Navigation system

• US 6,046,688 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harness System Technologies Research, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Higashikata, Tsuyoshi, Tanaka, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/982,659
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 340/988, 340/995, 340/990, 340/905, 340/961, 340/903, 340/435, 701/208, 701/209, 701/211, 701/213
• US Class Current: 340/995.27
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968

Abstract

A navigation system can indicate a relationship in position between a main vehicle and a related vehicle without reducing a map picture on a display unit. A second display unit (6a) is provided independently of a first display unit (3a) for a map picture in a navigation system. The second display unit (6a) indicates a position of the related vehicle by means of a direction (11) relative to the main vehicle and a distance (12) from the main vehicle to the related vehicle. Preferably, the direction (11) and distance (12) are indicated by an arrow or characters and by digits, respectively. This makes the display obvious.

Claims

1. A location system for an automotive main vehicle comprising

a navigation device including a global positioning system receiving unit, a navigation unit containing pictorial map data in communication with said receiving unit, a first display unit for displaying a position of said main vehicle and at least some of said pictorial map data;

a main vehicle system including a transceiver for receiving position indicating signals transmitted from a signal source of an automotive related vehicle said transceiver being separate from said global positioning system receiving unit, a control unit connected to said navigation unit and said transceiver for computing a position of said related vehicle relative to said main vehicle in accordance with said position indicating signals from said signal source of said related vehicle, and a second display unit, separate from said first display unit, for displaying a position of said related vehicle relative to said main vehicle, said second display includes at least some of said map data.

2. The location system of claim 1 wherein said source is a portable telephone.

3. The location system of claim 1 wherein said source is a radio transmitter.