Automotive mirror with integrated loran components
First Claim
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1. An automotive mirror apparatus comprising:
- an inside rearview mirror assembly comprising a mounting foot adapted to be mounted inside the vehicle in a location proximate to the front windshield of the vehicle, a mirror housing, and a stem coupling said mirror housing to said mounting foot; and
a Loran receiver circuit mounted to said rearview mirror assembly.
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Abstract
A vehicle includes a mirror assembly comprising components of a Loran positioning system. The mirror assembly may include an H-field antenna, receiver circuitry, a processor, memory, or a user interface. The Loran system communicates received data with various other vehicle systems over a data bus. Location data obtained from the Loran system is used to ascertain vehicle location, speed, and heading. Further, data from the Loran system is used to improve the accuracy and availability of GPS positioning data and to calibrate the vehicle compass and odometer. The accuracy of GPS position estimates is improved by combining data from both positioning systems. The GPS data is further improved by differential GPS (DGPS) data received by the Loran positioning system and communicated to the GPS positioning system. The availability of the GPS is improved since less than four channels of satellite signals are needed when combined with the Loran signals.
38 Citations
37 Claims
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1. An automotive mirror apparatus comprising:
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an inside rearview mirror assembly comprising a mounting foot adapted to be mounted inside the vehicle in a location proximate to the front windshield of the vehicle, a mirror housing, and a stem coupling said mirror housing to said mounting foot; and
a Loran receiver circuit mounted to said rearview mirror assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An interior rearview mirror based automotive positioning system comprising:
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an inside rearview mirror assembly comprising a mounting foot adapted to be mounted inside the vehicle in a location proximate to the front windshield of the vehicle, a mirror housing, and a stem coupling said mirror housing to said mounting foot; and
a Loran positioning system having a component mounted to said rearview mirror assembly, said Loran positioning system generating Loran data and wherein information derived from said Loran data is communicated to a vehicle occupant. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 37)
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23. A vehicle accessory based automotive positioning system comprising:
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a console housing mounted to a vehicle accessory; and
a component of a Loran positioning system mounted to said console housing the Loran positioning system providing Loran data, and wherein said component of a Loran positioning system is selected from the group consisting of a Loran antenna, a Loran receiver circuit, a processor, and a user interface; and
wherein information derived from the Loran data is provided to a vehicle occupant.
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24. An automotive positioning system comprising:
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a Loran antenna detecting Loran broadcasts and generating a Loran signal indicative thereof;
a Loran receiver circuit in communication with said Loran antenna and extracting Loran data from said Loran signal;
an SPS antenna detecting satellite broadcasts and generating a SPS signal indicative thereof;
an SPS receiver in communication with said SPS antenna and extracting SPS data from said SPS signal;
a processor in communicating with said Loran receiver and said SPS receiver and computing a vehicle location as a function of said Loran data said SPS data; and
a user interface in communication with said processor and capable of communicating information derived from vehicle location to a vehicle occupant.
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26. A method of processing navigation signals in an automotive positioning system comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first Loran broadcast from a first Loran transmitter;
receiving a second Loran broadcast from a second Loran transmitter;
extracting Loran data from said first and second Loran broadcasts;
receiving an SPS broadcast from a satellite when SPS broadcasts are available and extracting SPS data; and
computing a vehicle location as a function of said Loran data and said SPS data.
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35. A method of implementing an automotive positioning system coupled to a rearview mirror assembly, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a first Loran broadcast from a first Loran transmitter;
receiving a second Loran broadcast from a second Loran transmitter;
extracting Loran data from said first and second Loran broadcasts, computing a vehicle location as a function of said Loran data; and
,communicating said vehicle location to an occupant of the vehicle.
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36. A vehicle compass system comprising:
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a Loran positioning system comprising, a Loran antenna, and a Loran receiver in communication with said antenna, said receiver generating Loran data;
a processor in communication with said receiver and computing vehicle heading data as a function of said Loran data; and
a display in communication with said processor, said display suitable for displaying said vehicle heading data to a vehicle occupant.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeGentex Corporation
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Original AssigneeGentex Corporation
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InventorsTurnbull, Robert R.
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Granted Patent
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Time in Patent OfficeDays
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Field of Search
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US Class Current701/219
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CPC Class CodesG01C 21/3626 Details of the output of ro...
