Position detection apparatus used for a mobile object

• US 6,414,630 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1996
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Usui, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US08/681,374
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 Days
• Field of Search: 342/375.06, 342/357.07, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.13, 342/455, 342/457, 701/208
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0969 having a display in the form of a map
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0078 for monitoring traffic from the aircraft radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A position detection apparatus can accurately detect user'"'"'s own position and other user'"'"'s position. The position detection apparatus includes a position detecting means (1) for detecting user'"'"'s own position, a memory means (2) for storing therein map information, a transmitting-receiving means (4) for transmitting user'"'"'s own identification data and user'"'"'s own position information from the position detecting means (1) and receiving other user'"'"'s identification data and other user'"'"'s position information and a display means (3) supplied with user'"'"'own position information from the position detecting means (1), other user'"'"'s position information from the transmitting-receiving means (4) and the map information from the memory means (2) and displaying a map on which marks indicating user'"'"'s or other user'"'"'s position or user'"'"'s own and other user'"'"'s positions are put.

Claims

1. A position detecting apparatus for a mobile object comprising:

position detecting means mounted on a first mobile object for detecting a position of said firs;

mobile object;

transmitting-receiving means for transmitting position information of said first mobile object detected by said position detecting means and receiving position information of a second mobile object transmitted from said second mobile object;

memory means for storing map information; and

display means supplied with said position information of said first mobile object from said position detecting means, the position information of said mobile object from said transmitting-receiving means and map Information read out from said memory means in response to said position information of one of said first and second mobile objects and for displaying a map on which a mark indicative of the position of said first mobile object and/or the position of said second mobile object is put, wherein

said transmitting-receiving means transmits the position information of said first mobile object detected by said position detecting means and identification data of said first mobile object and receives the position information of said second mobile object and identification data of said second mobile object transmitted from said second navigation object, and

said position detection apparatus includes identification data judging means for supplying the position information of said second mobile object to said memory means when said identification data judging means determines that the identification data of said second mobile object is predetermined identification data.

2. A position detection apparatus for a mobile object as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said identification data judging means determines that the identification data of said second mobile object is said predetermined identification data, then the identification data of said second mobile object is supplied to said display means and said second mobile object is displayed on said display means with a mark different from that of said mobile object.

3. A position detection apparatus for a mobile object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting-receiving means transmits the position information of said first mobile object, the identification data of said mobile objects and other information, and receives the position information of said second mobile object, the identification data of said second mobile object and other information.

4. A position detection apparatus for a mobile object as claimed in claim 3, wherein said other information is audio information.

5. A position detection apparatus for a mobile object as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a distance between said first and second mobile object is relatively short, said marks indicating said first and second mobile objects are displayed on the same map, and when a distance between said first and second mobile objects is relatively long, said marks indicating said first and second mobile objects are respectively displayed on different maps.

6. A position detection apparatus for a mobile object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the map information stored in said memory means contains information of transmission-inhibited area in which a transmission is inhibited, and when said first mobile object lies in said transmission-inhibited area, the information of said transmission-inhibited area is supplied from said memory means to said transmitting-receiving means thereby to inhibit a transmission operation of said transmitting-receiving means.

7. A position detection apparatus for a mobile object as claimed in claim 1, wherein said position detecting means obtains information of position, latitude and longitude of said first mobile object by receiving radio waves from a plurality of satellites.