JPH1144549A - Portable GPS receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a simple and compact portable GPS receiver by comparing a map card with a current position in an arithmetic control part for displaying a current position mark or for displaying difference from the map card. SOLUTION: A body 1 includes a transmission-type dot matrix liquid crystal panel 2 for displaying a current site by a GPS antenna 4 and a map card slot 3 for inserting a map card 7. The map card 7 mentions on its surface a map 9 and a card number or latitude and longitude information 8 indicated by the card. When the map card 7 is inserted into the map card slot 3, the portable GPS receiver 1 reads the map card number or the latitude and longitude information 8, a CPU arithmetic control part calculates at which part of the map card a current site measured by the GPS antenna 4 is positioned, and the liquid crystal panel 2 displays a current position mark 6. A user can know the current site overlapping on the map card 7 through the transmission-type liquid crystal panel 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a GPS receiver for displaying a current position by superimposing a map on a display unit.
Particularly, the present invention relates to a portable GPS receiver useful for carrying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, a GPS (Groval Positioning System) receiving apparatus which receives radio waves from a plurality of artificial satellites and knows a current position of a person, a ship, an aircraft, a car, or the like is a widely used method. . GPS receivers mounted on means of transportation such as ships, aircraft, and automobiles are not so limited in terms of power and size. Therefore, display devices such as a CRT or a color liquid crystal panel with a backlight, a CD / ROM, etc. And a digital map storage device for displaying a map and a current position on the display device.

[0003] However, when a GPS receiver is used as a portable type, it is impossible to take the above system outside as it is. A display device such as a color liquid crystal panel with a backlight and a map storage device such as a CD / ROM drive are indispensable. If a battery is included, the weight and size are not suitable for a portable type.

[0004] In order to solve this problem,
Some suggestions have been made. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication
138203 discloses a transparent liquid crystal panel as a display unit,
A low-power and lightweight portable navigation device has been proposed by using a plurality of map sheets as a map storage device and overlaying the map sheets on a display unit using a feeder.

[0005]

However, the conventional portable GPS receiver has an automatic map sheet feeding mechanism, which requires a certain thickness or more in size, and the number of map sheets. Depending on the preparation, there is a problem that the usability and the weight conflict with each other. For example, the digital map used for car navigation is 5
The configuration is such that a plurality of 40 Mbytes of CD / ROM cannot be accommodated in one CD / ROM. Therefore, it is necessary to carry a considerable number of sheets even if the map sheet of one city is carried around. When searching for the map sheet according to the current position, the map sheet is sent by the automatic feeder and the identification code is checked many times. Then, it is expected that it will take considerable time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple and compact portable GPS receiver without an automatic feed mechanism.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a portable GPS receiver according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises:
In a GPS receiver having a positioning unit for obtaining a current position and a display unit for displaying the current position superimposed on map information, a map card insertion unit adjacent to the display means, and whether or not a map card has been inserted. A card detection unit, a map card number reading unit that identifies a number provided on the map card and / or reads information, compares the inserted map card with the current position, and displays a current position mark, Alternatively, an arithmetic control unit for determining whether to display a difference from the map card is provided, and the display is superimposed on the transparent display unit.

That is, with this configuration, G
When the map card is inserted into the PS receiver, the GPS receiver reads the card number written on the map card at the time of insertion or information indicating which area the map card covers, and the GPS receiver and the GPS receiver obtain the information. If the latitude and longitude of the current location are within the inserted map area, the position is displayed on a transmissive liquid crystal display. Through a transmissive liquid crystal display, the map drawn on the map card and the current location mark can be viewed overlaid. Furthermore, by incorporating a differential GPS (hereinafter abbreviated as DGPS) receiving function in addition to the GPS receiving apparatus according to the present invention, the positioning accuracy of the current position can be improved. In a normal GPS receiver,
It is generally said that the positioning accuracy is 50 to 100 m, and there is a possibility that a wrong building or street is used. However, if the DGPS function is used, the positioning accuracy will be less than 10m,
Since it can be distinguished sufficiently, the usability is further improved by incorporating it in the portable GPS receiving function.

A portable GPS receiving apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a portable GPS receiving apparatus, comprising: a bar code provided on a map card;
The map card number reading section for reading information includes a card detection switch for detecting whether a map card is inserted, a card number, a light emitting section for reading information, and a light receiving section. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the portable GPS receiver according to the third aspect of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit compares the inserted map card with a current position, and if the current position is not present in the inserted map card, the map card is not used. It is determined that a difference in direction, distance, and the like is to be displayed, and is displayed by being superimposed on the transparent display unit.
That is, if the latitude and longitude of the current location are not in the inserted map card, it is possible to display on the liquid crystal display in which direction and how far away from the map card, You can know where you are.

In the portable GPS receiver according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the arithmetic control unit compares the inserted map card with a current position, and if the current position is not present on the inserted map card, It is characterized in that it is decided to display a difference in direction, distance, etc. from the famous point based on data from the famous point memory unit, and the difference is displayed on the transparent display unit. In addition, even if no map card is inserted or no map card is inserted, it is necessary to display on the liquid crystal display how far away and how far from a famous point registered in the built-in memory. You can know where you are.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below according to embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of the GPS receiving apparatus according to the first embodiment. The portable GPS receiver comprises a main body 1, a GPS antenna 4 for receiving GPS radio waves, and a GPS antenna line 5. The main body 1 includes a transmissive dot matrix liquid crystal panel 2 for displaying a current position obtained from a signal received by the GPS antenna 4. And a map card slot 3 into which a map card 7 is inserted. The map card 7 has a map 9 and a card number or latitude / longitude information 8 indicated by the card on its surface. When the map card 7 is inserted into the map card slot 3, the portable GPS receiver 1
Reads the number or latitude information 8 of the map card, calculates where the current position measured by the GPS antenna 4 is located on the map card, and displays the current position mark 6 on the transmissive dot matrix liquid crystal panel 2. The user can know the current location superimposed on the map card 7 through the transmissive liquid crystal panel 2.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a method for reading a map card number. Map card 7 in body 1
A card detection switch 10 for physically detecting whether or not the card has been inserted; a light emitting unit 11 such as an LED for reading a card number; a light receiving unit 12 such as a photodiode for reading a card number; and a light receiving unit cover 13. ing. When the map card 7 is inserted, the card detection switch 10 is turned on to determine whether or not the card is inserted, and the light emitting section 11 emits light for reading the map card. For this reason, the light emitting unit does not always emit light, so that the entire power can be saved. The light receiving unit 12 also starts the light receiving operation when the card detection switch 10 is turned on, and the light emitting unit 11
Receives the light reflected from the map card 7 surface. Since information 8 such as a card number is written on the surface of the map card as a signal such as a bar code, by receiving the light, it is possible to determine which card has been inserted by receiving the light. As described above, when the reading of the card is completed, the light emitting unit 11 stops emitting light for power saving.

Next, a more detailed description will be given with reference to a functional block diagram shown in FIG. 3 and a processing flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, all except for the GPS antenna 4 are portable GPs.
It is built into the S receiver main body 1. GPS receiver 1
4, the current position is measured, and the area of the map card inserted by the card detection unit 16 and the map card number reading unit 15 is known. Therefore, the CPU operation control unit 18 calculates where the current position is located in the area. , LCD panel display 2
Is displayed as the current location mark. In some cases, the distance to the famous point recorded in the famous point memory unit 17 is also displayed.

FIG. 4 is a processing flowchart of the GPS receiver. When the power is turned on (step 20), the entire portable GPS receiver is initialized (step 21).
Is done. After acquiring the current position from the GPS antenna and the GPS receiver (step 22), it is checked whether a map card is inserted (step 23). If a map card has been inserted, it is checked from the read card number or the latitude / longitude information whether the current position is in the map card area (step 24). If so, the current position coordinates are calculated from the latitude and longitude coordinates of the four corners of the card and displayed as a current position mark on the liquid crystal panel (step 25). This display state is shown as a position mark 6 in FIG.

If the current position is not within the area of the inserted map card, the direction in which the current position deviates from the map card in the east, west, north and south, or how far in that direction the linear distance from the end of the map card. It is calculated whether or not they are apart (step 26). Then, the contents are displayed (step 27). This display state is shown as an arrow and a character display in FIG.

If the map card itself is not inserted, the direction and how far from the famous point closest to the current position are calculated from the famous point memory unit using data (step 28). Then, the information content is displayed (step 29). This display state is shown as a character display in FIG.

FIG. 5A shows the case where the current position is present in the map card, FIG. 5B shows the case where the current position is not present in the map card, and FIG. 5C does not show the map card itself. Although the display example in this case is shown, it goes without saying that the distance from the famous point may be displayed as in (c) in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). In FIG. 5C, the direction and the distance from the closest famous point from the current position are displayed. However, by providing a famous point selection button and the like, the directions and distances from other famous points are displayed. It can also be done. If the current position is not in the inserted map card (steps 26 and 27 shown in FIG. 4), the map card is replaced with the current position. Can be grasped.

In a general GPS receiver, the positioning accuracy of the GPS alone is about 50 to 100 m. As a method of increasing the positioning accuracy, a DGPS (Differential GPS) service is currently being started. This is done by receiving a GPS signal at a reference station whose exact latitude and longitude are known, and transmitting the measured position deviation by broadcasting such as FM multiplex broadcasting.
Each terminal intends to improve its accuracy by correcting its own measured position using the deviation as correction information. Therefore, the terminal needs a function of receiving the correction information and performing correction, and a functional block diagram in which the function is added to the present invention is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 6, the FM multiplexed signal receiving section 31
The PS correction information is received and sent to a GPS receiver 30 with a built-in DGPS operation unit. The GPS receiver 30 corrects the positioning data from the GPS antenna 4 and specifies the position. DG
It is said that when the PS correction is performed, the positioning accuracy is reduced to 10 m or less, and an accurate current position can be specified without making a mistake even on a road or a street, so that the present invention is useful as a portable GPS receiver for pedestrians. In addition, since FM multiplex broadcasting is currently used as a means for transmitting DGPS correction information, a portable GPS receiver and an FM character multiplex receiver are formed in a negative shape, and characters are usually displayed on a display as an FM character multiplex receiver. To be operated as a DGPS receiving device if necessary.

[0020]

The portable GPS receiver of the present invention is mainly composed of only a liquid crystal display and a semiconductor circuit.
A low power consumption and thin structure that can be driven by a battery can be achieved. If you have more than one map card around your place of activity, you can roughly display the current position on the map, but even if you are out of the map or do not have multiple map cards, It is very useful because you can see it. In addition, it is possible to provide a convenient terminal that has a built-in FM multiplex receiver, improves positioning accuracy with a DGPS service, and can be used as a character multiplex receiver.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method of reading a map card number.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the portable GPS receiver according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a processing flowchart of the portable GPS receiver according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing various display examples of a liquid crystal display panel.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a receiving device having a differential GPS function.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable GPS receiver main body 2 Transmissive liquid crystal panel 3 Map card slot 4 GPS antenna 5 GPS antenna line 6 Mark indicating current position 7 Map card 8 Map card identification number or latitude / longitude information 9 Map 10 Card detection switch 11 Light emitting unit 12 Card number reading light receiving unit 13 Light receiving unit cover

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A GPS receiving apparatus comprising: a positioning section for obtaining a current position; and a display section for displaying the current position superimposed on map information, wherein a map card insertion section adjacent to the display means and a map card are provided. A card detection unit for determining whether or not the card has been inserted, a map card number reading unit for identifying a number provided on the map card and / or reading information, comparing the inserted map card with a current position, and calculating a current position mark Or a calculation control unit for determining whether to display the difference from the map card or to display the difference from the map card, and to superimpose the display on the transparent display unit. 2. A card detection switch for detecting whether or not a map card has been inserted, wherein a map card number reading section for reading numbers and information such as bar codes provided on the map card;
2. The portable G according to claim 1, comprising a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit for reading a card number and information.
PS receiver. 3. The arithmetic control unit compares the inserted map card with the current position, and if the current position is not on the inserted map card, displays a difference in direction, distance, etc. from the inserted map card. And displaying the image on the transparent display unit in a superimposed manner.
The portable GPS receiver according to any one of the preceding claims. 4. The arithmetic control unit compares the inserted map card with the current position, and if the current position is not found in the inserted map card, the data from the famous point memory unit is used to calculate the current position. 2. The portable GP according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that a difference in direction, distance, or the like is to be displayed, and the display is superimposed on the transparent display unit.
S receiver.