WO1990008373A1

WO1990008373A1 - Navigation system

Info

Publication number: WO1990008373A1
Application number: PCT/GB1990/000061
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Francis Coles
Original assignee: Christopher Francis Coles
Priority date: 1989-01-16
Filing date: 1990-01-16
Publication date: 1990-07-26
Also published as: JPH04504007A; AU4845590A; KR910700511A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a preferably portable navigation system using printed maps in combination with a position location system. By using a portable navigation system which is able to receive positional information from satellites and the like and transform the received information into display information in either machine-readable or user-readable form, and by providing a map in sheet form onto which the user's position can be displayed in accordance with the positional information received, a portable navigation system is provided in a form which is more user-friendly and more accurate than existing all-electronic navigation systems. In its preferred form, the portable navigation system of the present invention consists of a map-holding cassette (1) interlockable with a portable Global Positioning System receiver (2), which drives both the map through its cassette (1) relative to fixed line (4) and also movable pointer (5) so as to indicate the position of the user at the intersection of the pointer (5) on line (4) against the map which is visible through the transparent case (3) of the cassette (1).

Description

^'NAVIGATION SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a navigation system using printed maps in combination with a position location system.

Navigation is perhaps the oldest scientific exploit of mankind. Cartography, i.e., the production of maps for use in navigation totally parallels the development of navigation worldwide since the dawn of man's scientific understanding of the world about him.

The use of maps, as an aid to navigation, is made very easy through the implementation of a system involving lines of latitude and longitude which are imaginary lines drawn from fixed points around the globe. For example, the primary line of longitude at 0 degrees is known as the Greenwich Meridian and passes through a point just a few miles east of the centre of London.

Through the use of latitude and longitude, it is possible to locate one's position anywhere on the surface of the planet for example, the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England is longitude 1 degree 48 minutes west while its latitude is 51 degrees 04 minutes north.

EET Up until very recently, there were only two ways of accurately determining one's position relative to the surface of the planet via a map. The first was to locate suitable land marks around you in your physical environment, i.e., a hill top or prominent church spire or a road junction or a particular aspect of a river, and relate it to the map.

The second was to use conventional and long-standing techniques to accurately calculate your latitude and longitude using observations of both the time of day and the positions of the sun or stars relative to the horizon as a basis for calculation.

Both these latter methods are by no means instantaneous or necessarily (dependent on local conditions, i.e., fog or dense cloud) useable at all time.

More recently, developments in the area of space technology have created systems involving satellites in orbit around the planet giving off individually identifiable signals which can be used as a basis for calculating the position of a signal receiver relative to the surface of the planet. Examples of such systems are the U.S. Navy's navigation satellite system (NNSS) or the global positioning system (GPS). Similarly, other land based systems of navigation involving information transmitting beacons on the surface of the planet are also

ET used. The major use of such systems has been either military or in the navigation of ships and aircraft where high value terminals combined with customers of sufficient status to pay the high costs involved have generated the momentum for the. development and further exploitation.

Even with the most sophisticated of systems, it is generally assumed that the receiver will simply display the latitude or longitude position and thus requiring the user to- then refer these figures to his chart or map to verify his position. Only in the most sophisticated and necessarily expensive military systems has such a concept been adapted towards interrelating such information on latitude and longitude directly with a map.

The disadvantages of using conventional maps in these situations can clearly be envisaged if one describes, for example, a hill-walker in dense fog and perhaps heavy rain in near or total darkness, having to ascertain his position via a conventional map which when unfolded will be liable to damage from wind and rain as well as from the normal wear and tear of being exposed to the elements. Again, while it is possible to overcome many of these difficulties by encasing the map in a suitable waterproof sheath, this has the adverse effect of making such a map more difficult to manage through its greater thickness and the stiffer nature of such waterυroof materials.

HEET Another well known disadvantage of such use of conventional, maps may be found in light aircraft, for example, where it can at times be quite dangerous to manhandle a large map within the very small confines of an aircraft cockpit. It is the purpose of this patent application to describe a system whereby many if not all of these aforementioned disadvantages of conventional maps are overcome while at the same time making the greatest use possible of the modern technology available for identifying one's position accurately.

I will now describe the invention progressively to show the basic idea develops into a range of inventions.

The original preferred embodiment of this idea is to create a piece of equipment which conforms to the size of an average small book, i.e., six by nine inches by say one inch thick and, within the confines of such an object, to incorporate suitable electronic circuitry to provide a simple receiver which would, on command or otherwise, display the current latitude and longitude position of the receiver. However, such a receiver may preferably be any suitable shape or size to suit the end users' needs. The progression of use of such a receiver then starts to fit into place. Having created a receiver, the next step is to look at the map and its previously described deficiencies. The receiver may of course be so constructed as to accept, within a suitably designed

ET viewing pocket, a standard map, preferably folded, to show the appropriate area in question, preferably allowing the user to view the navigation receiver display information and the map at the same time. The navigation receiver may preferably, be so designed as a desk top model or again as a permanent fixture on a boat, yacht, ship or any other vehicle or aircraft.

To ease the problem of folding the map, the map may preferably be divided up into sheets, cards or transparencies of a suitable size to allow easier manipulation or handling of the map. Such map sheets, cards or transparencies may be manufactured from any suitable material such as paper or cardboard or plastics or even metal or, if preferred, any combination of such materials. Such map sheets, cards or transparencies may preferably be printed or otherwise created by any means including conventional printing, laser etching, chemical etching, photographic, electron beam etching or holographic processing means.

The viewing pocket previously described will preferably be so constructed as to provide a clear view of a map sheet or card with some form of illumination for viewing in the dark. Where the map transparencies are preferred, the viewing pocket will preferably incorporate means to suitably illuminate such a map transparency either from natural light directed by any suitable means or from any

ET _g_

other suitable preferred means such as a suitable electric light or lights or light emitting diodes arranged to illuminate such a map transparency by any suitable preferred means. The next step is to provide two manually operated crosswires, or other moveable lines, one corresponding to latitude and one corresponding to longitude, such moveable crosswires or lines may preferably be constructed or otherwise provided by any preferable means such as to provide two lines intersecting preferably, but not necessarily, at right angles to each other, each line being moveable in such a way that without interfering with each other the point of intersection of the two crosswires or lines can be moved to any appropriate position preferably above the map sheet, card or transparency to display the desired latitude and longitude information. Such crosswires or lines may, for example, preferably be constructed from thin wire or thread, or narrow transparent strips with lines suitably inscribed (such inscription may preferably incorporate additional navigational information such as divisions of distance outward from the point of intersection), again, such crosswires or lines or other additional information may be provided from utilising the properties of lasers or other preferable means which will create such crosswires or lines or other additional information from the transmission, bending or reflection of light waves through any other suitable medium including any other suitable

T medium including liquid crystal displays, or other holographic processes.

The movement of these crosswires or lines may preferably cause a separate display to describe the reference positions of each line relative to a common datum on both the receiver and/or the map sheet, card or transparency. Such displayed information may preferably be adjusted to suit the map sheet, card or transparency inserted. To facilitate such adjustment to such a display, there may preferably be means provided on both the receiver and/or the map sheet, card or transparency to allow such adjustment to take place including the means to identify and announce when the wrong map sheet, card or transparency has been inserted.

Any preferred means may be used. to magnify and/or display any preferrred part of the map or any other information either upon the map itself or at any suitable vantage point upon the navigation receiver itself.

The essential element is that now the user can use these crosswires or lines to determine his position via the information provided by the navigation receiver. In the simplest embodiment of this idea, the crosswires or lines may be moved manually to match the latitude and longitude displayed. The map sheets, cards or transparencies having sufficient information at their edges (for example) to

T allow such a correlation. To assist in such a correlation the map sheets, cards or transparencies may be preferably constructed to allow accurate location upon suitable preferred location means provided within the map viewing pocket of the receiver. Thus by these means the display can be adjusted from the information displayed to show the accurate position of the user of such a device on the map. Spare map sheets, cards or transparencies may preferably be held either in a suitable pocket on the obverse or back side of the receiver or alternatively, could be held in a suitable container separately. The next stage in thought is to provide each such transparency or map sheet, card or transparency with sufficient reference data to allow one to see at a glance that one had the correct map card in the viewing holder for the latitude and longitude displayed.

Such reference data may preferably be provided either visually and/or in a machine readable form, such as to allow a clear view either directly adjacent to the receiver display or as a separate display on the receiver in any preferred manner or position.

The receiver itself may also preferably be provided with means to directly link into a bigger or more sophisticated or any other navigation receiver or otherwise navigation equipment to allow access to similar data created via other systems.

ET The systematic development of this idea then shows a more sophisticated model providing motorised or other preferred non-manual drive to both the latitude and longitude crosswires or lines so that they automatically

- assume the correct position relative to the latitude and longitude displayed and the required map card which should be inserted. As can be well understood, such map cards will have to be robust to endure the continuous usage and

„ handling that they will be put to and so a further development would incorporate, for example, a continuous strip of transparency or film which would be wound backwards and forwards to create the same effect as changing the map cards previously described. As an example of the film or transparency we have in mind, we suggest the use of 70 mm film stock of the sort commonly used for the filming of todd-AO or more recently Imax films in the cinema industry. This is the largest film stock available internationally and while not considered to be the definitive product for use in this area, we suggest it as our currently preferred option. Now it can be seen that the use of such a continuous piece of film, for example, a 2.5 m length of film in a small cassette may preferably provide sufficient information from one page of the Ordnance Survey Motoring Atlas of Great Britain or about 1/6 of the surface area of a 1 in 50,000 series Ordnance Survey map. Such a cassette may preferably be a sealed unit providing a viewing window and spools both ends with external means to drive (via a

ET mechanism preferably within the body of the receiver) the film backwards and forwards as neccessary. By being able to drive the film in this way, there is only a requirement for a single moving crosswire as the other crosswlre can now become stationary with the map effectively moving beneath it. This also confers other advantages in that quite substantial map areas can be enclosed within such cassettes while at the same time using an internationally available film stock keeping uniformity and standardisation internationally in line with existing systems of navigation. Further refinements of such a system will allow additional information to be displayed as required.

For example, by being able to add, perhaps via a simple surface mounted keyboard on some part of the receiver, the latitude and longitude of one's destination and/or starting point and/or any other suitable way points along one's route, one will be able to simply calculate and provide, by any preferable means, information such as distance already travelled, distance left to go, average speed so far, or, for example, estimated time of arrival at one's destination or way point as necessary or indeed any other useful navigational information.

Again, preferably via the use of a liquid crystal display screen in place of the transparent viewing window such a system would in turn allow the display to show a clear plot of one's route so far or even, at a later stage, provide the outline of the map itself and thus dispense with the tansparencies film stock. For example, if suitable, portable, or otherwise, data storage becomes available, then it may in time be possible to provide a map display direct from electronic storage in either black or white or even full colour in such a way as to eliminate the need for map cards or transparent film stock and instead replace such cards or cassettes with simple plug- in electronic modules which will provide the basis for the map display.

The navigation track may be plotted upon a map, map card, sheet or transparency by any convenient means in real time or otherwise to suit the needs of the traveller.

As can be seen, the concept of such a portable navigation system lends itself to a wide variety of models each of which can be aimed at a particular market. For example, the cheaper, simpler models being aimed at a mass market allowing many thousands immediate access to their position while more sophisticated models being made available to suit the requirements of more sophisticated users. The whole system is designed as a concept which will open up a greater understanding of navigation among the general population of the planet.

The portable navigation receiver may also preferably be a separate unit to the map card sheet or transparency locating and viewing pocket or cassette. The map reading means of crosswires or other preferred means of locating one's position on a map, for example, laser light lines or other electronic means being retained as a function of the map card sheet or transparency pocket or cassette. In the case of the cassette the map may be preferably displayed upon a printed sheet of any preferred material, for example, a very thin sheet of plastic film which is not transparent and can only be viewed from above the upper printed surface. Such a separate map card sheet or transparency locating and viewing pocket may preferably be, for example, a strap-on unit to fit the leg of a pilot of an aircraft or the driver of a vehicle of any other sort. Then in another preferred example the map card sheet or transparency locating and viewing pocket may preferably be designed to be attached to the instrument panel of a lorry, automobile, aircraft or in any other preferred location to suit the user's needs.

The crosswire mechanism for use with cassettes having one fixed crosswire and one moving crosswire may preferably be designed so that the one fixed crosswire can drive the other crosswire function, for example, by being able to reel the fixed crosswire backwards and forwards it becomes possible to attach another crosswire or pin, or other convenient circle or other symbol to the reeled movement of the otherwise fixed crosswire to allow the side to side movement -of the crosswire over the cassette to locate one's position on the map.

EET -

Two embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view from above and to one side of a portable navigation system of the present invention in . which the map is in the form of a plurality of individual map sheets;

Figure 1a is a copy of an individual map sheet suitable for use with the portable navigation system of Figure 1 ;

Figure 2 is a perspective view from above and to one side of a portable navigation system of the present invention in which the map is in the form of an elongate strip held within a cassette;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from below and to one side of the system of Figure 2;

Figures 4 and 5 show, respectively, the cassette and the location system of Figure 3 separated;

Figure 6 is a perspective view from above and to one side of the map and roller system held within the cassette of the system of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view from below and to one side of the map and roller system of Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1 and 1a, the portable navigation system consists of the combination of a map sheet 101 and a position location system 102, the upper surface of the housing of which serves as a holder for the sheet 101. The map sheet 101 illustrated in Figure 1a is a "JEPPESEN APPROACH PLATE" produced by Jeppesen Sanderson Inc. These particular maps are used by aircraft pilots and show the approach to airports in both plan view in the area 104 of the sheet 101, and side view in the area 105 of the sheet 101.

The map sheet 101 is removably held onto the housing of the location system 102 by adhesive, vacuum or similar means, the accurate location of the map being achieved by engaging location pins 103 in corresponding holes in the map 101.

The map sheet 101 is located on the housing 102 in a central depression on the surface thereof between raised ends 106 and 107. Within these ends are located laser light transmission systems 108 and 108' for directing a spot of laser light 109 and 110, respectively, onto the areas 104 and 105, respectively, of the map sheet 101.

The position navigation system consists of a small-sized Global Positioning System of the type described by Philip G. Mattos in Electronics & Wireless World in February 1989, together with a suitable portable power supply and control system (not shown).

In operation, the user affixes the appropriate map sheet '101 to the^' housing 102 and activates the system for receiving positional information from satellites and converting it into instructions for directing the laser systems 108 and 108'. The directed laser spots 109 and 110 identify the user's position on the map areas 104 and 105 to show the height above the ground and the distance from the threshold of the runway of the airport being approached.

Other appropriate navigational information such as wind speed and direction can also be displayed on the housing of the location system 102, or on the map 101 itself, as may be desired by suitable means (not shown) . In the second embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figures 2 to 7, the map is in the form of an elongate sheet held within a cassette 1. The cassette 1 is shown attached to a portable navigation receiver 2. The map 10 (see Figs. 6 and 7) is viewed through the transparent outer surface 3 of the cassette 1. A fixed position crosswire 4 is shown visible under the transparent outer surface 3 of the cassette 1. Either the latitude or longitude is shown as preferred by moving the map from one end of the cassette to the other. The fixed position crosswire 4 is in the form of a thin wire, whilst the other preferred latitude or longitude information is provided by having a suitable pointer 5 attached to the fixed position crosswire 4 and reeling to and fro the fixed position crosswire 4 as necessary. The combination of movement of the map 10 in the cassette 1 and the pointer 5 attached to the fixed position crosswire 4 will show the exact position of the user on the map 10.

Figure 3 illustrates the reverse side of the map cassette

1 showing the portable navigation receiver 2 removably located between the two map roller cases 6. A LCD display 7 displays any suitable additional navigation information. A keyboard 8 is incorporated into receiver 2 to allow the user to control or otherwise use as necessary the system.

Figure 5 shows the portable navigation receiver 2 detached from the map cassette 1. Figure 4 illustrates the underside 9 of the map cassette 1. The underside of the map 10 is visible through the transparent casing 3 such that any suitable control information printed on the underside of the map may be read by any suitable means in the portable navigation receiver 2. Again, preferably such control information may be in magnetic form and a suitable port may be provided in the map cassette 1 for a reading head attached to the portable navigation receiver

2 to read such control information. Also illustrated in Figure 4 are the preferrred two drive connectors, the fixed position crosswire drive connector 11 and the map drive connector 21 which are preferably disposed so as to drive respectively the map 10 and pointer 5 (attached to the fixed position crosswire 4) from suitably disposed drive spindles (not illustrated) preferably mounted in the portable navigation receiver 2. Again, as a preferred example the map cassette 1 in Figure 4 is shown with a RS 232 electronic connector 12 suitably disposed between drive connections 11 and 21 to allow the portable navigation receiver to access through a suitably disposed plug (not illustrated) attached as part of the portable navigation receiver 2 any preferred electronically stored information, for example a street gazette provided as additional information with a street map of, for example, Chicago in the U.S.A.

The map 10 is more clearly illustrated in Figure 6 and Figure 7. Figure 6 shows the map 10 wound over two rollers 14 (shafts and bearings not illustrated). The fixed position crosswire 4 carrying the pointer 5 is shown stretched over the map 10 and around and over the front crosswire spindle 15 and the rear crosswire spindle 16. Movement of the fixed position crosswire 4 moves the pointer 5 relative to the map 10. Figure 7' shows the underside view of the same map 10. The fixed position crosswire 4 is shown coming over and around the front crosswire spindle 15 back under the map 10 to a tensioning spindle 17 disposed at right angles to the map 10 (the tensioning mechanism is not shown). The fixed position crosswire 4 is turned over the tensioning spindle 17 towards the fixed position crosswire drive connector 11 over the drive connector 11 and back until reaching a preferred alignment with the rear crosswire spindle 16 at the crosswire return spindle 18. By rotating the fixed position crosswire drive connector 11 the fixed position crosswire 4 and thus the pointer 5 attached to the fixed position crosswire 4 will move as necessary to define a position- of either latitude or longitude upon the map 10.

Movement of the map 10 is via a belt 19 passing over pulley 20 attached to roller 14. The other end of belt 19 being disposed over the map drive connector 21. Another preferred map drive mechanism may utilise the system currently popular with high quality audio cassette tapes whereby a drivebelt from the map drive connector 11 will pass over both rolls of map and drive the movement of the map via frictional contact. In the illustrated case it may be preferable to drive the map via a further belt and pulley connected from the map drive connector 21 to the other map roller 14. This further belt and pulley is not illustrated for clarity of illustration of the pointer 5 drive mechanism.

Control of both the map 10 position relative to the fixed position crosswire 4 and the pointer 5 will be by any suitable means. For example, the reverse side of the map 10 may have a magnetic strip and the internal part of the fixed position crosswire 4 may also be provided with a suitable magnetic strip. Both strips being read by suitable means incorporated within the portable navigation receiver 2. Thus by these at present preferred magnetic means the position of the map 10 within the cassette 1 and the position of the pointer 5 along the line of the fixed position crosswire 4 will always be accurately known. Figure 7 also illustrates the at present preferred position of the electronic storage means 22 which may preferably be incorporated within a map cassette 1 to provide additional information. This electronic storage means 22 being accessed via the RS 232 electronic connector 12.

The manner of operation of this embodiment is equivalent to that of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 , except that the positional information received from the satellites is transformed into movement of the map 10^' and- the movable pointer 5.

As regards the elongate map itself if we look at a range of maps we will find they come in similar sizes. For example, the U.K. Ordnance Survey "Landranger" series are 32 inches square. This is similar in size to a wide range of maps.

For example, the Gousha/Chek-Chart of Denver, Colorado, covers a total sheet of 43 inches by 37 inches and the street maps of San Francisco and Oakland by North American Maps, cover a sheet of 35 inches by 26 inches. Cut into a strip, say 9 inches wide (allowing for some overlap), gives strip lengths of 128 inches, 185 inches and 104 inches, respectively. (For larger maps respectively longer and/or wider strips will be necessary.)

Wrapping such a strip (printed on, for example, a mylar film of 3 thousandths of an inch thick) around a 0.5 inch roller gives an a approximate number of turns as 81, 118 and 66, respectively. This would give a maximum diameter of 0.986 inch, 1.208 inches and 1.124 inches, respectively. Thus we can set an upper limit on thickness of say 1.25 inches plus say 0.25 inch for casing giving a total device thickness aiming point of 1.5 inches.

We now have a clear idea of the physical size of the preferred embodiment. The strip width is 9 inches. If we place this "width" longitudinally then we need to define the preferred embodiment's width. If we look at a visible map width of say 9 inches, as the map can be displayed almost to the edge of the case, then we can expect the total outer case dimensions to be approximately 9.25 inches by 9.25 inches by 1.5 inches thick.

This outer case is the cassette holding the reel of film with the map printed upon it. We therefore have a space between the rollers and below the map to hold the electronics, batteries and drive motors of approximately 9 inches by 6.25 inches by 1.25 inches. This relates well to the first prototype hand held GPS unit proposed by Inmos (and currently being tested) - 7 inches by 5 inches by 1 inch thick.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A navigation system comprising in combination a position location system and a map, wherein the location system includes means for converting positional information into display information for locating the position of the location system, wherein the map is in sheet form and is held in a fixed position relative to the location system, and wherein the display information provides a visible display of the location of the location system on the map.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position location system comprises means for receiving positional information from satellites, ground stations and like reference point transmitters.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the map is in the form of a plurality of sheets of individual maps and wherein the location system includes a fixed sheet holder for holding a single sheet at a time on which the location of the location system is movably displayed.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the map is in the form of an elongate strip comprising a plurality of individual maps adjacent one another, which strip is movable relative to a fixed visible position display on the location system.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the map is held within a cassette which is removably secured to the housing of the location system.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein between the cassette and the location system housing there is at least one mechanical drive and/or electrical connection.

7 f A system as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the cassette carries data usable by the location system for its operation.

8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7, including means for identifying the individual map to which the display information relates.

9. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the map carries data usable by the location system for its operation.

10. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the visible display of the location of the location system is visible light.

11. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the visible display of the location of the location system is a pair of crossed visible lines.

12. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the visible display includes display of navigational data other than the location of the location system.

13- A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display information is in machine- readable form and the position of the visible display is controlled automatically by the display information.

14. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the display information is in user-readable form and the position of the visible display is controlled manually by the user.

15. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the map is transparent and overlies the visible display of the location of the location system.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the map is opaque and underlies the visible display of the location of the location system.

17. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when adapted to be portable.