Abstract:
A GPS system includes a frame having a window, a GPS navigator supported by the frame, wherein a display of the GPS navigator is facing opposite to the window of the frame, a radar detector received in the frame to align with the window thereof, and an attaching element attaching the GPS system to an interior side surface of a vehicle such that the display of the GPS navigator is rearwardly facing towards the driver while the radar detector is forwardly sending out detecting signal through the window of the frame. The GPS system integrates the two important driving assistant equipments together, occupies minimal mounting space, and utilize only one car power outlet.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This is a non-provisional application of a provisional application having an application No. 60/994,427 and a filing date of Sep. 18, 2007. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a GPS with a radar detector and more particularly to a mount which contains a radar detector and holds a portable vehicle GPS navigator. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Arts 
         [0005]    Global Positioning System (GPS) navigator is becoming smaller and smaller, and is much more affordable in price. It is already widely used in all different vehicles. Many new models of vehicles have the option of preinstalled GSP navigator. But for those vehicles without preinstalled GPS navigator, mounting a portable GPS navigator is an obvious solution. 
         [0006]    Currently, most GPS navigator products are using mounts, such as suction mounts to install the GPS navigators on the vehicles. The suction mount is attached to the windshield or on the dashboard to give a stable support. An adjustable connecter connects the mount and the navigator in an adjustable manner so the driver can adjust the navigator&#39;s position to let the screen face to him or her. Also the car cigarette lighter provides the power to the GPS navigator. 
         [0007]    But many vehicles have some other mounted equipment which needs to take some place on the windshield or the dashboard, for example, radar detectors. If each equipment takes some space for installation, it unavoidably will limit the driver&#39;s view field which is very danger for driving. There is a need to integrate those individual equipments and maximally reduce the place taking by the installation. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0008]    An object of the present invention is to provide a GPS system to mount a GPS navigator and a radar detector together in a vehicle. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a GPS system to reduce the place taken by installation. 
         [0010]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a GPS system which has the screen of the navigator to face the driver, and has the radar detector window to face the front of the vehicle. 
         [0011]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a GPS system which allows the GPS navigator be mounted and removed easily. 
         [0012]    In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a GPS system which comprises: 
         [0013]    a frame having a window; 
         [0014]    a GPS navigator supported by the frame, wherein a display of the GPS navigator is facing opposite to the window of the frame; 
         [0015]    a radar detector received in the frame to align with the window thereof; and 
         [0016]    an attaching element attaching the frame to an interior side surface of a vehicle such that the display of the GPS navigator is rearwardly facing towards the driver while the radar detector is forwardly sending out detecting signal through the window of the frame. 
         [0017]    These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the mounting system having a radar detector and holding a GPS navigator. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the mounting system having a radar detector and holding a GPS navigator. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a back view of the mounting system having a radar detector and holding a GPS navigator. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the mounting system having a radar detector and holding a GPS navigator. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the mounting system attaching to the windshield. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mounting system attaching to the dashboard. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a GPS system for GPS navigator with a radar detector comprises a frame  10 . The GPS system also comprises a radar detector  20  seating inside the frame  10 . The frame  10  comprises a window  11  provided at a first side of the frame  10 , which allows the radar signal pass through to be detected by the radar detector  20 . The window  11  has a predetermined width which enables the radar detector  20  to detect radar signals from a predetermine range of angle and give the driver relative information. The GPS navigator  40  is supported by the frame  10  at a second opposed side thereof, wherein a display  41  of the GPS navigator  40  is facing opposite to the window  11  of the frame  10 . 
         [0025]    The frame  10  also comprises a GPS holder  12  which removably holds the GPS navigator  40 . The GPS navigator  40  is held in such a manner that the screen  41  of the GPS navigator  40  is facing outward of the frame  10 , and is opposite to the window  11  of the frame  10 . So when the screen  41  of the GPS navigator  40  is facing rearward to the driver, the window  11  of the radar detector  20  is facing forward of the vehicle. In other words, the when the GPS navigator  40  is supported at the frame  10 , the window  11  of the frame  10  is facing opposite to the screen  41  of the GPS navigator  40 . This will allow the radar detector  20  to detect radar signals in front of the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the GPS navigator  40  is clamped by the GPS holder  12  and can be easily removed. Therefore, it can be used as a portable navigator when the user is not driving. 
         [0026]    The GPS system also comprises a supporting arm  30 . On one end of the supporting arm  30  as a suction end comprises an attaching element  31  which is removably attached to the mounting surface of the vehicle for fixing the GPS system in position. Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in a preferred embodiment, the attaching element  31  is a suction cup which can attach to the interior surface of the vehicle by vacuum. This surface could be the windshield or the dashboard of the vehicle. The attaching element  31  can be removed and attached again, so it is available to adjust the position of attaching. It is convenient for different drivers to position the GPS system as they wish. It is worth to mention that whatever the position of the GSP navigator  40  is set according to the preference of the driver, the window  11  of the frame  10  is always facing towards the windshield for detection of the radar detector  20 . 
         [0027]    Another end of the supporting arm  30 , as a detachable attaching end, comprises an arm connector  32  which is connected with the frame  10 . The frame  10  comprises one or multiple connector seats  13 . The connector seats  13  is able to hooded up with the arm connector  32  of the supporting arm  30  to realized the mechanical connection of the frame  10  and the supporting arm  30 . This connection of the frame  10  and the supporting arm  30  is removable and adjustable. The mounting angle of the frame  10  can be adjusted by the driver so that the driver can have a good access to the screen  41  of the GPS navigator  40 . 
         [0028]    To avoid the supporting arm  30  blocking the window  11  of the frame  10 , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the frame  10  comprises two connector seats  13 , one is above the radar detector  20 , and one is beneath the radar, detector  20 . Therefore, when the supporting arm  30  is attached to the windshield, and the frame  10  is suspendedly hanged by the supporting arm  30 . The connector seat  13  over the window  11  is connected with the connector  32  of the supporting arm  30 . When the supporting arm  30  is attached to the dashboard, and the frame  10  is supported by the supporting arm  30 , the connecter seat  13  beneath the window  11  is connected with the connector  32  of the supporting arm  30 . In such a manner, the supporting arm  30  will not be placed in front of the window  11 , as a result radar signal can pass through window  11  with being blocked. 
         [0029]    In a preferred embodiment, the frame  10  is in an “L” shape in the side view. The horizontal bottom portion  14  of the frame  10  seats the radar detector  20  inside. The window  11  is formed at the front end of the bottom portion  14 . The window  11  is covered by radio transparent materials to allow the radar signals pass through. The receiver  21  of the radar detector  20  is behind the window  11 . The width of the window  11  is preferably 50 mm, which enables a large arrange of view field of the radar detector  20 , to detect radar signals from different directions. 
         [0030]    The GPS holder  12  is located on the vertical portion  15  of the frame  10  to retain the GPS navigator  40  in a vertically standing manner. The vertical portion  15  is perpendicular to the bottom portion  14 . On the side of the vertical portion  15  which is opposite to the window  11  of the bottom portion  14  located the GPS holder  12 . The GPS navigator  40  is held by the GPS holder  12  and is resting on the vertical portion  15  and the bottom portion  14 . On the other side of the vertical portion  15  a connector seat  13  is located. In this embodiment, the frame  10  comprises two connector seats  13 , one is on the vertical portion  15 , the other is on the bottom side of the bottom portion  14 . The connector seat  13  is a socket adapted to hold the plug on the supporting arm  30  as the connector  32 . 
         [0031]    In other words, the radar detector  20  is received in the horizontal bottom portion  14  of the frame  10 , wherein the window  11  is formed at a front end of the horizontal bottom portion  14  of the frame  10 . The vertical portion  15  of the frame  10  supports the GPS navigator  40  in a vertically standing manner to ensure the display  41  of the GPS navigator  40  facing towards the driver. 
         [0032]    As it is mentioned above, the GPS navigator  40  can be detached from the frame  10  to form the portable navigator. When the GPS navigator  40  is mounted to the frame  10 , the GPS navigator  40  is communicatively linked to the radar detector  20  through the frame  10  such that the GPS navigator  40  not only displays GPS signal on the display  41  but also outputs radar signal detected by the radar detector  20 . Accordingly, the GPS navigator  40  comprises a speaker unit for generating audio signal, such as “turn-by-turn voice directions, in responsive to the GPS signal received by the GPS navigator  40 . When the GPS navigator  40  is mounted at the frame  10  to communicatively link to the radar detector  20 , the speaker unit of the GPS navigator  40  can also generate an alert signal in responsive to the radar signal received by the radar detector  20 . 
         [0033]    In particularly, the first connector seat  13  is provided at a bottom side of the horizontal bottom portion  14  of the frame  10  at a position below the radar detector  20 , and the second connector seat  13  is provided at a front side of the vertical portion  15  of the frame  10  at a position above the radar detector  20 . Accordingly, the suction end of the supporting arm  30  is adapted for securely mounting at the mounting surface of the vehicle and the detachable attaching end of the supporting arm  30  is selectively coupling with one of the first and second connectors  13  to prevent the window  11  of the frame  10  from being blocked by the supporting arm  30 . 
         [0034]    Therefore, when the detachable attaching end of the supporting arm  30  is coupled with the first connector seat  13 , the suction end of the supporting arm  30  is adapted for mounting at the dashboard as the mounting surface of the vehicle, and when the detachable attaching end of the supporting arm  30  is coupled with the second connector seat  13 , the suction end of the supporting arm  30  is adapted for mounting at the windshield as the mounting surface of the vehicle. 
         [0035]    In the embodiment, the GPS navigator  40  and the radar detector  20  are using their own power supply. It could battery or 12V DC car power. In another embodiment of the present invention, the GPS navigator  40  and the radar detector  20  use the power supplied by the GPS system. 
         [0036]    In this embodiment, the frame  10  further comprises a power supply element  17  which is electrically coupling with both the GPS navigator  40  and the radar detector  20  and is adapted for electrically connecting with a 12V DC power outlet of the vehicle, so as to supply electrical energy to the GPS navigator and the radar detector at the same time. 
         [0037]    The frame  10  further comprises a power connector  121  protruded from the vertical portion  15  to electrically couple with a terminal  42  of the GPS navigator  40  when the GPS navigator  40  is supported at the frame  10  so as to not only supply power to the GPS navigator  40  but also communicate the GPS navigator  40  with the radar detector  20 . Accordingly, the power connector  121  is electrically extended from the power supply element  17  such that when the power supply element  17  is electrically connected to the power outlet of the vehicle, the GPS navigator  40  can draw the power from the vehicle. The GPS navigator further comprises a rechargeable battery  16  not only self-supplies power to the GSP navigator but also supplies power to the radar device when the power supply element  17  is disconnected with the power outlet of the vehicle. 
         [0038]    One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting. 
         [0039]    It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.