Portable navigation device with instant on configuration on navigational display

• US 7,117,088 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Hanshew, Christopher J., Walters, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke, Christine M.
• Application Number:
  US10/859,307
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 342/359, 342/357.01, 342/357.08, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 342/357.1, 455/343.5, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end

Abstract

A multi-function, portable, electronic device includes a housing, a processor located within the housing and a memory in communication with the processor. The electronic device includes a display in communication with the processor and positioned on a surface of the housing. The electronic device includes an apparatus for performing a first function, and an apparatus for performing a second function. One of the functions includes a navigational component. The navigational component includes an antenna attached to the housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position. A deployment indicator indicates the antenna is in the signal acquisition position. An operational component of the navigational component is activated in response to the deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

Claims

1. A hand-held electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor located within the housing;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor and the memory;

a navigational component adapted to perform a navigational function, the navigational component further comprising;

an antenna attached to the housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position;

a number of user interfaces including a user interface associated with the navigational component, wherein the user interface associated with the navigational component is activated in response to the antenna being moved to the signal acquisition position;

a set of instructions executable by the processor for processing signals acquired by the antenna, wherein the set of instructions is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position; and

wherein the set of instructions is disabled in response to the deployment indicator indicating the antenna has been moved from the signal acquisition position to the stowed position.

2. The hand-held electronic device of claim 1 wherein the device further includes a global position information acquisition component which is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

3. The hand-held electronic device of claim 2 wherein the deployment indicator is a switch which is placed in a first position when the antenna is in a stowed position and placed in a second position when the antenna is in a signal acquisition position.

4. The hand-held electronic device of claim 1 wherein the device further includes a second component adapted to perform a second function.

5. The hand-held electronic device of claim 4 wherein the second component is a personal data assistant.

6. The hand-held electronic device of claim 4 wherein the second component is a cell phone.

7. The hand-held electronic device of claim 1 wherein the navigational component is a positioning system using at least three signals to triangulate a position.

8. The hand-held electronic device of claim 1 wherein the antenna is a patch antenna having a width of about 1 inch and a length of about 1 inch.

9. The hand-held electronic device of claim 1 wherein the antenna is rotatably attached to the housing along a hinge between the stowed position and the signal acquisition position, the hinge including a cam which positions the antenna in at least one preferred signal acquisition position.

10. A navigation system, comprising:

a mass storage device adapted to store navigation data;

a server adapted to communicate with the mass storage; and

a portable, multi-function electronic device further comprising;

a navigation component further comprising;

an antenna attached to a housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position; and

an operational component which is activated in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position;

wherein the operational component further comprises combinatorial logic; and

a display in communication with the processor and the memory, wherein the operational component displays a navigational user interface in response to the antenna being in the signal acquisition position.

11. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein the system further includes a wireless communication channel between the multi-function electronic device and the server.

12. The navigation system of claim 10 further comprising a deployment indicator which indicates the antenna is in the signal acquisition position and wherein the operational component displays a navigational user interface in response to the deployment indicator indicating that the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

13. The navigation system of claim 12 wherein the operational component is adapted to display one of a plurality of user interface and wherein the operational component displays a previously selected navigational user interface in response to the deployment indicator indicating that the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

14. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein the operational component further comprises a power savings mode which is enabled in response to the deployment indicator indicating that the antenna position has been changed to the stowed position from the signal acquisition position.

15. The navigation system of claim 14, wherein the power savings mode includes halting a signal acquisition process.

16. The navigation system of claim 10, wherein the operational component further includes a set of software instructions executed by the processor.

17. A personal digital assistant (PDA) comprising:

a housing, the housing including a processor, a memory, and a display in communication with one another;

a PDA component operable to perform one or more PDA functions;

a navigation component operable to perform one or more navigation functions;

wherein the PDA is adapted to display one of a plurality of user interfaces and wherein the PDA displays a previously selected navigational user interface in response to an antenna being moved to a signal acquisition position;

the antenna pivotally attached to the housing and movable between a first position and one or more second positions; and

wherein the navigation component is activated in response to locating the pivotally attached antenna in the one or more second positions and the PDA component is activated in response to locating the pivotally attached antenna in the first position.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein a cam member causes the antenna to tend toward one or more particular positions including the first position and the one or more second positions.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein a cam member rigidly secures the pivotally attached antenna in the first position and in the one or more second positions.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the one or more second positions includes at least three second positions.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein a cam member is configured to rigidly secure the pivotally attached antenna in at least two distinct second positions.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the navigation component is activated in response to actuating an input mechanism on the housing.

23. A personal digital assistant (PDA) comprising:

a housing including a processor, a memory, and a display operably connected to one another;

a PDA component including a PDA interface;

a navigation component including a navigational interface;

an antenna pivotally attached to the housing and movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the PDA switches between the PDA and navigational user interfaces in response to the antenna being moved between the first and the second positions; and

a set of computer executable instructions operable to provide one or more selectably pre-determined PDA user interfaces to the display when the pivotally attached antenna is moved to the first position.

24. The PDA of claim 23, wherein the PDA further includes a cellular transceiver and a cellular antenna.

25. The PDA of claim 23, wherein the PDA further includes a cam member operably connected to the pivotally attached antenna, wherein the cam member is operable to rigidly secure the pivotally attached antenna in the one or more second positions.

26. The PDA of claim 23, wherein the PDA includes a set of computer executable instructions operable to provide one or more selectably pre-determined navigational user interfaces to the display when the pivotally attached antenna is moved to one or more second positions.

27. A hand-held electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor located within the housing;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor and the memory;

a navigational component adapted to perform a navigational function, the navigational component further comprising;

an antenna attached to the housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position;

a number of user interfaces including a user interface associated with the navigational component, wherein the user interface associated with the navigational component is activated in response to the antenna being moved to the signal acquisition position;

wherein the device further includes a second component adapted to perform a second function, one of the first component and the second component including a navigational component and the other of the first component and the second component is a cell phone; and

wherein the second component includes a set of instructions executable by the processor for processing signals acquired by the antenna, wherein the set of instructions is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

28. The hand-held electronic device of claim 27 wherein the device further includes a global position information acquisition component which is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

29. The hand-held electronic device of claim 28 wherein the deployment indicator is a switch which is placed in a first position when the antenna is in a stowed position and placed in a second position when the antenna is in a signal acquisition position.

30. The hand-held electronic device of claim 27 wherein the set of instructions is disabled in response to the deployment indicator indicating the antenna has been moved from the signal acquisition position to the stowed position.

31. The hand-held electronic device of claim 27 wherein the navigational component is a positioning system using at least three signals to triangulate a position.

32. The hand-held electronic device of claim 27 wherein the antenna is a patch antenna having a width of about 1 inch and a length of about 1 inch.

33. The hand-held electronic device of claim 27 wherein the antenna is rotatably attached to the housing along a hinge between the stowed position and the signal acquisition position, the hinge including a cam which positions the antenna in at least one preferred signal acquisition position.

34. A hand-held electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor located within the housing;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor and the memory;

a navigational component adapted to perform a navigational function, the navigational component further comprising—

a patch antenna attached to the housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position,

a user interface associated with the navigational component and activated in response to the antenna being moved to the signal acquisition position, and

a set of instructions executable by the processor for processing signals acquired by the antenna, wherein the set of instructions is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position and disabled in response to the deployment indicator indicating the antenna has been moved from the signal acquisition position to the stowed position; and

wherein the device further includes a cell phone component.

35. The hand-held electronic device of claim 34 wherein the device further includes a global position information acquisition component which is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position.

36. The hand-held electronic device of claim 35 wherein the deployment indicator is a switch which is placed in a first position when the antenna is in a stowed position and placed in a second position when the antenna is in a signal acquisition position.

37. The hand-held electronic device of claim 34 wherein the antenna is rotatably attached to the housing along a hinge between the stowed position and the signal acquisition position, the hinge including a cam which positions the antenna in at least one preferred signal acquisition position.

38. A hand-held electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a processor located within the housing;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a display in communication with the processor and the memory; and

a navigational component adapted to perform a navigational function, the navigational component further comprising—

a patch antenna attached to the housing and movable between a stowed position and a signal acquisition position,

a user interface associated with the navigational component and activated in response to the antenna being moved to the signal acquisition position, and

a set of instructions executable by the processor for processing signals acquired by the antenna, wherein the set of instructions is enabled in response to a deployment indicator indicating the antenna is in the signal acquisition position and disabled in response to the deployment indicator indicating the antenna has been moved from the signal acquisition position to the stowed position.