79 results about "Navigational aid" patented technology

A navigational aid device is provided that includes a GPS module, a processor, and memory. The device is configured to automatically determine a route to a destination and to account for, in its determination of a route, a plurality of modes of public, private, or both public and private transportation. Some of these configurations may also be configured to recommend a mode or modes of transportation to take to get to a destination, and / or accept user preferences in recommending a route or the mode or modes of transportation to take to get to the destination.

A novel mapping paradigm is provided for the visual display of information in the form of an improved navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping paradigm uses a compressed linear-pictographic-topological design that typically depicts roads as vertical linear pictograms. Further, the display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

A navigational aid including an intelligent display mode and a communication system communicates with a vehicle's sensor system and / or historical- or time-based information to reduce the number of businesses that are displayed on the map by filtering out unneeded or less preferred services. When the vehicle's fuel level sensor detects that the fuel tank is almost empty, a message can be sent from the sensor system to the navigational aid such that the navigational aid can then begin showing a visual indication (e.g., text or graphical information such as an icon) of the location of fuel stations on the screen. Additionally, the location receiver indicates to the filter when the navigational aid is close to the programmed destination. At that point, the filter can be informed that it should start showing garages or areas where the vehicle can be parked without having cluttered the screen with parking garages that were not close to the destination. Similarly, when in need of other services (e.g., hotel or restaurant services), the navigational aid can display preferred brands (while omitting non-preferred brands) and make reservations when a communication system is included which is capable of communicating with the service provider. Additionally, prices or relative prices for the services may also be indicated.

A method for aiding emergency vehicle navigation includes a first step (100) of calculating a travel route for the emergency vehicle from a starting point to a destination point. A next step (102) includes establishing a location of any non-emergency vehicle in proximity to the emergency vehicle. A next step (104) includes determining a likelihood of the non-emergency vehicle and emergency vehicle encountering each other. A next step (106) includes providing navigational information to the non-emergency vehicle to re-route the non-emergency vehicle out of the path of the emergency vehicle if the vehicles are likely to encounter each other. Likelihood can be based on whether the vehicles are on the same navigational road segment or by a time or distance when the vehicles will intercept each other.

A quickly deployable and reconfigurable light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus with high output intensity and precisely controlled beam property is disclosed for navigational aids. The lighting apparatus comprises an array of high intensity LED units with their light beams individually controlled by secondary optical systems. The transformed light beams mix in a pre-determined manner to produce an illumination pattern with desired intensity distribution. The LED lighting apparatus may further comprise a micro-controller, a plurality of sensor elements, and a wireless transceiver for remote monitoring and control. The lighting apparatus can be powered by rechargeable batteries for temporary or semi-permanent lighting. It can also be powered by standard power lines for permanent lighting.

A navigational aid device is provided that includes a GPS module, a processor, and memory. The device is configured to automatically determine a route to a destination and to account for, in its determination of a route, a plurality of modes of public, private, or both public and private transportation. Some of these configurations may also be configured to recommend a mode or modes of transportation to take to get to a destination, and / or accept user preferences in recommending a route or the mode or modes of transportation to take to get to the destination.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for an improved navigational route planning device which provides more understandable, accurate and timely route calculation capabilities. The navigational aid device with route calculation capabilities includes a processor connected to a memory. The memory includes cartographic data and a desired destination, the cartographic data including data indicative of thoroughfares of a plurality of types. A display is connected to the processor and is capable of displaying the cartographic data. The device is adapted to process the device's location and travel along a planned route. And, the device is adapted to dynamically calculate a new route to the desired destination with a preference for avoiding a particular portion of a thoroughfare or one or more different thoroughfares in a previous route.

A non-scaled, linearly compressed pictographic mapping system is provided for the visual display of information in a navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping uses a non-scaled, linearly-compressed pictographic design that shows roads as linear pictograms. The display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. The maps may also contain icons representing points of interest arranged in a cloud fashion. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for an improved navigational route planning device which provides more understandable, accurate and timely route calculation capabilities. The navigational aid device with route calculation capabilities includes a processor connected to a memory. The memory includes cartographic data and a desired destination, the cartographic data including data indicative of thoroughfares of a plurality of types. A display is connected to the processor and is capable of displaying the cartographic data. The device is adapted to process the device=s location and travel along a planned route. And, the device is adapted to dynamically calculate a new route to the desired destination with a preference for avoiding a particular portion of a thoroughfare or one or more different thoroughfares in a previous route.

A portable electronic navigational aid (104) e.g. for the blind (102), comprising a radio frequency, preferably millimeter wave, radar (218) with at least one transmitting (TX) channel and a plurality of receiving (RX) channels, at least one orientation sensor (220) configured to obtain data indicative of the orientation of the radar, and a processing element (210) configured to adaptively control (500, 602) the beamforming of the radar based on the data provided by the orientation sensor. A corresponding method is presented. An accessory, such as a replaceable cover, containing a radio frequency radar for attaching to an electronic host device is presented.

Systems, devices and methods are provided to display or otherwise provide addresses in proximity to the device, and to periodically update the addresses as the navigational aid device is transported along a road. The device is adapted to be transported on a road. The device includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and the memory are adapted to cooperate to provide an address that is proximate to the device. Another aspect includes a method. According to one method embodiment, an address proximate to a navigational aid device is estimated and displayed on the navigational aid device. Other aspects are provided herein.

A navigational aid for use as an AIS apparatus includes a memory for storing information about previous use of individual time slots synchronized with transmission schedules of other stations and a signal detector for judging whether an information signal exists in a time slot specified in accordance with a synchronization timing signal based on the information stored in the memory and a result of monitoring of the behavior of a baseband signal obtained from a received signal on an IQ-plane. The navigational aid transmits information about own station based on a result of judgment by the signal detector. The monitoring of the behavior of the received baseband signal plotted on the IQ-plane can be accomplished by performing pattern recognition operation, for which a carrier sense technique, such as a support vector machine, subspace method or neural network, can be used.

A non-scaled, linearly compressed pictographic mapping system is provided for the visual display of information in a navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping uses a non-scaled, linearly-compressed pictographic design that shows roads as linear pictograms. The display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. The maps may also contain icons representing points of interest arranged in a cloud fashion. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

A navigational aid system for fishermen comprises a computer that is connected to the Internet. The computer accesses a high resolution map in the vicinity of a fishing boat. The map depicts the ocean temperature and depth profile in relation to marked latitude and longitudinal indicators. A specialized GPS system in communication with the computer depicts the latitudinal and longitudinal position of the fisherman's boat. The computer executes a separate program that has a transparent window overlaying the map. A user selects two points, one point at a time, on the map and enters corresponding latitude and longitude bearings consistent with those shown on the map. The separate program receives the GPS data and plots the boat position in an orthogonal coordinate system based on the two points selected and their corresponding coordinates. The map is optionally provided with data concerning weather and buoy or wreck hazards in the vicinity of the boat, together with details concerning the coastline.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for more efficient use of RAM and other resources in connection with a route calculation algorithm which quickly obtains a best or reasonable best path between two locations. The navigational aid device includes forced layer switching capabilities. The navigational aid device includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The memory has cartographic data including any number of locations and data indicative of thoroughfares of a plurality of types connecting certain ones of the locations. The plurality of thoroughfares are organized in a hierarchy of detail levels. The processor operates on a route calculation algorithm to find a path between any two of the number of locations and the route calculation algorithm dynamically forces switching between different levels in the hierarchy of detail levels based on a set of criteria.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for an improved navigational route planning device which provides more understandable, accurate and timely route calculation capabilities. The navigational aid device with route calculation capabilities includes a processor connected to a memory. The memory includes cartographic data and a desired destination, the cartographic data including data indicative of thoroughfares of a plurality of types. A display is connected to the processor and is capable of displaying the cartographic data. The device is adapted to process the device=s location and travel along a planned route. And, the device is adapted to dynamically calculate a new route to the desired destination with a preference for avoiding a particular portion of a thoroughfare or one or more different thoroughfares in a previous route.

The invention comprises systems and methods of creating and maintaining a communications network. It includes a wearable system, a deployable system, an array of physiological sensors, an array of environmental sensors, and the integration of these into a multi-nodal voice and data communication system. The primary communications network is composed of body-worn communications nodes comprising sensors, wearable audio / video communications gear, and wireless digital transceivers. The deployable system supports and extends the body-worn network by providing wider communications coverage, situational environmental monitoring, and navigational aid. The deployable system is composed of small, self-contained, robust network nodes. Each such node combines environmental sensors, a digital wireless “repeater,” and a navigational beacon capability integrated in a hardened, robust package. Nodes are carried by team members and deployed when needed to extend the range of the communications or sensor network.

Methods and computer products for establishing at least one of attitude, direction and position of a moving platform. At least one skymark of known ephemeris is imaged at each of a first set of discrete instants by means of an optical sensor coupled to the platform. A measurement is also obtained of the attitude of the platform at each of a second set of discrete instants by means of an inertial navigation system. A recursive of estimation filter is then applied to successive skymark position vectors to update an estimate of platform navigation state, with the measurement of attitude of the platform tightly coupled to the estimate of platform navigation state as updated by the recursive estimation filter. Various techniques of frame stacking and multi-hypothesis tracking may be applied to improve the robustness of navigation solutions.

Systems, devices and methods are provided for an improved navigational route planning device which provides more understandable, accurate and timely route calculation capabilities. The navigational aid device with route calculation capabilities includes a processor connected to a memory. The memory includes cartographic data and a desired destination, the cartographic data including data indicative of thoroughfares of a plurality of types. A display is connected to the processor and is capable of displaying the cartographic data. The device is adapted to process the device=s location and travel along a planned route. And, the device is adapted to dynamically calculate a new route to the desired destination with a preference for avoiding a particular portion of a thoroughfare or one or more different thoroughfares in a previous route.

A visual navigational aid for guiding the approach path of incoming aircrafts, ships or other vehicles. The visual navigational aid comprises high intensity light emitting diodes (LEDs) or LED arrays and optical beam shaping apparatus that produce multiple light beams with different colors or flash patterns to guide the incoming aircrafts, ships or other vehicles to a pre-determined approach path.

A non-scaled, linearly compressed pictographic mapping system is provided for the visual display of information in a navigational aid. Unlike today's road maps which use a point-arc-polygon paradigm, the new mapping uses a non-scaled, linearly-compressed pictographic design that shows roads as linear pictograms. The display has a columnar layout, whereby the descriptive elements are grouped together by type, and displayed one above the other in columns. The maps may also contain icons representing points of interest. In this manner, the mapping paradigm also serves to increase traveler safety, provide navigation assistance during address-less trips, create valuable advertising space and new promotional opportunities, and dramatically increases the travelers' communications and entertainment options.

Systems, devices and methods are provided to account for insignificant route segments to enhance a route guidance experience. An electronic navigational aid device is provided according to one aspect. The device includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and memory are adapted to cooperate to provide route guidance that accounts for insignificant route segments. According to various embodiments, insignificant route segments are accounted for by nullifying and / or modifying route guidance maneuvers associated with the insignificant route segments. Other aspects are provided herein.

A navigational aid device is provided that includes a GPS module, a processor, and memory. The device is configured to automatically determine a route to a destination and to account for, in its determination of a route, a plurality of modes of public, private, or both public and private transportation. Some of these configurations may also be configured to recommend a mode or modes of transportation to take to get to a destination, and / or accept user preferences in recommending a route or the mode or modes of transportation to take to get to the destination.

An electronic personal navigational aid device configured to calculate a route and to automatically call a telephone number and deliver a message depending upon the location of the device along the route. The devices may further be configured, for example, to dial at a certain estimated time enroute to a delivery or pickup stop and / or to listen to an autodialed party to determine how many packages the autodialed party has for pickup.

A visual navigational aid for guiding the approach path of incoming aircrafts, ships or other vehicles. The visual navigational aid comprises high intensity light emitting diodes (LEDs) or LED arrays and optical beam shaping apparatus that produce multiple light beams with different colors or flash patterns to guide the incoming aircrafts, ships or other vehicles to a pre-determined approach path.

A method and system for providing integrity information from a spacecraft in a non-geostationary constellation of spacecraft. According to one aspect of the present invention, a terrestrial source is provided for generating and providing a position message to a spacecraft in the non-geostationary constellation. The position message causes the spacecraft to generate and provide a response message to the terrestrial source. The response message is processed in the terrestrial source to determine spacecraft position data. The spacecraft position data is then provided to the spacecraft and utilized by the spacecraft and other spacecraft in the constellation to provided integrity information to a navigational aid.

An aviation yoke HSI interface and flight deck control indicator and selector safety system enhances flight safety. The system incorporates a multi-controlled HSI with a yoke heading adjustment control, a yoke radial / course selector, and a yoke heading centering control positioned on a yoke, stick, or collective. The system may also incorporate a first officer multi-controlled HSI with a first officer yoke heading adjustment control, a first officer yoke radial / course selector, and a first officer yoke heading and course centering control. An autopilot mode indicator visually indicates whether an autopilot is flying according to a desired heading or according to a navigational aid signal, such as a VOR radial signal. A side selector-indicator control permits selection of which side controls the flight of the aircraft.

A power efficient, acoustical Helmholtz resonator foghorn including a plurality of electrical emitters, some of which are redundant, arrayed at one end of a blocked tube with a plurality of exhaust ports located therein surrounded by a standoff tubular member. The foghorn tuned to provide a high pitch thus providing a compact horn having an acoustical path capable of producing an exceptional wavelength in a generally concentric horizontal sound propagation the horn configurable for use as either a one-half mile or two mile marine navigational aid for offshore structures, buoys, and the like.