Portable navigation device with releasable antenna

• US 20050055161A1
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Hanshew, Christopher J., Kalis, Robert M., Haigh, Richard J., Walters, Thomas H., Lammers-Meis, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/084 Pivotable antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/242 specially adapted for hand-held use

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 detection mechanism indicates the antenna is in the signal acquisition position. An operational component of the navigational component is activated in response to the detection mechanism indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

Claims

1. A portable global positioning device, comprising:

a personal digital assistant (PDA) capability;

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

an antenna coupled to the GPS receiver;

a housing containing the PDA capability and the GPS receiver;

a subhousing containing the antenna, the subhousing being pivotally attached to the housing; and

an actuator to control a position of the subhousing relative the housing, where the actuator moves the subhousing from a stowed position to a released position relative the housing.

2. The portable global positioning device of claim 1, where at least a portion of the actuator is accessible through a surface of the housing to allow the subhousing to be released from the stowed position into the released position.

3. The portable global positioning device of claim 2, where the actuator includes:

a release lever having a contact surface, a latch, and an elongate shaft there between, the contact surface is accessible through the housing to slide adjacent the housing from a latching position in which the latch releasably holds the subhousing in the stowed position to a release position such that the subhousing moves to the released position.

4. The portable global positioning device of claim 1, where the actuator further includes a mechanical linkage pivotally attaching the housing and the subhousing, the mechanical linkage having a cam mechanism to move the subhousing from the stowed position to the released position.

5. The portable global positioning device of claim 4, where the cam mechanism includes:

a first cam associated with the housing, the first cam having a surface forming detents;

a second cam associated with the subhousing, the second cam having a surface forming detents that seat with the surface of the first cam when the subhousing is in the released position;

a spring; and

a spring housing having a sleeve to receive the spring and a surface forming a key, the spring housing being at least partially positioned within a socket of the subhousing where the key prevents rotational motion of the spring housing relative the subhousing, the spring housing coupled to the second cam along an axis to allow the spring housing and the second cam to pivot with the subhousing.

6. The portable global positioning device of claim 5, where the surface of the first cam and the surface of the second cam when un-seated are inclined at an angle and biased by the spring to cause movement of the second cam relative the first cam to move the subhousing from the stowed position to the released position.

7. The portable global positioning device of claim 5, where the spring housing slides relative the subhousing as the second cam moves relative the first cam.

8. The portable global positioning device of claim 5, where the surface of the first cam and the surface of the second cam when un-seated are inclined at an angle and biased by the spring to cause movement of the second cam relative the first cam to move the subhousing from the released position to a predetermined position so that the surfaces of the first cam and the second cam seat.

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

10. The portable global positioning device of claim 9, where the housing includes a cavity in the back wall to receive the subhousing in the stowed position.

11. The portable global positioning device of claim 10, where at least a portion of the subhousing is substantially flush with the back wall of the housing when in the stowed position.

12. The portable global positioning device of claim 1, including navigational capabilities operative with the GPS receiver;

and

a detection mechanism that indicates when the subhousing is in the released position, where the detection mechanism triggers activation of the navigational capabilities when the subhousing is in the released position.

13. The portable global positioning device of claim 12, including a display in communication with the navigational capabilities and the PDA capability, where the navigational capabilities are displayed when the subhousing is in the released position.

14. The portable global positioning device of claim 13, where the detection mechanism that indicates when the subhousing is in the stowed position, where the detection mechanism triggers de-activation of the navigational capabilities when the subhousing is in the stowed position.

15. The portable global positioning device of claim 14, where the detection mechanism includes a Hall Effect switch.

16. A hand-held device comprising:

a personal digital assistant (PDA) component, the PDA component operable to perform one or more PDA functions;

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

an antenna in communication with the navigation component;

a housing containing the PDA component and the navigation component;

a subhousing containing the antenna, the subhousing being pivotally attached to the housing; and

an actuator including mechanical linkage pivotally attaching the housing and the subhousing, where at least a portion of the actuator is accessible through a surface of the housing to allow the actuator to be moved so as to cause a cam mechanism of the mechanical linkage to move the subhousing from a stowed position to a released position.

17. The hand-held device of claim 16, where the actuator includes a release lever having a contact surface, a latch, and an elongate shaft there between, the contact surface being accessible through the housing to slide adjacent the housing from a latching position in which the latch releasably holds the subhousing in the stowed position to a release position whereupon the subhousing moves to the released position.

18. The hand-held device of claim 16, where the cam mechanism includes:

a first cam associated with the housing, the first cam having a surface forming detents;

a second cam associated with the subhousing, the second cam having a surface forming detents that seat with the surface of the first cam when the subhousing is in the released position;

a spring; and

a spring housing having a sleeve to receive the spring and a surface forming a key, the spring housing being at least partially positioned within a socket of the subhousing where the key prevents rotational motion of the spring housing relative the subhousing, the spring housing coupled to the second cam along an axis to allow the spring housing and the second cam to pivot with the subhousing.

19. The hand-held device of claim 18, where the surface of the first cam and the surface of the second cam when un-seated are inclined at an angle and biased by the spring to cause movement of the second cam relative the first cam to move the subhousing from the stowed position to the released position.

20. The hand-held device of claim 18, where the spring housing slides relative the subhousing as the second cam moves relative the first cam.

21. The hand-held device of claim 18, where the surface of the first cam and the surface of the second cam when un-seated are inclined at an angle and biased by the spring to cause movement of the second cam relative the first cam to move the subhousing from the released position to a predetermined position.

22. The hand-held device of claim 16, where the housing includes a cavity in a back wall to receive the subhousing in the stowed position.

23. The hand-held device of claim 22, where at least a portion of the subhousing is substantially flush with the back wall of the housing when in the stowed position.

24. The hand-held device of claim 16, including a switch coupled to the subhousing, where movement of the subhousing from the stowed position to the released position changes a setting of the switch.

25. The hand-held device of claim 24, where changes to the setting of the switch cause changes in an operational state of the hand-held device.

26. The hand-held device of claim 25, where changes in the operational state of the hand-held device include changes to at least the navigation component.

27. The hand-held device of claim 26, where the switch is a Hall Effect switch.

28. The hand-held device of claim 16, where the hand-held device operates in a first state when the subhousing is in the stowed position.

29. The hand-held device of claim 28, where the first state includes launching one or more of a set of computer executable instructions relating to the one or more PDA functions.

30. The hand-held device of claim 16, where the hand-held device operates in a second state when the subhousing is in the released position.

31. The hand-held device of claim 30, where the second state includes launching one or more of a set of computer executable instructions relating to the one or more navigation functions.

32. A method of forming a hand-held device, comprising:

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

providing navigation components operable to perform one or more navigation functions in the housing;

providing a global positioning system (GPS) antenna in a subhousing, the GPS antenna in communication with the navigation components; and

coupling the housing and the subhousing with an actuator that moves the subhousing from a stowed position to a released position relative the housing.

33. The method of claim 32, including releasing the subhousing from the stowed position into the released position by moving at least a portion of the actuator.

34. The method of claim 32, including installing a switch in the housing, where the switch changes states when the subhousing moves from the stowed position to the released position.

35. The method of claim 34, including performing a predetermined sequence of one or more PDA functions and one or more navigation functions when the switch changes states.

36. The method of claim 32, where the subhousing seats into a cavity defined by the housing so as to be flush with a surface of the housing in the stowed position.

37. The method of claim 32, where coupling the housing and the subhousing with the actuator includes installing a mechanical linkage pivotally attaching the housing and the subhousing, the mechanical linkage having a cam mechanism to move the subhousing from the stowed position to the released position.

38. The method of claim 37, where the cam mechanism moves the subhousing to a predetermined position.

39. A method of producing a hand-held device component, 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 with an actuator, where the actuator moves the subhousing from a stowed position to a released position relative the housing.

40. The method of claim 39, where forming the housing includes forming a cavity in the housing to receive the subhousing when the subhousing is in the stowed position.

41. The method of claim 39, where coupling the subhousing to the housing includes providing a mechanical linkage to pivotally attach the housing and the subhousing, the mechanical linkage having a cam mechanism to move the subhousing from the stowed position to the released position.

42. A method of operating a hand-held device, comprising:

uncoupling a latch to release a subhousing pivotally attach to a housing; and

mechanically urging the subhousing from a stowed position into a released position relative the housing after uncoupling the latch.

43. The method of claim 42, where mechanically urging the subhousing includes converting kinetic movement of a spring into rotational motion of the subhousing relative the housing through an actuator joining the subhousing and the housing.

44. The method of claim 43, further including providing the actuator with predetermined seated positions for the subhousing relative the housing.