MARINE ENVIRONMENT DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20150350552A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Pryszo, Brice, Jacquinot, Mathieu, Pryszo, Iker
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Disclosed is a marine environment display device for georeferencing an image stream of a marine environment captured by a camera. The marine environment display device may comprise an image receiver configured to receive an image of the image stream from the camera, a location receiver configured to receive an object location of an object, an image generator configured to generate, from the image, a projected image having location information associated with each of a plurality of points on the projected image and corresponding to a camera position and field of view of the camera, an object generator configured to generate an object indicator at a position on the projected image based on the object location and the location information, and a display configured to display the projected image and the object indicator at the position on the projected image.

Claims

1. A marine environment display device for georeferencing an image stream of a marine environment captured by a camera, the marine environment display device comprising:

an image receiver configured to receive an image of the image stream from the camera;

a location receiver configured to receive an object location of an object;

an image generator configured to generate, from the image, a projected image having location information associated with each of a plurality of points on the projected image and corresponding to a camera position and field of view of the camera;

an object generator configured to generate an object indicator at a position on the projected image based on the object location and the location information; and

a display configured to display the projected image and the object indicator at the position on the projected image.

2. The marine environment display device of claim 1, wherein the image generator comprises:

a chart engine program configured to provide, from chart data, a virtual marine environment corresponding to the camera position and field of view of the camera, wherein each of a plurality of points on the virtual marine environment is associated with the location information and corresponds to a respective point of the plurality of points on the projected image;

wherein

the image generator generates the projected image by projecting the image onto the virtual marine environment; and

the object generator generates the object indicator at the position on the projected image based on the object location and each of the plurality of points on the virtual marine environment.

3. The marine environment display device of claim 2, wherein:

the camera is a remote controlled camera on board a maritime vessel; and

the camera position is at least partially based on a feedback signal from the camera indicating a current position of the camera.

4. The marine environment display device of claim 1, wherein the object location is received from at least one of chart data, Automatic Identification System (AIS), Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), and Digital Selective Calling (DSC).

5. The marine environment display device of claim 1, further comprising:

an identification receiver configured to receive an identification of the object, wherein;

the object is a fixed object; and

the object location is received from chart data.

6. The marine environment display device of claim 1, further comprising:

an identification receiver configured to receive an identification of the object, wherein;

the object is a moving object; and

the object location is received from at least one of Automatic Identification System (AIS), Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), and Digital Selective Calling (DSC).

7. The marine environment display device of claim 6, wherein the object indicator is an icon with a shape and/or a color that is based on the identification.

8. The marine environment display device of claim 6, wherein:

the object indicator is a text label; and

the object generator is further configured to reposition the text label to avoid overlapping a second text label of a second object indicator.

9. The marine environment display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a selected point receiver configured to receive a user input selecting a point of the plurality of points on the projected image; and

a location retriever configured to retrieve a location associated with the selected point;

wherein the display is further configured to display the location of the selected point.

10. The marine environment display device of claim 9, further comprising:

an operation performer configured to perform a zoom operation and/or a pan operation centered on the selected point.

11. The marine environment display device of claim 9, wherein when displaying the location of the selected point, the marine environment display device further comprises:

a calculator configured to calculate a distance to the location of the selected point from the camera location based on a horizon at sea or a Depth Elevation Model on land;

wherein the display is further configured to display a distance indicator indicating the distance.

12. In a marine environment display device, a method for georeferencing an image stream of a marine environment captured by a camera, the method comprising:

receiving an image of the image stream from the camera;

receiving an object location of an object;

generating, from the image, a projected image having location information associated with each of a plurality of points on the projected image and corresponding to a camera position and field of view of the camera;

generating an object indicator at a position on the projected image based on the object location and the location information; and

displaying the projected image and the object indicator at the position on the projected image on a display.

13. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

providing, from chart data, a virtual marine environment corresponding to the camera position and field of view of the camera, wherein each of a plurality of points on the virtual marine environment is associated with the location information and corresponds to a respective point of the plurality of points on the projected image; and

projecting the image onto the virtual marine environment;

wherein the object indicator is generated at the position on the projected image based further on each of a plurality of points on the virtual marine environment.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the object location is received from at least one of chart data, Automatic Identification System (AIS), Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), and Digital Selective Calling (DSC).

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the object is a moving object; and

the object location is received from at least one of chart data, Automatic Identification System (AIS), Automatic Radar Plotting Aid (ARPA), and Digital Selective Calling (DSC);

the method further comprising receiving an identification of the object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the object indicator is an icon with a shape and/or a color that is based on the identification.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the object indicator is a text label, the method further comprising repositioning the text label to avoid overlapping a second text label of a second object indicator.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a user input selecting a point of the plurality of points on the projected image;

retrieving a location associated with the selected point;

calculating a distance to the location of the selected point from the camera location based on a horizon at sea or a Depth Elevation Model on land; and

displaying the location of the selected point and a distance indicator indicating the distance on the display.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing a zoom operation and/or a pan operation centered on the selected point.

20. A marine environment display device for georeferencing an image stream of a marine environment captured by a camera, the marine environment display device comprising:

an image receiver configured to receive an image of the image stream from the camera;

a location receiver configured to receive an object location of an object;

a chart engine program configured to provide, from chart data, a virtual marine environment corresponding to the camera position and field of view of the camera;

an image generator configured to generate, by projecting the image onto the virtual marine environment, a projected image having location information associated with each of a plurality of points on the projected image and corresponding to a camera position and field of view of the camera, wherein each of a plurality of points on the virtual marine environment is associated with the location information and corresponds to a respective point of the plurality of points on the projected image;

an object generator configured to generate an object indicator at a position on the projected image based on the object location, the location information, and each of the plurality of points on the virtual marine environment; and

a display configured to display the projected image and the object indicator at the position on the projected image.