Global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information

• US 20030163254A1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: C-One Technology Corporation (Pretec Electronics Corporation), Pretec Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: C-One Technology Corporation (Pretec Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Yu, Gordon, Young, Sidney, Chen, Jui Chung, Chen, Caph
• Granted Patent: US 6,741,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers

Abstract

There is disclosed a global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information, which includes a multi-interface controller, a dynamic insertion/removal card interface for being dynamically inserted with a memory card stored with map data, a GPS module, and a host interface. When the memory card is inserted into the dynamic insertion/removal card interface, the dynamic insertion/removal card interface notifies the multi-interface controller for further informing the host device through the host interface to read the map data in the memory card, thereby displaying a corresponding map. After determining the positioning coordinate, the GPS module notifies the multi-interface controller for further informing the host device through the host interface to read the positioning coordinate determined by the GPS module, which is compared with the map data read previously, thereby labeling a coordinate position on the map.

Claims

1. A global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information, comprising:

a multi-interface controller;

a dynamic insertion/removal card interface connected to the multi-interface controller for being dynamically inserted with a memory card stored with map data; and

a global positioning system module for receiving and determining positioning coordinate from a global positioning system; and

a host interface connected to the multi-interface controller for connecting to a host device,

wherein when the memory card is inserted into the dynamic insertion/removal card interface, the dynamic insertion/removal card interface notifies the multi-interface controller for further informing the host device through the host interface to read the map data in the memory card, thereby displaying a corresponding map; and

after determining the positioning coordinate, the global positioning system module notifies the multi-interface controller for further informing the host device through the host interface to read the positioning coordinate determined by the global positioning system module, which is compared with the map data read previously, thereby labeling a coordinate position on the map.

2. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a serial to parallel converter connected to the multi-interface controller and the global positioning system module for converting the positioning coordinate determined by the global positioning system module from serial signals into parallel signals for being sent to the multi-interface controller.

3. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dynamic insertion/removal card interface notifies the multi-interface controller by a first interrupt signal, and the global positioning system module notifies the multi-interface controller by a second interrupt signal through the serial to parallel converter.

4. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 3, wherein when receiving the first or second interrupt signal, the multi-interface controller informs the host device to read the map data or positioning coordinate by a third interrupt signal.

5. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 2, wherein the host interface has at least one card detecting pin fixed at a level representing that a card is inserted.

6. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 5, wherein the host interface is a PCMCIA/CF interface and the at least one card detecting pin includes a CD#1 pin and a CD#2 pin connected to ground.

7. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory card further comprises a navigation application program for updating a navigation operation program in the host device.

8. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory card has a storage memory for use as an extension memory by the host device.

9. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory card is a Smart Media card, a Compact Flash card, a Memory Stick card, a Secure Digital card, or a Multi-Media card.

10. The global positioning system electronic card capable of dynamically plugging navigation information as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory card controller for controlling read/write operation with a memory card which does not have a controller.