GPS tuner

• US 9,080,872 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPS Tuner Systems Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag
• Original Assignee: Gps Tuner Kit
• Inventors: Tarnok, Gabor
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/799,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 701/428, 701/467, 701/538, 348/488, 422/418
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3664 Details of the user input interface, e.g. buttons, knobs or sliders, including those provided on a touch screen; remote controllers; input using gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3844 Data obtained from position sensors only, e.g. from inertial navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3878 Hierarchical structures, e.g. layering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A GPS tuner provides high precision measurement, mapping, and Geocaching tools for a pocket PC and other mobile computing devices. The tuner accepts waypoints defining a desired route for navigation by a user, including land, water, and air routes. Waypoints comprise latitude, longitude, and altitude of a geographical coordinate; user-assigned names; a type of geographic coordinate and coordinate description; photos; and associated sounds. Waypoints are inputted by a user keying in way point data; by copying waypoints from another stored route; internet downloading from a Geocaching file; or importing from a GPX file. Waypoints are also established from a free-form hand-drawn route on a touch screen, which display a world-wide digital elevation model, and upon which a user scanned map is overlaid through a calibration process. Navigation functions are selectable from a touch screen display of a self-adapting, ergonomically configured, array of icons.

Claims

1. A GPS-based navigation method using a mobile navigation device having a touch screen display, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the actual position coordinate data of said device by a GPS receiver unit;

(b) storing said data in a memory;

(c) storing digital map information of an area including the actual position of said device, said digital information comprises at least latitude and longitude and preferably altitude map data of said area;

(d) displaying a function menu on said display comprising a plurality of function fields, each field is associated with a main function for selecting a sub menu associated with said function, wherein said fields including at least;

(i) a map field for selecting a map sub menu,

(ii) a trip manager field for selecting a trip manager sub menu,

(iii) a trip computer field for selecting the display of predetermined trip data,

(iv) a setting field for selecting different setting functions,

(e) counting and storing the number of repeated selection of said fields during repeated uses of said device; and

(f) increasing the size of said displayed fields which are used more frequently relative to the size of fields used less frequently to increase thereby comfort of use; and

(g) arranging a predetermined number of function key fields away from a central area of said touch screen to enable easy selection of frequently used adjustment tools or functions; and

(h) navigating the user in line with his/her selected and adjusted options, wherein said map sub menu enables the selection of the display of at least three different type of maps differing from each other in scale, source of origin and information content;

said trip manager sub menu enables the selection of waypoint management, a route management including a find and a target setting function, and a route storage and/or retrieval function;

said trip computer sub menu allowing display of predetermined route- and position-related information and data.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fields are represented by respective circular areas placed around the most frequently used field positioned in a central zone of said display.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of using an electronically scanned map including map elements not stored in digital form, and positioning said scanned map by selecting at least three discrete and spaced waypoints with known co-ordinate data and electronically bringing these waypoints in coverage with the data of the same waypoints on the stored electronic map, and using the scanned map as a layer that can be displayed on said screen.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of drawing at least a required route segment on the touch screen when displaying a selected map, and navigating said user along the drawn route.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein drawing a plurality of route segments, and in case the end point of a drawn segment is within a predetermined minimum distance from the beginning of a subsequent drawn route segment, uniting said segments to form a required route.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising the step of using a compass menu enabling the selection of predetermined compass information on a displayed map, said compass information is selected from the group of showing at least one of the four main directions on the actually displayed map, showing the momentary position of the sun on the momentary displayed map for better orientation of the user in the field.

7. A GPS-based navigation method using a mobile navigation device having a touch screen display, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the actual position coordinate data of said device by a GPS receiver unit;

(b) storing said data in a memory;

(c) storing digital map information of an area including the actual position of said device, said digital information comprises at least latitude and longitude and preferably altitude map data of said area;

(d) displaying a function menu on said display comprising a plurality of function fields, each field is associated with a main function for selecting a sub menu associated with said function, wherein said fields including at least;

(i) a map field for selecting a map sub menu,

(ii) a trip manager field for selecting a trip manager sub menu,

(iii) a trip computer field for selecting the display of predetermined trip data,

(iv) a setting field for selecting different setting functions;

(e) arranging a predetermined number of function key fields away from a central area of said touch screen to enable easy selection of frequently used adjustment tools or functions; and

(f) navigating the user in line with his/her selected and adjusted options, wherein said map sub menu enables the selection of the display of at least three different type of maps differing from each other in scale, source of origin and information content;

said trip manager sub menu enables the selection of waypoint management, a route management including a find and a target setting function, and a route storage and/or retrieval function;

said trip computer sub menu allowing display of predetermined route- and position-related information and data, further comprising the step of drawing at least a required route segment on the touch screen when displaying a selected map, and navigating said user along the drawn route.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein drawing a plurality of route segments on a displayed map, and in case the end point of a drawn segment is within a predetermined minimum distance from the beginning of a subsequent drawn route segment, uniting said segments to form a required route.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, comprising the step of using a compass menu enabling the selection of predetermined compass information on a displayed map, said compass information is selected from the group of showing at least one of the four main directions on the actually displayed map, showing the momentary position of the sun on the momentary displayed map for better orientation of the user in the field.