Locating positions on maps

• US 6,304,819 B1
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yeoman Navigation Systems Ltd. (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Yeoman Marine Limited
• Inventors: Agnew, Hugh John, Parfitt, Gwyn David Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/077,118
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 701/207, 701/208, 701/209, 701/212, 701/211, 701/202, 701/213, 701/216, 701/200, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995, 340/971, 342/357.13, 342/457, 342/452, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/451, 345/133, 345/139, 345/427, 345/429, 345/112, 345/113, 73/178 R
• US Class Current: 701/207
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/22 Plotting boards
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

An apparatus to enable one'"'"'s position to be easily found on a traditional map having its own coordinate system distinct from a wide area coordinate system, data is associated with the map from which the relationship—between the map coordinate system and the wide area coordinate system can be determined. The apparatus has a reader for reading the data associated with the map, a memory for storing the read data, a GPS receiver for receiving transmissions from GPS satellites and determining the position of the GPS receiver in terms of the wide area coordinate system, a processor for processing the determined wide area coordinate position and the stored data to determine the position of the GPS receiver in terms of the map coordinate system, and a display or the like for annunciating to a user the determined map coordinate position. The data associated with the map preferably also includes information on the area covered by the map. The map may be one of a series of maps or part of an atlas, the data relating to all of the maps in the series or atlas.

Claims

1. Position indicating apparatus for use with a plurality of predetermined printed map sheets, each of which is divided into a plurality of grid blocks which are referenced by a respective grid reference, the apparatus comprising:

a body which is positionable over different portions of each map sheet and which is provided with a window through which a grid block of a said map sheet will be visible;

position sensing means operable to receive signals from a positioning system and for generating therefrom a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said body,

storage means for storing data associated with said map sheets and which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective map sheets of said plurality;

processing means for processing said position indicating signal with said stored data for generating first output data indicative of which of said map sheets includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and indicative of the grid reference of the grid block of the indicated map sheet which contains said geographical location and second output data indicative of the position of said geographical location within the indicated grid block;

output means for outputting to a user information corresponding to said first output data for enabling the user to select the indicated map sheet and to position said window of said body over said indicated grid block of said map sheet; and

a movable indicator responsive to said second output data for providing within said window a visual indication of the position of said geographical location within said indicated grid block of said map sheet;

wherein said position sensing means is operable to receive signals from said positioning system in terms of a wide area coordinate system, wherein said storage means in operable to store conversion data relating said wide area coordinate system to the coordinate system of the indicated map sheet and wherein said processing means is operable for generating output data using said conversion data, which output data is indicative of the grid block of the indicated map sheet and is in terms of the map coordinate system of the indicated map sheet.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the event that said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said map sheets, said processing means is operable to generate first output data indicative of which of said map sheets includes the geographical location and indicative of the grid reference of the grid block of each of those indicated map sheets, which contains said geographical location and wherein said output means is operable to output to said user information corresponding to said first output data for enabling the user to select one of the indicated map sheets.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, comprising user input means for allowing said user to select one of said indicated map sheets, and wherein said movable indicator means is responsive to a user selection for providing within said window a visual indication of the position of said geographical location within the indicated grid block of the selected map sheet.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said input means comprises a push bottom which allows a user to cycle through each of said indicated map sheets.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for receiving said data relating to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective map sheets of said plurality.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, for use with map sheets which are not all to the same scale and for use with such conversion data which takes into account the different scales of the maps, wherein said processing means is operable to take into account the scale of the map sheets in generating said second output data in terms of the map coordinates system of the indicated map.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means comprises a liquid crystal display for graphically displaying said information corresponding to said first output data.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said window comprises a transparent liquid crystal display.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said moveable indicator means is operable to display previous positions of said body within said indicated grid block.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, for use with said plurality of printed map sheets without a digitizing tablet.

11. In combination, a plurality of predetermined printed map sheets in combination with a position indicating apparatus according to claim 9 configured and arranged for use with said predetermined printed map sheets.

12. Position indicating apparatus for use with a plurality of predetermined printed map sheets, each of which is divided into a plurality of grid blocks which are referenced by a respective grid reference, the apparatus comprising:

a body which is positionable over different portions of each map sheet and which is provided with a window through which a grid block of a said map sheet will be visible;

position sensing circuitry operable to receive signals from a positioning system and for generating therefrom a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said body;

a memory for storing data associated with said map sheets and which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective map sheets of said plurality;

a processor for processing said position indicating signal with said stored data for generating first output data indicative of which of said map sheets includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and indicative of the grid reference of the grid block of the indicated map sheet which contains said geographical location and second output data indicative of the position of said geographical location within the indicated grid block;

output circuitry for outputting to a user information corresponding to said first output data for enabling the user to select the indicated map sheet and to position said window of said body over said indicated grid block of said map sheet; and

a movable indicator responsive to said second output data for providing within said window a visual indication of the position of said geographical location within said indicated grid block of said map sheet;

wherein said position sensing circuitry is operable to receive signals from said positioning system in terms of a wide area coordinate system, wherein said memory is operable to store conversion data relating said wide area coordinate system to the coordinate system of the indicated map sheet and wherein said processor is operable for generating output data using said conversion data, which output data is indicative of the grid block of the indicated map sheet and is in terms of the map coordinate system of the indicated map sheet.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein in the event that said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said map sheets, said processor is operable to generate first output data indicative of which of said map sheets includes the geographical location and indicative of the grid reference of the grid block of each of those indicated map sheets, which contains said geographical location and wherein said output circuitry is operable to output to said user information corresponding to said first output data for enabling the user to select one of the indicated map sheets.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, comprising a user interface for allowing said user to select one of said indicated map sheets, and wherein said movable indicator is responsive to a user selection for providing within said window a visual indication of the position of said geographical location within the indicated grid block of the selected map sheet.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said user interface comprises a push bottom which allows a user to cycle through each of said indicated map sheets.

16. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising circuitry for receiving said data relating to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective map sheets of said plurality.

17. An apparatus according to claim 12, for use with map sheets which are not all to the same scale and for use with such conversion data which takes into account the different scales of the maps, wherein said processor is operable to take into account the scale of the map sheets in generating said second output data in terms of the map coordinate system of the indicated map.

18. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said output circuitry comprises a liquid crystal display for graphically displaying said information corresponding to said first output data.

19. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said window comprises a transparent liquid crystal display.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said moveable indicator is operable to display previous positions of said body within said indicated grid block.

21. A method of indicating a position of a user on at least one of a plurality of predetermined printed map sheets, using a position indicating apparatus having a body which is positionable over different portions of each map sheet and which is provided with a window through which a grid block of a said map sheet will be visible, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving signals from a positioning system and generating therefrom a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said body;

storing data associated with said predetermined map sheets which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective map sheets of said plurality;

processing said position indicating signal with said stored data to generate first output data indicative of which of said map sheets includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and indicative of the grid reference of the grid block of the indicated map sheet which contains said geographical location and second output data indicative of the position of said geographical location within the indicated grid block;

outputting to the user information corresponding to said first output data;

selecting the indicated map sheet;

positioning said window of said body over said indicated grid block of said map sheet; and

providing a movable indicator responsive to said second output data to provide within said window a visual indication of the position of said geographical location within said indicated grid block of said map sheet;

wherein said receiving step receives signals from said positioning system in terms of a wide area coordinate system, wherein said storing step stores conversion data relating said wide area coordinate system to the coordinate system of the indicated map sheet and wherein said processing step generates output data using said conversion data, which output data is indicative of the grid block of the indicated map sheet and is in terms of the map coordinate system of the indicated map sheet.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein in the event that said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said map sheets, said processing step generates first output data indicative of which of said map sheets, includes the geographical location and indicative of the grid reference of the grid block of each of those indicated map sheets, contains said geographical location and wherein said output step outputs to said user information corresponding to said first output data for enabling the user to select one of the indicated map sheets.

23. A method according to claim 22, comprising the step of selecting one of said indicated, map sheets and wherein said moveable indicator is responsive to the selection for providing within said window a visual indication of the position of said geographical location within the indicated grid block of the selected map sheet.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the user uses a push bottom to cycle through each of said indicated map sheets to make said selection.

25. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of receiving said data relating to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective map sheets of said plurality.

26. A method according to claim 21, wherein said map sheets are not all to the same scale, wherein said storing step stores such conversion data which takes into account the different scales of the map sheets and wherein said processing step takes into account the scale of the map sheets in generating said second output data in terms of the map coordinate system of the indicated map.

27. A method according to claim 21, wherein said output step uses a liquid crystal display to graphically display said information corresponding to said first output data.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein said window comprises a transparent liquid crystal display.

29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of displaying previous positions of said body within said indicated grid block.