Apparatus for obtaining urban co-ordinates

(54) Designation Methods for determining a suitable route of movement from a current geographical position in a city to a desired destination in the city and facility for carrying out the method (56) Published publications: EP 0 046 198, GB 1 046 757, GB 1 097 094 (57) Summary:

The invention relates to a method of determining a suitable route of movement from a current geographical position in a city to a desired destination in the city, as well as apparatus for practicing the method. All addresses in the city are stored in a memory and each address is assigned a zone number, the desired address is entered manually in a process unit, which compares the desired address with the memory stored addresses, and indicates the number of the zone where the desired address is located. This zone number is entered in a manually operable device (8), thereby providing a map of the current area. In each street corner, an identification plate is affixed to the zone with information on the nearest reference signs.

The device comprises a keypad (3) for entering the desired address, and a verification screen (6) for verifying the address, and further comprises a memory in which all addresses are stored and assigned a z number, and a device for comparing the entered address with memory stored addresses. and indicates the zone number of the entered address.

The device also includes a second keypad (8) for entering the zone number and a third device providing a map of the zone.

DB 647289

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The numbers in brackets indicate international identification code, INID code. Letters in clamps indicate international document code

454 819

The present invention relates to a method for determining a suitable route of movement from a current geographical position 10 in a city to a desired destination in the city and facility for carrying out the method.

It is a well known experience in^- the extent to which the enormous difficulties encountered when it comes to finding in a foreign city can make a stranger feel lost only through family 15, and where it may prove to be an almost impossible task for a newly arrived person or for someone unfamiliar with its streets to find and get to a known or desired address, making it necessary for him to occasionally ask for directions from passersby, a situation he may not appreciate except in extreme distress. The manner in which the present invention is based, provides a reliable method for locating, from any known or unknown point, any address, and further utilizes a graphical method characterized by a continuous, correlative visualization designed to guide the questioner and enable him to immediately identify, logically and clearly, the point he is looking for.

In short, this method can be said to be based on the primary condition of dividing the street map of a city into a system of squares, so that, with the help of these squares, the sub-maps that must form the starting point of the desired roadmap are compiled and which sub-maps by means of of an electronic device is identified in a moving archive, and that a water wheel-type bucket appears in front of an entrance window. This bucket is the carrier of the maps pertaining to the road map in question and which covers the sought-after street, which has been indicated by the user via a letter marked

454 819 keypad and for which the code is entered into a microprocessor which provides a visual verification on a digital screen, wherein said code is analyzed and compared in a memory disk from which it is extracted if it is correct and visualized by illumination of that square or squares, into which the screen has been divided. The above-mentioned data is required to access by means of a card the window corresponding to the map or maps relating to said square / squares and arranged according to the square or square numbers which have been pressed on the keypad in the distribution console, and also continues the row of moving buckets, which transport it up to the open window.

After visualizing and limiting the roadmap and identifying the coordinates of the intended destination by means of the map or maps for the right squares, it remains only to identify the desired point at the location, for which, as an indispensable aid, information on public communication means leading in the main direction towards the point sought, should be marked on the back of the maps and, to complete the way, show the designations, affixed to the signs and whether the signs are affixed to a wall or to a pillar in the corner of the block of buildings, provide the designations for the location at which the user is located and, in addition, the upward or downward direction that should be followed to arrive at the address for the intended destination.

Since the street maps constructed in the form of a grid system have squares comprising a certain number of streets as well as corners, the name shown on each map becomes common to the square as a whole and in addition the street intersection has at least eight signs depending on the number of directions on the right. and on the left sidewalk and depending on the direction of the cross-shaped figure formed by the two streets is provided in addition to the map number, as a designation for the entire street pattern, another number, indicating the correlated sign number according to which the roadmap should be followed in the search for the continuing direction

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upward or downward, which ultimately leads to the searched location.

These signs, which are very easy to see, may be illuminated, may be provided with or lack the city coat of arms, may be provided with or lack any other type of designation, showing or not showing the road, and may furthermore be provided with one or more strips with notices, general or local, contain, as mentioned, the designations relating to the square found on the map and the street cross position, under visible marking of the upward or downward direction; which should be followed to arrive at the coordinate desired and specified in the roadmap.

Thus, the signage whereby the on-site identification is obtained shows two visible separated areas, an upper area comprising the special street signs relating to the municipality and which also includes the designations and markings which form part of the method according to the invention and, preferably, bottom, one or more narrow plates slidable in transverse guides and intended for general or local information; which can also be used to facilitate identification of the desired coordinate through the markings on the map provided.

According to an alternative embodiment, the signs may be provided with the number of the housing to which they are attached or also the number of the nearest house in the case where the signs are arranged on a post or the signs may completely lack any number for identification purposes. they may be provided with the code number for the square in the grid and for the sign as well as indications in the form of directional arrows for falling numbering; corresponding adjacent blocks or the street as a whole on one side and on the other and, correspondingly by means of a directional arrow rising numbering, which can relate to the block itself or to the street as a whole or a square and which allows the sign to be found at next street intersection and in a correlative and logical way make it possible to identify on the spot the point of the desired coordinates.

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These signs, whether affixed to a building or to a pillar, may additionally be provided with any type of designation or information, notices, traffic signals and various notices of general and public interest and may be illuminated for use at night and include a miniature map of the square to which the streets, their names and numbers relate, to facilitate identification of the user.

This additional map corresponds to the map in square 10 of the grid, which has been compiled by the machine in the data station and which can also provide a general street map of the city, divided into squares, with information on names of streets, districts, squares, etc., thereby providing a more specialized overview view and on which partial identification information is mentioned intended to guide the search towards the special square in the grid; so that after obtaining the position from the overview map and, by the pattern of partial squares, having received instructions on the indication signs, which are already mentioned are provided with a further visible square with end data in the form of a current position, the markings indicating the direction and a so-called street calendar, which can be flat or rolled up. As mentioned before, the above-mentioned sign can also be affixed to the front of a building or on a pole to make it easier to see when the view is largely obscured by the foliage of trees, traffic lights, kiosks and other tall objects.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the scope of the present invention, it is described in connection with a non-limiting embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and diagrams and in which

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the information station in which are provided the elements required to provide programmed output data for a theoretically coordinated output data for a theoretical coordinate,

Figure 2 shows a diagram of the elements arranged in the information station,

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the map store in the information station with a distribution device for the maps seen from the front and partially transparent,

Fig. 4 shows a detail of the mechanism for distribution and selection of maps in accordance with the user input data,

Fig. 5 shows a perspective detail of a corner of the site with the signage plates provided with indications and designations,

- Fig. 6 shows a detail of a map made up of a box completely drawn to illustrate how to find the current, coordinate searched for the location and

Figure 7 shows a partial detail of a reference sign intended to include two areas of projecting guides enclosing the sign (s) for general or local information,

Fig. 8 shows a corner with reference signs according to an alternative embodiment compared to the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, with the signs affixed to the front of a building,

Fig. 9 shows a corner post with the two signposts used for a traffic sign to make it visible or for any other road sign.

As can be seen in Figures 1-4, the base information station, generally referred to as reference numeral 1, consists of a cabinet whose upper portion 2 has an alphabetic and numeric keypad 3 intended for writing the address of a small control screen 4, where in the event of error, erasure is achieved by eraser 5. The upper part is also provided with a screen 6 divided in the form of a grid. The lower portion 7, which is shaped like a pulp, comprises a keypad 8 and a number of smaller doors or windows 9.

As can be seen in Fig. 2, the circuit constituting the information state is constituted by a central processing unit 10 which is connected to a passive memory 11, to active memory 12, to the keypad 3, to a floppy disk 13 and to the map distributor 14, each of of these elements are supplied from the feeder 15.

In passive memory 11 are registered information control

454 819 program and control program for keypad 3, diskette 13 and map distributor 14.

The active memory 12 maintains the data readings of the floppy disk 13 and the memory zone of the processor.

The floppy disk 13 is the memory of the street calendar, that is, the streets as a whole register, squares, avenues etc in the city.

The processor 10 constitutes the unit for processing information entered through the keypad 3 and the information provided by the floppy disk, thereby executing the control orders for controlling the map distributor 14 and its keypad 8.

The map distributor, Figures 3 and 4, consists of a series of endless chains 16 driven by a motor 17 via a reducer system 18, said chains carrying a series of buckets 19, similar to those found at irrigation wheels and intended to transport the maps.

To obtain the road map's theoretical marking map for locating a point in the city, the processor 10 is supplied with corresponding information by the keypad 3. The processor 10 analyzes the information and therefore performs a search on the diskette 13, extracts the information and reads the number corresponding to the map, thereby illuminating the correct square on the screen 6 to which a number corresponds, so that when buttons corresponding to that number in the keypad 8 is affected and the map distributor receives the corresponding signal from the calculator, the correct water wheel is moved until the bucket 19 corresponding to the desired map is left opposite the correct window 9, whereby the window is released to allow access to the interior.

As soon as the map corresponding to the zone in the street map containing the requested coordinates has been isolated, investigated and supplied, this not only finds the numbering for the corresponding square in the area, but also correct designations on the zone while simultaneously indicating the position and direction of the the searched point in the area, as well as all the details indicating suitable public transport means for arriving at the square zone and in which the indication designations are found by making visible some signposts

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454 819 located at the corners of each of the four points defined by a street intersection and following in a correlated order, as shown on the square of the map in Figure 6 and, on a larger scale, in the perspective corner of Figure 5 and whose sign (see Fig. 7), whether illuminated or not, is affixed to the front sides of the corner and shown in two parts. The lower portion of a portion is provided with parallel and transverse guides positioned opposite each other for receiving a slidable plate 22 adapted to said guides to enable advertising of general or inviting type for insertion close to the sign itself, thereby identifying and positioning is facilitated, while the upper portion 23 is still reserved for the proper designation purposes; 1 for example, the upper portion of the plate can be inserted not only the designation of the municipality to which the map belongs, the name of the street, the number of the house on which the sign is attached and the numbering in ascending and descending direction corresponding to the location of the block, but also, clearly visible, the designations shown on the roadmap map, the square in the grid, which is provided with a common number for all signs in the corners within the square's area and further designations; which marks the corners in relation to the map as a whole. This allows the identification of a position with respect to the point whose coordinates are found on the map, which makes it very easy to follow the rising or falling direction from the said corner, in order to reliably find and without difficulty the address which one time has been looking for.

With respect to Figures 8 and 9, it should be noted that a variation exists with respect to the orientation signs as well as those affixed to the front of the lamp and those shown in the form of a strip or stand on a corner post. The sign is generally designated 20 'and has two or more ad areas 22' and 22 with transverse guides 21 'to enclose and attach them. interchangeable plates 21 'containing general or specific local

454 819 notices as well as an area with a larger area 23 ·, in which data is identified that identifies the zone in accordance with the quadrilateral grid folder provided at the display station, numerical data regarding the number of the square in the grid and the indicated street intersection as well as with directional arrows indicating details of the falling numbering, · relating to adjacent blocks or to the street as a whole on one side and with respect to the other side, shown in the same way with indicator arrows, the rising numbering, which may refer to the building block itself or the street as a whole or a square. This makes it possible to find the next street sign that, in a correlative and logical way, allows identification at the location of the point with the desired coordinates. Below said indicator plate is attached a thin metal foil on which the current area square is displayed with its current representative numbering and with indication of the location at which it is located, furthermore it is similar to the grid map obtained by the computer provided with an additive to provide a street list or roll-up apparatus for said list to facilitate operation. This computer can provide an overview map of the city divided into squares to help the user find the location and the direction he should follow.

Detail variations are possible within the scope of the invention, whereby the extent and value of the indication plate can be freely selected, as well as the type of advertising advertisement; it may be illuminated or be provided with or lack the representative number of the house to which it is attached or the number of the nearby house, data of local interest or for the service of travelers or tourists, which may be of interest to include for the purpose of clarification and, of course, both the point of indication and the hanging or affixed sign, regardless of the dimensions and materials of which they are made.

The signpost sign shows by means of a directional arrow the falling numbering, which corresponds to adjacent blocks or the street as a whole on one side and the other and in the same way

454 819 the rising numbering, which can relate to the block itself or to the street as a whole. ... .

Given that the two streets at each corner of the intersection converge, the minimum number of squeaks becomes. used at each street intersection eight to thereby completely cover directions and signage not only at each part of the block but along each street in its entirety, thereby making it an easy task to determine its location when arriving at a street intersection and without any hesitation correct direction without stopping or obstructing traffic flow by examining even the location of the organization whose advertising is covered by the signs in question.

Starting from these elements as a base, it becomes obvious with what ease it is possible to reach an address even for a person without any knowledge of the city in which he is located. By simply spelling the name of the desired street and number and checking that the entry is correct, visualization and numbering of the route are within easy reach, whereby it is sufficient to reprint that numbering on the keypad on the map distribution table, as by any type of device, preferably by transmission via an endless transport chain device (irrigation wheel), means that a bucket carrying the identified and numbered map for delivery of its contents at a small door, which the user can open and remove the map together with roadmap and designations, as well as further details on how to find and locate the desired coordinates . These can be easily recognized by following the specially-designated designations in the partial designation portions of the signs, which identify all the corners of the area of ​​the city, which are found in the square of the grid, and which indicate ascending or descending direction to find the desired point.

Within the scope of the invention and the protection which it defines, detail variations are possible. Thus, the type of electronic device for detecting and comparing signals with a memory for visualizing and detecting the square of the grid corresponding to the address which is printed

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454 819 ίο or specified by the user, be of any kind, regardless of the means for producing the map corresponding to the square in question and depending on an external impulse.

The maps representing said squares may be of any size, shape and detail design, and may have any point or zoom designation suitable for the signposting signs, which may also be embodied in any shape and appearance and further comprise various general or local forms of referential advertising and may of course be performed in any shape and dimensions and of any material and format.

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