Patent Abstract:
A spherical world globe ( 4 ) with geographic features imprinted on its surface rotates on an axis ( 2 ) through the poles. The sphere is not large enough to carry legible details of all areas. Greater details are stored in a memory ( 12 ′) such as a compact disc. An indicator ( 8 ) on the sphere is positionable north and south or the sphere is positionable relative to a fixed indicator to position the indicator along a north/south meridian. A sensor ( 11 ′) senses the north/south position of the indicator and sends a signal to a control circuit ( 19 ) connected to the memory. Another sensor ( 10 ′) connected to the rotation of the sphere sends an east/west signal to the control circuit. Using the two signals, the circuit finds the area corresponding to the area selected on the sphere in the memory and displays it on a display in greater detail than is visible on the sphere.

Full Description:
[0001]     This invention relates to geographic displays, and more particularly to a world globe with an accessory detailed display of a selected region of the globe.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Spherical globes that have imprinted on their surface the map of the world are well known. They are generally provided with an axle through their north and south poles. They may be mounted on a base by the axle, so that they may be rotated for viewing a selected area U.S. Pat. No. 6,625,086 issued Sep. 23, 2003 to Kim discloses a globe with a rotation sensor on the axle. A pointer indicates a longitude position at a particular time zone on the globe. The sensor feeds the rotation information into an electronic processor and a display indicates a major city in that time zone and also displays the current time in that time zone.  
         [0003]     Navigational aids for providing maps in vehicles and on computers have detailed maps stored on a memory such as a computer disc. The information is retrieved by inputting some location data. This enables selection of particular map information from the memory to be displayed on a computer monitor or a small monitor, such as a battery operated liquid crystal display in a vehicle.  
         [0004]     Globes can be imprinted with a great deal of geographic information. However, unless the world globe is very large, the details are not easily read. Because a globe is spherical, it is awkward and expensive to have a large one. It is much less awkward and costly to have detailed planar maps. They may also be more easily updated. Flat and folded maps are very useful, but they lack the perspective given by the globe.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a world globe with geographic features thereon that rotates on an axle through the north and south poles with the axle mounted on a base. The globe is not large enough to legibly carry all of the geographic and map information that the invention provides. Additional detailed information of a selected area of the globe is provided on a display attached to the globe either on the base or at another location. Detailed information, much more than can be imprinted even on a large globe, is stored on a memory such as, but not limited to, a compact disc. Input to the memory to select a detailed map of a particular area of the globe to be displayed on the display is provided by a longitudinal signal and a latitudinal signal. A rotary position sensor adapted to sense the rotary position of the globe on the rotational axis through the north and south poles provides an east/west longitude signal. An indicator such as a transparent pointer or reticle is provided adjacent the globe surface. Mounting means for the indicator provides for relative motion between the globe and the indicator along a north/south meridian in an arc concentric with the globe, thereby maintaining its position adjacent the globe surface. A second sensor detecting the north/south location of the indicator provides the latitude signal. The two signals enable the system to select the appropriate detailed map of that latitude and longitude from the memory and to enable it to be displayed on the display. Another feature may enable the display of a more or less magnified map if desired.  
         [0006]     These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when the detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings in which like elements are designated by like reference characters in the various drawing figures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of the invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is schematic representation of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is front elevation view of the embodiment of  FIG. 3  with the display panel removed.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view through line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken through line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view through line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]     Referring now to the drawing  FIGS. 1-2 , a globe  18  of the invention includes a sphere  4  imprinted with geographic indicia  17  representing earth on its surface. The sphere is supported on an axle element  2  that is attached to support base  1 . The sphere rotates about an axis  3  through the north pole  6  and the south pole  7 . A meridian member  5  extends between the two poles. An indicator  8  such as an arrow pointer is slidably mounted on the meridian member for north/south motion of the tip of the indicator on the sphere. By rotation of the sphere in the east/west direction and motion of the indicator in the north/south direction, a particular area of the earth is located. A signal  13  from a first sensor  10  sensing rotation of the sphere and therefor longitude information, and a signal  14  from the second sensor  11  sensing sliding position of the indicator and therefor latitude information of the selected area are fed to control circuit  19 . Circuit  19  selects a particular portion of the memory  12  corresponding to the selected area That detailed map information  16  is displayed on the display  15 . The memory  12  may be any of the memory media well known in the art. It may be easily replaced with updated information, or with another language. Control buttons  20  and  21  select low and high magnification map displays. Button  22  moves the display to an area east, and button  23  moves the display to an area west. Button  25  moves to an area north, and button  26  moves to an area south. These functions are well known in the vehicle navigation and computer map display art. Button  24  displays the current time at the selected area. An internal clock  29  is set by positioning the indicator  8  at a location where the time is known, then entering the correct time using the hour button  27  and minute button  28 . When moved to a different time zone, the system displays the time corrected to that time zone. Electric power is supplied through power cord  30 .  
         [0018]     Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , another embodiment  18  of the invention is shown in which the display panel  15 ′ is mounted on the base  1 ′ to display a detailed map  16 ′ and the time  31  at the location indicated by the cross hairs of the reticle  8 ′. The sphere  4 ′ imprinted with geographic information  17 ′ is mounted on an axle element  2 ′ at the south pole with a pivot  32  at the north pole. The sphere and axle rotate together. The axle is rotatably supported by the two bearings  33  within the base. A rotary position first sensor  10 ′ sends a signal through wire  13 ′ to the computer circuit  19 ′ indicating the longitudinal position of the reticle. A meridian member  5 ′ encircles the sphere and supports the pivot  32 . The reticle is mounted on a circular element  34  that is concentric with meridian member  5 ′ and that slides within a track on member  5 ′. A second sensor  11 ′ engages the element  34  and rotates when reticle and element  34  move, sending a signal representative of the latitude of the reticle through wire  14 ′ to the circuit  19 ′. The circuit  19 ′ selects from the memory  12 ′ a particular detailed map  16 ′ of the selected area for display on the display  15 ′. A clock circuit  29 ′ provides time for time display  31 . Electric power is provided by battery  35 .  
         [0019]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , another embodiment  18 ″ of the invention is shown in which an arcuate support  36  is affixed to a base  37 . The display panel  38  is mounted on top of arcuate support  36 . The axle  40  of globe  39  is rotatably mounted on arcuate support  36  with rotary position sensor  41  sensing longitude information supplied to the control circuit  42  in the base. Rods  43  affixed to the base support a pivot  44  positioned in line with the center of the sphere. An indicator  45  positioned at the surface of the sphere is pivotally connected to the pivot  44  so that the indicator is maintained at the sphere surface as it moves in an arc concentric with the sphere along a meridian from south to north. Rotary position sensor  45  provides a signal indicative of the latitude position of the indicator to the control circuit. The control circuit selects from the memory a detail map of the area beneath the indicator to display on the display. Alternatively, the display may not be attached to the assembly, and may take the form of a video projector, a computer, and the like (not shown).  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , another embodiment  18 ′″ of the invention is shown. Extending upward from the base  47  is a support element  48 . Pivots  49  support a ring member  50  that encircles globe  51 . At a first location  52  on ring member  50  a pivot  53  supports a first end  54  of the axle element  55 , and at a second location  56  on member  50  a second pivot  57  supports a second end  58  of the axle element The axle element may be comprised of two aligned segments. A rotary sensor  59  provides a signal related to the rotation of the globe about its axis, longitude data. An indicator  60  in the form of a light beam from a light emitting diode  63  is focused on the globe surface. Diode  63  is affixed at the end of a rigid rod  61  extending upward from the base. A rotary sensor  62  senses the rotary position of the ring member as the globe is moved under the indicator along a north south meridian for latitude data. The signals from the two sensors are applied as in the earlier embodiments. The display  64  may comprise a printer.  
         [0021]     Referring now to  FIGS. 7-10  another embodiment of the invention is shown in which the latitude and longitude sensing is entirely within the globe. And, when the globe transmits some light through its walls, even the indicator selecting a particular location on the globe may be contained within the globe. With this embodiment, the user may rotate the globe on its axis and swivel the axis on pivots to move a light spot emanating from within the globe to a desired location on the globe. That area will then be displayed in detail on the video display. This embodiment uses digital optical sensing, but other angular sensing means well known in the art may be used as well.  
         [0022]     A globe  65  may be made of a light transmitting material such as plastic. It rotates about an axle  66  passing through the north and south poles. Rotary bearings  67  hold the globe in place on the axle while permitting free rotation of the globe. The axle is fixed on the ring  68 . The ring  68  swivels on pivots  69  that are affixed to the arcuate support member  70  that is mounted on the base  71 . The pivots are positioned so as to be at the equator of the globe. The mechanisms for providing latitude and longitude information as well as the indicator light beam are all within the globe are best seen in  FIGS. 8-10 . A clear transparent disc  72  is affixed to the inside surface  77  of globe  65  by tabs  76 . Nine rows of opaque marks  73  with progressively increasing numbers of marks having 256 in the outermost row on the disc  72  are provided for binary signal angle detection in a manner well known in the art. The marks are not complete on the drawing. A bar  75  affixed to axle  66  has nine photo detectors  74 . These sense when a mark or a space between marks is at the detector. The result of the information from the detectors indicates the rotary position of the globe relative to the base (or longitude) to one five hundred and twelfth of a circle. This longitude information signal is passed to electronics (not shown) in the base and the detail information is displayed at monitor  79 .  
         [0023]     Affixed to the axle vertically is a similarly marked second transparent disc  78  (marks not shown) for deriving latitude information. An equatorial pivot bar  83  is affixed at right angles to the axle at the equator of the globe. A sensing bar  80  rotates freely on the pivot bar  83 . It is provided with a row of photo detectors  81  to sense the presence or absence of marks on the disc. A weight  84  at the end of bar  80  ensures that the bar will remain vertical when the axle is tilted on pivots  69 . The disc  75  is preferably located at below 70 degrees south latitude. Because there is little detail to be displayed in the antarctic, details of that area will not generally be useful. The latitude signal from the sensors is transmitted by wire to electronics in the base as for the longitude information. The latitude and longitude signals may be transmitted wirelessly if desired. A beam of light  86  may be provided by laser light emitter  87  on the side of bar  80  to fall on the globe at the site selected by the user. The interior of the globe is lighted by a number of light emitting diodes  88  to enable the detectors to read the marks on the discs and to illuminate the globe for enhanced viewing.  
         [0024]     While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in form and arrangement of parts and the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made within the underlying idea or principles of the invention

Technology Classification (CPC): 6