension axis. Both rotational knobs are used for scrolling and selecting in software menues showed on the display (3) and for inputting data necessary for the use of the telescope mounting.
Claims
1. A user interface for an astronomical telescope mounting said user interface comprising: one or more rotational encoders for sensing user inputs.
2. A user interface for an astronomical telescope mounting according to claim 1 wherein the signals from the rotational encoders are processed by a data processing unit that gives control signals for one or more motors to perform a certain movement.
3. A user interface for an astronomical telescope mounting according to claim 2 said user interface comprising: one rotational encoder for each axis in a spherical coordinate system, the signals from each rotational encoder resulting in a movement of the telescope mounting around a related axis in another spherical coordinate system.
4. A user interface for an astronomical telescope mounting according to claim 3 wherein a certain angular movement of a rotational encoder results in a certain proportional angular movement of the telescope mounting around the related axis in the spherical coordinate system.
5. A user interface for an astronomical telescope mounting according to claim 3 wherein a certain angular movement of a rotational encoder sets the speed at which the telescope mounting rotates around the related axis in the spherical coordinate system .
6. A user interface for an astronomical telescope mounting according to claim 3 wherein a certain angular speed of a rotational encoder is sensed by a data processing unit and used for creating control signals for one or more motors to perform a certain movement.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DKPA200500395 | 2005-03-18 | ||
| DKPA200500395 | 2005-03-18 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2006097102A1 true WO2006097102A1 (en) | 2006-09-21 |
Family
ID=36991295
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/DK2006/000143 WO2006097102A1 (en) | 2005-03-18 | 2006-03-14 | User interface for astronomical telescope mounting |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO2006097102A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2014140357A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Freefly Systems Inc. | Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera |
| US9900511B2 (en) | 2015-04-10 | 2018-02-20 | Freefly Systems, Inc. | Method, system, and device for controlling a stabilized camera remotely |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4400066A (en) * | 1981-06-04 | 1983-08-23 | Byers Edward R | Mounting and precision drive system for astronomical telescope, and the like |
| US4709178A (en) * | 1987-04-06 | 1987-11-24 | Burr James D | Motor control for telescope |
| WO2000025168A1 (en) * | 1998-10-26 | 2000-05-04 | Meade Instruments Corporation | Upgradeable telescope system |
| US6300938B1 (en) * | 1998-04-13 | 2001-10-09 | Immersion Corporation | Multiple-cylinder control device for computers and other electronic apparatus |
| US6392799B1 (en) * | 1998-10-26 | 2002-05-21 | Meade Instruments Corporation | Fully automated telescope system with distributed intelligence |
| US6636197B1 (en) * | 1996-11-26 | 2003-10-21 | Immersion Corporation | Haptic feedback effects for control, knobs and other interface devices |
-
2006
- 2006-03-14 WO PCT/DK2006/000143 patent/WO2006097102A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4400066A (en) * | 1981-06-04 | 1983-08-23 | Byers Edward R | Mounting and precision drive system for astronomical telescope, and the like |
| US4709178A (en) * | 1987-04-06 | 1987-11-24 | Burr James D | Motor control for telescope |
| US6636197B1 (en) * | 1996-11-26 | 2003-10-21 | Immersion Corporation | Haptic feedback effects for control, knobs and other interface devices |
| US6300938B1 (en) * | 1998-04-13 | 2001-10-09 | Immersion Corporation | Multiple-cylinder control device for computers and other electronic apparatus |
| WO2000025168A1 (en) * | 1998-10-26 | 2000-05-04 | Meade Instruments Corporation | Upgradeable telescope system |
| US6392799B1 (en) * | 1998-10-26 | 2002-05-21 | Meade Instruments Corporation | Fully automated telescope system with distributed intelligence |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2014140357A1 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2014-09-18 | Freefly Systems Inc. | Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera |
| US8938161B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2015-01-20 | Freefly Systems, Inc. | Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera |
| CN105144695A (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2015-12-09 | 费福利系统公司 | Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera |
| AU2014230009B2 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2017-05-25 | Freefly Systems Inc. | Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera |
| CN105144695B (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2018-11-13 | 费福利系统公司 | Method and system for the direction control for enabling active stabilization video camera |
| US10298846B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2019-05-21 | Freefly Systems, Inc. | Method and system for enabling pointing control of an actively stabilized camera |
| US9900511B2 (en) | 2015-04-10 | 2018-02-20 | Freefly Systems, Inc. | Method, system, and device for controlling a stabilized camera remotely |
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