Abstract:
A global position system device including a host and a plurality of direction indicating lights is provided. The direction indicating lights are disposed at the host, wherein each direction indicating light is represented as one direction. The host controls the direction indicating lights such that one of the direction indicating lights is bright and the others are dark. Then, users are indicated by the direction indicating lights to make a turn or keep running straightforward.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application ser. no. 95129745, filed Aug. 14, 2006. All disclosure of the Taiwan application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a global position system (GPS) device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a global position system device, by which a user can identify the moving direction readily. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Global position system (GPS) is a navigation system that combines satellite technology with wireless technology for providing the position, speed, and time of a particular location. Along with the improvement of the satellite technology, business opportunities related to GPS has been rapidly developed. Through the combination of space satellites and advanced communication equipment, the technology makes a revolutionary change in the applications of our daily life. For example, a moving vehicle can use GPS to determine the exact time and path to reach a destination; an ambulance can provide with emergency medical care more effectively; the driver of a vehicle can obtain the current position and destination through an electronic map. 
     GPS automatic vehicle guidance system (AVGS), employs the GPS technology, wherein the satellite antenna installed inside the vehicle is incorporated with the embedded GIS database to display the current location on the computer screen, so as to guide the driver while driving. In addition, the driver can select the driving path to arrive the destination more quickly. 
     However, the aforementioned GPS automatic vehicle guidance system is constructed on the car, which increases the manufacturing cost of the car as well as the purchase loading of the consumer. Due to the above drawback, a mobile device with GPS function is developed. 
     The GPS mobile device reminds a user of the moving direction through a display panel and a voice device. Thus, the display panel needs to display the moving direction continuously and consumes the power of the GPS device. Further, the display panel of the GPS device is small. The users may make a wrong decision when observing the unclear direction indication on the display panel. Additionally, the environment noise may disturb the reminding of the GPS device and affect the decision of the users. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a GPS device, by which the user can identify the moving direction readily. 
     As embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention provides a GPS device, which comprises a host and plural direction indicating lights. The host outputs a direction signal. The direction indicating lights are disposed at the host and controlled by the host to be bright or not, so as to indicate the users&#39; moving direction. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the host comprises a housing, a circuit board and a display panel. The circuit board is disposed in the housing and electrically connected with the direction indicating lights. The display panel is disposed on the surface of the housing and electrically connected with the circuit board. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the direction indicating lights comprise three direction indicating lights respectively representing acts of turning left, turning right, and moving straight. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the display panel is turned off as one of the direction indicating lights is bright. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the host further comprises a plurality of function keys disposed on the surface of the housing and electrically connected with the circuit board. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, each direction indicating light comprises a light source and a light guiding sheet. The light source is disposed on the circuit board, and the light guiding sheet is disposed on the surface of the housing and located above the light source. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light source is an organic light emitting diode. 
     The GPS device of the present invention has plural direction indicating lights. Thus according to the bright or not of the direction indicating lights the users can identify their moving direction readily. Furthermore, the display panel can be turned off, so as to reduce the electric consumption and extend the available time of the GPS device. 
     In order to the make aforementioned and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, a preferred embodiment accompanied with figures are described in detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a GPS device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the GPS device in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  respectively shows the GPS device indicating the users moving straight, making a left turn and making a right turn. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating a GPS device of an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the GPS device  100  of this embodiment comprises a host  110  and three direction indicating lights  120 ,  130  and  140 . The direction indicating lights  120 ,  130  and  140  are disposed in the host  110  for representing three different moving directions. In the GPS device  100  of this embodiment, the direction indicating lights  120 ,  130  and  140  are controlled to show bright or not according to a direction signal of the host  110  to indicate the moving direction for the user. For instance, the direction indicating light  120  is controlled to be bright and the direction indicating lights  130  and  140  are controlled to be dark, so as to indicate the moving direction for the user. 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the GPS device in  FIG. 1 . Referring to both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , specifically, the host comprises a housing  112 , a circuit board  114  and a display panel  116 . The housing  112  has a surface  112   a , and the circuit board  114  is disposed in the housing  112  and electrically connected with the direction indicating lights  120 ,  130  and  140  respectively. In this embodiment, the circuit board  114  is a printed circuit board (PCB). The display panel  116  is disposed on the surface  112   a  of the housing  112  and electrically connected with the circuit board  114 . The display panel  116  of this embodiment may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. 
     Referring to both  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the direction indicating light  120  comprises a light source  122  and a light guiding sheet  124 , wherein the light source  122  is disposed on the circuit board  114  and the light source  122  may be an organic light emitting diode. The light guiding sheet  124  is disposed on the surface  112   a  of the housing  112  and located above the light source  122 . In this embodiment, the light source  122  is controlled by the direction signal of the host  110  to emit light, and the light pass through the light guiding sheet  124  to make the direction indicating light  120  being bright. 
     The GPS device  100  may include plural function keys  150  disposed on the surface  112   a  and electrically connected with the circuit board  114  for the users to show the moving path by locating the present position and setting the destination. 
     When using the GPS device  100 , the function keys  150  is pressed firstly to select the locating function, so as to located the present position of the user. Then, select the destination and map out an optimum path or a shortest path by the program of the GPS device  100 . The optimum path or the shortest path is displayed by the display panel  116 . 
     After the user selects an optimum path or a shortest path, the display panel  116  can be manually turned off and doesn&#39;t show the moving path anymore. Thus, the GPS device  100  is in a power saving mode. Alternatively, the GPS device  100  can be set to start the power saving mode automatically when receiving no signal for a predetermined period. In the meanwhile, the direction indicating lights  120 ,  130  and  140  are controlled by the direction signal of the host  110  to be bright or not selectively, so as to indicate the users to move straight or make a turn. Since the GPS device  100  can indicate the moving direction of the users by the direction indicating lights  120 ,  130  and  140  in the power saving mode, the available time of the GPS device  100  can be prolonged. 
       FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5  respectively shows the GPS device indicating the users running straightforward, making a left turn and making a right turn. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the direction indicating light  120  is controlled to be bright and the direction indicating lights  130  and  140  are controlled to be dark, so as to indicate to keep running straightforward for the user. It is noted that the GPS device  100  is in power saving mode, and the display panel  116  is turned off. But, the user can still notice the direction indicating light  120  being bright, and keep running straightforward. 
     Similarly, as shown in  FIG. 4 , when the moving path mapped by the GPS device  100  indicates to turn left at the next intersection, the direction indicating light  120  is switched off and the direction indicating light  130  gets into bright to remind the user to make the left turn before arriving the next intersection. 
     In the same way, as shown in  FIG. 5 , when the moving path mapped by the GPS device  100  indicates to turn right at the next intersection, the direction indicating lights  120  and  130  are dark and the direction indicating light  140  gets into bright to remind the user to make the right turn before arriving the next intersection. 
     Furthermore, for the situation of driving beyond the original mapped moving path, a direction indicating light of driving in reverse can be set on the GPS device  100 , so as to remind the user to reverse or back the car to the original mapped moving path. 
     Accordingly, the GPS device of the present invention provides a safer indicating manner for the user by using the direction indicating lights. Additionally, the power consumption for driving the display panel can be saved by the use of the direction indicating lights, and the available time of the GPS device is prolonged. Therefore, the GPS device brings more convenience and safety to the user. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.