Radio communication and GPS navigation device

• US 7,965,231 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infinity Gear LLC, Kirmuss & Associates
• Original Assignee: Infinity Gear LLC
• Inventors: Kirmuss, Charles Bruno, Kirmuss, Philip Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Dao L
• Application Number:
  US12/184,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20090033552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.01, 342/357.06, 342/357.08, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/419, 342/357.34, 342/357.52, 342/357.75, 701/207, 701/213, 701/215
• US Class Current: 342/357.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A navigation device configured to connect to any type of communication device, such as a two-way radio or a cellular phone. The navigation device includes a LCD display and a user input device. The navigation device displays on the LCD the relative distance and direction of other navigation devices relative to the navigation device, as well as the speed, distance traveled, current location, altitude, temperature of the other navigation devices. Also, the user interface allows the user to scroll through different menu options and display options of the LCD. The navigation device is additionally configured to send text messages to other navigation devices. The navigation device transmits three NMEA sentences allowing text messages, waypoint names and locations, speed, course, direction and altitude to be sent between navigation devices.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a plurality of navigation devices comprising:

obtaining positional information for a first navigation device by assessing a plurality of global positioning satellite signals;

generating a data signal for transmission to a plurality of other devices, the data signal including a latitude value obtained from the positional information for the first navigation device, a longitude value obtained from the positional information for the first navigation device, and an identification of the first navigation device;

transmitting the data signal to a communication device through a signal cable, wherein the communication device is separate from the first navigation device; and

transmitting the data signal, utilizing the communication device, to a plurality of other navigation devices such that each of the plurality of navigation devices can identify and display a geographic position of the first navigation device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data signal further comprises a text message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data signal further comprises:

a course bearing;

an altitude value;

a speed value; and

a waypoint name.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the data signal is a National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) signal, the NMEA signal includes 82 characters, wherein:

character 1 is a dollar sign,

characters 2 through 6 is a transmission type,

characters 7 through 8 is a latitude degree,

character 9 is a period,

characters 10 through 14 is latitude minutes,

character 15 is a latitude direction,

characters 16 through 18 is a longitude degree,

character 19 is a period,

characters 20 through 24 are longitude minutes,

characters 25 is a latitude direction,

characters 26 through 35 are a waypoint name,

characters 36 through 37 is an ICON index value,

characters 38 through 40 is an altitude measurement,

characters 41 through 46 is a SCODE value,

characters 47 through 48 is a group identification,

characters 49 through 54 is a date,

characters 55 through 60 is a time reading,

character 61 is an asterisk, and

characters 62 through 82 are a checksum and sentence delimiter.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data signal is a National Marine Electronics (NMEA) signal, the NMEA signal includes 82 characters, wherein:

character 1 is a dollar sign,

characters 2 through 6 is a transmission type,

characters 7 through 46 is a text message,

characters 47 through 56 is a name identification,

characters 57 through 62 is a SCODE value,

characters 63 through 64 is group identification,

characters 65 through 66 is a status value,

characters 67 through 68 is a ICON value;

character 69 is an asterisk, and

characters 69 through 82 are a checksum and sentence delimiter.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data signal is a National Marine Electronics (NMEA) signal, the NMEA signal includes 82 characters, wherein:

character 1 is a dollar sign,

characters 2 through 6 is a transmission type,

character 7 is a fix status,

characters 8 through 9 is a latitude degree,

character 10 is a period,

characters 11 through 15 is latitude minutes,

character 16 is a latitude direction,

characters 17 through 19 is a longitude degree,

character 20 is a period,

characters 21 through 25 are longitude minutes,

characters 26 is a latitude direction,

characters 27 through 29 is an altitude value,

characters 30 through 32 is a course bearing value,

characters 33 through 34 is a speed value,

characters 35 through 44 is a name identification,

characters 45 through 50 is a SCODE value,

characters 51 through 52 is a group identification,

characters 53 through 54 is a status value,

characters 55 through 56 is a ICON value,

characters 57 through 62 is a date value,

characters 63 through 68 is a time value,

character 69 is an asterisk, and

characters 69 through 82 are a checksum and sentence delimiter.