Direction indicating compasses

• US 6,292,137 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yeoman Navigation Systems Ltd. (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Yeoman Marine Limited (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Parfitt, Gwyn David Walter, Agnew, Hugh John
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US09/188,973
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 342/419, 342/417, 342/432, 342/357.08, 342/443, 333/55.R
• US Class Current: 342/443
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/04 with north-seeking magnetic elements, e.g. needles

Abstract

A portable compass comprises a body (18) and a compass needle (22) mounted on the body for indicating North/South. A bearing signal representing a required bearing is received, for example from a GPS receiver, and a display (30) responsive to the bearing signal receiving means indicates a required position of the compass needle relative to the body. A fixed indicator (26) on the body points to the required bearing when the body is oriented so that the compass needle is in the required position relative to the body.

Claims

1. A portable compass for directing a user toward a predetermined geographical location, the compass comprising:

a body (18);

a compass needle (22) mounted on the body for indicating North/South;

means (16) for receiving a bearing signal representing a required bearing to said predetermined geographical location;

a display (30) responsive to the bearing signal receiving means to indicate a required position of the compass needle relative to the body; and

a fixed indicator (26) on the body which points towards the predetermined geographical location when the body is oriented so that the compass needle is in the required position relative to the body indicated by the display.

2. A compass as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a circular array of indicators (30) concentric with the compass needle, a selected one of the indicators being activated to indicate the required position of the compass needle.

3. A compass as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a rotary indicator concentric with the compass needle and means for turning the rotary indicator so as to indicate the required position of the compass needle.

4. A compass as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal receiving means is arranged to receive the bearing signal from a separate navigation aid (12).

5. A compass as claimed in claim 4, in combination with such a navigation aid.

6. A compass as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body, compass needle and indicator are provided as a first unit, and the bearing receiving means and display are provided as a second unit permanently or releasably attachable to the first unit.

7. A compass as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body houses a navigation aid which supplies the bearing signal to the signal receiving means.

8. A portable direction indicating device for directing a user toward a predetermined geographical location, the device comprising:

a body;

means mounted on the body for indicating the direction of a reference bearing regardless of the orientation of the body;

means for receiving a bearing signal representing a required bearing to said predetermined geographical location relative to said reference bearing;

a display responsive to the bearing signal receiving means to indicate a required position of the reference bearing indicating means relative to the body; and

a fixed indicator on the body which points towards the predetermined geographical location when the body is oriented so that the reference bearing indicating means is in the required position relative to the body indicated by the display.

9. A compass according to claim 8, wherein said indicating means mounted on said body is operable to indicate magnetic North as said reference bearing.

10. A compass according to claim 9, wherein said means for indicating magnetic North comprises a magnetic needle pivotally mounted to the body.

11. A portable compass comprising a body;

a direction indicator mounted on the body and arranged to indicate a direction of a reference bearing regardless of an orientation of the body;

a receiver of a bearing signal that represents a required bearing;

a display responsive to the receiver to indicate a required position of the direction indicator relative to the body; and

an indicator on the body arranged to point to the required bearing as the body becomes oriented into a position with respect to the direction indicator so that the direction indicator enters into the required position relative to the body.

12. A compass as in claim 11, wherein the display includes a circular array of distinct indicators concentric with the direction indicator, a selected one of the district indicators being arranged to activate to indicate the required position of the direction indicator.

13. A compass in claim 11, wherein the display includes a rotary indicator concentric with the direction indicator and arranged to rotate between a plurality of relative positions so as to indicate the required position of the direction indicator at one of the plurality of relative positions.