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

• US 20050253753A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bushnell Incorporated (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bushnell Performance Optics
• Inventors: Cross, Bill, Ball, Richard, Lalik, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,189 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus (10) and method for allowing a moving user to automatically determine and store locations (11) over an extended period of time, to display the series of such locations (11), and to actively assist in returning to an earlier location. The apparatus (10) includes an antenna (16) for facilitating satellite lock, a fastening mechanism (18) for positioning the antenna (10) for best reception, and a satellite lock indicator (20) for communicating loss of satellite lock. The apparatus (10) also includes a timer (26) for measuring an interval during which the apparatus (10) is in a power-conserving sleep mode, and after which the user'"'"'s current location is automatically determined. Active assistance in returning to an earlier location, either by traveling back along the path earlier traveled or by traveling along a more direct route, is accomplished by warning the user whenever the user'"'"'s course deviates from the path or route.

Claims

1. An apparatus for actively assisting a user in returning to an earlier geographic location, the apparatus comprising:

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

a memory for storing a series of the geographic locations, including a current geographic location, corresponding to a movement of the apparatus over time; and

an input mechanism for allowing the user to identify, from among the stored series of geographic locations, the earlier geographic location to which the user desires to return, and for allowing the user to select a return route by which to return to the earlier geographic location.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the return route includes at least a portion of the series of geographic locations between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the return route is the shortest route from the current geographic location to the earlier geographic location.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including a warning mechanism for communicating a warning to the user when the user deviates from the return route while traveling back to the earlier geographic location.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the warning mechanism communicates the warning when the user deviates from the return route by more than a pre-established amount.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance to be traveled between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance between the current geographic location and a next geographic location in at least a portion of the series of geographic locations included in the return route.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the pre-established amount is set by the user.

9. An apparatus for actively assisting a user in returning to an earlier geographic location, the apparatus comprising:

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

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 the 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 a series of geographic locations corresponding to a movement of the apparatus over time;

a memory for storing the series of geographic locations; and

an input mechanism for allowing the user to identify, from among the stored series of geographic locations, the earlier geographic location to which the user desires to return, and for allowing the user to select a return route by which to return to the earlier geographic location.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the return route includes at least a portion of the series of geographic locations between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the return route is the shortest route from the current geographic location to the earlier geographic location.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further including a warning mechanism for communicating a warning to the user when the user deviates from the return route while traveling back to the earlier geographic location.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the warning mechanism communicates the warning when the user deviates from the return route by more than a pre-established amount.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance to be traveled between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance between the current geographic location and a next geographic location in the portion of the series of geographic locations included in the route.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the pre-established amount is set by the user.

17. A method of actively assisting a user in returning to an earlier geographic location, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining and storing a series of geographic locations, including a current geographic location, corresponding to a movement of the user over time;

(b) allowing the user to identify, from among the stored series of geographic locations, the earlier geographic location to which the user desires to return; and

(c) allowing the user to select a return route by which to return to the earlier geographic location.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the return route includes at least a portion of the series of geographic locations between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the return route is the shortest route from the current geographic location to the earlier geographic location.

20. The method as set forth in claim 17, further including step (d), after step (c), communicating a warning to the user when the user deviates from the return route while traveling back to the earlier geographic location.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the warning is communicated when the user deviates from the return route by more than a pre-established amount.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance to be traveled between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

23. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance between the current geographic location and a next geographic location in the portion of the series of geographic locations included in the route.

24. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the pre-established amount is set by the user.

25. A method of actively assisting a user in returning to an earlier geographic location, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining automatically and at pre-established intervals a geographic location;

(b) storing the automatically determined geographic locations, including a current geographic location, as a series of geographic locations corresponding to a movement of the user over time

(c) allowing the user to identify, from among the stored series of geographic locations, the earlier geographic location to which the user desires to return; and

(d) allowing the user to select a return route by which to return to the earlier geographic location.

26. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein the return route includes at least a portion of the series of geographic locations between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

27. The method as set forth in claim 25, wherein the return route is the shortest route from the current geographic location to the earlier geographic location.

28. The method as set forth in claim 25, further including step (e), after step (d), communicating a warning to the user when the user deviates from the return route while traveling back to the earlier geographic location.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the warning is communicated when the user deviates from the return route by more than a pre-established amount.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance to be traveled between the current geographic location and the earlier geographic location.

31. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the pre-established amount is based on a total distance between the current geographic location and a next geographic location in the portion of the series of geographic locations included in the route.

32. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the pre-established amount is set by the user.