Sonar depth display

• US 10,290,124 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Steward, Lucas Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Lhymn, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US14/049,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20150097838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,043 Days
• Field of Search: 345418, 345419, 345440, 3454401, 345530, 367 87, 367 88, 367 92, 367 95, 367 99, 367107, 367108, 367110, 367115, 367117, 367118, 367131, 367141, 701 1, 701 21, 701 23, 701 24, 701 25, 701 26, 701 28, 701 323, 701 324
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6281 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen, multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/629 the display being oriented or displaced in accordance with the movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to a marine electronics device used to display marine sonar data. The marine electronics device may include a computer system with a processor, memory, and a display. The memory may have a plurality of executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed by the processor, the processor may receive depth information determined using a sonar device disposed underneath a vessel and configured to acquire sonar data in the direction of travel of the vessel. The processor may then cause the received depth information to be displayed on a navigation chart.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, from a forward looking sonar device, marine sonar data at a current location of a vessel, wherein the forward looking sonar device is disposed underneath the vessel and configured to acquire sonar data in the direction of travel of the vessel, wherein the marine sonar data is representative of a volume of an underwater environment ahead of the vessel in the direction of travel of the vessel;

determine a first location and a second location ahead of the current location of the vessel, wherein the first location and the second location are within the representative volume of the underwater environment, wherein the first location is between the sonar device and the second location;

analyze the marine sonar data received at the current location to determine a first depth at the first location ahead of the vessel in the direction of travel of the vessel;

analyze the marine sonar data received at the current location to determine a second depth at the second location ahead of the vessel in the direction of travel of the vessel;

determine the difference between the first depth and the second depth;

select the first depth of the first location or the second depth of the second location as corresponding to the second location based on the difference by;

selecting the second depth of the second location as corresponding to the second location in an instance in which the difference is determined to exceed a threshold difference amount, or

selecting the first depth of the first location as corresponding to the second location in an instance in which the difference is determined to be within the threshold difference amount; and

display, on a chart or map on a screen of a marine electronics device of the vessel, a heading line that includes the determined first depth at the first location and the selected depth at the second location, wherein the heading line extends from the current location and ahead of a representation of the vessel in the direction of travel.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to display the latitude and longitude coordinates for at least one of the first depth or the selected.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to display the heading line on a navigation chart that includes a route where the heading line matches a portion of the route leading to a next waypoint along the route.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to display the depths as numerical values.