Method and apparatus for identifyng waypoints and providing keyless remote entry in a handheld locator device

• US 20030020638A1
• Filed: 07/17/2001
• Published: 01/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waypoint Navigation Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Waypoint West, LLC
• Inventors: Sari, Philip D., Kuning, Mark, Hamer, Adam, Hutter, Lester D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,791,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/995.21
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A locator device includes a pocket-sized casing that contains a keyless remote entry circuit for remotely operating a vehicle security system. A GPS receiver circuit is located in the casing and automatically identifies a vehicle waypoint whenever the vehicle is turned off. The locator device then determines from any current location and with a single button press the direction and/or distance back to the vehicle waypoint. Many other novel applications are also performed by the locator device.

Claims

1. A key faub, comprising:

a locator circuit for identifying a waypoint and determining directional information from a current location to the identified waypoint; and

a display for showing the directional information.

2. A key faub according to claim 1 including a remote keyless vehicle entry circuit for remotely locking and unlocking a vehicle.

3. A key faub according to claim 2 including a water resistant enclosed casing that contains all of the locator circuitry and the vehicle entry circuitry and includes a slot for holding keys.

4. A key faub according to claim 3 wherein the casing has a height of approximately 2-2½

inches and a width of about 1-1½

inches.

5. A key faub according to claim 1 wherein the locator circuit includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS location data from GPS satellites and a wireless modem that receives GPS location data from other GPS receivers.

6. A key faub according to claim 5 wherein the wireless modem automatically receives a vehicle location taken from another GPS system in the vehicle.

7. A key faub according to claim 6 wherein the locator circuit automatically stores the vehicle location as the waypoint.

8. A key faub according to claim 1 including an electronic compass circuit for showing the directional information in relation to compass directions output by the electronic compass circuit.

9. A key faub according to claim 1 wherein the display shows both a direction from the current position to the waypoint and a distance from the current position to the waypoint.

10. A key faub according to claim 1 including a first button that when depressed initiates the locator circuit to acquire satellite GPS location data, derive the current location from the GPS location data, calculate a heading and distance to the waypoint, and output the heading and distance on the display.

11. A key faub according to claim 10 including a second button that when depressed initiates the locator circuit to turn on, acquire available GPS satellite information, derive the current position and store the current position in a memory as the waypoint.

12. A key faub according to claim 1 including a memory for storing multiple waypoints, the locator circuit identifying a direction and distance from the current position to any one of the stored multiple waypoints.

13. A key faub according to claim 1 including a transceiver for both transferring vehicle security commands with a vehicle securing system and for transferring GPS data with other locator circuits.

14. A key faub according to claim 1 including an internal battery that uses an inductive charger for recharging.

15. A method for locating a reference point, comprising:

receiving GPS location data using a GPS system in a vehicle;

identifying when the vehicle has parked;

identifying the GPS vehicle location identifying the location of the parked vehicle;

downloading the identified GPS vehicle location data to a handheld locator device as a reference location;

moving the locator device to a current location away from the vehicle;

using a GPS circuit in the locator device to receive current GPS location data identifying the current location; and

identifying a target direction from the current location to the reference location using the identified GPS vehicle location and the current GPS location data.

16. A method according to claim 15 including automatically downloading the identified GPS vehicle location data to the locator device without any user intervention.

17. A method according to claim 15 including integrating the locator device in a pocket sized key faub that also contains a screen for displaying the target direction and an RF modem for remotely controlling a vehicle security system.

18. A method according to claim 17 including displaying compass references in relation to the target direction displayed on the screen.

19. A method according to claim 18 including displaying a distance from the current location to the reference location on the screen.

20. A method according to claim 18 including providing menu options for:

storing multiple waypoints;

selecting one of the multiple waypoints for using as the reference location; and

transmitting waypoints over an RF modem.

21. A method according to claim 15 including automatically storing the last successful GPS location reading in the vehicle GPS system before the vehicle is shutoff or parked and automatically downloading the last successful GPS location reading to the locator device.

22. A method according to claim 15 including pressing a single button on the locator device to acquire GPS location data, derive the current location from the GPS location data, calculate a heading and distance to the reference location, and display the heading and distance.

23. A method according to claim 22 including pressing a single button on the locator device to turn on the locator circuitry, acquire GPS satellite data, derive the reference position and store the reference position.

24. A method according to claim 15 including transmitting the reference position to other locator devices.

25. A locator device, comprising:

a pocket-sized casing;

a keyless remote entry circuit located in the casing;

a GPS receiver circuit located in the casing for identifying both a waypoint and a current location; and

a processor for deriving a direction and distance from the current location to the waypoint.

26. A locator device according to claim 25 including a wireless modem in the casing that automatically downloads the waypoint from a GPS system in a vehicle to the processor whenever the vehicle is parked or shutoff.

27. A locator device according to claim 26 including a first button on the casing that initiates downloading a first set of GPS data from a GPS satellite and downloads the GPS data into a memory as the waypoint.

28. A locator device according to claim 27 including a second button that initiates downloading a second set of GPS data, determines the current location from the second set of GPS data, displays an arrow on the display pointing from the current location to the waypoint, and displays a distance from the current location to the waypoint.

29. A locator device according to claim 28 including a transceiver for sending the waypoint to other locator devices.

30. A locator device according to claim 29 including a third button on the remote entry circuit that initiates a wireless modem coupled to the keyless remote entry circuit to wirelessly lock or unlock a vehicle.