Self-sufficient navigation device for street vehicles

• US 4,403,291 A
• Filed: 10/07/1980
• Issued: 09/06/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Von Tomkewitsch, Romuald
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US06/194,913
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 364/443, 364/444, 364/448, 364/449, 364/450, 364/424, 364/436, 364/559, 364/561, 340/24, 340/27 NA, 340/52 R, 73/178 R
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence

Abstract

A navigation device serves for the self-sufficient destination guidance for street vehicles. At the beginning of a trip, the destination vector is input by way of an input device in the form of destination coordinates (x,y). During the trip, the path traversed is continuously determined in terms of magnitude and direction, with a dead reckoning navigation device. A destination vector is continuously determined from these measured path vectors and the input relative destination coordinates and is displayed in the field of vision of the driver with a display device.

Claims

1. A self-sufficient navigation apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a dead reckoning means including distance measuring means for measuring and providing distance data of the path traveled by the vehicle, angle measuring means for measuring and providing angular data of the path traveled by the vehicle, and first computational means connected to said distance measuring means and said angle measuring means and operable to provide travel vector data in response to the distance data and angular data;

input means for providing destination data on a coordinate basis;

second computational means connected to said input means and operable to convert said destination data into destination vector data;

destination memory means connected to said second computational means for storing destination vector data;

substraction means connected to said destination memory means and to said first computational means and operable to subtract said travel vector data from said destination vector data and store the resulting data in said destination memory means; and

display means connected to said destination memory means for displaying said resulting data, including distance display means and direction display means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said distance display means comprises a digital display; and

said direction display means comprises a compass-type display.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

said digital display is included within said compass-type display.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said input means and said display means are combined into an integrated unit adapted for mounting in the dashboard of the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

said input means comprises a keyboard.

6. A self-sufficient navigation apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a dead reckoning means including distance measuring means for measuring and providing distance data of the path traveled by the vehicle, angle measuring means for measuring and providing angular data of the path traveled by the vehicle, and first computational means connected to said distance measuring means and said angle measuring means and operable to provide travel vector data in response to the distance data and angular data;

input means for providing destination data on a coordinate basis, including keyboard means manually operable for generating the designation data;

second computational means connected to said input means and operable to convert said destination data into destination vector data;

destination memory means connected to said second computational means for storing destination vector data;

subtraction means connected to said destination memory means and to said first computational means and operable to subtract said travel vector data from said destination vector data and store the resulting data in said destination memory means; and

display means connected to said destination memory means for displaying the resulting data, including distance display means and direction display means, said distance display means comprising a digital display and said direction display means comprising a compass-type display.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said digital display is included within said compass-type display.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

said input means and said display means are combined into an integrated unit adapted for mounting in the dashboard of the vehicle.

9. A self-sufficient navigation apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a dead reckoning means including distance measuring means for measuring and providing distance data of the path traveled by the vehicle, angle measuring means for measuring and providing angular data of the path traveled by the vehicle, and computational means connected to said distance measuring means and said angle measuring means and operable to provide travel vector data in response to the distance data and angular data;

input means for providing destination data as a vector on a polar coordinate basis;

destination memory means connected to said input means for storing destination vector data;

substraction means connected to said destination memory means and to said computational means and operable to subtract said travel vector data from said destination vector data and store the resulting data in said destination memory means; and

display means connected to said destination memory means for displaying said resulting data, including distance display means and direction display means.