Method of and apparatus for indicating the geographical position of a pilot vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for indicating e geographical position of a piloted vehicle equipped with a computer, the method comprising the steps of using a geographical map or a portion of map, approximately orientated, without regard to its method of folding and its dimensions; identifying and transmitting to the computer at any desired moment, basic information such as reference of alignment on a meridian of the map-references of magnetic declination and scale of said map, co-ordinates of at least one radio-navigation transmitter chosen on the map, co-ordinates of at least one objective to be reached on the map, co-ordinates of at least one possible intermediate point on the route; indicating on said map at any instant under the control of the computer which also receives the variable radio-navigation information from the transmitter selected, the geographical position of the vehicle, the above identification and indication steps being effected by the use of a single organization of means. The apparatus includes a slot having access to three sides for receiving the map which is immobilized, folded and roughly orientated, behind a double-glazed window, the means for alignment with a meridian of the map being constituted by pointers brought into coincidence with the meridian and means for supplying the computer with information of the angular position of said map with respect to the indicator. The vehicle is especially but not exclusively a flying vehicle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.