GB2272558A - Navigation aid. - Google Patents

Abstract

A navigation aid for use by a vehicle driver has a display face with navigational information, such as a map including text information, presented in left-to-right reversed format and preferably in a light colour on a dark background. The display face is positioned to be reflected at the surface of the windscreen in use, so that the drivers attention need not be diverted from driving when consulting the navigation aid. The obverse of the display face may show the same navigational information as the display face but in non-reversed format. The display face may be an electronic display, including LCD, or it may be on an elongate sheet, to be scrolled across a display position. <IMAGE>

Description

NAVIGATION AID This invention relates to a vehicle navigation aid, particularly envisaged for use in automobiles.

Most drivers are familiar with the difficulty of referring to a map when driving a car. It takes time to turn one's attention from the immediate tasks of driving to the more abstract task of identifying one's location on e.g. a road map, divining the route to be followed and then applying that information to the outside world.

Handling the map usually involves at least one hand, which cannot then be used for operating the vehicle. For safety, it often proves preferable to stop and refer to the map or other instructions at leisure. But, it can subsequently be difficult to hold all the necessary information in one's memory to the extent that it can then be used with confidence while driving along.

Taking into consideration these existing problems, I have invented a vehicle navigation aid which comprises a display face, e.g. a sheet, to be positioned between the driver and front screen of a vehicle, carrying navigational information in left-to-right reversed format whereby the information can be viewed in non-reversed format as an image reflected in front of the driver, e.g.

at the windscreen.

In particular, the navigation aid may simply be rested on top of the vehicle control console.

Advantages of this arrangement will be immediately apparent. The reflected image does not entirely obstruct a driver's view of the road, as would a paper map lifted in front of the driver's face. To refer to the navigation aid, a driver need not look away to one side, or take hands off the controls. The driver need only refocus his/her vision briefly to the distance of the image to refer to the information reflected there.

Information shown on the navigational aid may comprise a map e.g. showing routes, geographical features, place names, any of which may have added labels, verbal annotations or brief instructions.

The navigational information may comprise instructions in textual form.

In order to reduce the degree of interference with the driver's perception of the road ahead, I find that it is highly preferable that the symbols, lines, characters, letters, words or whatever other indicia make up the information are presented on the display face in a light colour on a dark background. Conveniently it is presented in only two shades e.g. black and white.

It is preferred that the aid has an index indicating to the user its proper orientation in use e.g. showing which side should be positioned towards the vehicle interior, or towards the screen. This is useful, since reversed information tends to be confusing and it may not be immediately evident to the user which way round the sheet should be placed.

In some circumstances the sheet may be provided on a mount specially adapted for the interior of the vehicle in which it is to be used. In may cases, however, a simple flat sheet suffices. Desirably this should be reasonably sturdy so that it tends to remain in place without folding or blowing around. For example, heavy-grade paper (e.g.

at least lOOgsm), card or board might be used. If desired, a plurality of the sheets can be assembled into a pad e.g. by ring-binding or spiral-binding. In that case, lighter weight paper could be used.

Maps or other material making up the navigational information can be reproduced on the sheet by any suitable method e.g. printing, photography or electrostatic copying.

Letters are preferably presented in at least twelvepoint size, more preferably at least eighteen-point.

The sheet should preferably be effectively opaque, to avoid confusion as to which face is to be presented facing the windscreen. An individual sheet may carry a different map on each of its two faces. If wished, the reverse of each sheet could carry the same map as the obverse but printed in non-reversed format, and preferably with dark indicia on a light background. This could be useful for reference when not driving, or for use by a passenger.

An example of a navigational aid embodying the invention is appended, by way of illustration of the concept.

The example is a navigation aid for showing how to reach Penhow Castle along any one of a selection of major routes in that area. It consists of a map and a certain amount of text presented on an A4 size sheet of paper. In practice, this is stiff paper or card. The map is arranged in "landscape" fashion i.e. to be read from the long side of the rectangular sheet.

As can be seen, the map shows a number of major road routes in white on a black background. Major towns are shown as white blocks. Other geographical features (such as the Severn Estuary in this example) can be outlined with thin white lines to help orient the viewer. The names and numbers of the towns and routes are written beside them in white lettering/numbering on the black backgrounds, and this lettering is written in left-toright reverse so that it will be legible when reflected.

The navigation aid also includes guidance in addition to the map information. For example, near the centre appears the warning "do not use Exit 23". At one upper corner a special message appears, presented in dark letters on a light-coloured patch, in this case concerning time which must be allowed for a certain part of the journey.

One long side of the paper carries a white strip which serves as an index, so that when it is placed against the car screen the map will appear the right way up to the viewer. The white strip carries a legend explaining this, and typed so that the user will have to turn the map the right way round in order to read the legend.

Use of the aid is simple. The driver places the map on top of the housing of the vehicle's instrument panel between the steering wheel and the windscreen, with the indexed white edge against the windscreen. The driver can then see a reflection of the route guide on the inner surface of the windscreen, in which reflection the map and textual matter will appear the right way round so as to be both realistic and legible. In most vehicles, the combined factors of driver's head position, windscreen tilt and dashboard housing tilt lead to the driver's being able to see the guide substantially fully face on.

To refer to the guide, the driver need not take his/her hands from the wheel, nor turn his/her head. All that is needed is a glance slightly downwardly and a brief refocusing of the vision to the nearer image. The road ahead and any potential hazards are still visible through the dark portions of the image, so that the driver's attention is not diverted. Furthermore, there is scarcely any delay if the driver's attention and hands are suddenly needed for driving manoeuvres, since only the driver's eyes need adjust. If there is too much information to be memorised at one glance, there is no difficulty in referring to the guide repeatedly while driving along.

While a specific example of my navigation aid concept has been described, it should be understood that the concept is not limited to this specific example and a number of variations can be made while still using the basic concept. Other proposals include the following.

The display face may be dynamic rather than static.

For example, the information may be presented on an elongate sheet and be scrolled across the display face.

Such scrolling might be simply by turning a handle intermittently, or slowly and continuously e.g. by an electric drive.

Furthermore the display face may be an electronic display, such as an LCD display, instead of a permanently marked sheet. Such a display gives very great flexibility. It may be connected to a memory store resident in the device itself, or in the vehicle. This can send either static or scrolling map information, and/or static or gradually up-dated text, to the screen in the desired left-to-right reversed format, upside down and white on black.

Information may be received from outside the vehicle, e.g. via a "pager" system, for display. An example is continuously up-dated traffic information.

While the idea has been described in relation to road vehicles, it may also be applied in other types of vehicle e.g. in speedboats, where time for referring to charts or maps is limited.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS:

1. A vehicle navigation aid having a display face carrying navigational information in left-to-right reversed format to view in non-reversa1 format as an image reflected at a reflector in front of a vehicle driver.

2. A vehicle navigation aid according to claim 1 in which the reflector is or is on a windscreen of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle navigation aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the navigational information on the display face is presented in a light colour on a dark background.

4. A vehicle navigation aid according to any one of the preceding claims, having an orientation index to indicate to the user the proper orientation of the navigation aid for correct reflection of the image.

5. A vehicle navigation aid according to any one of the preceding claims in which the display face is the obverse of a sheet which shows on its reverse the same navigational information in non-reversed format.

6. A navigation aid substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing, without limitation to the navigational information content thereof.