Detail-in-context lenses for navigation

• US 20050285861A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accessify, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: IDELIX Software Inc. (Lat49 Media Inc.)
• Inventors: Fraser, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/053 Detail-in-context presentations fisheye or wide-angle transformations G06T3/047

Abstract

A method in a computer system in a vessel for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original chart image for display on a display screen, the computer system displaying a representation of the vessel moving along a course in the original chart image, the region-of-interest being located along the course proximate to the representation of the vessel, the method comprising: establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having a diminishing magnification, the focal region having a size, a shape, and an orientation with respect to the course; receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region; and, applying the lens to the original chart image to produce the presentation.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system in a vessel for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original chart image for display on a display screen, the computer system displaying a representation of the vessel moving along a course in the original chart image, the region-of-interest being located along the course proximate to the representation of the vessel, the method comprising:

establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having a diminishing magnification, the focal region having a size, a shape, and an orientation with respect to the course;

receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region; and

,

applying the lens to the original chart image to produce the presentation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer system is at least one of a navigation system and a charting system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the one or more signals from a navigation device coupled to the computer system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the navigation device is at least one of an electronic chart display and information system (“

ECDIS”

), a global positioning system (“

GPS”

), a speedometer, an accelerometer, a radar, a sonar, and a compass.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more signals is at least one of:

an indication of at least one hazard along the course of the vessel;

a position of the vessel relative to the at least one hazard;

a speed of the vessel;

a direction of the vessel;

a travel time for the vessel;

an indication of at least one waypoint along the course of the vessel; and

, a position of the vessel relative to the at least one waypoint.

6. The method of claim 5 and further comprising at least one of:

increasing the size of the focal region in response to at least one of the position of the vessel relative to the at least one hazard, the direction of the vessel, the travel time for the vessel, and the speed of the vessel;

changing the shape of the focal region in response to at least one of the direction of the vessel, the travel time for the vessel, and the speed of the vessel; and

, changing the orientation of the focal region in response to the position of the vessel relative to the at least one waypoint.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the shape of the focal region is a conical shape and the step of changing the shape of the focal region changes an internal angle of the conical shape, the internal angle being proximate the representation of the vessel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying further comprises displacing the original chart image onto the lens to produce a displacement and perspectively projecting the displacement onto a plane in a direction aligned with a viewpoint for the region-of-interest.

9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising displaying the presentation on the display screen.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the lens is a surface.

11. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving the one or more signals through a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) displayed over the lens.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the GUI has means for adjusting at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein at least some of the means are icons.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the means for adjusting the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region is one or more handle icons positioned on a perimeter of the focal region.

15. The method of claim 11 and further comprising receiving the one or more signals from a pointing device manipulated by a user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the pointing device is at least one of a mouse, a pen and tablet, a trackball, a keyboard, an eye tracking device, and a position tracking device.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the vessel is at least one of a ship, boat, motor vehicle, train, and aircraft.

18. A system in a vessel for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original chart image for display on a display screen, the system displaying a representation of the vessel moving along a course in the original chart image, the region-of-interest being located along the course proximate to the representation of the vessel, the system comprising:

a processor coupled to memory, the display screen, an input device, and a navigation device and adapted to;

establish a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having a diminishing magnification, the focal region having a size, a shape, and an orientation with respect to the course;

receive one or more signals to adjust at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region; and

,

apply the lens to the original chart image to produce the presentation.

19. A computer program product having a computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer executable code for directing a data processing system in a vessel to generate a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original chart image for display on a display screen, the data processing system displaying a representation of the vessel moving along a course in the original chart image, the region-of-interest being located along the course proximate to the representation of the vessel, the computer program product comprising:

code for establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having a diminishing magnification, the focal region having a size, a shape, and an orientation with respect to the course;

code for receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region; and

,

code for applying the lens to the original chart image to produce the presentation.

20. An article having a computer readable modulated carrier signal medium being usable over a network, the computer readable modulated carrier signal medium having embedded means for directing a data processing system in a vessel to generate a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original chart image for display on a display screen, the data processing system displaying a representation of the vessel moving along a course in the original chart image, the region-of-interest being located along the course proximate to the representation of the vessel, the article comprising:

means in the medium for establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having a diminishing magnification, the focal region having a size, a shape, and an orientation with respect to the course;

means in the medium for receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region; and

,

means in the medium for applying the lens to the original chart image to produce the presentation.