Method and apparatus for identifying waypoints using a handheld locator device

• US 20040178908A1
• Filed: 03/03/2004
• Published: 09/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waypoint Navigation Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Adam Hamer, Lester D. Hutter, Mark Kuning, Philip D. Sari
• Inventors: Sari, Philip D., Kuning, Mark, Hamer, Adam, Hutter, Lester D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,068,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.32
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0063 of measured values, i.e. measurement on base station and position calculation on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles

Abstract

A locator device includes a pocket-sized casing that contains a keyless remote entry circuit for remotely operating a vehicle security system. A GPS receiver circuit is located in the casing and automatically identifies a vehicle waypoint whenever the vehicle is turned off. The locator device then determines from any current location and with a single button press the direction and/or distance back to the vehicle waypoint. Many other novel applications are also performed by the locator device.

Claims

1. A wireless telephone comprising:

a locator circuit configured to receive a first waypoint after a first triggering event and configured to determine directional information from a current location to the first waypoint, wherein the first waypoint is calculated prior to the first triggering event; and

a display for showing the directional information.

2. The wireless telephone of claim 1, further comprising a remote keyless vehicle entry circuit for remotely locking and unlocking a vehicle.

3. The wireless telephone of claim 1, further configured to transmit the current location to a wireless device after a second triggering event.

4. The wireless telephone of claim 3, further configured to transmit a second waypoint to a wireless device after the second triggering event, the second waypoint representing a past location of the wireless telephone.

5. The wireless telephone of claim 1, the locator circuit comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for receiving GPS location data from GPS satellites and a wireless modem that receives GPS location data from other GPS receivers.

6. The wireless telephone of claim 5, the wireless modem configured to receive a vehicle location transmitted by another GPS system.

7. The wireless telephone of claim 6, the locator circuit configured to store the vehicle location as the first waypoint.

8. The wireless telephone of claim 1, further comprising an electronic compass circuit for showing the directional information in relation to compass directions output by the electronic compass circuit.

9. The wireless telephone of claim 1, the display configured to indicate both a direction from the current position to the first waypoint and a distance from the current position to the first waypoint.

10. The wireless telephone of claim 1, further comprising a first button that when depressed initiates the locator circuit to acquire satellite GPS location data, derive the current location from the GPS location data, calculate a heading and distance to the first waypoint, and output the heading and distance on the display.

11. The wireless telephone of claim 10, further comprising a second button that when depressed initiates the locator circuit to turn on, acquire available GPS satellite information, derive the current position and store the current position in a memory as the first waypoint.

12. The wireless telephone of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing multiple waypoints, the locator circuit identifying a direction and distance from the current position to any one of the stored multiple waypoints.

13. The wireless telephone of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver for exchanging vehicle security commands with a vehicle security system and for exchanging GPS data with other locator circuits.

14. A locator device, comprising:

a pocket-sized casing;

a GPS receiver circuit located inside the casing and configured to identify a first location of the locator device;

a memory configured to store a second location of the locator device;

a processor configured to derive a direction and distance from the first location to the second location; and

a transceiver located inside the casing and configured to wirelessly transmit the first location and an identifier to another device after a triggering event occurs.

15. The locator device of claim 14, the transceiver further configured to transmit the second location to the another device after the triggering event occurs.

16. The locator device of claim 14, the GPS receiver configured to automatically find a third location of the locator device after a period of time, the transceiver configured to automatically transmit the second location to the another device after the period of time, and the memory configured to store the first location.

17. The locator device of claim 14, the another device selected from the group consisting of another locator device, a wireless telephone, a wireless LAN, or an access point for a wireless ISP provider.

18. A method comprising:

storing a first GPS waypoint in a handheld locator device;

identifying when a triggering event occurs;

transmitting the first GPS waypoint to another device after the triggering event;

storing a second GPS waypoint in the handheld locator device; and

identifying a target direction from the second GPS waypoint to the first GPS waypoint.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising integrating the locator device in a wireless telephone that also contains a screen for displaying the target direction and an RF modem for remotely controlling a vehicle security system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the second GPS waypoint to the another device after the triggering event.