Apparatus and method for allowing user to track path of travel over extended period of time

• US 20050253752A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bushnell Incorporated (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bushnell Performance Optics
• Inventors: Cross, Bill, Ball, Richard, Lalik, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/845,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20050253752A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.310
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption

Abstract

An apparatus (10) and method for allowing a moving user to automatically periodically determine and store his or her own geographic locations over an extended period of time, and to display the series of such locations (11) as an indication of the user'"'"'s path of travel. The apparatus (10) accomplishes these functions with features for conserving power and for communicating loss of the satellite lock necessary to determine location. More specifically, the apparatus (10) includes an antenna (16) for facilitating the satellite lock, a fastening mechanism (18) for positioning the antenna (10) for best reception, and a satellite lock indicator (20) for noticeably communicating loss of the satellite lock. The apparatus (10) also includes a timer (26) for measuring a preestablished interval during which time the apparatus (10) is in a power-conserving sleep mode, and after which time the current location is automatically determined.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically determining and storing a series of geographic locations, the apparatus comprising:

a GPS receiver for automatically locking onto and receiving signals from a plurality of orbiting satellites and, based thereon, determining a geographic location of the apparatus with respect to the orbiting satellites;

an antenna connected to the GPS receiver for facilitating reception of the signals used by the GPS receiver to determine the geographic location;

a battery for providing power, wherein the battery has a limited power capacity;

a timer for measuring a preestablished time interval during which time the apparatus is in a power-conservation mode, and at the expiration of which the GPS receiver automatically determines a current geographic location of the apparatus, wherein the preestablished time interval is repeatedly measured and the current geographic location is repeatedly determined so as to result in the series of geographic locations corresponding to a movement of the apparatus over time;

a memory for storing the current geographic location with the series of geographic locations; and

a display for communicating the series of geographic locations stored in the memory, wherein when the apparatus is in the power-conservation the display is automatically turned off in order to conserve the limited power capacity of the battery.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the preestablished time interval is set by a user to be approximately between 10 seconds and 60 seconds.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a lightweight, impact resistant housing for protectively enclosing the GPS receiver, the battery, the timer, the memory, and the display.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a fastening mechanism connected to the antenna and allowing for removably coupling the antenna in a position for best reception of the signals necessary to determine the geographic location.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a satellite lock indicator for automatically communicating to a user that the GPS receiver is unable to receive the signals necessary to determine the geographic location.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the satellite lock indicator is incorporated into the fastening mechanism for enhanced noticeability by the user.

7. A hand-held apparatus for automatically determining and storing a series of geographic locations, the hand-held apparatus comprising:

a GPS receiver for automatically locking onto and receiving signals from a plurality of orbiting satellites and, based thereon, determining a geographic location of the hand-held apparatus with respect to the orbiting satellites;

an antenna connected to the GPS receiver for facilitating reception of the signals used by the GPS receiver to determine the geographic location;

a fastening mechanism connected to the antenna and allowing for removably coupling the antenna in a position for best reception of the signals necessary to determine the geographic location;

a satellite lock indicator for automatically communicating to a user that the GPS receiver is unable to receive the signals necessary to determine the geographic location;

a battery for providing power, wherein the battery has a limited power capacity;

a timer for measuring a preestablished time interval during which time the hand-held apparatus is in a power-conservation mode, and at the expiration of which the GPS receiver automatically determines a current geographic location of the apparatus, wherein the preestablished time interval is repeatedly measured and the current geographic location is repeatedly determined so as to result in the series of geographic locations corresponding to a movement of the hand-held apparatus over time;

a memory for storing the current geographic location with the series of geographic locations;

a display for communicating the series of geographic locations stored in the memory, wherein when the hand-held apparatus is in the power-conservation the display is automatically turned off in order to conserve the limited power capacity of the battery; and

a lightweight, impact resistant housing for protectively enclosing the GPS receiver, the battery, the timer, the memory, and the display.

8. The hand-held apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the preestablished time interval is set by the user to be approximately between 10 seconds and 60 seconds.

9. The hand-held apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the satellite lock indicator is incorporated into the fastening mechanism for enhanced noticeability by the user.

10. A method of automatically determining and storing a series of geographic locations, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) allowing a user to establish a time interval;

(b) determining an initial geographic location and saving the determined initial geographic location in a memory;

(c) entering a sleep mode to conserve power automatically;

(d) measuring the time interval automatically;

(e) exiting the sleep mode and attempting to determine a current geographic location at the end of the time interval automatically;

(f) storing, if the current geographic location can be determined, the determined current geographic location in the memory automatically;

(g) repeating steps (c) through (f) automatically, thereby generating the series of geographic locations; and

(h) allowing the user to display the stored series of geographic locations, wherein the series of geographic locations provide an indication of the user'"'"'s path of travel.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein step (c) includes deactivating a display automatically.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, further including the step of communicating, if the current geographic location cannot be determined, an indicator to the user that the attempt to determine the current geographic location failed.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the current geographic location is determined based on a plurality of signals received from a plurality of orbiting satellites, and wherein the current geographic location cannot be determined because the plurality of signals are not being received, attempting a preset number of times to receive the plurality of signals prior to communicating the indicator.

14. A method of automatically determining and storing a series of geographic locations, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) allowing a user to select a tracking mode;

(b) allowing the user to establish a time interval;

(c) determining an initial geographic location automatically and saving the determined initial geographic location in a memory automatically;

(d) entering a sleep mode to conserve power automatically, including automatically deactivating a display;

(e) measuring the time interval automatically;

(f) exiting the sleep mode and attempting to determine a current geographic location at the end of the time interval automatically;

(g) communicating, if the current geographic location cannot be determined, an indicator to the user that the attempt to determine the current geographic location failed;

(h) storing, if the current geographic location can be determined, the determined current geographic location in the memory automatically;

(i) repeating steps (d) through (h) automatically until the user deselects the tracking mode, thereby generating the series of geographic locations; and

(j) allowing the user to display the stored series of geographic locations, wherein the series of geographic locations provide an indication of the user'"'"'s path of travel.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the current geographic location is determined based on a plurality of signals received from a plurality of orbiting satellites, and wherein, in step (g), the current geographic location cannot be determined because the plurality of signals are not being received, attempting a preset number of times to receive the plurality of signals prior to communicating the indicator.