System and method for wirelessly linking a GPS device and a portable electronic device

• US 7,034,747 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Original Assignee: Garmin Limited
• Inventors: Kabler, Ronald B., Walters, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US10/869,244
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.12, 342/357.01, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.59
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems

Abstract

A system and method for wirelessly linking a GPS device (12) with a portable electronic device (14) to provide the portable electronic device (14) with GPS functions. The GPS device (12) includes a GPS receiver or sensor (16) operable for receiving OPS satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites and a transmitter (18) coupled with the GPS receiver for wirelessly transmitting information corresponding to the GPS satellite signals. The portable electronic device (14) includes a receiver for wirelessly receiving the information transmitted by the GPS device (12) and a display for displaying data corresponding to the GPS satellite signals. The transmitter (18) of the GPS device (12) and the receiver of the portable electronic device (14) 10 preferably wirelessly transmit and receive information via a short range wireless local area network (LAN) using infrared, unlicensed radio, or optical transmission methods. The portable electronic device (14) further preferably includes a sensor for receiving voice commands from a user and a speaker for communicating audible instructions to the user.

Claims

1. A portable navigation device comprising:

a receiver for wirelessly receiving location information from an external electronic device, wherein the external electronic device receives GPS satellite signals,

a sensor for receiving voice commands from a user,

a processor for receiving the location information from the receiver, receiving the voice commands from the sensor, and generating audible instruction signals in response to the location information and the voice commands, and

a speaker for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the audible instruction signals.

2. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the location information includes information received from GPS satellites.

3. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

4. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a set of headphones for communicating the audible instructions to the user in response to the audible user instruction signals.

5. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the audible instructions include navigational directions.

6. The navigation device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying data corresponding to the location information.

7. The navigation system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the portable electronic device is programmed to display cartographic map data.

8. The navigation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the device is chosen from the group consisting of a cell phone, a PDA, a notebook computer, and a computer embedded in a vehicle.

9. A navigation system comprising:

a GPS device including;

a GPS sensor for receiving GPS satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites, and

a transmitter coupled with the GPS sensor for wirelessly transmitting GPS information corresponding to the GPS satellite signals; and

a portable electronic device including;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving the GPS information from the transmitter of the GPS device,

a sensor for receiving voice commands from a user,

a processor for receiving the GPS information from the receiver, receiving the voice commands from the sensor, and generating audible instruction signals in response to the GPS information and the voice commands, and

a speaker for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the audible instruction signals.

10. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

11. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device further includes a set of headphones for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the audible instruction signals.

12. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the GPS device is adapted to attach to a windshield of a vehicle.

13. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the GPS information includes location information corresponding to a location of the GPS device.

14. The navigation system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the GPS device is adapted to calculate the location of the GPS device as a function of the received satellite signals.

15. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, the portable electronic device further including a processor coupled with the receiver for calculating a location of the GPS device as a function of the GPS information transmitted by the GPS device.

16. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the transmitter and the receiver transmit and receive the information via short range wireless communication methods.

17. The navigation system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the transmitter and receiver are infrared devices.

18. The navigation system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the transmitter and receiver are radio frequency devices.

19. The navigation system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the transmitter and receiver transmit and receive the information using BlueTooth communication protocols.

20. The navigation system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the transmitter and receiver transmit and receive the information using WiFi communication protocols.

21. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a display for displaying data corresponding to the location information.

22. The navigation system as set forth in claim 21, wherein the processor further generates cartographic map data for presentation to the user via the display.

23. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the audible instructions include navigational directions.

24. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the GPS device automatically periodically transmits the information to the portable electronic device.

25. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device periodically polls the GPS device for the information.

26. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device includes a user interface which may be operated by a user to request transmission of the information from the GPS device.

27. The navigation system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the portable electronic device is chosen from the group consisting of a cell phone, a PDA, a notebook computer, and a computer embedded in a vehicle.

28. A navigation system comprising:

a GPS device including;

a GPS antenna for sensing GPS satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites,

a GPS receiver coupled with the GPS antenna for receiving the GPS satellite signals therefrom,

a processor coupled with the GPS receiver for calculating a location of the GPS device as a function of the received satellite signals and for generating location information representative of the location, and

a transmitter coupled with the processor for wirelessly transmitting the location information; and

a portable electronic device including;

an antenna for sensing the location information transmitted by the GPS device,

a receiver coupled with the antenna for receiving the location information from the antenna,

a sensor for receiving voice commands from a user,

a processor for receiving the location information from the receiver, receiving the voice commands from the sensor, and generating audible instruction signals in response to the location information and the voice commands, and

a speaker for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the audible instruction signals.

29. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the transmitter and the receiver transmit and receive the location information via short range wireless communication methods.

30. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the transmitter and receiver transmit and receive the location information using BlueTooth communication protocols.

31. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the transmitter and receiver transmit and receive the location information using WiFi communication protocols.

32. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

33. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, further comprising a set of headphones for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the audible user instruction signals.

34. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, further comprising a display for displaying data corresponding to the location information.

35. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the portable electronic device is chosen from the group consisting of a call phone, a PDA, a notebook computer, and a computer embedded in a vehicle.

36. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the processor of the GPS device automatically communicates the location information at user-defined intervals.

37. The navigation system as set forth in claim 28, wherein the portable electronic device further includes a transmitter coupled with a second antenna, wherein the transmitter is adapted to wirelessly transmit the location information to a remote base station.

38. A navigation system comprising:

a GPS device including;

a GPS antenna for sensing GPS satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites,

a GPS receiver coupled with the GPS antenna for receiving the GPS satellite signals therefrom, and

a transceiver coupled with the GPS receiver for wirelessly transmitting GPS information corresponding to the GPS satellite signals and receiving information requests; and

a cellular phone including;

a first antenna for sensing the GPS information transmitted by the GPS device and transmitting information,

a transceiver coupled with the first antenna and operable for receiving the GPS information from the antenna and transmitting location information requests,

a sensor for receiving voice commands from a user,

a first processor for communicating GPS information requests to the transceiver at user-defined intervals, receiving the GPS information from the receiver, receiving the voice commands from the sensor, calculating a location of the GPS device as a function of the received satellite signals, and generating location information representative of a location,

a transmitter coupled with the first processor and a second antenna and adapted to receive the location information from the processor and wirelessly transmit the information to a remote base station,

a speaker for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the location information,

a user interface coupled with the first processor, wherein the interface is operated by a user to request transmission of the information from the GPS device, and

a second processor adapted to perform functions related to the cellular phone.

39. The navigation system as set forth in claim 38, wherein the GPS device further includes a portable housing adapted to attach to a windshield of a vehicle.

40. The navigation system as set forth in claim 38, wherein the cellular phone further includes a display for displaying data corresponding to the location information.

41. The navigation system as set forth in claim 38, wherein the sensor is a microphone.

42. The navigation system as set forth in claim 38, wherein the cellular phone further includes a set of headphones for communicating audible instructions to the user corresponding to the location information.

43. A navigation system comprising:

a GPS device including;

a GPS sensor operable for receiving GPS satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites,

a processor coupled with the GPS sensor for calculating the location of the GPS device as a function of the received satellite signals and for creating location information corresponding to a location of the GPS device,

a transmitter coupled with the GPS sensor for wirelessly transmitting the location information, and

a portable housing adapted to attach to a windshield of a vehicle; and

a cellular phone including;

a receiver operable for wirelessly receiving the location information from the transmitter of the GPS device, and

a speaker for audibly communicating the location information to the user.

44. A navigation system comprising:

a GPS device including;

a GPS sensor operable for receiving GPS satellite signals from a plurality of GPS satellites,

a transmitter coupled with the GPS sensor for wirelessly transmitting information corresponding to the GPS satellite signals, and

a portable housing adapted to attach to a windshield of a vehicle; and

a cellular phone including;

a receiver operable for wirelessly receiving the information from the transmitter of the GPS device,

a processor coupled with the receiver for calculating a location of the GPS device as a function of the information transmitted by the GPS device and generating audible instruction signals relating to the location, and

a speaker for communicating audible instructions to the user in response to the audible instruction signals.