VEHICLE LOCATOR

• US 20090082963A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tetsuro Motoyama
• Original Assignee: Tetsuro Motoyama
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Application Number:
  US11/861,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082963A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/205 Indicating the location of the monitored vehicles as destination, e.g. accidents, stolen, rental

Abstract

A location apparatus for guiding a user to a location, including: a system unit configured to determine a current location using radio signals; a user interface unit having a display area and a button; a memory unit; a processor configured store a first location in the memory unit in response to receiving a signal from a vehicle indicating that an engine of the vehicle is off, and a computational unit configured to interact with the button, wherein the computation unit retrieves a second location from the system unit and calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the second location to the first location upon selection of the second button by the user, wherein the relative three-dimensional direction is graphically represented on the display area of the user interface unit.

Claims

1. A location apparatus for guiding a user to a location, comprising:

a system unit configured to determine a current location using radio signals;

a user interface unit having a display area and a button;

a memory unit;

a processor configured store a first location in the memory unit in response to receiving a signal from a vehicle indicating that an engine of the vehicle is off, and

a computational unit configured to interact with the button, wherein the computation unit retrieves a second location from the system unit and calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the second location to the first location upon selection of the second button by the user,

wherein the relative three-dimensional direction is graphically represented on the display area of the user interface unit.

2. The location apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio signals comprise Global Positional System (GPS) orbiting space satellite signals.

3. The location apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display area of the user interface unit includes left, right, forward, back, up, and down indicators to represent the relative three-dimensional direction.

4. The location apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, upon selection of the button by the user, the computation unit for a predetermined duration repeatedly retrieves the current location from the system unit, calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the current location to the first location, and graphically represents the three-dimensional direction on the display area of the user interface unit.

5. The location apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is handheld.

6. The location apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the location apparatus is incorporated into an electronic vehicle key, remote access device, a watch, or a bracelet.

7. The location apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the location apparatus is incorporated into a cellular telephone.

8. A method for guiding a user to a location, comprising:

storing a first location in a memory unit in response to receiving a signal from a vehicle indicating that an engine of the vehicle is off;

determining a second location;

calculating a relative three-dimensional direction from the second location to the first location; and

graphically representing a relative three-dimensional direction on a display device.

9. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to honk its horn or flash a light.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphically representing comprises displaying one or more than one of a left, right, forward, back, up, and down indicators to represent the relative three-dimensional direction.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a current location; and

calculating a relative three-dimensional direction from the current location to the first location.

12. A computer readable storage medium, encoded with instructions which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method for guiding a user to a location, comprising:

storing a first location in a memory unit in response to receiving a signal from a vehicle indicating that an engine of the vehicle is off; and

determining a second location;

calculating a relative three-dimensional direction from the second location to the first location; and

graphically representing a relative three-dimensional direction on a display device.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting a signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to honk its horn or flash a light.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the graphically representing comprises displaying one or more than one of a left, right, forward, back, up, and down indicators to represent the relative three-dimensional direction.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a current location; and

calculating a relative three-dimensional direction from the current location to the first location.