Radar apparatus and the like

• US 20090058718A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd, MaxSea International SAS
• Inventors: Tokuda, Koji, Jacquinot, Mathieu, Pryszo, Iker, Pryszo, Brice, Robin, Olivier, Obuchi, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,768,447 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/179
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/046 using an intermediate storage device, e.g. a recording/reproducing device
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/064 using a display memory for image processing G01S7/298 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses process sensing signals. A method for redrawing a sensing image when a range is or has been changed, according to one aspect of the present invention, records the sensing image and outputs the sensing image to a display; records additional information displayed upon a screen and outputs the additional information to the display; computes a new image from the recorded sensing image using an image manipulation computer function, so that the computed image fits a new scale of the changed range, and recording the computed image; and computes changes to the recorded additional information to adjust the additional information to the new scale of the changed range, and records the computed additional information.

Claims

1. A method for redrawing a sensing image when a range is or has been changed, said method comprising:

recording said sensing image and outputting said sensing image to a display;

recording additional information displayed upon a screen and outputting said additional information to said display;

computing a new image from said recorded sensing image using an image manipulation computer function, so that said computed image fits a new scale of said changed range, and recording said computed image; and

computing changes to said recorded additional information to adjust said additional information to said new scale of said changed range, and recording said computed additional information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensing image is a radar image, said range is a radar range, and said screen is a radar screen.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said additional information includes at least an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA) target, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) target, or radar rings.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said image manipulation computer function is a bitblit function.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said image manipulation computer function transfers an area of said recorded sensing image to a memory, wherein said transferred area fits said new scale of said changed range.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computed image and said computed additional information are displayed together on said display, on said new scale of said changed range.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of computing a new image from said recorded sensing image includes multiple computing sub-steps, wherein

each computing sub-step computes an intermediate image to fit an intermediate scale between a former scale of a former range and said new scale of said changed range,

said intermediate scale is obtained from said former range by changing to said new scale by a predetermined small step, and

each computed intermediate image is recorded at a high frame rate in order to create smoothly expanding or shrinking images for said intermediate ranges.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of computing changes to said recorded additional information includes multiple computing sub-steps, wherein

each computing sub-step computes an intermediate additional information to fit an intermediate scale between a former scale of a former range and said new scale of said changed range,

said intermediate scale is obtained from said former range by changing to said new scale by a predetermined small step, and

each computed intermediate additional information is recorded in order to generate as many corresponding frames.

9. A method of displaying a radar image, said method comprising:

(a) frequently transferring image data from one area to another area at a predetermined cycle;

(b) transferring said image data from said one area to said another area when a radar range is or has been changed, including expanding or shrinking said image data when said radar range is or has been changed; and

(c) re-transferring the processed image data back to said one area.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said transferring step frequently transfers an expanding or shrinking area of said image data to fit an intermediary range, said intermediary range being obtained from a former range by changing towards said changed range by a change step.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said transferring step may be performed with or without a smoothing process.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said transferring step computes an expanded or shrinking image data using a bitblit function.

13. A radar and like apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

at least one frame memory for storing image data and outputting processed image data to a display; and

a controller for

frequently transferring said image data from one area to another area at a predetermined cycle, wherein said one area is included in said at least one frame memory,

when a radar range is or has been changed, transferring said image data from said one area to said another area while expanding or shrinking said image data, based on said changed range, and

re-transferring the processed image data back to said one area.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controller frequently transfers said image data from said one area to said another area when a radar range is or has been changed, by

computing an intermediary image to fit an intermediate scale between a former scale of a former range and a new scale of said changed range, wherein said intermediate scale is obtained from said former range by changing to said new scale by a small step, and wherein said intermediate image is an expanding or shrinking image obtained from said image data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller records each said intermediate image at a high frame rate in order to create a smoothly expanding or shrinking image for intermediate ranges.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controller

records additional information displayed upon a radar screen and outputs said additional information to said display,

computes changes to said recorded additional information to adjust said additional information to a new scale of said changed range, and

re-transfers the processed additional information to said one area, for subsequent display of said processed image data and said processed additional information at said new scale of said changed range.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said additional information includes at least an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA) target, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) target, or radar rings.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controller expands or shrinks said image data, based on said changed range, using an image manipulation computer function such as a bitblit function.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said another area is a video memory.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, when a radar range is or has been changed, said controller transfers said image data from said one area to said another area while expanding or shrinking said image data based on said changed range, and records said processed image data at a high frame rate in order to create a smoothly expanding or shrinking image of intermediate ranges.

21. A radar and like apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a frame memory;

a video memory; and

a controller for

frequently transferring image data from said frame memory to said video memory at a predetermined cycle,

transferring said image data from said frame memory to said video memory when a radar range is or has been changed, including expanding or shrinking said image data using an image manipulation computer function, when said radar range is or has been changed, and

re-transferring the processed image data back to said frame memory.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said controller frequently transfers an expanding or shrinking area of said image data to fit an intermediate range, said intermediate range being obtained from a former range by changing towards said changed range by a change step.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said controller can select to expand or shrink said image data with or without a smoothing process.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said image manipulation computer function is a bitblit function.

25. The apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

a range switch for switching a range scale for said apparatus and for communicating said new range to said controller.