Visual navigation aid with point of interest feature

• US 5,179,385 A
• Filed: 01/02/1992
• Issued: 01/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Marine Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Marine Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: O'Loughlin, Thomas M., Titcomb, Neil, Low, Douglas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tubbesing, T. H.
• Application Number:
  US07/816,756
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 342/176, 342/177, 342/182, 342/183, 342/184
• US Class Current: 342/176
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/24 the display being orientated or displaced in accordance with movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus, e.g. true-motion radar

Abstract

A navigation aid is provided comprising a radar antenna, a position sensor, a compass, map/chart data, a display, and a controller. The controller determines whether the display depicts a chart, a radar sweep or both. Preferably, the visual navigation aid includes a point of interest feature, wherein at least one point of interest is visually selected on the chart or radar sweep by a cursor or the like. The controller also computes the location of the selected point of interest for display on the chart or radar sweep. In another aspect, the invention comprises methods for inputting and displaying a point of interest on a chart or radar sweep.

Claims

1. A visual navigation aid comprising

a radar antenna;

means for storing map data;

a compass;

means for sensing the position of said radar antenna;

a display;

means for inputting at least one point of interest; and

a controller, said controller responsive to said radar antenna to depict a radar sweep on said display, said controller responsive to said map data storage means to depict a map on said display;

said controller responsive to said compass, said position sensing means and said point of interest input means for controlling said display to depict the point of interest in its proper position on both the map and the radar sweep,

whereby radar targets, map features and the point of interest may be correlated.

2. The visual navigation aid of claim 1 wherein said controller comprises a toggle switch for depicting the point of interest alternately on the map display and the sweep display.

3. The visual navigation aid of claim 1 wherein said controller comprises means for substantially matching a scale of the map and a range of the radar sweep.

4. The visual navigation aid of claim 1 wherein said controller comprises means for depicting the radar sweep on said display in a north-up orientation.

5. The visual navigation aid of claim 1 wherein said controller comprises means for depicting the map on said display in a head-up orientation.

6. A method for displaying a point of interest on a radar sweep from a radar antenna comprising the steps of:

selecting the point of interest on a chart;

determining the location of the point of interest;

receiving a current geographical position of the radar antenna;

comparing the current position of the radar antenna to the point of interest location;

computing range and bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest location; and

displaying the point of interest on the radar sweep at the point of interest location.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein computing comprises computing range and compass bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest location.

8. The method of claim 7 including, before displaying, the steps of receiving a current heading of the radar antenna, and computing range and relative bearing to the point of interest location.

9. The method of claim 6 including, after displaying, the step of repeating the receiving, comparing, computing and displaying steps for a new current position.

10. A method for displaying a point of interest on a chart comprising the steps of:

visually selecting a point of interest on a radar sweep from a radar antenna;

determining initial range and initial bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest;

receiving an initial geographical position of the radar antenna;

calculating a location of the point of interest; and

displaying the point of interest on the chart at the point of interest location.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein determining comprises determining initial relative bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest.

12. The method of claim 10 including, before calculating, the steps of receiving an initial heading of the radar antenna, and computing an initial compass bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest.

13. The method of claim 10 including the steps of:

receiving a current position of the radar antenna;

comparing the current position of the radar antenna to the point of interest location; and

computing range and bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest location.

14. The method of claim 13 where computing comprises computing range and compass bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest location.

15. The method of claim 14 including, after computing, the steps of receiving a current heading of the radar antenna, and computing range and relative bearing from the radar antenna to the point of interest location.

16. The method of claim 13 including, after computing, the step of displaying the point of interest on the radar sweep at the point of interest location.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of toggling between displaying the point of interest on the chart and displaying the point of interest on the radar sweep.

18. The method of claim 13 including the step of substantially matching a scale of the chart and a range of the radar sweep.

19. The method of claim 13 including the step of displaying the radar sweep in a north-up orientation.

20. The method of claim 10 including, after computing, the step of repeating the receiving, comparing, and computing steps for a new current position.

21. A visual navigation aid comprising:

a radar antenna;

means for storing map data;

a compass;

means for sensing the geographic position of said radar antenna;

a display; and

a controller responsive to said radar antenna to depict a radar sweep on said display, and responsive to said map data storage means to depict a map on said display;

said controller responsive to said compass and to said geographic position sensing means for controlling said display to depict the radar targets and chart features in geographic correlation.

22. The visual navigation method of claim 21 where said controller comprises a toggle switch for alternately depicting the map display and the chart display.