GPS navigation device

• US 6,865,453 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Brown, David C., Burch, Matthew C., Krull, Jay Dee, Pemble, Cliff
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/397,638
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 340/971, 340/3.5, 340/500, 340/961, 340/945, 701/3, 701/14, 701/4, 701/11, 701/13, 244/75.R, 244/1.R, 244/158.R, 345/7, 345/1.3, 345/856, 345/156
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration

Abstract

A navigation device for navigating a vehicle to a point comprises a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals, a processor connected with the receiver for processing the GPS signals, navigation data created by the processor, and a display page. The navigation data includes ground speed, altitude, vertical speed and rate of turn information, and the display page presents this information in individual graphic, circular displays representative of an aircraft instrument panel.

Claims

1. A navigation device for navigating a vehicle to a point, the device comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals;

a processor connected with the receiver for processing the GPS signals;

navigation data created by the processor, the data including ground speed, altitude, vertical speed and rate of turn information; and

a display page for displaying the navigation data, the display page presenting the ground speed, altitude, vertical speed and rate of turn information in individual graphic, circular displays.

2. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the navigation device is portable.

3. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the display page further presents individual digital displays of the ground speed and altitude information.

4. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the navigation data includes distance information corresponding to the distance between the device and the point, and the display page further presents the distance information.

5. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the navigation data further includes track information corresponding to movement of the device along a track, and the rate of turn information is based on a vector of acceleration of the device perpendicular to the track.

6. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the navigation data includes track and course information and the display page presents the track information in a graphic, circular track display including a compass rose depiction, and presents the course information in an integrated course line and course deviation indicator.

7. The navigation device as set forth in claim 6, the device and the point defining a route, the track display including a pointer positioned on the compass rose depiction representing the route.

8. The navigation device as set forth in claim 6, wherein navigation data includes vertical navigation information and the display page presents the vertical navigation information on the track display.

9. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the navigation data includes track and course information and the display page presents the track information in a graphic, arc-shaped track display including a portion of a compass rose, and presents the course information in an integrated course line and course deviation indicator.

10. A navigation device for navigating a vehicle to a point along a course, the device comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals;

a processor connected with the receiver for processing the GPS signals;

navigation data created by the processor, the data including rate of turn, ground speed, altitude and vertical speed information; and

a display page for displaying the navigation data, the display page presenting the rate of turn, around speed, altitude and vertical speed information in individual graphic, circular displays, the rate of turn information being based on a vector of acceleration of the device perpendicular to the course of the device.

11. The navigation device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the device is portable.

12. The navigation device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the navigation data further includes vertical navigation information representative of a vertical speed required to arrive at the point at a predetermined altitude, and the display page presents the vertical navigation information on the vertical speed display.

13. The navigation device as set forth in claim 10, wherein the navigation data includes track and course information and the display page presents the track information in a graphic, circular track display including a compass rose depiction, and presents the course information in an integrated course line and course deviation indicator.

14. A navigation device for navigating a vehicle to a point, the device comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals;

a memory including cartographic data;

a processor connected with the memory and connected with the receiver for processing the GPS signals;

navigation data created by the processor, the navigation data including ground speed, track, course, distance and directional information;

a display page;

a first mode presenting the cartographic data in a first moving map on the display page, and presenting a first set of the navigation data on the display page adjacent to the first moving map, the first mode including the course information presented graphically in the first moving map, and a plurality of digital displays of the first set of the navigation data;

a second mode presenting a second set of the navigation data on the display page, the second mode including the track information presented in a graphic, circular track display; and

a third mode presenting a third set of the navigation data on the display page, the third mode including the directional information presented in a written form.

15. The navigation device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the navigation device is portable.

16. The navigation device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the second mode further includes the ground speed and distance information presented in individual digital displays.

17. The navigation device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the second mode further includes the cartographic data presented in a second graphic form on the display page adjacent to the track display.

18. The navigation device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the directional information includes written instructions for a user to follow to navigate to the point and is presented in a first column, the third set of navigation data includes the distance information and the third mode includes the distance information presented in a second column.

19. A navigation device for navigating a vehicle to a point, the device comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving GPS signals;

a processor connected with the receiver for processing the GPS signals;

navigation data created by the processor using the GPS signals, the data including vertical speed information; and

a display page for displaying the navigation data, the display page presenting the vertical speed information in an individual graphic, circular vertical speed display.

20. The navigation device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the navigation data includes vertical navigation information representative of a vertical speed required to arrive at the point at a predetermined height above the point, and the display page presents the vertical navigation information on the vertical speed display.

21. The navigation device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the navigation data includes vertical navigation information representative of a vertical speed required to arrive at the point at a predetermined altitude, and the display page presents the vertical navigation information on the vertical speed display.

22. The navigation device as set forth in claim 19, wherein navigation device is portable.

23. The navigation device as set forth in claim 19, wherein the navigation data further includes ground speed and altitude information.

24. The navigation device as set forth in claim 23, wherein the ground speed and altitude information are presented on the display page in individual graphic, circular ground and altitude displays.