Direction determining apparatus

摘要

A system for determining the direction that an object is pointing is disclosed. The pointing direction is calculated by determining phase differences between signals arriving at different positions on the object from a single source. Preferably the signals are received from Global Positioning System satellites and multiple antennae are positioned appropriately on the object. A number of methods are disclosed to obtain both the integer and fractional parts of the phase difference. Once the absolute value of the phase difference is determined and the satellite positions are known, it is possible to determine the direction that the object is pointing. A number of possible applications are disclosed including aerial imaging, artillery weapons aiming and satellite receive dish alignment.