Portable navigation device with instant on configuration on navigational dispaly

• US 20050024277A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Hanshew, Christopher J., Walters, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US10/927,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024277A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end

Abstract

A multi-function, portable, electronic device includes a housing, a processor located within the housing and a memory in communication with the processor. The electronic device includes a display in communication with the processor and positioned on a surface of the housing. The electronic device includes an apparatus for performing a first function, and an apparatus for performing a second function. One of the functions includes a navigational component. The navigational component includes an antenna attached to the housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position. A deployment indicator indicates the antenna is in the signal acquisition position. An operational component of the navigational component is activated in response to the deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

Claims

1. A portable global positioning device, comprising:

personal digital assistant (PDA) capabilities;

a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver operative with the PDA capabilities; and

an antenna coupled to the GPS receiver, the antenna movable between a first position and a second position.

2. The portable global positioning device of claim 1, including a housing containing the PDA capabilities and the GPS receiver;

and

a subhousing containing the antenna, the subhousing being pivotally attached to the housing.

3. The portable global positioning device of claim 2, including a hinge coupling the housing and the subhousing, where the hinge allows the subhousing to move relative the housing between a stowed position and an active position, where the active position includes the subhousing being at least substantially perpendicular to a major plane of the housing.

4. The portable global positioning device of claim 3, where the hinge allows the subhousing to travel outwardly and upwardly from a back wall of the housing.

5. The portable global positioning device of claim 3, where the housing includes a recessed pocket in the back wall to receive the subhousing in its stowed position.

6. The portable global positioning device of claim 5, where at least a portion of the subhousing is substantially flush with the back wall of the housing when in the stowed position.

7. The portable global positioning device of claim 1, including a switch coupled to the antenna, where movement of the antenna from the first position to the second position changes a setting of the switch.

8. The portable global positioning device of claim 7, wherein changes to the setting of the switch cause changes in an operational state of the portable global positioning device.

9. The portable global positioning device of claim 8, wherein changes in the operational state of the portable global positioning device include changes to at least the GPS receiver operative with the PDA capabilities.

10. A hand-held device comprising:

a processor;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor and the memory;

a personal digital assistant (PDA) component in communication with the processor and the memory, the PDA component operable to perform one or more PDA functions;

a navigation component in communication with the processor and the memory, the navigation component operable to perform one or more navigation functions; and

an antenna in communication with the navigation component, the antenna movable between a first position and a second position.

11. The hand-held device of claim 10, including a housing containing the PDA component and the navigation component;

and

a subhousing containing the antenna, the subhousing being pivotally attached to the housing.

12. The hand-held device of claim 11, including a hinge coupling the housing and the subhousing, the hinge allowing the subhousing to move between the first position and the second position, where the second position includes the subhousing being at least substantially perpendicular to a major plane of the housing.

13. The hand-held device of claim 12, where the hinge allows the subhousing to travel outwardly and upwardly from a back wall of the housing.

14. The hand-held device of claim 12, where the housing includes a recessed pocket in the back wall to receive the subhousing in its first position.

15. The hand-held device of claim 14, where at least a portion of the subhousing is substantially flush with the back wall of the housing when in the first position.

16. The hand-held device of claim 10, wherein the hand-held device operates in a first state when the antenna is in a first position.

17. The hand-held electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first state includes launching one or more of a set of computer executable instructions relating to the one or more PDA functions.

18. The hand-held electronic device of claim 10, wherein the hand-held device operates in a second state when the antenna is in one or more second positions.

19. The hand-held electronic device of claim 18, wherein the second state includes launching one or more of a set of computer executable instructions relating to the one or more navigation functions.

20. A personal digital assistant (PDA), comprising:

a housing, the housing including a processor, a memory, and a display in communication with one another;

a PDA component operable to perform one or more PDA functions;

a navigation component operable to perform one or more navigation functions;

a global positioning system (GPS) antenna pivotally attached to the housing and moveable between a first position and one or more second positions.

21. The PDA of claim 20, including a hinge coupling the GPS antenna to the housing, where the hinge allows the GPS antenna to move relative the housing between the first position and the one or more second positions, where the one or more second positions include the GPS antenna being at least substantially perpendicular to a major plane of the housing.

22. The PDA of claim 21, where the hinge allows the GPS antenna to travel outwardly and upwardly from a back wall of the housing.

23. The PDA of claim 21, where the housing includes a recessed pocket in the back wall to receive the GPS antenna in its first position.

24. The PDA of claim 23, where at least a portion of the GPS antenna is substantially flush with the back wall of the housing when in the first position.

25. The PDA of claim 20, wherein the navigation component are operable when the GPS antenna is in one of the one or more second positions.

26. The PDA of claim 20, wherein the housing includes a subhousing containing the GPS antenna, the subhousing moveable between the first position and one or more second positions.

27. The PDA of claim 20, wherein movement of the GPS antenna between the first position and the one or more second positions changes in an operational state of the PDA.

28. The PDA of claim 27, wherein changes in the operational state of the PDA include changes to at least the navigation component of the PDA.

29. A method, comprising:

installing personal digital assistant (PDA) components operable to perform one or more PDA functions into a housing;

installing navigation components operable to perform one or more navigation functions into the housing; and

attaching a global positioning system (GPS) antenna onto the housing, the GPS antenna in communication with the navigation components and moveable to a plurality of positions.

30. The method of claim 29, including installing a switch in the housing, wherein the switch changes states when the GPS antenna moves from a first position to a second position of the plurality of positions.

31. The method of claim 30, including performing a predetermined sequence of one or more PDA functions and one or more navigation functions when the switch changes states.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein attaching the GPS antenna includes placing the GPS antenna into a subhousing of the housing, where the subhousing seats into a cavity defined by the housing so as to be flush with a surface of the housing.

33. The method of claim 29, including installing a hinge mechanism including a spring, where the hinge mechanism keeps the GPS antenna in a selected position of the plurality of positions.

34. A method, comprising:

forming a housing for personal digital assistant (PDA) components;

forming a subhousing for a global positioning system (GPS) antenna; and

coupling the subhousing to the housing for the PDA components, where the subhousing moves between a plurality of positions relative the housing for the PDA components.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein forming the housing includes forming a cavity in the housing to receive the subhousing when the subhousing is in a first predetermined position of the plurality of positions.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein coupling the subhousing to the housing includes providing a hinge to couple subhousing to the housing.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the hinge includes a cam to position the subhousing in at least one preferred signal acquisition position for the GPS antenna.