Combined global positioning system receiver and radio

• US 6,373,430 B1
• Filed: 05/07/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Garmin Corporation (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Gamin Corporation
• Inventors: Kabler, Ronald B., Walters, Thomas H., Beason, Lawrence W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US09/306,938
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.08, 342/419, 342/455, 701/301
• US Class Current: 342/357.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18554 using the position provided by an existing geolocalisation system
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18563 Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems data switching networks H04L12/00

Abstract

A portable GPS/radio unit communicates over a wireless radio network with at least one other unit which is transmitting radio signals over the network indicative of that unit'"'"'s location. The GPS/radio unit comprises a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of satellites, a radio receiver for receiving the radio signals transmitted by the other unit, a processor for calculating the unit'"'"'s location as a function of the received satellite signals and for identifying the location of the other unit based on the received radio signals, and a display for indicating the location of the other unit. The display may indicate the respective locations of multiple units and may also display unique identifiers for each of the units. A system and method for indicating the location of one portable GPS/radio unit on the display of another portable GPS/radio unit involves at least two such units communicating with one another over a wireless radio network.

Claims

1. A portable GPS/radio unit capable of wirelessly communicating with one or more other such units, wherein each of said other units is adapted to transmit radio signals indicative of that unit'"'"'s location, said GPS/radio unit comprising:

a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of satellites;

a processor coupled with said GPS receiver for calculating the location of said GPS/radio unit as a function of the received satellite signals;

a radio receiver coupled with the processor for receiving the radio signals transmitted by said other units, said processor being adapted to identify the location of said other units based on the received radio signals;

a display coupled with the processor for indicating the location of at least one of said other units;

a transmitter coupled with said processor for transmitting a radio signal to at least one of said other units, wherein said radio signal is indicative of a location of said portable GPS/radio unit;

a speaker and a microphone for permitting voice communications with said other units; and

a portable, handheld housing for housing said GPS receiver, said processor, said radio receiver, said display and said transmitter.

2. The unit of claim 1 wherein said display also indicates the location of said GPS/radio unit.

3. The unit of claim 1 further comprising a memory associated with the processor.

4. The unit of claim 3 wherein cartographic data is stored in the memory and the display indicates at least a portion of the cartographic data.

5. The unit of claim 3 wherein historical location data for said GPS/radio unit is stored in the memory.

6. The unit of claim 1 wherein the radio signals received from one or more of said other units include an identifier associated with that unit.

7. The unit of claim 6 wherein the display indicates the identifier for at least one of said other units.

8. The unit of claim 1 wherein said radio transmitter and said radio receiver are embodied in a radio transceiver.

9. The unit of claim 1 further comprising a first button coupled with the processor for transmitting a radio signal indicative of the location of said GPS/radio unit over the network whenever said first button is depressed by the user.

10. The unit of claim 9 further comprising a second button coupled with the processor for transmitting a radio signal over the network whenever said second button is depressed by the user, wherein the radio signal contains a request that other users transmit their locations over the network.

11. The unit of claim 1 further comprising an input coupled with the processor for selecting an identifier for said GPS/radio unit.

35. The system of claim 1 wherein said radio transmitter and said radio receiver transmit and receive radio signals, respectively, in a UHF 460 MHz band.

41. The portable GPS/radio unit of claim 1, wherein said microphone and said speaker permit voice communication with at least one of said other such units, and wherein said transmitted radio signal indicative of said location of said unit is transmitted in association with a voice communication.

42. The portable GPS/radio unit of claim 1, wherein said microphone and said speaker permit voice communication, and wherein said received radio signals indicative of a unit'"'"'s location are each transmitted from a respective said unit in association with a voice communication from such unit.

43. The portable GPS/radio unit of claim 1, wherein said unit wirelessly communicates via a public radio network.

44. The portable GPS/radio unit of claim 43, wherein said public radio network comprises the Family Radio service.

12. A system in which a plurality of portable GPS/radio units wirelessly communicate with one another, said system comprising:

a first portable GPS/radio unit having a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of satellites, a processor coupled with said GPS receiver for calculating the location of said first unit as a function of the received satellite signals, a radio transmitter coupled with the processor for transmitting a radio signal including information indicative of the location of said first unit, a radio receiver, a microphone, a speaker, and a display; and

a second portable GPS/radio unit having a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of satellites, a processor coupled with said GPS receiver for calculating the location of said second unit as a function of the received satellite signals, a radio receiver coupled with the processor for receiving said radio signal from said first other portable unit, a display coupled with the processor, a microphone and a speaker for permitting voice communications with the first unit, and a radio transmitter coupled with said processor for transmitting a radio signal including information indicative of the location of the second unit;

wherein the processor of said second unit, upon receiving said information indicative of the location of said first unit, displays an indication thereof on said display of said second, portable unit, and wherein the processor of said first unit, upon receiving said information indicative of the location of said second unit, displays an indication thereof on said display of said first portable unit.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein each said display indicates the respective locations of said first and second units.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising a third portable GPS/radio unit having a GPS receiver for receiving satellite signals from a plurality of satellites, a processor coupled with said GPS receiver for calculating the location of said third unit as a function of the received satellite signals, and a radio transmitter coupled with the processor for transmitting radio signals indicative of the location of said third unit so that the processor of said second unit, upon receiving radio signals indicative of the location of said third unit, identifies the location of said third unit based on the received radio signals so that the display of said second unit indicates the respective locations of at least said first and third units.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising a memory associated with the processor of said second unit.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein cartographic data is stored in said memory and the display of said second unit indicates at least a portion of the cartographic data.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein historical location data for said first unit is stored in the memory.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein historical location data for said second unit is stored in the memory.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein said first unit further comprises an input coupled with its processor for selecting an identifier associated with said first unit so that radio signals indicative of the location of said first unit are also indicative of the identifier.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the display of said second unit displays the identifier for said first unit together with the location of said first unit.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein said first and second units each include a radio transceiver.

22. The system of claim 12 wherein the wireless radio network is a public radio network.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the public radio network is the Family Radio Service.

24. The system of claim 12 wherein the radio transmitter of said first unit is adapted for transmitting radio signals indicative of the location of said first unit based on the GPS clock.

45. The system of claim 12, wherein said microphone and said speaker of each said unit permits voice communication between said first and said second units, and wherein said transmitted and received radio signals including information indicative of location are associated with voice communications between said first and said second units.

25. A method for displaying the location of a first portable GPS/radio unit on a second portable GPS/radio unit, said method comprising:

receiving a first set of satellite signals from a plurality of satellites at a first portable GPS/radio unit;

calculating the location of the first unit as a function of the first set of received satellite signals;

receiving a second set of satellite signals from a plurality of satellites at a second portable GPS/radio unit;

calculating the location of the second unit as a function of the second set of received satellite signals;

transmitting the location of the first unit to the second unit over a wireless radio network in association with a voice communication transmitted from the first unit to the second unit; and

displaying the location of the first unit on the second unit.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising displaying the respective locations of the first and second units on the second unit.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising selecting an identifier associated with the first unit and displaying the identifier together with the location of the first unit.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising selecting an identifier associated with the second unit and displaying the identifier together with the location of the second unit.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein said transmitting step occurs in response to a radio signal from the second unit requesting transmission of the location of the first unit.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein said transmitting step occurs upon depression of a button on the first unit by the user of the first unit.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the timing of said transmission step is based on the GPS clock.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein said transmitting step occurs during an interruption in said voice communication.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein said transmitting step occurs at the same time as said voice communication.

34. The system of claim 25 wherein said radio signals are transmitted in a UHF 460 MHz band.

36. An electronic system comprising:

a first, portable electronic device having a processor, a transmitter, and a receiver; and

a second, portable electronic device having a processor, a transmitter, and a receiver, wherein said first portable electronic device determines its location and wirelessly sends a signal indicative of its said location to said second portable electronic device, and wherein said second portable electronic device determines its location and wirelessly sends a signal indicative of its said location to said first portable electronic device;

wherein said first portable electronic device has a display and said second portable electronic device has a display wherein said display of each device displays information indicative of said determined location of each unit; and

wherein each said portable electronic device has a microphone and a speaker for permitting voice communication between said first and second devices.

37. The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein said displayed information indicative of the location of each said device permits a user of one of the devices to visualize the user'"'"'s relative to the location relative to the other one of said devices.

46. The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein said sent signal indicative of a location of said first unit is sent in association with a voice communication from the first unit to the second unit, and wherein said sent signal indicative of a location of said second unit is sent in association with a voice communication from the second unit to the first unit.

47. The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein said first and second units wirelessly communicate via a public radio network.

48. The system as set froth in claim 47, wherein said public radio network comprises the Family Radio service.

38. GPS/radio unit capable of wirelessly communicating with one or more other such units, wherein each of said other units is adapted to transmit radio signals indicative of that unit'"'"'s location, said GPS/radio unit comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter;

receiver, wherein said GPS/radio unit determines its location and wirelessly transmits a signal indicative of its said determined location to at least one of said other units, and wherein said GPS/radio unit wirelessly receives a signal, from at least one of said other units, indicative of the location of the unit from which said received signal is transmitted;

wherein said first portable electronic device has a display and said second portable electronic device has a display wherein said display of each device displays information indicative of said determined location of each unit; and

wherein said portable GPS/radio unit further comprises;

a microphone; and

a speaker, wherein said GPS/radio unit is adapted for voice communication with one or more of said other such units.

39. The portable GPS/radio unit as set forth in claim 38 further comprising:

a display for displaying an indication of said determined location of said GPS/radio unit and information indicative of a location of each said unit from which a received signal is received.

40. The portable GPS/radio unit as set forth in claim 38 wherein said radio signal is transmitted in a UHF 460 MHz band.

49. The portable GPS/radio unit of claim 38, wherein said radio signal is transmitted via Family Radio service.