GPS receiving apparatus

• US 5,757,315 A
• Filed: 07/26/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sokkia Co. Ltd. (Topcon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sokkia Co. Ltd. (Topcon Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US08/686,575
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/352, 364/449.7
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/045 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications

Abstract

A GPS receiving apparatus is equipped with a GPS receiver 10, a data decoder 12, data memory means 14, a CPU 16, a display 18 and an input pen 20. The display 18 is provided with a digitizing function to allow input by drawing of data with the input pen 20. A sky diagram image 24 serving as the input screen consists of a circular figure the perimeter of which represents the horizon and the center of which is considered as the zenith, and after the observer aligns the sky diagram image 24 with the observation point, the input pen 20 is used to draw images (a), (b) and (c) of the shape of and the proportion of sky occupied by obstacles such as buildings, trees and mountains within the field of view of the area based on the elevation angle of the observer himself, and the images are incorporated into the CPU 16 as obstacle-related data.

Claims

1. A GPS receiving apparatus equipped with a GPS receiver which receives radio signals transmitted from a plurality of satellites, a data decoder which decodes said radio signals received by said GPS receiver and creates reception data, and a data memory means which records the reception data decoded by said data decoder, comprising

means for displaying a sky diagram image on a screen, said means having a digitizer function to convert the displayed image into digital information, and pen-based input means for drawing obstacle-related information on said sky diagram image.

2. The GPS receiving apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit which calculates the orbit of each satellite from said reception data, makes a flight prediction calculation, and displays it on said display.

3. A method of operating a GPS receiving apparatus equipped with a GPS receiver which receives radio signals transmitted from a plurality of satellites, a data decoder which decodes said radio signals received by said GPS receiver and creates reception data, a data memory means which records the reception data decoded by said data decoder, and a display having a screen for displaying a sky diagram image and a digitizer function to convert the displayed image into digital information, comprising the step of:

drawing obstacle-related information on the screen displaying the sky diagram image with a pen-based input means.