Race route distribution and route rounding display systems and methods

• US 10,488,204 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rivers, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Application Number:
  US15/721,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20180023954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/009 Wind propelled vessels comprising arrangements, installations or devices specially adapted therefor, other than wind propulsion arrangements, installations, or devices, such as sails, running rigging, or the like, and other than sailboards or the like or related equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/15 for monitoring environmental variables, e.g. wave height or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/40 for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2025/045 making use of satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/862 Combination of radar systems with sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/937 of marine craft
• 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 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6272 producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 3/02 Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide race route distribution and/or display for mobile structures. A race route distribution and/or display system includes a race route generator, a distribution server, a display board, various race route receivers, and/or a user interface, each of which may be used in conjunction with operation of one or more mobile structures participating in a race to receive a race route from the race route generator and/or distribution server. A race route receiver may include and/or be configured to communicate with a logic device, a memory, one or more sensors, actuators/controllers, and/or corresponding interface modules. The logic device may be adapted to receive the race route and display various portions of the race route to a user using intuitive symbols and/or adjust a directional control signal provided to an actuator of the mobile structure accordingly.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a logic device configured to communicate with a user interface for a mobile structure, wherein the logic device is adapted to;

receive a series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs;

receive rounding characteristics associated with the received waypoints and/or routelegs; and

display the series of waypoints and/or routelegs and waypoint rounding indicators corresponding to the received rounding characteristics.

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

determine a race route from the series of racemarks; and

display the race route to a user of the mobile structure.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the logic device is adapted to:

display a routing interface comprising a route selection interface and/or one or more route information interfaces to the user of the mobile structure prior to displaying the race route to the user.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the logic device is adapted to:

determine one or more routeleg bearings, routeleg distances, routeleg traversal times, rounding characteristics, and/or other route information associated with the determined race route; and

display a routing interface comprising one or more route information interfaces corresponding to the determined one or more routeleg bearings, routeleg distances, routeleg traversal times, rounding characteristics, and/or other route information to the user of the mobile structure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is adapted to:

receive the rounding characteristics and/or the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs from a route distribution server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is adapted to:

receive the rounding characteristics and/or the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs as user input provided to the user interface.

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

display a routing interface comprising one or more route information interfaces to the user of the mobile structure prior to displaying the series of waypoints and/or routelegs and waypoint rounding indicators to the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs comprises a series of race route identifiers, and wherein the logic device is adapted to:

receive a racemark database from a route distribution server and/or as user input provided to the user interface prior to receiving the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs comprises a virtual aid to navigation (ATON);

the rounding characteristic comprises identification information associated with the virtual ATON; and

the logic device is configured to receive the virtual ATON wirelessly using a VHF receiver.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic device is adapted to:

display the series of waypoints and/or routelegs and waypoint rounding indicators as a navigational chart comprising a plurality of waypoint symbols, wherein the waypoint rounding indicators are configured to graphically show a clockwise and/or counterclockwise rounding characteristic for at least one waypoint symbol on the navigational chart.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs;

receiving rounding characteristics associated with the received waypoints and/or routelegs; and

displaying the series of waypoints and/or routelegs and waypoint rounding indicators corresponding to the received rounding characteristics.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a race route from the series of racemarks; and

displaying the race route to a user of the mobile structure.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a routing interface comprising a route selection interface and/or one or more route information interfaces to the user of the mobile structure prior to displaying the race route to the user.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining one or more routeleg bearings, routeleg distances, routeleg traversal times, rounding characteristics, and/or other route information associated with the determined race route; and

displaying a routing interface comprising one or more route information interfaces corresponding to the determined one or more routeleg bearings, routeleg distances, routeleg traversal times, rounding characteristics, and/or other route information to the user of the mobile structure.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the rounding characteristics and/or the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs from a route distribution server.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the rounding characteristics and/or the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs as user input provided to the user interface.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a routing interface comprising one or more route information interfaces to the user of the mobile structure prior to displaying the series of waypoints and/or routelegs and waypoint rounding indicators to the user.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs comprises a series of race route identifiers, the method further comprising:

receiving a racemark database from a route distribution server and/or as user input provided to the user interface prior to receiving the series of racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

at least one of the racemarks, waypoints, and/or routelegs comprises a virtual aid to navigation (ATON); and

the rounding characteristic comprises identification information associated with the virtual ATON.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the series of waypoints and/or routelegs and waypoint rounding indicators as a navigational chart comprising a plurality of waypoint symbols, wherein the waypoint rounding indicators are configured to graphically show a clockwise and/or counterclockwise rounding characteristic for at least one waypoint symbol on the navigational chart.