Locating positions on maps
First Claim
1. A position indicating apparatus for use with a plurality of printed maps, the apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said apparatus;
storage means for storing data associated with said maps which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective maps of said plurality;
processing means for processing said position indicating signal with said stored data for generating output data identifying which of said maps includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and identifying a portion of the identified map which contains said geographical location and wherein in the event that said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said maps, said processing means is operable to generate output data identifying the plurality of said maps which include the geographical location and identifying the portion of each of the identified maps which contains said geographical location; and
output means for outputting to a user information corresponding to said output data for enabling the user to select the identified map or to select one of the identified maps and find the portion containing the geographical location on the selected map.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
77 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A position indicating apparatus for use with a plurality of printed maps, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said apparatus;
storage means for storing data associated with said maps which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective maps of said plurality;
processing means for processing said position indicating signal with said stored data for generating output data identifying which of said maps includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and identifying a portion of the identified map which contains said geographical location and wherein in the event that said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said maps, said processing means is operable to generate output data identifying the plurality of said maps which include the geographical location and identifying the portion of each of the identified maps which contains said geographical location; and
output means for outputting to a user information corresponding to said output data for enabling the user to select the identified map or to select one of the identified maps and find the portion containing the geographical location on the selected map. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
a digitizing surface having;
means for registering a selected one of the printed map sheets with respect to the digitizing surface;
a cursor which is moveable with respect to the registered map sheet; and
means for determining the position of the cursor with respect to the digitizing surface.
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17. A position indicating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said output means is operable to indicate a required direction of movement of the cursor towards said geographical location on a selected one of the printed map sheets.
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18. A position indicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is also operable to store a target geographical location, wherein said processing means is also operable to calculate a distance between the stored geographical location and the current geographical location and wherein said output means is also operable to output the calculated distance.
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19. A position indicating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said storage means is also operable to store a target geographical location, wherein said processing means is also operable to calculate a bearing of the stored and current geographical location relative to each other and wherein said output means is also operable to output the calculated bearing.
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20. In combination, a plurality of predetermined printed map sheets in combination with a position indicating apparatus according to claim 1 adapted for use with said predetermined printed map sheets.
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21. A method of indicating a position of a user on at least one of a plurality of maps using a position indicating apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said apparatus;
storing data associated with said maps which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective maps of said plurality;
processing said position indicating signal with said stored data to generate output data identifying which of said maps includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and identifying the portion of the identified map sheet which contains said geographical location and wherein in case said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said maps, generating output data identifying the plurality of said maps which include the geographical location and identifying the portion of each of the identified maps which contains said geographical location; and
outputting to a user information corresponding to said output data for enabling the user to select the identified map or to select one of the identified maps and to find the portion containing the geographical location on the selected map. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A position indicating apparatus for use with a plurality of printed maps, the apparatus comprising:
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a receiver operable to receive a position indicating signal indicative of the geographical location of said apparatus;
a memory for storing data associated with said maps which relates to the respective geographical areas covered by the respective maps of said plurality;
a processor for processing said position indicating signal with said stored data for generating output data identifying which of said maps includes the geographical location indicated by said position indicating signal and identifying a portion of the identified map which contains said geographical location and wherein in the event that said geographical location is contained in a plurality of said maps, said processor being operable to generate output data identifying the plurality of said maps which include the geographical location and identifying the portion of each of the identified maps which contains said geographical location; and
an output circuit for outputting to a user information corresponding to said output data for enabling the user to select the identified map or to select one of the identified maps and find the portion containing the geographical location on the selected map. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
a digitizing surface having;
means for registering the selected map sheet with respect to the digitizing surface;
a cursor which is moveable with respect to the registered map sheet; and
a processor for determining the position of the cursor with respect to the digitizing surface.
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52. A position indicating apparatus according to claim 51, wherein said output circuit is operable to indicate a required direction of movement of the cursor towards said geographical location on the selected one of the map sheets.
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53. A position indicating apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said memory is also operable to store a target geographical location, wherein said processor is also operable to calculate a distance between the stored geographical location and the current geographical location and wherein said output circuit is also operable to output the calculated distance.
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54. A position indicating apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said memory is also operable to store a target geographical location, wherein said processor is also operable to calculate a bearing of the stored and current geographical location relative to each other and wherein said output circuit is also operable output the calculated bearing.
Specification