Waypoint sharing systems and methods

• US 10,444,349 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Belgium BVBA (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flir Belgium BVBA (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gatland, Christopher Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/441,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20170160393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 13/008 measuring depth of open water
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6263 in which different colours are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6272 producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6281 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen, multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/30 Assessment of water resources

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide waypoint sharing with respect to sonar imagery for mobile structures. A waypoint sharing system includes a portable electronic device with a display, a communications module, and a logic device configured to receive a waypoint database from a sonar system user interface or a waypoint server over a wireless communication link, receive user input to adjust at least a portion of the waypoint database, and provide the adjusted waypoint database to the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link. The sonar system user interface is configured to provide a waypoint database to the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication ink, receive the adjusted waypoint database from the device or the server over the wireless communication link, and render at least a portion of the adjusted waypoint database on a display.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a portable electronic device comprising a display, a communications module, and a logic device, wherein the logic device is configured to;

receive a waypoint database from a sonar system user interface or a waypoint server over a wireless communication link established using the communications module;

receive user input to adjust at least a portion of the waypoint database; and

provide the adjusted waypoint database to the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is configured to:

establish the wireless communication link to the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server using the communications module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is configured to:

render, on the display, a waypoint described in the waypoint database in an image of a scene including the waypoint.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the logic device is configured to:

receive user input to adjust characteristics of one or more waypoints within the waypoint database, to add one or more waypoints to the waypoint database, and/or to remove one or more waypoints from the waypoint database, to adjust the waypoint database.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a visible spectrum imaging module configured capture the image of the scene and an imager position and/or orientation sensor (IPOS) configured to provide a position and/or orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module, and wherein the logic device is configured to:

capture the image of the scene using the visible spectrum imaging module; and

render, on the display, the waypoint and the image according to the position and/or orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module relative to the scene.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the IPOS is configured to provide an orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module, and wherein the logic device is configured to:

receive position data from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link; and

render, on the display, the waypoint and the image according to the relative orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module and according to the position data received from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is configured to:

receive sonar imagery from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link; and

render, on the display, the sonar imagery received from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is configured to:

store the waypoint database in a memory of the portable electronic device; and

execute a mapping application to render a map of at least a portion of the waypoint database on the display and/or to receive user input to adjust characteristics of one or more waypoints within the waypoint database, to add one or more waypoints to the waypoint database, and/or to remove one or more waypoints from the waypoint database, to adjust the waypoint database.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the portable electronic device is adapted to be held or worn by a user of the system while the user views the display.

10. A system comprising:

a sonar transducer assembly adapted to be mounted to a mobile structure and placed in a body of water; and

a sonar system user interface comprising a logic device configured to communicate with the sonar transducer assembly, a portable electronic device, and/or a waypoint server, wherein the logic device is configured to;

provide a waypoint database to the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over a wireless communication link;

receive an adjusted waypoint database from the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link; and

render at least a portion of the adjusted waypoint database on a display of the sonar system user interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the sonar transducer assembly comprises a sonar position and/or orientation sensor (SPOS); and

the logic device is configured to provide position data provided by the SPOS to the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the logic device is configured to provide sonar imagery generated by the sonar transducer assembly to the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the mobile structure comprises a watercraft;

the waypoint database comprises at least one fishing waypoint configured to identify a position and/or depth corresponding to fish detected in sonar imagery generated by the sonar transducer assembly; and

the portable electronic device is configured to receive the waypoint database from the sonar system user interface over the wireless communication link, receive user input to adjust at least a portion of the waypoint database, and provide the adjusted waypoint database over the wireless communication link, wherein the user input modifies the received waypoint database to generate the adjusted waypoint database.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a waypoint database from a sonar system user interface or a waypoint server over a wireless communication link;

receiving user input to adjust at least a portion of the waypoint database; and

providing the adjusted waypoint database to the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

establishing the wireless communication link to the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server using a communications module.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

rendering, on the display, a waypoint described in the waypoint database in an image of a scene including the waypoint.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving user input to adjust characteristics of one or more waypoints within the waypoint database, to add one or more waypoints to the waypoint database, and/or to remove one or more waypoints from the waypoint database, to adjust the waypoint database.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

capturing the image of the scene using a visible spectrum imaging module; and

rendering, on a display, the waypoint and the image according to a position and/or orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module relative to the scene provided by an imager position and/or orientation sensor (IPOS) configured to provide a position and/or orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the IPOS is configured to provide an orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module, the method further comprising:

receiving position data from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link; and

rendering, on the display, the waypoint and the image according to the relative orientation of the visible spectrum imaging module and according to the position data received from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving sonar imagery from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link; and

rendering, on a display, the sonar imagery received from the sonar system user interface or the waypoint server.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

storing the waypoint database in a memory of a portable electronic device; and

executing a mapping application to render a map of at least a portion of the waypoint database on the display and/or to receive user input to adjust characteristics of one or more waypoints within the waypoint database, to add one or more waypoints to the waypoint database, and/or to remove one or more waypoints from the waypoint database, to adjust the waypoint database.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing the waypoint database to a portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link;

receiving an adjusted waypoint database from the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link; and

rendering at least a portion of the adjusted waypoint database on a display of the sonar system user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the sonar transducer assembly comprises a sonar position and/or orientation sensor (SPOS); and

the method comprises providing position data provided by the SPOS to the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing sonar imagery generated by a sonar transducer assembly to the portable electronic device or the waypoint server over the wireless communication link.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the waypoint database comprises at least one fishing waypoint configured to identify a position and/or depth corresponding to fish detected in sonar imagery generated by a sonar transducer assembly.

26. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a plurality of machine readable instructions which when executed by one or more logic devices of a portable electronic device are adapted to cause the portable electronic device to perform the method of claim 14.