Simple device and method to return a user to a location

• US 7,432,854 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, HARRY K
• Application Number:
  US11/109,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20050242989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357, 34235701-357017, 455/90, 356/139
• US Class Current: 342/357.57
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A low-power location apparatus for returning to a user to a location including a system unit configured to compute a location using radio signals, a user interface unit having a display area and first and second buttons, a memory unit, and a computational unit configured to interact with the first and second buttons. The computation unit retrieves a first location from the system unit and stores the first location in the memory unit upon selection of the first button by the user. Further, the computation unit retrieves a second location from the system unit and calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the second location to the first location upon selection of the second button by the user. The relative three-dimensional direction is graphically represented on the low-power display area of the user interface unit.

Claims

1. A low-power location apparatus for returning a user to a location, comprising:

a system unit configured to determine a current location using radio signals;

a user interface unit having a low-power display area and first, second, and third buttons;

a memory unit; and

a computational unit configured to interact with the first and second buttons, wherein the computation unit retrieves one of a plurality of locations from the system unit and stores the one of the plurality of locations in the memory unit upon selection of the first button by the user, the computation unit retrieves the current location from the system unit and calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the current location to the one of the plurality of locations upon selection of the second button by the user,

wherein the relative three-dimensional direction is graphically represented on the low-power display area of the user interface unit, wherein the third button is configured to select one of the plurality of locations, and wherein each of plurality of locations are identified by a unique location number;

the radio signals comprise Global Positional System (GPS) orbiting space satellite signals; and

the low-power display area of the user interface unit includes left, right, forward, back, up, and down indicators to represent the relative three-dimensional direction,

the location apparatus further comprising an internal compass configured to determine a direction relative to a magnetic north,

wherein the computational unit further retrieves one of a plurality of directions from the internal compass and stores one of the plurality of directions and the one of the plurality of locations in the memory unit upon selection of the first button by the user, and the computational unit further retrieves a direction from the internal compass and graphically represents the direction relative to the stored one of the plurality of directions on the left, right, forward, and back indicators when the current location and the one of the plurality of locations are identical.

2. The location apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the low-power display area of the user interface unit includes a distance indicator to represent the relative three-dimensional distance from the location and one of the plurality of locations.

8. The location apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a self-charging unit, the self-charging unit including one of a solar panel, photovoltaic cell, and a kinetic charging device.

9. The location apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low-power display area of the user interface unit is an LED display.

10. The location apparatus of claim 1, wherein the low-power display area of the user interface unit is a wrist-watch size LCD display.

11. The location apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location apparatus is incorporated in a car key having door lock and unlock buttons.

12. The location apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location apparatus is incorporated into a wrist watch.

3. A low-power location apparatus for returning a user to a location, comprising:

a system unit configured to determine a current location using radio signals;

a user interface unit having a low-power display area and first, second, and third buttons;

a memory unit; and

a computational unit configured to interact with the first and second buttons, wherein the computation unit retrieves one of a plurality of locations from the system unit and stores the one of the plurality of locations in the memory unit upon selection of the first button by the user, the computation unit retrieves the current location from the system unit and calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the current location to the stored one of the plurality of locations upon selection of the second button by the user,

wherein the relative three-dimensional direction is graphically represented on the low-power display area of the user interface unit, wherein the third button is configured to select one of the plurality of locations, and wherein each of plurality of locations are identified by a unique location number;

the radio signals comprise Global Positional System (GPS) orbiting space satellite signals;

the low-power display area of the user interface unit includes left, right, forward, back, up, and down indicators to represent the relative three-dimensional direction; and

wherein the left, right, forward, and back indicators are simultaneously activated to represent that the location and the stored one of the plurality of locations are identical.

4. A low-power location apparatus for returning a user to a location, comprising:

a system unit configured to determine a current location using radio signals;

a user interface unit having a low-power display area and first, second, and third buttons;

a memory unit; and

a computational unit configured to interact with the first and second buttons, wherein the computation unit retrieves one of a plurality of locations from the system unit and stores the one of the plurality of locations in the memory unit upon selection of the first button by the user, the computation unit retrieves the current location from the system unit and calculates a relative three-dimensional direction from the current location to the one of the plurality of locations upon selection of the second button by the user,

wherein the relative three-dimensional direction is graphically represented on the low-power display area of the user interface unit, wherein the third button is configured to select one of the plurality of locations, and wherein each of plurality of locations are identified by a unique location number;

the radio signals comprise Global Positional System (GPS) orbiting space satellite signals; and

the low-power display area of the user interface unit includes left, right, forward, back, up, and down indicators to represent the relative three-dimensional direction,

the location apparatus further comprising an internal compass configured determine a direction relative to a magnetic north,

wherein the low-power display area of the user interface unit further includes a direction indicator, and wherein the computational unit further retrieves one of a plurality of directions from the internal compass and stores the one of the plurality of directions and the one of the plurality of locations in the memory unit upon selection of the first button by the user, and the computational unit further retrieves a direction from the internal compass and activates the direction indicator when the current location and the stored one of the plurality of locations are identical, and the direction and the stored one of the plurality of directions are identical.

5. The location apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the left, right, forward, and back indicators are simultaneously activated to represent that the location and one of the plurality of locations are identical.

6. The location apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the low-power display area of the user interface unit further includes a location number display configured to represent the unique location number of the one of plurality of locations selected by the third button.

7. The location apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the user interface unit includes a fourth button configured to delete all of the plurality of locations and directions stored in the memory unit upon selection of the fourth button by the user.