AU779775B2 - Destination aid - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 -1-

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION 9 9 *99 *999 STANDARD PATENT APPLICANT: PHILIP JOSEPH SON PTY. LIMITED NUMBER: PQ 0066/99 FILING DATE: 30/ 4/1999 *9 .9 9 9*99 9. 9 Invention Title: DESTINATION AID The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 DESTINATION AID Technical area This invention relates to the area of navigation using maps and in particular to the provision of a device which aids in locating destinations on a map.

Background to the invention Many users of Street Directories or other books containing maps have problems ooooo keeping track of their destination particularly in unfamiliar areas when driving.

0 This often results in them having to stop frequently when trying to find their destination and, apart from it taking a greater time to reach a destination than for one who is familiar with a particular area, it can also cause people to become frustrated at continually having to stop and look at a road map. It can even lead to people trying to 000 read road maps whilst at traffic lights or whilst driving which can cause traffic delays or worse still causing people to have accidents.

Outline of the invention It is an object of this invention is to provide a means which will assist people in locating their destination on a map and especially whilst driving.

19 April 2000 3 The invention includes a destination locating device, or destination aid, to aid in locating a destination on a map and which includes a substantially transparent planar body member with adhesive backing located on one side thereof, which backing is adapted for securement upon a surface, said device being provided with at least one location indicator adjacent the periphery of the member and said planar body member having outlined within its body a second clear transparent area which is provided with at least one further location indicator within that area.

eoooe The invention further includes a method of finding a location on a map using a destination aid as described above by means of a. obtaining grid references for a particular location such that the area where two grids intersect gives the desired location b. moving the destination aid either vertically or horizontally along one of the grids until it intersects with the grid using the location indicators on the location aid The arrangement being such that when the location indicators on the side of the body member are in the centre of each grid the said indicators within the second area line up with the area of the grid.

It is preferred that there be a plurality of location indicators adjacent the periphery of the planar member and that these be at pre-determined positions along the sides of the planar body member, said location indicators being so positioned, that each has a 19 April 2000 4 complementary member on the opposite side of the planar member, It is also preferred that a second group of location indicators, within the said second area, be equally and oppositely spaced apart and if joined would form a square within said area.

It is further preferred that the planar body member is rectangular and the second area within the body member is a square positioned within a hemisphere, the diameter of which hemisphere abuts one side of the planar member and forms part of one side of the square.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, we shall describe by way of non limiting example a specific embodiment of the invention in relation to the accompanying drawing .Brief description of the drawing figures In the drawing: Fig. 1 Shows a plan view of the destination aid.

Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention 1 in which a rectangular transparent body member 10 is composed of a durable flexible material, preferably a plastic, and is of predetermined dimensions.

19 April 2000 The rectangular body member is for convenience sake of the order of 95 mm in width and 70 mm in length with a thickness of the order of 0.050 mm. The precise dimensions are however immaterial to the invention and other shapes than a rectangle may be used. Similar considerations apply to the internal second area of the body member.

The rectangular body member on its underside is provided with an adhesive backing which adheres to the body member but is removably attachable to a map. In this embodiment of the invention the adhesive covers the entire back of the body member 0 0.:i however it need only cover one or more edges or other area of the body member provided that the device can be temporarily affixed to a map. Cellophane or the like is S°attached to the adhesive and is removed prior to use of the destination locating device or the attachment of the body member to the surface of a map.

A second area 20 is located within the transparent rectangular body member 10 and is, in this embodiment of the invention, preferably a semi-circle having its diameter 21 located centrally to one of the longer sides of rectangular member 10 and abutting that side which side may be considered a base 15 of the body member. This area 20 is printed on the body member 10 preferably in a transparent permanent ink of a distinctive colour and contains in turn a further transparent rectangle 30. While any part of the destination aid may be coloured as above, colour is not germane to the invention.

The body member is provided with two location indicators 11 or markings which may d:\wp51\spec\oseph-dest.cap\ 19 April 2000 6 be either cut out of the plastic body member or alternatively printed thereon, said location indicators being opposite to one another and centrally located along the longer sides of the rectangular body member 10. Two further location indicators 12 are positioned opposite each other on the sides of the rectangular body member and approximately 10 mm above its base. These indicators are adjacent area Within area 20 are a further group of location indicators 35 or markings which are equally and oppositely spaced apart so that when joined together form a square of .ooooi dimensions 20 mm x 20 mm, equivalent to the grid on most maps in a street directory.

o• When in operation, the device may be utilised on all road maps preferably within a street directory or the like, as well as in co-operation with at least or in fact anything with a grid reference system to aid in locating a destination.

To utilise the destination aid, one would firstly obtain the grid references for a particular location, such as a street in a street directory. The area where the two grids intersect will give the desired location.

In practice the destination aid is moved either vertically or horizontally along one of the nominated grids until it intersects with the other nominated grid using the corresponding locators on the device. Assuming that the locators on the side of the rectangular body member are in the centre of each grid, if one is utilising a directory with a 20 mm grid 19 April 2000 7 area which most maps in street directories have, the locators within the semi-circle should line up with the area of the grid.

When alignment is sufficient, one simply needs to press down on the destination aid, and the adhesive will keep the device firmly in place.

The destination aid may be removed and re-used by simply lifting it from the surface to which it was secured and filing it say inside the cover of a book or other suitable place. It is further emphasised that the destination aid can be used several times before it is required to be replaced due to the adhesive on its under surface losing its adhesive capabilities.

The destination aid may also be effectively utilised even on map corners and against the inside fold of any street directory or atlas, with sufficient adhesive along most of its sides enabling the aid to be held firmly in place.

It is envisaged that other embodiments of the invention will exhibit any number of and any combination of the features of the previously described.

Whilst we have described herein one specific embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that variations and modifications in this can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

d:\wp51 \spec\joseph-dest.cap\ 19 April 2000

Claims (8)

1. A destination locating device, or destination aid, to aid in locating a destination on a map and which includes a substantially transparent planar body member with adhesive backing located on one side thereof, which backing is adapted for securement upon a surface, said device being provided with at least one opaque mark, being a location indicator, adjacent a periphery of the body member and said planar body member having outlined within its body a second clear transparent area which is provided with at least one further location indicator within that area.

2. A destination aid as claimed in claim 1 having at least one pair of location indicators adjacent the periphery of the planar member said location indicators being so positioned, that each location indicator has a complementary location indicator on an opposing edge of the planar member.

3. A destination aid as claimed in claim 2 having a plurality of location indicators within the-second-area.

4. A destination aid as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the location indicators in the second area are equally and oppositely spaced apart so that, if joined, they would form a square within the said area. d:\wp51\specjoseph-dest.cap\ 15 October 2004 A destination aid as claimed in any one of claims 1 to claim 4 in which the planar body member is rectangular in shape.

6. A destination aid as claimed in any one of claims 1 to claim 5 in which the second area includes a square positioned within a semicircle, the diameter of which semicircle abuts one side of the planar member and forms part of one side of the square which is located centrally to the side of the planar member.

7. A destination aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

8. A method of finding a location on a map using a destination aid as claimed in any one of claims 1 to claim 7 by means of obtaining grid references for a particular location such that the area where two grids intersect gives the desired location S* moving the destination aid either vertically or horizontally along one of the grids until it intersects with-the grid-using the location indicators on the location aid The arrangement being such that when the location indicators on the side of the body member are in the centre of each grid the said indicators within the second area line up with the area of the grid. d:\wp51\spec\joseph-dest.cap\ 15 October 2004

9. A method of finding a location on a map substantially as herein described. DATED THIS DAY OF JULY 2004 PHILIP JOSEPH SON PTY. LIMITED By its Patent Attorneys A TATLOCK ASSOCIATES d:\wp51'.spec~joseph-dest.cap\ 15 October 2004