Vehicle locating apparatus

• US 6,489,921 B1
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey Fergus Wilkinson
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey Fergus Wilkinson
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Jeffrey Fergus
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US09/903,109
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.08, 342/457, 342/443
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3685 the POI's being parking facilities
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/005 including pedestrian guidance indicator

Abstract

Herein is disclosed a system for locating a parked vehicle, as in the case of a driver having forgotten the location of his/her parked vehicle in a crowded parking lot, whereby a handheld apparatus is automatically engaged prior to the driver leaving the immediate vicinity of his/her parked vehicle. When thusly engaged, the apparatus retrieves GPS location coordinates for the parked vehicle from GPS satellites and stores these coordinates in its memory. Once activated by the driver for the purpose of finding his/her parked vehicle, the Vehicle Locating Apparatus retrieves GPS location coordinates for the driver'"'"'s current position. Using the GPS location coordinates stored in its memory and those retrieved for the driver'"'"'s current location, a microprocessor contained within the apparatus calculates the shortest course between the driver and his/her parked vehicle. This course is then presented on a visual display by way of a “floating” directional arrow.

In the case of a parking garage where GPS satellite signals cannot be retrieved consistently, the apparatus has a built in counting switch that allows the driver to manually record in the apparatus'"'"' memory the floor number on which he/she parked his/her vehicle. When requested, the apparatus displays the floor number on a visual display.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising means of determining, from certain satellite signals retrieved automatically, the location of a driver'"'"'s parked vehicle, and then graphically presenting on a handheld visual display the direction to said parked vehicle relative to the driver'"'"'s current location, said apparatus comprising not more than one satellite signal receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is handheld and small in size.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a satellite signal receiver is mounted in said apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises means of automatically engaging said satellite signal receiver to retrieve certain satellite signals that can be converted into location coordinates for said parked vehicle prior to said driver exiting said parked vehicle and with no prompting from said driver.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means of automatically engaging further comprises a transmit said transmitter'"'"'s signal is detected by means comprised within said apparatus whereby the loss of said transmitter'"'"'s signal automatically engages said satellite receiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means of automatically engaging further comprises a signal detector.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means of automatically engaging further comprises a microprocessor.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said signal detector detects said transmitter'"'"'s signal and feeds a transmitter'"'"'s signal to said microprocessor, said microprocessor automatically engages otherwise, the means of automatically engaging comprises a microprocessor, which then comprises the means of automatically engaging said satellite signal receiver when said transmitter'"'"'s signal falls below a predetermined minimum threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein an operational protocol is embedded within said microprocessor, said operational protocol containing said predetermined minimum threshold for said transmitter'"'"'s signal and procedural instructions detailing the actions of said microprocessor with regard to controlling the interactions of said apparatus'"'"' various components, including automatically engaging said satellite signal receiver when said transmitter'"'"'s signal falls below said predetermined minimum threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises means of converting certain satellite signals retrieved by said satellite signal receiver into satellite derived location coordinates and for recording the satellite derived location coordinates relating to the location of said parked vehicle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means of converting further comprises a microprocessor which converts said certain satellite signals into satellite derived location coordinates.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means of converting further comprises a memory.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises means of alerting said driver as to whether or not said apparatus successfully retrieved said satellite derived location coordinates for said parked vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means of alerting comprises beeper alert, said beeper alert sounding either a single audible beep if a microprocessor determines that said satellite derived location coordinates were sufficient to accurately establish the location of said parked vehicle or a series of audible beeps if said microprocessor determines that said apparatus has failed in two consecutive attempts to establish said satellite derived location coordinates of said parked vehicle.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises a means of disengaging the satellite signal receiver after the successful retrieval, conversion of, and storage in a memory of said satellite derived location coordinates for said parked vehicle or two consecutive failures to obtain said satellite derived location coordinates for said parked vehicle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means of disengaging comprises a microprocessor which discontinues the control signal activating said satellite signal receiver in accordance with said operational protocol embedded within said microprocessor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises means of presenting to said driver the direction of said parked vehicle relative to said driver'"'"'s current location.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, where the means of presenting comprises said satellite signal receiver retrieves certain satellite signals and a microprocessor converts said certain satellite signals into satellite derived location coordinates for said driver'"'"'s current location.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said microprocessor uses the satellite derived location coordinates for said parked vehicle stored in a memory and the satellite derived location coordinates for said driver'"'"'s current location to calculate a straight course between said driver'"'"'s current location and said parked vehicle'"'"'s location.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, where the means of presenting further comprises a visual display.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said straight course is converted into a graphically displayable format by said microprocessor, and is presented as a directional arrow rotating around a midpoint on said visual display.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus comprises means of alerting said driver as to the failure of said apparatus to successfully obtain said satellite derived location coordinates for said driver'"'"'s current location.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, where the means of alerting comprises a beeper alert which sounds a series of audible beeps when said microprocessor determines that two consecutive attempts have failed to retrieve sufficient certain satellite signals to derive said driver'"'"'s current location.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus contains means of disengaging said satellite signal receiver and said visual display at such time as they are no longer needed by said driver to locate said parked vehicle.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means of disengaging comprises a microprocessor which discontinues control signals activating said satellite signal receiver and said visual display in accordance with an operational protocol embedded within said microprocessor.

26. A method of recording, within the apparatus of claim 1, numerals and letters that refer to either the floor number on which a driver has parked a vehicle within a multi-story parking garage or a location code for said parked vehicle within said parking garage.

27. The method of claim 26 comprises the step of incorporating into said apparatus a switch or switches that, when manually depressed by the driver, increase the number or letter stored in said apparatus'"'"' memory by one integer or letter, as the case may be, until the number or letter stored in said memory corresponds to said floor number or said location code, said floor number or said location code being available for later presentation on said visual display.

28. The method of claim 26 comprises the further step of utilizing circuitry which allows cyclical rotation, in numerical order, of said number stored in said memory, from negative five to positive fifteen, such that negative five follows positive fifteen in the continuous rotational order whereby underground parking is designated by negative numbers.

29. The method of claim 26 comprises the further step of utilizing circuitry which allows for the cyclical rotation, in alphabetical order, of said letter stored in said memory such that A follows Z in the continuous rotational order.