Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Directive – Beacon or receiver
Patent
1997-09-03
1999-05-18
Issing, Gregory C.
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Directive
Beacon or receiver
340979, 381 25, G01S5/04
Patent
active
059054646
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a personal direction-finding apparatus that may be used for detecting an electromagnetic, infrared or ultrasound radiation emitted from a source, with a view to determining the direction of this source or creating a virtual sound environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Direction-finding makes it possible to determine the direction of a source of radiation. Conventional applications are manual direction-finding and automatic direction-finding.
Automatic direction-finding is largely used on fixed installations or on mobile ones (aeroplanes, boat, vehicle). The indication of direction is available in the form of a bearing (angle between the wearer and the apparent direction) or an indication of deviation of right/left type.
Manual direction-finding is often used for seeking the source of emission with the aid of an antenna or a sensor oriented by hand. This type of direction-finder rests on the search for minimum or maximum reception without delivering the information of relative position of the direction of the source with respect to the scanning sensor or antenna.
The two types of direction-finding require the reading of an instrument often associated with listening in on a receiver or loud-speaker to allow the source to be identified. Manual direction-finding does not allow a free-hand search of the source of radiation.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,832, a personal direction-finding apparatus for detecting an ultrasound radiation and locating the direction of the source emitting this radiation, is already known. This apparatus comprises a local oscillator for converting the inaudible frequencies of the ultrasound signal into frequencies included in the range of audible sounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,515 discloses an apparatus for indicating normal attitude to give an indication of a normal attitude to an individual jointly with a means for producing a signal representing the attitude in real time of the indiviual in space and a means for placing, in three-dimensional space, the normal indication relative to the individual in response to the signal in real time representing the attitude in real time, so as to give the individual a normal indication relative to the attitude in real time of the individual in space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at overcoming these drawbacks by providing a direction-finding apparatus of particularly simple design, portable, leaving the user's hands free, and not requiring reading of an instrument.
To that end, this personal direction-finding apparatus which may be used for detecting an electromagnetic, infrared or ultrasound radiation emitted from a source, with a view to determining the direction of this source or creating a virtual sound environment, comprising a radiation sensing means worn on the user's head, adapted to be oriented with respect to the source by a movement of rotation of the head and producing a signal having a variable characteristic depending on the direction of the source with respect to the sensing means, i.e. to the position of the head, and two earphones placed respectively over the user's two ears, to emit a sound signal whose nature depends on the angular deviation between the direction of the source and the current position of his head, is characterized in that it further comprises a receiver, intervening as demodulator, whose input is connected to the sensing means and a circuit for processing the demodulated signal at the output of the demodulator outputting a control signal as a function of the angular deviation between the direction of the source and the current position of the sensing means, i.e. the user's viewing axis, and two audio signal processing circuits, respectively allocated to the right and left phonic voices, of which the inputs are connected to the output of the processing circuit and the outputs are connected respectively to the two right and left earphones, to allow the direction of the source to be perceived by binaural listening.
The direc
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Issing Gregory C.
Rockwell-Collins France
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