Map-based navigation system with overlays

• US 6,314,370 B1
• Filed: 11/29/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMES MAPS LLC
• Original Assignee: AMES MAPS LLC
• Inventors: Curtright, William Ames
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/450,481
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/202, 701/206, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 731/78.R, 340/988, 340/990, 340/995
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/045 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/106 using electronic means

Abstract

A navigation system includes a processor and bit-mapped earth surface map image data in a first data storage device accessed by the processor/, the processor displaying an image essentially filling a display area of a display screen and centered on any latitude and longitude supplied to the processor, the image having no discontinuities. The processor may receive latitude and longitude inputs from a user via a user input device, or from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver incorporated in the navigation system. The displayed map image may thus be centered at a desired longitude and latitude or at the longitude and latitude of the navigation system itself. The system may include a second data storage device for storing data from and providing data to the processor. Route information such as flight plan data may then be stored in the second data storage device. Information relating to the type of map system displayed and the scale at which it is displayed, to the currently displayed longitude and latitude, and other significant information is always displayed with the displayed map image. Other information is selectably displayed at a peripheral portion of the display area.

Overlays may be selectably displayed over the bit-mapped map image display, with corresponding features appropriately aligned. Such overlays may include approach overlays instrument flight rules route charts, and current weather information.

Claims

1. A method of providing a moving map for use in a navigation system, the method comprising:

(a) providing a processor;

(b) storing first data in a computer storage medium for access by the processor, the first data including standardized bit-mapped map images of at least one map system of at least a portion of the surface of the earth, said first data is generated and stored by

(i) electronically scanning a printed map to create a stored bit-mapped map image corresponding to the printed map;

(ii) displaying the stored bit-mapped map image for editing;

(iii) cropping with image editing software the displayed bit-mapped map image into smaller images that are then deleted, moved, sized, and merged back into the displayed image to remove an unwanted part of the image and to select the remainder as a map image corresponding to a desired geographic area, the map image having discrete boundaries defined by reference grid lines;

(iv) moving the boundaries of the displayed map image with said image editing software to shape the geographic area into a predetermined rectangular shape;

(v) sizing the displayed map image with said image editing software after the image has been shaped to contain a predetermined pixel area;

(vi) permanently storing, in the computer storage medium, the displayed map image as a bit-mapped map image of the printed map after the displayed image has been shaped and sized, the displayed map image being stored with an identifier of a reference point and size of the geographic area represented by the selected map image; and

(vii) repeating (i)-(vi) to create a plurality of digital map images from the printed map, each image having a uniform format of the predetermined pixel area and an identifier of a reference point and size of a geographic area and a uniform shape that can be fitted adjacent to each other to form a seamless map comprised of a plurality of such images;

(c) providing a user input device for enabling a user to give input to the processor;

(d) connecting a global positioning system receiver to the processor for providing global positioning system data to the processor;

(e) displaying, on a display screen having a display area, said map images, wherein the processor displays on the display area of the display screen a display map image comprising at least a portion of at least one of said bit-mapped images, the display map image centered on any given longitude and latitude supplied to the processor, the display map image essentially filling the display area of the display screen with no discontinuities in the image over the entire said at least one map system except at any edges of said at least one map system,

(f) updating the bit-mapped map image whenever a new longitude and latitude is supplied to the processor;

(g) providing three-dimensional map data accessible by the processor; and

(h) selectively displaying three-dimensional-appearing images of terrain on the display screen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selectively displaying comprises displaying said three-dimensional appearing images so as to give the viewer a perspective view as if viewing the terrain from the position of the navigation system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the GPS receiver provides altitude data to the processor.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data includes airport data including at least airport locations, names, and official identifiers.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising storing second data from and providing said second data to the processor, wherein the processor stores, as said data in response to user inputs, information on a first route including a first starting point, a first destination, and any first waypoints.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein any of (1) the first starting point, (2) the first destination point, and (3) the any first way points are supplied to the processor from the airport data in response to selection, of an airport as any of (1) the first starting point, (2) the first destination point, or (3) the any first waypoints, such selection being made by user inputs through the user input device.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the processor stores, as part of said second data in response to said user inputs, information on a second route including at least a second starting point, a second destination, and any second waypoints.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the processor selectively displays a current point and a next point of a selected route.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the processor automatically reverses a selected route in response to a user input through the user input device.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the routes constitute flight plans and wherein the processor uses input from the global positioning system receiver to track progress of the navigational system along a selected flight plan, and wherein the processor displays over a peripheral portion of the display area a flight plan information window containing information on a present leg and a next leg of the selected flight plan, the flight plan information window being selectively displayable according to user inputs through the user input device.

11. The method of claim 4 wherein said new longitude and latitude are supplied to the processor from the computer storage medium and correspond to the location of a selected airport selected by user inputs through the user input device.

12. The method of claim 4 wherein the processor displays over a peripheral portion of the display area a navigation information window containing at least information, derived from the global positioning system receiver, on ground track, and, when available, on altitude, the navigation information window being selectively displayable according to user inputs through the user input device.

13. The method of claim 4 wherein the processor displays over a peripheral portion of the display area a nearest airport window containing at least the name, location, distance, and heading of the airport nearest to the navigation system, the nearest airport window being selectively displayable according to user inputs through the user input device.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein the processor displays over a peripheral portion of the display area a global positioning system receiver status window containing both information on the signal strengths of each global positioning system signal being tracked by the global positioning system receiver, and a tracking mode indicator indicating whether the global positioning system is in a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional tracking mode, the global positioning system receiver status window being selectively displayable according to user inputs through the user input device.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein the airport data includes information on runways, communications, navigational facilities, and services and supplies available.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data includes standardized bit-mapped image data of at least two map systems of differing scale.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein one of the at least two map systems comprises world aeronautical charts.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein one of the at least two map systems comprises sectional aeronautical charts.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the first data includes standardized bit-mapped image data of at least three maps of mutually differing scales.

20. A navigation system comprising:

a processor;

computer-readable storage including bit-mapped map image data of at least one system of earth surface maps, three-dimensional map image data for generating three-dimensional map images, and overlay data, readable by the processor;

a user input device for providing user input to the processor;

a display device connected to the processor for displaying images and information, the processor capable of producing, from the bit-mapped map image data, and displaying on the display device, in response to any longitude and latitude supplied to the processor, a bit-mapped map image essentially filling the display area of the display device and having no discontinuities except at any edges of the map system, and centered at the supplied longitude and latitude, the processor displaying in response to user inputs an overlay accurately overlaid on and scaled to the bit-mapped map image,

wherein the bit-mapped map image data comprises map image data produced by the process of

(i) electronically scanning a printed map to create a stored bit-mapped map image corresponding to the printed map;

(ii) displaying the stored bit-mapped map image for editing;

(iii) cropping with image editing software the displayed bit-mapped map image into smaller images that are then deleted, moved, sized, and merged back into the displayed image to remove an unwanted part of the image and to select the remainder as a map image corresponding to a desired geographic area, the map image having discrete boundaries defined by reference grid lines;

(iv) moving the boundaries of the displayed map image with said image editing software to shape the geographic area into a predetermined rectangular shape;

(v) sizing the displayed map image with said image editing software after the image has been shaped to contain a predetermined pixel area;

(vi) permanently storing, in the computer-readable storage medium, the displayed map image as said bit-mapped map image of the printed map after the displayed image has been shaped and sized, the displayed map image being stored with an identifier of a reference point and size of the geographic area represented by the selected map image; and

(vii) repeating (i)-(vi) to create a plurality of digital map images from the printed map, each image having a uniform format of the predetermined pixel area and an identifier of a reference point and size of a geographic area and a uniform shape that can be fitted adjacent to each other to form a seamless map comprised of a plurality of such images.

21. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein the navigation system further comprises a global positioning system receiver for providing global positioning information to the processor, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium includes airport identification and location data, and wherein the any longitude and latitude supplied to the processor is supplied from a selectable one of the user input device, the airport location data from the computer-readable storage medium, and the global positioning system receiver.

22. The navigation system of claim 21 wherein the global positioning information includes altitude information, and the processor is capable of selectively displaying a three-dimensional-appearing image of terrain features from the perspective of the location of the navigation system.

23. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein the bit-mapped map image is selectively dimmed according to a user input from the user input device while a simultaneously displayed overlay overlaid on and scaled to the bit-mapped map image remains undimmed.

24. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein the overlay comprises an airport approach plate.

25. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein the overlay comprises instrument flight rules route charts.

26. The navigation system of claim 20 wherein the bit-mapped map image data includes bit-mapped map image data of at least two systems of maps having mutually differing scales, the bit-mapped map image produced by the processor being formed from the bit-mapped map image data of a selectable one of any of the at least two systems of maps having mutually differing scales, the overlay displayed so as to be accurately overlaid on and scaled to the bit-mapped map image regardless of which of the at least two systems of maps is selected.