Garmin Corporation

David J Laverick

Brian G Schoenfish

David F Lammers-Meis

Jeffrey D Minelli

Christopher J Hanshew

Jonathan C Burrell

John B Whiteside

Lawrence W Beason

Scott Burgett

Tracy L Olivier

Gary L Burrell

Robert M Kalis

Min H Kao

John J Mudd

Housing portion and a faceplate portion of a portable hand-held navigational device

A friction mount apparatus for supporting an electronic device () on a surface (). The apparatus () includes a body (), anchors (), and a receiving member (). Body () includes a recessed surface () on the bottom thereof into which a foam layer () is secured, wherein the foam layer () contacts a mounting surface () and resists moving relative to the surface (). The anchors () are connected to the body () via flexible necks () and have bottom surfaces formed of soft material and weighted cores to press the bottom surfaces against the mounting surface to resist movement relative to the mounting surface () and thus further stabilize the apparatus (). The receiving member () is secured to a top surface of the body () and is adapted to releasably retain an electronic device ().

Friction mount apparatus for an electronic device

A navigation assembly () for mounting a conventional, portable navigational device () in a vehicle not originally equipped with navigational capabilities is provided. The navigation assembly () comprises the navigational device () and a mounting assembly (). Trim () covering a support pillar () of the vehicle and installed during manufacture of the vehicle is replaced with substantially similar trim () having the mounting assembly () mounted thereto or integrally formed therewith. The mounting assembly () comprises a base (), a docking station (), and a retractable face plate (). The base () of the mounting assembly () is secured to the trim () and includes a cut-out () in which the docking station () may be mounted. The docking station () also includes a cut-out () sized and configured to receive the navigational device (). The retractable face plate () covers the cut-out () in the docking station () and is retracted in the rearward position when the navigational device () is mounted in the docking station () and is retracted in the forward position when the navigational device () is not mounted in the docking station ().

Navigational device for mounting on a support pillar of a vehicle and a method for doing same

A navigation assembly () comprising a carrying case (), a cradle (), a navigational device (), and a speaker () is provided. The carrying case () is sized and configured to fit within a tray () of a vehicle, wherein the tray () was formed during manufacture of the vehicle and designed to hold miscellaneous articles. The cradle () is pivotably mounted within the case () and is sized and configured to receive the navigational device (). The cradle () and navigational device () are operable to pivot from a flat, nested position within the case () upwards to a viewing position approximately perpendicular to the flat, nested position. A navigation assembly () comprising a cradle (), a navigational device (), and a lid () is also provided. The cradle () is pivotably mounted within a tray () of a vehicle, where the tray () was formed during manufacture of the vehicle and designed to hold miscellaneous articles. The navigational device () is sized and configured to mount within the cradle (). The lid () is hingedly secured to the tray () and is operable to enclose the navigational device () and cradle ().

Navigational device for installation in a vehicle and a method for doing same

A navigation assembly () for mounting a navigational device () in an open port () of a vehicle resulting from removal of a non-navigational component is provided. The navigation assembly () broadly comprises a mounting assembly () and the navigational device (). The mounting assembly () is mounted within the open port (), and the navigational device () is fixedly or removably attached to the mounting assembly (), such that the navigational device () may be linearly raised or lowered between two viewing positions that are in a general linear relationship to each other. The navigational device () is operable to pivot left and right within the open port (). Additionally, a navigation assembly () broadly comprising a mounting assembly () and a navigational device () for raising and lowering the navigational device () among three viewing positions that are in a general linear relationship to each other is provided.

An apparatus is provided for removably mounting an electronic device to a surface and for positioning the device with respect to the surface. The apparatus includes a cradle securable to the electronic device and a pivot link, which has a first end and a second end. The first end being pivotally coupled to the cradle. The apparatus also includes a support having a mounting pedestal coupled thereto. The second end of the pivot link is pivotally coupled to the support. The apparatus has a base which has a lower face that can be coupled to the surface and an upper face. The upper face has a receiving slot for the pedestal, the slot having a shoulder extending thereabove to engage the pedestal. The slot further has an open end to allow the pedestal to be moved within the slot. The base further includes a releasable locking arm having a retaining ridge located in line with the open end of the slot to selectively hold the pedestal within the slot. The pedestal of the apparatus can be placed within the slot and held within the slot by the retaining ridge of the locking arm. Further, the electronic device can be positioned with respect to the surface by pivoting the cradle and the link, and by rotating the pedestal within the slot. In an alternate embodiment, a suction cup mount is utilized.

Multi-position articulating mounting apparatus for an electronic device

A GPS system () which may be mounted on a dashboard () of any vehicle () after the vehicle has been manufactured yet appears to be integral with the dashboard. The GPS system () includes a GPS device (), a hood () for covering the GPS device, a base () for supporting the GPS device and the hood on the vehicle dashboard, and a faceplate () for placement over the front face of the GPS device for framing the GPS display.

Vehicle dash-mounted navigation device

Pocket size navigation device

Antenna for combined personal digital assistant and navigation device

A portable, handheld electronic navigation device includes an altimeter, a compass, and a GPS unit. An internal memory stores cartographic data, for displaying the cartographic data on a display of the navigation device. Accordingly, the device is capable of displaying cartographic data surrounding a location of the unit as determined by the altimeter. Additionally, through operation of an input, a user can cause the display to move, and thus display additional cartographic information, in the direction of the compass heading even when the user of the device is standing still. Furthermore, through utilization of a clock, such as the GPS clock, a user can determine altitude changes over time. Also, the altimeter of the navigation may be calibrated with altitude information entered by a user, with altitude information obtained from the cartographic or with altitude information derived from GPS.

GPS device with compass and altimeter and method for displaying navigation information

Hand-held navigational device

A portable, handheld electronic navigation device includes an altimeter, a compass, and a GPS unit. An internal memory stores cartographic data, for displaying the cartographic data on a display of the navigation device. Accordingly, the device is capable of displaying cartographic data surrounding a location of the unit as determined by GPS, heading information as determined by the compass, and altitude information as determined by the altimeter. Additionally, through operation of an input, a user can cause the display to move, and thus display additional cartographic information, in the direction of the compass heading even when the user of the device is standing still. Furthermore, through utilization of a clock, such as the GPS clock, a user can determine altitude changes over time. Also, the altimeter of the navigation may be calibrated with altitude information entered by a user, with altitude information obtained from the cartographic or with altitude information derived from GPS.

Growing community of inventors

Overland Park, KS, United States of America

David J Laverick