Solar powered GPS device

• US 6,542,120 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gilbertson W. Kyle
• Original Assignee: Gilbertson W. Kyle
• Inventors: Gilbertson, W. Kyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Issing, Gregory C.
• Application Number:
  US09/944,044
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.07, 342/357.06, 342/357.12, 342/419, 342/443, 368/205
• US Class Current: 342/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 39/00 Watch crystals; Fastening or sealing of crystals; Clock glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0076 in which the time in another time-zone or in another city can be displayed at will
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/06 Decoding time data; Circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals

Abstract

A solar powered GPS device for receiving GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites in order to determine a time of day. The solar powered GPS device includes a housing that has an interior. A GPS assembly is mounted in the housing for receiving GPS signals from GPS satellites. A clock display is mounted on the housing for displaying a time of day. The clock display comprises a generally semitransparent material for allowing a light to pass through the clock display. A solar panel is mounted in the interior of the housing for converting the light passing through the clock display into an electric current in order to power the GPS assembly

Claims

1. A solar powered GPS device for receiving GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites in order to determine a local time of day by determining a user'"'"'s position on the Earth'"'"'s surface, said device comprising:

a housing having an interior;

a GPS assembly mounted in said interior of said housing for receiving GPS signals from GPS satellites;

a clock display being mounted on said housing for displaying a time of day, said clock display being electrically connected to said GPS assembly such that a time of day is set by reception of GPS signals;

said clock display comprising a generally semi-transparent material for allowing a light to pass through said clock display; and

a solar panel for converting the light passing through said clock display into an electric current, the electric current providing power to said GPS assembly, said solar panel being mounted in said interior of said housing, said solar panel being electrically connected to said GPS assembly;

wherein said GPS assembly includes control circuitry being mounted in said interior of said housing for controlling said solar panel and clock display;

an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand each being rotatably mounted on said clock display such that said hour, minute and second hands point extending outwardly from a central point for displaying hours, minutes and seconds of a time of day to a user;

a motor being mounted in said interior of housing for rotatably turning said hour, minute, and second hands;

wherein said GPS assembly includes an actuating means for controlling said control circuitry, said actuating means having a time position for selecting one of a plurality of time zones, wherein a user may select a particular time zone to determine a time of day in the selected time zone; and

wherein said actuating means is positionable from said time position to a compass position said second hand being adapted for pointing toward a north magnetic pole of earth when said actuating means is positioned in said compass position whereby said second hand forms a compass.

2. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, additionally including a securing means for removably securing said housing to a user said securing means having a pair of opposite ends, at least one of said ends being mounted on a peripheral wall of said housing.

3. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, wherein said GPS assembly further comprises:

at least one GPS antenna mounted on a front wall of said housing for receiving GPS signals;

a receiver being mounted in said interior of said housing for receiving GPS signals from GPS satellites;

said control circuitry controlling said receiver.

4. The solar powered GPS device of claim 3, wherein said at least one GPS antenna comprises a GPS antenna being adapted for receiving L1 GPS signals.

5. The solar powered GPS device of claim 4, wherein said at least one GPS antenna comprises a GPS antenna being adapted for receiving L2 GPS signals.

6. The solar powered GPS device of claim 3, wherein said at least one GPS antenna comprises a wire ring antenna.

7. The solar powered GPS device of claim 6, wherein said at least one GPS antenna having a plurality of foot portions being coupled to said front wall of said housing, each of said foot portions extending through said front wall of said housing and being electrically connected to said control circuitry.

8. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, wherein said clock display includes numerical indicia being marked on an outer surface of said clock display.

9. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1 wherein said actuating means is rotatably mounted on a front wall of said housing.

10. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, additionally including a power supply being mounted in said interior of said housing for receiving said electric current produced by said solar panel.

11. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, additionally including a crystal for protecting said clock display, said crystal being mounted on said front wall of said housing such that said clock display being positioned generally between said crystal and said housing.

12. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, wherein said solar panel comprises a photovoltaic cell.

13. The solar powered GPS device of claim 1, additionally including a positioning display assembly for displaying a user'"'"'s positioning on the Earth'"'"'s surface, said positioning display assembly being mounted on said clock display and electrically connected to said GPS assembly.

14. The solar powered GPS device of claim 13, wherein said positioning display assembly comprises a velocity display for displaying a user'"'"'s velocity between a pair of points traveled by the user.

15. The solar powered GPS device of claim 13, wherein said positioning display assemble comprises longitudinal and latitudinal displays for displaying a user'"'"'s longitudinal and latitudinal position on the Earth'"'"'s surface.

16. The solar powered GPS device of claim 13, wherein said positioning display assembly comprises an altitudinal display for displaying a user'"'"'s altitude with respect to a mean sea level of the Earth.

17. A solar powered GPS device for receiving GPS signals transmitted from GPS satellites and for determining a local time of day by finding a user'"'"'s position on the Earth'"'"'s surface, said device comprising:

a housing having a front wall, a back wall and a peripheral wall extending between said front and back walls defining an interior of said housing;

said housing comprising a substantially rigid material;

a securing means for removably securing said housing to a wrist of a user, said securing means having a pair of opposite ends, each of said ends being mounted on said peripheral wall of said housing, each of said ends being positioned on diametrically opposed sides of said housing;

wherein said securing means comprises a wrist band;

a GPS assembly for receiving GPS signals from GPS satellites, said GPS assembly comprising;

a pair of GPS antennas for receiving GPS signals, each of said GPS antennas being mounted on said front wall of said housing;

said pair of GPS antennas including an L1 GPS antenna being adapted for receiving GPS signals carrying information about a time of day and information for civilian users;

said pair of GPS antennas including an L2 GPS antenna being adapted for receiving GPS signals carrying military information for use by military users;

each of said pair of GPS antennas comprising a wire ring antenna;

each of said pair of GPS antennas comprising a patch antenna;

a receiver for receiving GPS signals from said pair of GPS antennas, said receiver being mounted in said interior of said housing;

control circuitry being mounted in said interior of said housing for controlling said receiver;

a power supply for selectively providing power to said control circuitry, said power supply being removably mounted in said interior of said housing;

said power supply comprising a rechargeable battery;

an actuating means for controlling said control circuitry, said actuating means being rotatably mounted on said front wall of said housing, said actuating means having a plurality of time zone positions for selecting one of a plurality of time zones, wherein a user may select a particular time zone to determine a time of day in the selected time zone;

a clock display for displaying a time of day, said clock display being mounted on said front wall of said housing such that said pair of GPS antennas are positioned generally adjacent to a perimeter edge of said clock display, said clock display being electrically connected to said control circuitry such that said control circuitry automatically sets the time of day when receiving GPS signals from GPS satellites;

said clock display having a generally circular shape;

said clock display comprising a generally transparent material for allowing a light to pass through said clock display;

wherein said clock display includes numerical indicia being marked on an outer surface of said clock display, said numerical indicia being spaced apart from each other and positioned generally adjacent to a perimeter edge of said clock display;

an hour hand and a minute hand being rotatably mounted on a central portion of said clock display such that said hour and minute hand pointing at said numerical indicia for displaying a time of day to a user;

a motor being mounted in said interior of housing for turning said hour and minute hands, said motor being operationally coupled to said hour and minute hand and electrically connected to said control circuitry;

a second hand being mounted on said motor, said second hand being adapted to act as a compass, wherein said actuating means is positionable from one of said plurality of time zone positions to a compass position, wherein said compass position is characterized by said second hand pointing in a Northerly direction.

a crystal for protecting said clock display, said crystal being mounted on said front wall of said housing such that said clock display being positioned between said crystal and said housing;

said crystal comprising a transparent material such that said clock display is visible through said crystal

a solar panel for converting the light passing through said clock display into an electric current, said solar panel being mounted in said interior of said housing, said solar panel being positioned generally adjacent to said clock display, said solar panel being electrically connected to said control circuitry;

said solar, panel comprising a photovoltaic cell;

a positioning display assembly for displaying to a user the user'"'"'s positioning on the Earth'"'"'s surface, said positioning display assembly being electrically connected to said control circuitry, said positioning display assembly comprising;

a longitudinal display for displaying to a user the user'"'"'s positioning with respect to a Prime Meridian of the Earth, said longitudinal display being mounted on said clock display;

a latitudinal display for displaying to a user the user'"'"'s positioning with respect to an Equator of the Earth, said latitudinal display being mounted on said clock display and positioned generally adjacent to said longitudinal display;

an altitudinal display for displaying to a user the user'"'"'s altitude with respect to a mean sea level, said altitudinal display being mounted on said clock display and positioned generally adjacent to said latitudinal display;

wherein said longitudinal, latitudinal and altitudinal displays are used by a user to determine the user'"'"'s position on the Earth'"'"'s surface;

a velocity display for displaying to a user the user'"'"'s velocity between a pair of points traveled by the user, said velocity display being mounted on said clock display and positioned generally adjacent to said altitudinal and longitudinal displays, said velocity display being electrically connected to said control circuitry;

wherein said latitudinal longitudinal, altitudinal and velocity displays include numerical indicia marked thereon for indicating a latitude, longitude, altitude and velocity, said numerical indicia for each of said displays being generally spaced apart and being positioned generally adjacent to a perimeter edge of each of said displays; and

wherein said latitudinal, longitudinal, altitudinal and velocity displays include at least one indicator hand for pointing at said numerical indicia on each of said displays for indicating a latitude, longitude, altitude and velocity to a user.