Navigation system allowing real-time coordination of the displacement of mobiles travelling out of direct line of sight

• US 5,923,294 A
• Filed: 12/22/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomas - Csf
• Inventors: Auger, Gerard, Michel, Claude, Bacelon, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/973,744
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 342/457
• US Class Current: 342/457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/39 the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/41 Differential correction, e.g. DGPS [differential GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236

Abstract

A navigation system having a terminal provided at each mobile station. Each terminal includes a locator for locating a mobile station, a display for displaying its travel relative to the reference direction, an indicator to indicate a common reference direction to both mobile stations with the indicator being coupled to the display, a travel data communicator and a processor to process data from the indicator, the locator and the communicator and display it on the display. At least one of the two mobile stations further includes a display for displaying the travel of the second mobile station relative to the first and an input unit for inputting a predetermined angle for defining how the direction of travel of the second mobile station should be corrected relative to the new direction of travel of the first mobile station. The correction is transmitted to the second mobile station by the travel data communicator of the first and second mobile stations.

Claims

1. Navigation system allowing real-time coordination of the displacement of at least two distant mobiles travelling out of direct line of sight, characterized in that it includes a terminal arranged on each mobile respectively, each terminal including:

a means of location of the mobile,

a means of display of its progress with respect to a common reference direction,

a means which indicates to the two mobiles a common reference direction and is coupled to the display means,

a means of communication of progress data, and

a means of processing the information delivered by the means which indicates to the two mobiles the common reference direction, the locating means and the communication means so as to display the information on the display means,

and in that at least one of the two mobiles furthermore includes;

a means of display of the progress of the second mobile with respect thereto, and

a facility for inputting a specified angle defining a correction to be made to the direction of progress of the second mobile with respect to a new progress of the first mobile, this correction being transmitted to the second mobile by way of the communication means respective to the first and second mobiles.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of display of each terminal includes a screen on which are displayed the positions of the mobiles with respect to the common reference direction.

3. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the screen of the terminal including the facility for inputting a specified angle, displays cyclically the relative position of the two mobiles and an indication of the progress of the second mobile.

4. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the screens of each terminal are liquid crystal screens whose size is compatible with the size of the wrist.

5. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the facility for inputting an angle consists of the display screen itself and which, on the basis of the last direction of progress of the second mobile and of the common reference direction, is oriented by a specified angle so as to make the direction of progress of the second mobile correspond with a new direction of progress imposed by the first mobile.

6. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of communication of each mobile includes a modem for hertzian-mode send/receive.

7. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the locating means of each mobile includes a direction-finding and distance-measuring system.

8. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the direction-finding and distance-measuring system is built into the modem.

9. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the locating means of each mobile includes a differential-mode satellite location system.

10. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the screen of the terminal including the facility for inputting a specified angle, displays cyclically the relative position of the two mobiles and an indication of the progress of the second mobile.

11. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the screens of each terminal are liquid crystal screens whose size is compatible with the size of the wrist.

12. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the screens of each terminal are liquid crystal screens whose size is compatible with the size of the wrist.

13. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the facility for inputting an angle consists of the display screen itself and which, on the basis of the last direction of progress of the second mobile and of the common reference direction, is oriented by a specified angle so as to make the direction of progress of the second mobile correspond with a new direction of progress imposed by the first mobile.

14. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the facility for inputting an angle consists of the display screen itself and which, on the basis of the last direction of progress of the second mobile and of the common reference direction, is oriented by a specified angle so as to make the direction of progress of the second mobile correspond with a new direction of progress imposed by the first mobile.

15. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the facility for inputting an angle consists of the display screen itself and which, on the basis of the last direction of progress of the second mobile and of the common reference direction, is oriented by a specified angle so as to make the direction of progress of the second mobile correspond with a new direction of progress imposed by the first mobile.

16. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the means of communication of each mobile includes a modem for hertzian-mode send/receive.

17. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the means of communication of each mobile includes a modem for hertzian-mode send/receive.

18. System according to claim 4, characterized in that the means of communication of each mobile includes a modem for hertzian-mode send/receive.

19. System according to claim 5, characterized in that the means of communication of each mobile includes a modem for hertzian-mode send/receive.

20. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the locating means of each mobile includes a direction-finding and distance-measuring system.