WO2011026517A1

WO2011026517A1 - Mount apparatus, navigation device assembly and chassis

Info

Publication number: WO2011026517A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/061365
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ken Mcalpine; Martin Riddiford
Original assignee: Tomtom International B.V.
Priority date: 2009-09-03
Filing date: 2009-09-03
Publication date: 2011-03-10

Abstract

A mount apparatus (208) for a portable navigation device comprises a connector arm (210) for connection to the portable navigation device (100) and a mount arm (212) for coupling to a surface. The connector arm (210) and the mount arm (212) are pivotally connected together so as to be foldable between an open position where the mount arm (212) is inclined relative to the connector arm (210) and a closed position where the mount arm (212) is in a stowed state and lies substantially parallel with respect to the connection arm (210). The connector arm (210) is also arranged to provide a connecting claw (216) for engagement at opposite sides of the portable navigation device (100).

Description

MOUNT APPARATUS, NAVIGATION DEVICE ASSEMBLY AND CHASSIS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mount apparatus of the type that, for example, secures a portable device to a surface, such as a portable navigation device to a windscreen or dashboard of a vehicle. The present invention also relates to a navigation device assembly of the type that, for example, is securable to a surface, such as a windscreen or dashboard of a vehicle. The present invention further relates to a chassis for a portable navigation device, the chassis being of the type that, for example, accommodates parts and/or components that support functionality of the portable navigation device.

Background to the Invention

Portable computing devices, for example Portable Navigation Devices (PNDs), which include GPS (Global Positioning System) signal reception and processing functionality are well known and are widely employed as in-car or other vehicle navigation systems.

In general terms, a modern PND comprises a processor, memory, and map data stored within said memory. The processor and memory cooperate to provide an execution environment in which a software operating system can be established, and additionally it is commonplace for one or more additional software programs to be provided to enable the functionality of the PND to be controlled, and to provide various other functions.

Typically these devices further comprise one or more input interfaces that allow a user to interact with and control the device, and one or more output interfaces by means of which information may be relayed to the user. I llustrative examples of output interfaces include: a visual display and a speaker for audible output. Illustrative examples of input interfaces include: one or more physical buttons to control on/off operation or other features of the device (which buttons need not necessarily be on the device itself but could be on a steering wheel if the device is built into a vehicle), and a microphone for detecting user speech . I n one particular arrangement, the output interface display may be configured as a touch sensitive display (by means of a touch sensitive overlay or otherwise) additionally to provide an input interface by means of which a user can operate the device through the display.

Devices of this type will also often include one or more physical connector interfaces by means of which power and optionally data signals can be transmitted to and received from the device, and optionally one or more wireless transmitters/receivers to allow communication over cellular telecommunications and other signal and data networks, for example Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, GSM, UMTS and the like.

PN Ds of this type also include a GPS antenna by means of which satellite- broadcast signals, including location data, can be received and subsequently processed to determine a current location of the device.

The PND may also include electronic gyroscopes and accelerometers which produce signals that can be processed to determine the current angular and linear acceleration, and in turn, and in conjunction with location information derived from the GPS signal, velocity and relative displacement of the device and thus the vehicle in which it is mounted. Typically, such features are most commonly provided in in-vehicle navigation systems, but may also be provided in PNDs if it is expedient to do so.

The utility of such PNDs is manifested primarily in their ability to determine a route between a first location (typically a start or current location) and a second location (typically a destination). These locations can be input by a user of the device, by any of a wide variety of different methods, for example by postcode, street name and house number, previously stored "well known" destinations (such as famous locations, municipal locations (such as sports grounds or swimming baths) or other points of interest), and favourite or recently visited destinations.

Typically, the PND is enabled by software for computing a "best" or "optimum" route between the start and destination address locations from the map data. A "best" or "optimum" route is determined on the basis of predetermined criteria and need not necessarily be the fastest or shortest route. The selection of the route along which to guide the driver can be very sophisticated, and the selected route may take into account existing, predicted and dynamically and/or wirelessly received traffic and road information, historical information about road speeds, and the driver's own preferences for the factors determining road choice (for example the driver may specify that the route should not include motorways or toll roads).

PNDs of this type may typically be mounted on the dashboard or windscreen of a vehicle, but may also be formed as part of an on-board computer of the vehicle radio or indeed as part of the control system of the vehicle itself. The navigation device may also be part of a hand-held system, such as a PDA (Portable Digital Assistant), a media player, a mobile phone or the like, and in these cases, the normal functionality of the hand-held system is extended by means of the installation of software on the device to perform both route calculation and navigation along a calculated route.

In the context of a PND, once a route has been calculated, the user interacts with the navigation device to select the desired calculated route, optionally from a list of proposed routes. Optionally, the user may intervene in, or guide the route selection process, for example by specifying that certain routes, roads, locations or criteria are to be avoided or are mandatory for a particular journey. The route calculation aspect of the PND forms one primary function, and navigation along such a route is another primary function.

During navigation along a calculated route, it is usual for such PNDs to provide visual and/or audible instructions to guide the user along a chosen route to the end of that route, i.e. the desired destination . It is also usual for PN Ds to display map information on-screen during the navigation, such information regularly being updated on-screen so that the map information displayed is representative of the current location of the device, and thus of the user or user's vehicle if the device is being used for in- vehicle navigation.

An icon displayed on-screen typically denotes the current device location, and is centred with the map information of current and surrounding roads in the vicinity of the current device location and other map features also being displayed . Additionally, navigation information can be displayed, optionally in a status bar above, below or to one side of the displayed map information, an example of the navigation information includes a distance to the next deviation from the current road required to be taken by the user, the nature of that deviation possibly being represented by a further icon suggestive of the particular type of deviation , for example a left or right turn . The navigation function also determines the content, duration and timing of audible instructions by means of which the user can be guided along the route. As can be appreciated, a simple instruction such as "turn left in 100 m" requires significant processing and analysis. As previously mentioned, user interaction with the device may be by a touch screen, or additionally or alternately by steering column mounted remote control, by voice activation or by any other suitable method.

In addition, the device may continually monitor road and traffic conditions, and offer to or choose to change the route over which the remainder of the journey is to be made due to changed conditions. Real time traffic monitoring systems, based on various technologies (e.g. mobile phone data exchanges, fixed cameras, GPS fleet tracking) are being used to identify traffic delays and to feed the information into notification systems, for example a Radio Data System (RDS) - Traffic Message Channel (TMC) service.

Whilst it is known for the device to perform route re-calculation in the event that a user deviates from the previously calculated route during navigation (either by accident or intentionally), a further important function provided by the device is automatic route re- calculation in the event that real-time traffic conditions dictate that an alternative route would be more expedient. The device is suitably enabled to recognize such conditions automatically, or if a user actively causes the device to perform route re-calculation for any reason.

It is also known to allow a route to be calculated with user defined criteria for example, the user may wish to avoid any roads on which traffic congestion is likely, expected or currently prevailing. The device software would then calculate various routes using stored information indicative of prevailing traffic conditions on particular roads, and order the calculated routes in terms of level of likely congestion or delay on account thereof. Other traffic information-based route calculation and navigation criteria are also possible.

It should also be mentioned that, although the route calculation and navigation functions are fundamental to the overall utility of PNDs, it is possible to use the device purely for information display, or "free-driving", in which only map and traffic information relevant to the current device location is displayed, and in which no route has been calculated and no navigation is currently being performed by the device. Such a mode of operation is often applicable when the user already knows the route along which it is desired to travel and does not require navigation assistance.

Devices of the type described above, for exam ple the 920 GO model manufactured and supplied by TomTom International B.V., provide a reliable means for enabling users to navigate from one position to another, in particular using traffic-related information. Such devices are of great utility when the user is not familiar with the route to the destination to which they are navigating.

As mentioned above, when using the PND in a vehicle, it is sometimes desirable to mou nt the PND on a surface within the vehicle, for example on a windscreen (windshield) or a dashboard. Whilst a number of mount designs are known that are capable of various mounting positions on the windscreen or dashboard, when a user is driving between destinations, reliance is primarily placed on voice instructions from the PND. When receiving voice instructions the driver has to filter out, for example, road noise, engine noise, conversation within the vehicle and/or the radio. Existing PND devices tend to have small speakers on the rear face, because a significant portion of the rear face is typically used to secure the PND to an arm of the mount, which is in turn secured to the windscreen or dashboard of the veh icle. Unfortunately, the small speakers employed tend to lack audible output volume and distort voice output, making the voice output from the speaker difficult to hear and/or understand.

Consequently, a navigation assembly is described in WO 2009/092660 that comprises a mount that has a mount arm and a connector arm; the connector arm connects to at least a portion of a speaker port periphery, thereby allowing a larger and hence better quality speaker to be employed. However, such a configuration requires a protrusion to be formed in the housing of the PND, thereby making the PND bulkier.

With advances in audio technology, smaller speakers of improved quality are available and so the bulkier configuration of WO 2009/092660, i n th e form of a protruding speaker port, is not always required for securing the connector arm to the housing of the PN D. Also, some users of the PN D of bulkier form may find the form visually unattractive. Additionally, the connector arm has an annular portion that surrounds the periphery of the speaker port and this part constitutes a part that can be subjected to unintentional stresses a nd strai n s by a user an d hence broken . Furthermore, the thickness of the connector arm contributes to the bulkiness of the mount and hence the overall dimensions of the PND. Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mount apparatus for a portable navigation device, the apparatus comprising: a connector arm for connection to the portable navigation device; and a mount arm for coupling to a surface; wherein the connector arm and the mount arm are pivotally connected together so as to be foldable between an open position where the mount arm is inclined relative to the connector arm and a closed position where the mount arm is in a stowed state and lies substantially parallel with respect to the connection arm; and the connector arm is arranged to provide a connecting claw for engagement at opposite sides of the portable navigation device.

The connecting claw may comprise a part of a latch.

The connecting claw may comprise a pivot end and a latch end; the pivot end may be arranged to provide a pivot and the latch end may be arranged to provide a part of a releasable latch.

The connecting claw may comprise a pivot tooth for location in a complementary recess in a periphery of the portable navigation device and pivoting in the recess.

The connecting claw may comprise a planar portion for concealing a portion of the navigation device exposed by a housing cover part.

The planar portion may comprise an array of recesses.

The array of recesses may form a dimpled pattern.

The planar portion may comprise a continuous region of thinned thickness for enhancing sound propagation therethrough. The planar portion may comprise a concealable surface; the concealable surface may comprises the continuous region of thinned thickness. The continuous region of thinned thickness may overlie at least a portion of a loudspeaker when the connector arm is coupled to the portable navigation device.

The connector arm may comprise a concealable surface, when in use; the concealable surface may carry a locator pin for location within a complementary recess formed in the portable navigation device.

The latch end may be snappably fittable.

The latch end may be arranged also to retain the pivot tooth in situ.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a navigation device assembly comprising: a mount apparatus as set forth above in relation to the first aspect of the invention; and a chassis for attaching the mount apparatus thereto; wherein the chassis is arranged to permit, when in use, reversible engagement thereof with the mount apparatus.

The chassis may be arranged to receive a housing cover portion; the housing cover portion may be snappably fittable to the chassis for easy replacement.

The housing cover portion may be releasable from the chassis after detachment of the mount apparatus from the chassis.

The chassis may comprise a first formation and a second formation disposed at opposite sides thereof; the first and second formations may be arranged to provide, when in use, reversible engagement with the connecting claw.

The first formation may be arranged to engage either of the pivot end or the latch end of the connecting claw.

The housing cover portion may comprise a complementary opening arranged to provide access to the chassis for engagement of the connector arm; the complementary opening may be closable by the connector arm when attached to the chassis.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable navigation apparatus comprising the mount apparatus as set forth above in relation to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chassis for a portable navigation device, the chassis comprising a first formation and a second formation disposed at opposite sides thereof; wherein the first and second formations are arranged to receive, when in use, a mount for the portable navigation device, and to provide reversible engagement of the mount to the chassis.

It is thus possible to provide a mount apparatus, a chassis and a navigation device assembly capable of facilitating a smaller overall size of navigation device whilst providing flexibility of orientation of the mount with respect to the navigation device and hence maintain flexibility of coupling to a surface to which the mount is to be coupled, for example a windscreen or dashboard . Additionally, audible output volume from a loudspeaker of the navigation device is maintained at a level sufficient to enable audible vocal instructions output by the navigation device via the loudspeaker, when in use, to be heard and clearly understood.

Further advantages of these embodiments are set out hereafter, and further details and features of each of these embodiments are defined in the accompanying dependent claims and elsewhere in the following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described , by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of components of a navigation device;

Figure 2 is a schematic representation of an architectural stack employed by the navigation device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic circuit diagram for powering the navigation device of Figure 1 in a vehicle;

Figu re 4 is an exploded perspective view of a navigation device assembly constituting an embodiment of Figure 1 ;

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a mount apparatus of Figure 4 in an open state and constituting another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of the mount apparatus of Figure 5 in a closed state;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the mount apparatus of Figure 5; and

Figure 8 is an end elevation of an assembled navigation device assembly of Figure 4; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the navigation device assembly of Figure 4 when assembled.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Throughout the following description identical reference numerals will be used to identify like parts.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to a PND. It should be remembered, however, that the teachings of the present invention are not limited to PNDs but are instead universally applicable to any type of processing device, for example but not limited to those that are configured to execute navigation software in a portable or mobile manner so as to provide route planning and navigation functionality. It follows therefore that in the context of the present application, a navigation device is intended to include (without limitation) any type of route planning and navigation device, irrespective of whether that device is embodied as a PND, a vehicle such as an automobile, or indeed a portable computing resource, for example a portable personal computer (PC), a mobile telephone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) executing route planning and navigation software.

It will also be apparent from the following that the teachings of the present invention even have utility in circumstances where a user is not seeking instructions on how to navigate from one point to another, but merely wishes to be provided with information concerning, for example, traffic. In such circumstances, the "destination" location selected by the user need not have a corresponding start location from which the user wishes to start navigating, and as a consequence references herein to the "destination" location or indeed to a "destination" view should not be interpreted to mean that the generation of a route is essential, that travelling to the "destination" must occur, or indeed that the presence of a destination requires the designation of a corresponding start location.

Referring to Figure 1 , a navigation device 100 is located within a housing (not shown). The navigation device 100 comprises or is coupled to a GPS receiver device 102 via a connection 104, wherein the GPS receiver device 102 can be, for example, a G PS anten na/receiver. It should be u nderstood that the anten na and receiver designated by reference numeral 102 are combined schematically for illustration, but that the antenna and receiver may be separately located components, and that the antenna may be a GPS patch antenna or helical antenna for example.

The navigation device 1 00 includes a processing resource comprising, for example, a processor 106, the processor 106 being coupled to an input device 108 and a display device, for example a display screen 1 10. Although reference is made here to the input device 108 in the singular, the skilled person should appreciate that the input device 108 represents any number of input devices, including a keyboard device, voice input device, touch panel and/or any other known input device utilised to input information. Likewise, the display screen 1 10 can include any type of display screen for example a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

In one arrangement, one aspect of the input device 108, the touch panel, and the display screen 1 10 are integrated so as to provide an integrated input and display device, including a touchpad or touchscreen input to enable both input of information (via direct input, menu selection, etc.) and display of information through the touch panel screen so that a user need only touch a portion of the display screen 1 10 to select one of a plurality of display choices or to activate one of a plurality of virtual or "soft" buttons. I n this respect, the processor 106 supports a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that operates in conjunction with the touchscreen.

In the navigation device 100, the processor 106 is operatively connected to and capable of receiving input information from input device 108 via a connection 1 12, and operatively connected to at least one of the display screen 1 10 and an output device 1 14, for example an audible output device (e.g. a loudspeaker), via respective output connections 1 16, 1 18. As the output device 1 14 can produce audible information for a user of the navigation device 100, it should equally be understood that the input device 108 can include a microphone and software for receiving input voice commands. Further, the navigation device 100 can also include any additional input device 108 and/or any additional output device, for example audio input/output devices.

The processor 106 is operatively connected to a memory resource 120 via connection 122 and is further arranged to receive/send information from/to input/output (I/O) port 124 via connection 126, wherein the I/O port 124 is connectible to an I/O device 128 external to the navigation device 100. The memory resource 120 comprises, for example, a volatile memory, such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) and a non- volatile memory, for example a digital memory, such as a flash memory.

The external I/O device 128 may include, but is not limited to, an external listening device, such as an earpiece for example. The connection to I/O device 128 can further be a wired or wireless connection to any other external device, for example a car stereo unit for hands-free operation and/or for voice activated operation, for connection to an earpiece or headphones, and/or for connection to a mobile telephone, the mobile telephone connection can be used to establ ish a data con nection between the navigation device 100 and the Internet or any other network for example, and/or to establish a connection to a server via the Internet or some other network for example.

The navigation device 100 is capable of establishing a data session, if required, with network hardware of a "mobile" or telecommunications network via a mobile device (not shown), for example the mobile telephone described above, a PDA and/or any device with mobile telephone technology, in order to establish a digital connection, for example a digital connection via known Bluetooth technology. Thereafter, through its network service provider, the mobile device can establish a network connection (through the Internet for example) with the server (not shown). As such, a "mobile" network connection can be established between the navigation device 100 (which can be, and oftentimes is, mobile as it travels alone and/or in a vehicle) and the server to provide a "real-time" or at least very "up to date" gateway for information.

It will , of course, be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the electronic units schematically shown in Figure 1 are powered by one or more power sources (not shown) in a conventional manner. As will also be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, that different configurations of the units shown in Figure 1 are contem pl ated . For exa m pl e, th e com pon ents sh own i n Fi g u re 1 may be i n communication with one another via wired and/or wireless connections and the like. Thus, the navigation device 1 00 described herein can be a portable or handheld navigation device 100.

It should also be noted that the block diagram of the navigation device 100 described above is not inclusive of all components of the navigation device 100, but is only representative of many example components.

Turning to Figure 2, the memory resource 120 of the navigation apparatus 200 stores a boot loader program (not shown) that is executed by the processor 202 in order to load an operating system 132 from the memory resource 120 for execution by functional hardware components 130, which provides an environment in which application software 134 can run . The operating system 1 32 serves to control the functional hardware components 130 and resides between the application software 134 and the functional hardware components 130. The application software 134 provides an operational environment including the GUI that supports core functions of the navigation apparatus 200, for example map viewing, route planning, navigation functions and any other functions associated therewith. In this example, part of the application software 134 comprises a traffic data processing module 136 that receives and processes traffic- related data and provides the user with traffic information integrated with map information. As such functionality is not, by itself, core to the embodiments described herein, no further details of the traffic data processing module 136 will be described herein for the sake of conciseness and clarity of description.

Turning to Figure 3, the navigation device 100 is, in this example, located in a vehicle, for example an automobile, and connected to a mount 140. The navigation device 100 is coupled to a Cigarette Lighter Adaptor (CLA) 150, the CLA 150 being plugged into a so-called cigarette lighter (not shown) of the vehicle. The coupling of the CLA 150 to the cigarette lighter of the vehicle allowing a battery 152 of the vehicle to be used to power the navigation device 100 after appropriate conversion of the 12V Direct Current (DC) supply provided by the battery 152. Both the battery 152 and the CLA 150 are coupled to the ground 153 provided by the vehicle, typically the chassis or body of the vehicle.

Referring to Figure 4, a navigation device assembly 200 comprises a chassis 202 for accommodating parts and/or components of the navigation device 100, for example a loudspeaker (not shown). In this respect, the chassis comprises a loudspeaker cage 204 for receiving the loudspeaker. The assembly 200 can also comprise a housing cover portion 206 that is snappably fittable to the chassis 202 for easy replacement. The assembly 200 further comprises a mount apparatus 208.

I n th is example, the housing cover portion 206 has an opening 205 for accommodating the mount apparatus 208, including connection of the mount apparatus 208 to the chassis 202. The opening 205 is complementary with respect to the mount apparatus 208. The presence of the opening 205 exposes a portion of the interior of the navigation device 100. In this example, part of the chassis 202 is exposed.

The mount apparatus 208 is foldable and comprises a connector arm 210 and a mount arm 212. The connector arm 210 and the mount arm 212 are coupled together so that the mount arm 212 pivots with respect to the connector arm 210. In this example, the pivot is provided by a ball-and-socket joint 214. The mount apparatus 208 can therefore assume an open position, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 7 and 9, where the mount arm 212 is inclined relative to the connector arm 210. The mount apparatus 208 can also assume a closed position, as shown in Figure 6, where the mount arm 212 is in a stowed state and lies substantially parallel with respect to the connector arm 210.

Turning to Figure 5, the connector arm 210 is shaped so as to form a connecting claw 216 for engagement at opposite sides of the navigation device 100 as will be described in further detail later herein. The connecting claw 216 comprises a pivot end 218 and a latch end 220 separated by a planar or panel portion 222. In this example, the planar portion 222 is disk-shaped, the pivot end 218 and the latch end 220 being integrally formed with the planar portion 222 and diametrically opposed with respect to each other. The pivot end 218 of the connecting claw comprises, in this example, a pair of pivot teeth 224. However, the skilled person should appreciate that a greater or fewer number of teeth or other shaped protrusions can be employed.

The planar portion 222 comprises a concealable surface 226 having, in this example, a first continuous region of thinned or reduced thickness 228 and a second continuous region of thinned or reduced thickness 230. The first and second continuous regions of thinned thickness 228, 230 are segments of the concealable surface 226.

The concealable surface 226 also carries a first locator pin 232 and a second locator pin 234. The first and second locator pins, 232, 234 are integrally formed with the planar portion 222. The latch end 220 comprises a first part 236 of a latch mechanism. I n this example, the first part 236 of the latch mechanism is a folded portion of resiliently deformable material that has an outward portion 237 that extends substantially perpendicularly away from the planar portion 222 and a returning portion 239 that returns towards the planar portion 222. The returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism is slightly inclined with respect to the outward portion 237 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism.

Referring to Figure 7, the planar portion 222 comprises a presentation surface 238 opposite the concealable surface 226. The presentation surface 238 comprises an array of recesses 240 formed therein. In this example, the array of recesses 240 is arranged in a circular pattern . However the skilled person should appreciate that alternative configurations are conceivable, for example a matrix configuration. The array of recesses 240 constitutes a dimpled pattern on the presentation surface 238.

Referring back to Figure 4, the chassis 202 comprises a first formation , for example, a first recessed formation 242 at a first side 244 of the chassis 202 and a second formation, for example a second recessed formation 246 at a second side 248 thereof. In this example, the first formation 242 can equally receive the pivot end 218 or the latch end 220 of the connecting claw 216. Likewise, the second formation 246 can equally receive the pivot end 218 or the latch end 220 of the connecting claw 216.

The first and second recessed formations 242, 246 are formed in opposite sides of the chassis 202 for engagement of the connecting claw 216 to opposite sides of the navigation device 100. As can be seen from Figure 4, the first recessed formation 242 comprises a first transverse slot 252 and a first pair of mutually opposed lateral fingers 254. Similarly, the second recessed formation 246 comprises a second transverse slot 256 and a second pair of mutually opposed lateral fingers 258. In this example, the first and second pairs of mutually opposed lateral fingers 254, 258 are, in part, chamfered.

Referring to Figure 8, the first recessed formation 242 comprises a pair of complementary lateral recesses 250 that are spaced apart so as to be in registry with the pivot teeth 224 when brought together with the pivot teeth 224. Although not shown in Figure 8, the second recessed formation 246 comprises another pair of complementary lateral recesses disposed in the same way in the second recessed formation 246 as the pair of complementary lateral formations 250 are provided in the first recessed formation 242. It should be appreciated that while, in this example, the pivot end 218 of the connecting claw 216 is described as carrying the pivot teeth 224 and the chassis 202 is described as comprising the complementary lateral recesses 250, a converse configuration is also contemplated where the chassis 202 carries the pivot teeth 224 and the complementary lateral recesses 250 are formed at the pivot end 218 of the connecting claw 216.

In operation, the pivot end 21 8 of the connecting claw 21 6 is brought into engagement with the first formation 242 so that the pivot teeth 224 are located within the pair of complementary lateral recesses 250 of the first formation 242. The complementary lateral recesses 250 are sufficiently sized so as to enable the connecting claw 216 to pivot to a degree in the complementary recesses 250. The planar portion 222 and the latch end 220 of the connector arm 210 are brought towards the chassis 202 and the latch end 220 is urged into the second transverse slot 256. As the planer portion 222 is brought towards the chassis 202, the first and second locator pins 232, 234 are brought into registry with a pair of locator recesses 260 formed in the chassis 202 until the first and second locator pins 232, 234 are located in the pair of locator recesses 260 to ensure correct alignment of the mount apparatus 208 with the chassis 202.

Additionally, as the latch end 220 of the connector arm 210 is urged into the second transverse slot 256 of the second formation 246 of the chassis 202, the returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism is urged by the chamfered second pair of mutually opposed lateral fingers 258 towards the outward portion 237 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism as the returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism rides over the chamfers of the second pair of mutually opposed lateral fingers 258. Once the part of the returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism that abuts the lateral fingers 258 clears the second pair of mutually opposed lateral fingers 258, the returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism springs back to resume an uncompressed form. The returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism is then blocked from passing back out of the second transverse slot 256 unless the returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism is urged back towards the outward portion 237 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism by finger pressure so that the returning portion 239 of the first part 236 of the latch mechanism can clear the second pair of mutually opposed lateral fingers 258 when the latch end 220 is removed from the second transverse slot 256.

Hence, it can be seen that the second recessed formation 246 provides a second part of the latch mechanism and detachment of the mount apparatus 208 from the chassis 202 is achieved by finger pressure in relation to the first part of the latch mechanism. Furthermore, retention of engagement of the latch end 220, and thus the first part of the latch mechanism, with the second part of the latch mechanism is by way of a snap fit and the engagement of the latch end 220 with the chassis 202 also serves to retain the pivot teeth 224 in situ within the complementary lateral recesses.

When the mount apparatus 208 is connected to the chassis 202, the opening 205 formed in the housing cover portion 206 is closed by the planar portion 222, thereby concealing the portion of the interior of the navigation device 100 previously exposed by the housing cover portion 206. Once the mount apparatus 208 has been detached from the chassis 202, the housing cover portion 206 can be detached from the chassis 202 by finger pressure.

Due to the identical nature of the first and second recessed formations 242, 246, the connecting claw 216 and hence the mount assembly 208 are reversibly engagable and can be attached to the chassis 202 in the opposite orientation to that described above, i.e. the pivot end 214 can be coupled to the second recessed formation 246 and the latch end 220 can be coupled to the first recessed formation 242.

When the mount apparatus 208 is connected to the chassis 202, i.e. the mount apparatus 208 is in situ, one of the first and second continuous regions of thinned or reduced thickness 228, 230 overlie at least part of the loudspeaker located in the chassis 202, the reduced thickness of the part of the planar portion 222 that overlies the loudspeaker provides enhanced sound propagation therethrough.

The first and second recessed formations 242, 246 have been described herein as being disposed at the "sides" of the chassis 202. However, the skilled person should appreciate that the term "side" should not simply be construed as excluding "ends" of the chassis 202 and any opposing sides are contemplated. Furthermore, although the above example has been described in the context of the first and second recessed formations 242, 246 being formed in the chassis 202, the first and second recessed formations 242, 246 can be formed in a housing or housing part if it is expedient to do so in relation to design and/or operational motivations. In such an embodiment, if required, the locator recesses can also be formed in the housing or housing part.

It should be appreciated that whilst various aspects and embodiments of the present invention have heretofore been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular arrangements set out herein and instead extends to encompass all arrangements, and modifications and alterations thereto, which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Whilst embodiments described in the foregoing detailed description refer to GPS, it should be noted that the navigation device may utilise any kind of position sensing technology as an alternative to (or indeed in addition to) GPS. For example the navigation device may utilise using other global navigation satellite systems such as the European Galileo system. Equally, it is not limited to satellite based but could readily function using ground based beacons or any other kind of system that enables the device to determine its geographic location.

It will also be well understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that whilst the preferred embodiment implements certain functionality by means of software, that functionality could equally be implemented solely in hardware (for example by means of one or more ASI Cs (application specific integrated circu it)) or indeed by a m ix of hardware and software. As such, the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to being implemented in software.

Lastly, it should also be noted that whilst the accompanying claims set out particular combinations of features described herein, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular combinations hereafter claimed, but instead extends to encompass any combination of features or embodiments herein disclosed irrespective of whether or not that particular combination has been specifically enumerated in the accompanying claims at this time.

Claims

1 . A mount apparatus for a portable navigation device, the apparatus comprising: a connector arm for connection to the portable navigation device; and

a mount arm for coupling to a surface; wherein

the connector arm and the mount arm are pivotally connected together so as to be foldable between an open position where the mount arm is inclined relative to the connector arm and a closed position where the mount arm is in a stowed state and lies substantially parallel with respect to the connection arm; and

the connector arm is arranged to provide a connecting claw for engagement at opposite sides of the portable navigation device.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the connecting claw comprises a part of a latch.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the connecting claw comprises a pivot end and a latch end, the pivot end being arranged to provide a pivot and the latch end is arranged to provide a part of a releasable latch.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the connecting claw comprises a pivot tooth for location in a complementary recess in a periphery of the portable navigation device and pivoting in the recess.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connecting claw comprises a planar portion for concealing a portion of the navigation device exposed by a housing cover part.

6. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the planar portion comprises an array of recesses.

7. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the array of recesses forms a dimpled pattern.

8. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein the planar portion comprises a continuous region of thinned thickness for enhancing sound propagation therethrough.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector arm comprises a concealable surface, when in use, the concealable surface carrying a locator pin for location within a complementary recess formed in the portable navigation device.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 9, wherein the latch end is snappably fittable.

1 1 . An apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, when dependant upon Claim 4, wherein the latch end is arranged also to retain the pivot tooth in situ.

12. A navigation device assembly comprising:

a mount apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims; and a chassis for attaching the mount apparatus thereto; wherein

the chassis is arranged to permit, when in use, reversible engagement thereof with the mount apparatus.

13. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the chassis is arranged to receive a housing cover portion, the housing cover portion being snappably fittable to the chassis for easy replacement.

14. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 3, wherein the housing cover portion is releasable from the chassis after detachment of the mount apparatus from the chassis.

15. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 12 or Claim 13 or Claim 14, wherein the chassis comprises a first formation and a second formation disposed at opposite sides thereof, the first and second formations being arranged to provide, when in use, reversible engagement with the connecting claw.

16. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 15, when dependant on Claim 3, wherein the first formation is arranged to engage either of the pivot end or the latch end of the connecting claw.

17. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the housing cover portion comprises a complementary opening arranged to provide access to the chassis for engagement of the connector arm, the complementary opening being closable by the connector arm when attached to the chassis.

18. A portable navigation apparatus comprising the mount apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 1 1.

19. A chassis for a portable navigation device, the chassis comprising a first formation and a second formation disposed at opposite sides thereof; wherein the first and second formations are arranged to receive, when in use, a mount for the portable navigation device, and to provide reversible engagement of the mount to the chassis.