Measuring apparatus having an indicator for displaying tide or tidal current data

• US 5,363,307 A
• Filed: 03/04/1992
• Issued: 11/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Yoshida, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/778,860
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 364/452, 364/449, 340/995, 340/988, 340/984, 367/113, 367/131, 73/181, 73/170.29, 342/450, 342/451, 342/357
• US Class Current: 701/219
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 13/002 Measuring the movement of open water
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish

Abstract

A measuring apparatus such as a fish school detecting apparatus or a navigation apparatus which displays tide or tidal current data and is installed on a ship. The measuring apparatus comprises a transmitter/receiver for emitting ultrasonic search signals and receiving echo signals resulting from the search signals, a signal processor for processing output signals of the transmitter/receiver to produce signals representative of underwater conditions, a first memory for storing the signals outputted by the signal processor, a second memory having stored tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon in relation to points on the earth, a position signal inputting device for inputting latitude and longitude signals representative of a desired point on the earth, a time inputting device for inputting data representative of a day and an hour, a data searching device for searching relevant tide or tidal current data in the second memory based on inputted latitude and longitude and a day and hour data and reading the searched data, and an indicator for displaying tide or tidal current data searched by the data searching device or signals outputted by the first memory.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for displaying tide or tidal current data comprising:

tide or tidal current data storing means for storing the tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon at a plurality of points on the earth;

latitude and longitude data generating means for generating longitude and latitude data representative of one of the plurality of points on the earth;

time data generating means for generating day and hour data;

data searching means for reading the tide or tidal current data for a desired age of the moon stored in said tide or tidal current data storing means based on the latitude and longitude data and the day and hour data; and

display means for displaying the tide or tidal current data for the desired age of the moon read by said data searching means,

said latitude and longitude data generating means including,

map data storing means for storing map data an area,

position specifying means for specifying a point of the stored map data, and

latitude and longitude calculating means for calculating a latitude and longitude based,,on the point of the stored map data specified by said position specifying means.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1, said latitude and longitude data generating means including a navigational aid device and latitude and longitude calculating means for calculating a latitude and longitude based on data obtained from said navigational aid device.

3. The display apparatus of claims 1 or 2, said time data generating means including a timer circuit.

4. The display apparatus of claim 2, wherein said navigational aid device is one of a GPS receiver and a loran receiver.

5. An underwater detection apparatus comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for emitting ultrasonic search signals and receiving echo signals resulting from the search signals;

signal processing means for processing output signals of said transmitting and receiving means to produce signals representative of underwater conditions;

first storing means for storing the signals representative of underwater conditions;

second storing means for storing tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon and points on the earth;

map data storing means for storing map data of an area;

position specifying means for specifying a point of the stored map data;

latitude and longitude calculating means for calculating a latitude and longitude based on the point of the stored map data specified by said position specifying means;

time input means for inputting day and hour data;

data searching means for reading tide or tidal current data stored in said tide and tidal current data storing means based on the latitude and longitude data and the day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tide or tidal current data read by said data searching means or the signal representative of underwater conditions stored in said first storing means.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein said latitude and longitude calculating means calculates the latitude and longitude from measured latitude and longitude data.

7. The display apparatus of claim 5, wherein said latitude and longitude calculating means calculates the latitude and longitude from input latitude and longitude data.

8. An underwater detection apparatus comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for emitting ultrasonic search signals and receiving echo signals resulting from the search signals;

signal processing means for processing output signals of said transmitting and receiving means to produce signals representative of underwater conditions;

first storing means for storing the signals representative of underwater conditions;

second storing means for storing tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon and to points on the earth;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship;

time measuring means for measuring a day and an hour at which the position of the ship is measured;

data searching means for reading tide or tidal current data stored in said second storing means based on the measured position of the ship and the day and hour; and

an indicator for displaying the tide or tidal current read by said data searching means or the signals representative of underwater conditions stored in said first storing means.

9. The underwater detection apparatus of claim 8 said ship position measuring means including one of a GPS receiver, a loran receiver, a Decca receiver, and an Omega receiver.

10. A navigation apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying a position of a ship;

tide or tidal current data storing means for storing tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon and to points on the earth;

map data storing means for storing map data of an area;

position specifying means for specifying a point of the stored map data;

latitude and longitude calculating means for calculating a latitude and longitude based on the point of the stored map data specified by said position specifying means;

time measuring means for measuring a day and hour at which the latitude and longitude are calculated;

data searching means for reading tide or tidal current data stored in said tide and tidal current data storing means based on the calculated latitude and longitude and the day and hour; and

an indicator for displaying the tide or tidal current data read by said data searching means.

11. A navigation apparatus comprising:

tide or tidal current data storing means for storing tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon and to points on the earth;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship;

time measuring means for measuring a day and hour at which the position of the ship is measured;

data searching means for reading tide or tidal current data stored in said storing means based on the measured position of the ship and the day and hour; and

an indicator for displaying the tide or tidal current data read by said data searching means.

12. A display apparatus for displaying tidal current data comprising:

tidal current data storing means for storing tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon and to points on the earth;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship to produce ship position data;

time data generating means for generating day and hour data;

data searching means for reading tidal current data corresponding to a relevant age of the moon stored in said tidal current data storing means based on the ship position data and the day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by said data searching means.

13. The display apparatus of claim 12 wherein the ship position measuring means generates longitude and latitude data.

14. In an underwater detection apparatus for transmitting ultrasonic search signals in a direction and receiving echo signals and for displaying the echo signals, a display apparatus, including:

tide or tidal current data storing means for storing hide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon in relation to points on the earth;

latitude and longitude data generating means for automatically generating longitude and latitude data, representative of a position of a point on the earth;

time data generating means for generating time data representative of a day and hour;

data searching means for reading tide or tidal current data corresponding to a relevant age of the moon from said tide and tidal current data storing means based on the latitude and longitude data and the day and hour data; and

an indicator for automatically displaying the tide and tidal current data read by said data searching means.

15. An underwater detection apparatus comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for emitting ultrasonic search signals and receiving echo signals resulting from the search signals;

signal processing means for processing output signals of said transmitting sand receiving means to produce signals representative of underwater conditions;

first storing means for storing the signals representative of underwater conditions;

second storing means for storing tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon in relation to points on the earth;

ship measuring means for measuring a position of a ship;

time measuring means for measuring a day and hour at which the position of the ship is measured;

data searching means for reading tidal current data in said second storing means based on the measured ship position and the measured day and hour;

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by the data searching means or the signals representative of underwater conditions stored in said first storing means.

16. A navigation apparatus comprising:

indicating means for displaying a position of a ship;

tide and tidal current data storing means for storing tide or tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon at points on the earth;

latitude and longitude data generating means for generating longitude and latitude data representative of a point on the earth;

day and hour data generating means for generating day and hour data;

data searching means for reading tide or tidal current data corresponding to a relevant age of the moon from in said tide or tidal current data storing means based on the latitude and longitude data and the day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tide or tidal current data read by said data searching means.

17. A navigation apparatus comprising:

tidal current data storing means for storing tidal current data corresponding to ages of the moon at points on the earth;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship;

day and hour measuring means for measuring a day and an hour at which the position of the ship is measured;

data searching means for reading tidal current data in said tidal current storing means based on the measured position of the ship and the day and hour; and

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by the data searching means.

18. A display apparatus for displaying water current flow data comprising:

means for measuring water current flow data;

means for measuring a point on the earth at which the water current flow data is measured;

memory means for storing the water current flow data and a day and hour at which the water current flow data is measured;

earth point data input means for inputting earth point data;

time input means for inputting current day and hour data;

data searching means for reading water current flow data from said memory means based on the earth point data and the current day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the water current flow data read by said data searching means.

19. The display apparatus of claim 18 said means for measuring a point on the earth including one of a GPS receiver, a loran receiver, a Decca receiver, and an Omega receiver.

20. A display apparatus for displaying water current flow data comprising:

means for measuring water current flow data;

means for measuring a point on the earth at which the water current flow data is measured;

memory means for storing the water current flow data, the points on the earth, and days and hours at which the points on the earth are measured;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship to produce ship position data;

time data generating means for measuring current day and hour data;

data searching means for reading the water current flow data from said memory means based on the ship position data and the current day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the water current flow data read by said data searching means.

21. An underwater detection apparatus comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for emitting ultrasonic search signals, and receiving echo signals resulting from the searched signals;

signal processing means for processing output signals of said transmitting and receiving means to produce signals representative of underwater conditions;

first storing means for storing the signals representative of underwater conditions;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship on the earth;

means for measuring a day and hour at which a tidal current is measured;

second storing means for storing tidal current data, the ship position data and the day and hour data;

input means for generating longitude and latitude data for a point on the earth;

time data input means for inputting day and hour data;

data searching means for reading tidal current data from said second storing means based on the ship position data and the input day and hour data; and

a indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by said data searching means or the signals representative of underwater conditions stored by said first storing means.

22. An underwater detection apparatus comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for radiating ultrasonic search signals, and receiving echo signals resulting from the search signals;

signal processing means for processing output signals of said transmitting and receiving means to produce signals representative of underwater conditions;

first storing means for storing the signals representative of underwater conditions;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship on the earth;

means for measuring day and hour data at which a tidal current is measured;

second storing means for storing the tidal current data, the ship position data, and the day and hour data;

position signal generating means for generating longitude and latitude data representative of a point on the earth;

time data inputting means for inputting day and hour data;

data searching means for reading tidal current data from said storing means based on the ship position data and the input day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data obtained by said data searching means or the signals representative of underwater conditions stored by said first storing means.

23. An underwater detection apparatus comprising:

transmitting and receiving means for emitting ultrasonic search signals and receiving echo signals resulting from the search signals;

signal processing means for processing output signals of said transmitting and receiving means to produce signals representative of underwater conditions;

first storing means for storing the signals representative of underwater conditions;

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship on the earth;

means for measuring a tidal current at the measured position of the ship;

means for measuring a day and hour at which a tidal current is measured;

second storing means for storing the tidal current data, the ship position data, and the day and hour data;

data searching means for reading tidal current data stored said second storing means based on the measured position of the ship and the measured day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by said data searching means or the signals representative of underwater conditions stored by said first storing means.

24. A navigation apparatus comprising:

means for indicating a position of a ship;

ship position measuring means for measuring the position of the ship on the earth;

means for measuring a tidal current at the measured position of the ship;

means for measuring a day and hour at which the tidal current is measured;

memory means for storing the tidal current data, the ship position data, and the day and hour data;

input means for generating longitude and latitude data representative of a point on the earth;

time data input means for inputting data representing a day and hour;

data searching means for reading tidal current data from said storing means based on the ship position data and the input day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by said tidal current means.

25. A navigation apparatus comprising:

ship position measuring means for measuring a position of a ship on the earth;

means for measuring tidal current data at the measured position of the ship;

means for measuring a day and hour at which the tidal current is measured;

memory means for storing the tidal current data, the ship position data, and the day and hour data;

position signal generating means for generating longitude and latitude data representative of a point on the earth;

time data input means for inputting data representing a day and hour;

data searching means for reading tidal current data from said storing means based on the ship position data and the input day and hour data; and

an indicator for displaying the tidal current data read by said tidal current means.

26. The navigation apparatus of claim 25, said ship position measuring means including one of a GPS receiver, a loran receiver, a Decca receiver, and an Omega receiver.