NAVIGATIONAL RECORDING AND DISPLAY AID

• US 3,688,252 A
• Filed: 09/29/1970
• Issued: 08/29/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald O. Thompson
• Original Assignee: Donald O. Thompson
• Inventors: Thompson, Donald O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kundert, Thomas L.
• Application Number:
  US05/076,424
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 340/23,24,25,26,27,112PT,347DA 346/17 33/141.5 235/150.2,150.23,150.24
• US Class Current: 340/995.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/22 Plotting boards
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Herein described is a navigational system which includes apparatus for simultaneously displaying discrete navigational coordinate signals and recording these coordinate signals on a moving memory at predetermined time intervals as the vehicle navigates along a path. Thus, the path is permanently recorded for future use. During or at the end of the vehicle'"'"''"'"'s outgoing voyage, the memory is applied to a display device which may include a transparent map overlay. The discrete coordinate signals are then displayed on the display, displaying the navigational discrete coordinates on the display, so that the operator may steer the vessel over an exact return path. Alternatively, the memory may be used with an appropriate autopilot so that the vessel returns to any point or completely traverses in reverse the initial outgoing course.

Claims

1. Navigational coordinate information system for storing incremental coordinate information for use in return navigation of a vessel, said system including:

generating means for generating x and y coordinates signals indicative of direction and distance of a vessel;

a dual track moving storage means having a first track and a second track for storing the x and y coordinate signals of said generating means;

a first pair of READ/RECORD heads, said first pair of heads engaging said first track of said storage means;

a second pair of READ/RECORD heads, said second pair of READ/RECORD heads being adapted to engage said second track of said storage means;

drive means for driving said storage means to move in a first direction and a second direction relative to said READ/RECORD heads;

a clock generating means for generating clock signals;

a first RECORD gating means being coupled between the RECORD head of said first pair of READ/RECORD heads and said generating means and being coupled to said clock generating means to be enabled thereby for storing x coordinate signals on the first track of said storage means at each clock signal while said storage means moves past said READ/RECORD heads in the first direction;

a second RECORD gating means being coupled between the RECORD head of said second pair of READ/RECORD heads and said generating means and being coupled to said clock generating means to be enabled thereby for storing y coordinate signals on the second track of said storage means at each Clock signal while said storage means moves past said READ/RECORD head in the first direction;

a cathode ray display means having a visual display screen and having first and second deflection inputs means, said first deflection input means being coupled to said READ head of said first pair READ/RECORD heads, said second deflection input means being coupled to said READ head of said second pair of READ/RECORD heads; and

a switching means for switching said generating means from said first and second RECORD heads and for switching said first and second READ heads to the input means of said first and second deflection means respectively of said cathode ray display means, said switching means including means coupled to said drive means for changing the direction of said moving storage means to said second direction whereby the stored coordinates are read from said storage means displayed on the visual display screen of said cathode ray display means.

2. The navigational coordinate information system as defined in claim 1, wherein said generating means being coupled to the input means of said cathode ray display so that said coordinates may be displayed simultaneous with being stored.

3. The navigational coordinate information system as defined in claim 1 and further including a transparent map overlay adopted to be placed over the visual screen of said cathode ray tube and being coordinated with the area location relative to the stored coordinates.