Portable navigation apparatus for indicating present position on a map with indicated reference latitudinal and longitudinal lines based on surveyed present position data

• US 5,819,199 A
• Filed: 03/21/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakamura, Yoshinobu, Kawai, Kozo, Okuno, Kaname
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US08/621,140
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 364/449.1, 364/449.2, 364/449.6, 364/449.7, 364/449.95, 364/443, 340/990, 340/995, 340/988, 342/357, 342/457, 701/207, 701/208, 701/212, 701/213, 701/216, 701/200
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation apparatus is provided for surveying the position of the apparatus with such surveying unit as a global positioning system (GPS), to have respective figures of reference latitudinal and longitudinal lines X and Y displayed on a display device and, at the same time, to have the latitude and longitude of the position to be indicated by a present position mark of the apparatus calculated in accordance with a preliminarily set scale of reduction of a map utilized. Then, the user places the apparatus on the map so that the latitudinal and longitudinal lines X and Y displayed on the apparatus will coincide with corresponding latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the map, and then the present position can be recognized by the user by means of the present position mark of the display device on the map.

Claims

1. A portable navigation apparatus for use in combination with a generally available map that includes latitudinal and longitudinal lines and a scale of reduction, comprising:

means for surveying the latitude and longitude of a present position;

means for inputting and setting in the portable navigation apparatus the scale of reduction of the map used;

a display device including a permeable type display means having a present position mark and including means for displaying on the permeable type display means at least portions of the closest latitudinal and longitudinal lines with respect to the present position mark; and

a control device including means for obtaining reference latitudinal and longitudinal values corresponding to the latitudinal and longitudinal lines described on the map to be the closest to the present position on the map and corresponding to the surveyed present position, and including means for displaying positions of the closest latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the permeable type display means in accordance with the reference latitudinal and longitudinal values obtained and with the set scale of reduction of the map,

the portable navigation apparatus being placed on the map to bring the respective displayed positions of the latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the display device to coincide with the corresponding closest latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the map, and to point out the present position on the map with the present position mark of the permeable type display means.

2. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control device further includes means for preliminary setting intervals between the respective latitudinal and longitudinal lines the positions of which are displayed by the permeable type display means, in accordance with the scale of reduction of the map.

3. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 which further comprises an azimuth sensing means, and means for indicating a sensed azimuth and the reference latitudinal and longitudinal values of the present position surveyed.

4. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the permeable type display means comprises a square transparent plate having the present position mark, and horizontal and vertical light emitting diode arrays respectively lying along mutually opposing pairs of side edges of the transparent plate for displaying the positions of the latitudinal and longitudinal lines to be displayed.

5. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the present position mark is provided as fixed in the center of the transparent plate.

6. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the fixed present position mark is a through hole made in the transparent plate.

7. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the permeable type display means is a liquid crystal display means.

8. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of casings mutually coupled through a hinge section allowing the casings mutually pivotable into a double-folded state, one of said casings including the permeable type display means which is provided in the form of a recess capable of receiving therein at least part of another casing in said double-folded state.

9. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the permeable type display means of the display device is provided for shifting and setting the indicating positions of the latitudinal and longitudinal lines to those the closest to the present position mark which is regarded here as a destination, and the control device includes means for operating a destination-setting and a lead-to-destination with the positions set for the destination with reference to the reference latitudinal and longitudinal values of the present position surveyed.

10. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the display device further includes an azimuth sensor.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid crystal display for displaying in letters and figures respective input and output data of the surveying means, scale inputting and setting means, display device and control device.

12. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the permeable type display means of the display device is provided for shifting and setting the indicating positions of the latitudinal and longitudinal lines to those the closest to the present position mark which is regarded here as a destination, and the control device includes means for operating a destination-setting and a lead-to-destination with the positions set for the destination with reference to the reference latitudinal and longitudinal values of the present position surveyed.

13. The portable navigation apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the display device further includes an azimuth sensor.

14. A portable navigation apparatus for use in combination with any generally available map such as is commonly used for example by hikers, motorists or bicyclists that includes latitudinal and longitudinal lines and a scale of reduction, comprising:

apparatus for setting in the portable navigation apparatus the scale of reduction of the map;

apparatus for surveying the latitude and longitude of a present position;

a frame having a window through which the map may be viewed when the frame is placed on the map;

a display device mounted to the frame, the display device including;

a transparent plate mounted in the window, the transparent plate including a present position mark;

apparatus for indicating reference latitudinal and longitudinal lines of the map that are closest to the present position; and

apparatus for displaying latitudinal and longitudinal lines corresponding to the present position; and

a control device including;

apparatus for determining latitudinal and longitudinal values corresponding to the present position;

apparatus for determining reference latitudinal and longitudinal values corresponding to the latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the map that are the closest to the present position; and

apparatus for controlling the display apparatus to display the latitudinal and longitudinal values corresponding to the present position and to display the reference latitudinal and longitudinal lines closest to the present position in accordance with the latitudinal and longitudinal values obtained for the present position and with the set scale of reduction of the map;

the frame being placed on the map to bring the respective displayed positions of the latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the display device to coincide with the corresponding latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the map, and to point out the present position on the map with the present position mark.