Casting guidance systems and methods

• US 10,677,921 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• 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: Murphy, Adam, Gatland, Christopher Daniel, Johnson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/939,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20180217257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 79/00 Methods or means of catching fish in bulk not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K77/00, e.g. fish pumps; Detection of fish; Whale fishery
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/16 with other than flat, or substantially flat, undulating bodies, e.g. plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 91/02 Devices for casting lines
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/125 using electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 99/00 Methods or apparatus for fishing not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K97/00
• 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 7/539 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide casting guidance for users of mobile structures, including watercraft. A casting guidance system includes a sonar transducer assembly and a logic device configured to communicate with the sonar transducer assembly. The sonar transducer assembly is adapted to be mounted to a mobile structure and placed in a body of water. The logic device is configured to identify one or more underwater targets in sonar data received from the sonar transducer assembly, determine casting guidance parameters corresponding to the one or more identified underwater targets, and generate at least one casting guidance identifier based, at least in part, on the determined casting guidance parameters. Subsequent user input, the sonar data, and/or the casting guidance parameters may be used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

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

a logic device configured to communicate with the sonar transducer assembly, wherein the logic device is configured to;

identify one or more underwater targets in sonar data received from the sonar transducer assembly;

determine casting guidance parameters corresponding to the one or more identified underwater targets; and

generate at least one casting guidance identifier based, at least in part, on the determined casting guidance parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying the one or more underwater targets in the received sonar data comprises:

detecting one or more water column features in the received sonar data;

determining one or more absolute or relative positions corresponding to the one or more water column features detected in the received sonar data; and

identifying the one or more underwater targets as the one or more absolute or relative positions corresponding to the one or more water column features detected in the received sonar data.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface comprising a display, wherein the identifying the one or more underwater targets in the received sonar data comprises:

rendering at least a portion of the received sonar data on the display;

determining one or more absolute or relative positions within the rendered portion of the received sonar data based, at least in part, on user input received by the user interface; and

identifying the one or more underwater targets as the one or more absolute or relative positions corresponding to the user input received by the user interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the casting guidance parameters comprises:

selecting a search space comprising a set of cast bearings or headings, cast ranges, cast positions, and/or sink times;

determining a set of bait retrieval paths corresponding to the selected search space; and

selecting one or more cast bearings or headings, cast ranges, cast positions, and/or sink times corresponding to the one or more bait retrieval paths of the set of bait retrieval paths passing closest to the one or more identified underwater targets.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining the casting guidance parameters comprises:

initializing a bait retrieval path simulation by placing a simulated bait at an initial bait position a cast range away from the mobile structure along a cast bearing or heading;

determining at least a line tension and a water effect force acting on the simulated bait; and

determining a bait retrieval path by iteratively updating the initial bait position based, at least in part, on the determined line tension and water effect force.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface comprising a display, wherein the generating the at least one casting guidance identifier comprises:

rendering the at least one casting guidance identifier on a surface of the body of water in a field of view (FOV) of the display.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface comprises a portable imaging device, and wherein the logic device is configured to:

render image data provided by the portable imaging device in a portion of the FOV of the display that extends above a waterline of the body of water in the FOV of the display.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the portable imaging device comprises a visible spectrum imaging module and an infrared imaging module, and wherein the logic device is configured to:

generate combined image data from visible spectrum image data and infrared image data provided by the portable imaging device; and

render the combined image data in the portion of the FOV of the display that extends above the waterline of the body of water.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the logic device is configured to:

render at least a subset of the received sonar data including the identified one or more underwater targets in a portion of the FOV of the display that extends below a waterline of the body of water in the FOV of the display; and

wherein;

the mobile structure comprises a watercraft;

the sonar transducer assembly comprises an array of sonar transducer elements, a sonar position and/or orientation sensor (SPOS), and/or a sonar actuator configured to adjust a position and/or orientation of the sonar transducer assembly; and

the logic device is configured to ensonify at least a subset of the portion of the FOV that extends below the waterline using the array of sonar transducer elements, the SPOS, and/or the sonar actuator.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable imaging device comprising a display and an imager position and/or orientation sensor (IPOS), wherein the portable imaging device is adapted to be held or worn by a user of the system while the user views the display, and wherein the logic device is configured to:

determine a waterline of the body of water relative to a field of view (FOV) of the display, using image data, position data, and/or orientation data provided by the portable imaging device and/or the IPOS; and

render at least a subset of the received sonar data including the identified one or more underwater targets in a portion of the FOV of the display that extends below the waterline in the FOV of the display.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuated active illumination device and/or an audio sub-system, wherein the generating the at least one casting guidance identifier comprises:

projecting the at least one casting guidance identifier on a surface of the body of water using the actuated active illumination device to indicate a cast position to a user of the system; and

/or

communicating the at least one casting guidance identifier using the audio sub-system to indicate a cast range and/or a cast bearing or heading to the user of the system.

12. A method comprising:

identifying one or more underwater targets in sonar data received from a sonar transducer assembly adapted to be mounted to a mobile structure and placed in the body of water;

determining casting guidance parameters corresponding to the one or more identified underwater targets; and

generating at least one casting guidance identifier based, at least in part, on the determined casting guidance parameters.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying the one or more underwater targets in the received sonar data comprises:

detecting one or more water column features in the received sonar data;

determining one or more absolute or relative positions corresponding to the one or more water column features detected in the received sonar data; and

identifying the one or more underwater targets as the one or more absolute or relative positions corresponding to the one or more water column features detected in the received sonar data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying the one or more underwater targets in the received sonar data comprises:

rendering at least a portion of the received sonar data on a display of a user interface;

determining one or more absolute or relative positions within the rendered portion of the received sonar data based, at least in part, on user input received by the user interface; and

identifying the one or more underwater targets as the one or more absolute or relative positions corresponding to the user input received by the user interface.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the casting guidance parameters comprises:

selecting a search space comprising a set of cast bearings or headings, cast ranges, cast positions, and/or sink times;

determining a set of bait retrieval paths corresponding to the selected search space; and

selecting one or more cast bearings or headings, cast ranges, cast positions, and/or sink times corresponding to the one or more bait retrieval paths of the set of bait retrieval paths passing closest to the one or more identified underwater targets.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the casting guidance parameters comprises:

initializing a bait retrieval path simulation by placing a simulated bait at an initial bait position a cast range away from the mobile structure along a cast bearing or heading;

determining at least a line tension and a water effect force acting on the simulated bait; and

determining a bait retrieval path by iteratively updating the initial bait position based, at least in part, on the determined line tension and water effect force.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the at least one casting guidance identifier comprises:

rendering the at least one casting guidance identifier on a surface of the body of water in a field of view (FOV) of a display of a user interface;

wherein the user interface comprises a portable imaging device, the method further comprising;

rendering image data provided by the portable imaging device in a portion of the FOV of the display that extends above a waterline of the body of water in the FOV of the display; and

wherein the portable imaging device comprises a visible spectrum imaging module and an infrared imaging module, the method further comprising;

generating combined image data from visible spectrum image data and infrared image data provided by the portable imaging device; and

rendering the combined image data in the portion of the FOV of the display that extends above the waterline of the body of water.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

rendering at least a subset of the received sonar data including the identified one or more underwater targets in a portion of the FOV of the display that extends below a waterline of the body of water in the FOV of the display; and

wherein the sonar transducer assembly comprises an array of sonar transducer elements, a sonar position and/or orientation sensor (SPOS), and/or a sonar actuator configured to adjust a position and/or orientation of the sonar transducer assembly, the method further comprising;

ensonifying at least a subset of the portion of the FOV that extends below the waterline using the array of sonar transducer elements, the SPOS, and/or the sonar actuator.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a waterline of the body of water relative to a field of view (FOV) of a display of a portable imaging device, using image data, position data, and/or orientation data provided by the portable imaging device and/or an imager position and/or orientation sensor (IPOS) of the portable imaging device, wherein the portable imaging device is adapted to be held or worn by a user of the system while the user views the display; and

rendering at least a subset of the received sonar data including the identified one or more underwater targets in a portion of the FOV of the display that extends below the waterline in the FOV of the display.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the generating the at least one casting guidance identifier comprises:

projecting the at least one casting guidance identifier on a surface of the body of water using an actuated active illumination device; and

/or

communicating the at least one casting guidance identifier to a user of the system using an audio sub-system.