Azimuth readout system

Claim 2

A positioning and readout system for a movable instrumentation package, the combination comprising: a. first circuit sensing means for providing output pulses, the number of said pulses being proportional to the distance said package has moved, b. first circuit detector means for detecting when there is a change in the output pulses from said first sensing means, c. second circuit detector means for detecting the direction of the change detected by said first circuit detector means, d. third circuit detector means for periodically detecting when said instrumentation package has moved a predetermined increment of the total distance said package is capable of moving, e. decade counter means coupled to said first and third detector means and being responsive to their outputs to count said output pulses, f. readout circuit means coupled to said decade counter means and to said third circuit detector means for providing a readout of the position of said instrumentation package.

Claim 3

The positioning and readout system of claim 1 wherein said first circuit sensing means is two photocells positioned relative to each other to be successively interrupted for providing directional information.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein said first circuit detector means includes first and second gate circuits coupled to said photocells, said first gate circuit means being responsive to a positive transition signal from said photocells for generating an output pulse and said second gate circuit means being responsive to a negative transition signal from said photocells for generating an output pulse.

Claim 5

The system of claim 3 wherein said second circuit detector means includes storage circuit means for comparing the last output from said photocells when a change occurs with the new output and provides an output signal indicative of the sequence in which the output signals from said photocells occurred.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein said third circuit detector means includes switching means to uniformly generate a reset pulse for energy ten degree movement of said package.

Claim 7

The system of claim 5 wherein said third circuit detector means further includes a sector decoder for providing an output signal representative of the sector of a circle in which said package is positioned.

Claim 8

A positioning and readout system for a movable transducer package to be positioned on a circular track, the combination comprising: a. a photocell pickup unit attached to said package for providing four separate output signals, b. photocell change detector means coupled to said photocell pickup unit for generating an output pulse when there is a change in one of the four output signals, c. count direction sensor means coupled to said photocell unit for providing an output signal in response to a particular sequence of said four output signals, d. count gate circuit means coupled to said count direction sensor means and to said photocell change detector means for providing count up and count down output signals, e. three decade counter circuit means coupled to said count gate circuit means for counting the number of pulses received from said count gate circuit, f. visual display circuit means coupled to said three decade counter for continuously displaying the output of said decade counter, g. sector decoder circuit means for providing an output signal indicative of the position of said package on said circular track, h. sector change detector circuit means coupled to said decade counter and to said sector decoder circuit means for clearing said counter when said package moves from one ten degree sector of said circular track to another ten degree sector, i. automatic circuit means coupled to said three decade counter and to said sector decoder circuit means for automatically positioning said transducer package in response to a predetErmined position set into said automatic circuit means.

Claim 9

A positioning and readout system for a movable transducer package to be positioned on a circular track, the combination comprising: a. a photocell pickup unit attached to said package for providing four separate output signals, b. photocell change detector means coupled to said photocell pickup unit for generating an output pulse when there is a change in one of the four output signals, c. count direction sensor means coupled to said photocell unit for providing an output signal in response to a particular sequence of said four output signals, d. count gate circuit means coupled to said count direction sensor means and to said photocell change detector means for providing count up and count down output signals, e. three decade counter circuit means coupled to said count gate circuit means for counting the number of pulses received from said count gate circuit, f. visual display circuit means coupled to said three decade counter for continuously displaying the output of said decade counter, g. sector decoder circuit means for providing an output signal indicative of the position of said package on said circular track, h. sector change detector circuit means coupled to said decade counter and to said sector decoder circuit means for clearing said counter when said package moves from one ten degree sector of said circular track to another ten degree sector, i. automatic circuit means coupled to said three decade counter and to said sector decoder circuit means for automatically positioning said transducer package in response to a predetErmined position set into said automatic circuit means.