Navigation system for a marine vessel in low light conditions

• US 6,057,880 A
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Night Vision Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Robert Alan Schnee
• Inventors: Schnee, Robert Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, BRYAN T
• Application Number:
  US08/980,102
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 348/36, 348/37, 348/38, 348/39, 348/61, 348/113, 348/114, 348/115, 348/116, 348/117, 348/118, 348/119, 348/120, 348/143, 348/148, 348/149, 348/162, 348/164
• US Class Current: 348/113
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 45/02 the devices being intended to illuminate the way ahead or other areas of environments
• 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: G01P 5/001 Full-field flow measurement, e.g. determining flow velocity and direction in a whole region at the same time, flow visualisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An aid for marine navigation includes a low-light video camera mounted within a weather-proof enclosure on a vantage point of a marine vessel for improved night vision. A conventional video camera is also mounted with the low-light video camera for daytime viewing. Video signals from the cameras are automatically selected depending on light conditions for transmission to a cabin of the vessel. Motors rotate the housing in a horizontal plane and in a vertical plane for enabling remote-controlled aiming of the cameras from the helm of the marine vessel. Sensors provide information on azimuth and elevation of the cameras for overlaying the video signal transmitted from the camera housing with this information for display with the video image on a monitor near the helm. Information on longitude and latitude, as well as vessel velocity and direction, from a global satellite positioning system receiver is also displayed. The overlayed video signal is RF modulated on to a predetermined channel for distribution to television receivers in other locations on the vessel.

Claims

1. A marine navigation system for use in conjunction with vessels having a helm and a separate captain'"'"'s cabin, including:

a camera housing;

a low-light video camera mounted in the housing for generating video output signals and having a predetermined aiming direction, a lens for focusing an image on a light amplifier for light amplification, and an image sensor coupled to the light amplifier;

a conventional video camera mounted in the housing for generating video output signals and having the same aiming direction as the low-light video camera;

a photo sensor means mounted in the housing for sensing ambient light conditions;

a first motor driven positioner for selectively pivoting the housing and therefore the low-light camera, the conventional video camera, and the photo sensor about a nominally vertical axis through an arc of about 360 degrees;

a second motor driven positioner for selectively pivoting the housing and therefore the low-light camera, the conventional video camera, and the photo sensor about a nominally horizontal axis through an arc of about 60 degrees;

circuitry for generating an azimuth signal indicative of the positioning of the housing and therefore the low-light and conventional video cameras relative to the nominally vertical axis;

circuitry for generating an elevation signal indicative of the positioning of the housing and therefore the low-light and conventional video cameras relative to the nominally horizontal axis;

circuitry responsive to the output of the photo sensor for automatically selecting either the low-light video camera or the conventional video camera depending on ambient light conditions;

a selector switch for selecting either the low-light video camera or the conventional video camera notwithstanding the ambient light conditions as determined by the photo sensor;

a first position controller mounted at the helm of the vessel for selective actuation to cause the first and second motor driven positioners to pivot the housing about the nominally vertical axis and about the nominally horizontal axis and thereby aiming the low-light video camera and the conventional video camera at a pre-determined target;

a first video display device mounted at the helm of the vessel for receiving video signals either from the low-light video camera or from the conventional video camera and for displaying the received signals;

a second position controller mounted in the captain'"'"'s cabin of the vessel for selective actuation to cause the first and second motor driven positioners to pivot the housing about the nominally vertical axis and about the nominally horizontal axis and thereby aiming the low-light video camera and the conventional video camera at a pre-determined target;

a second video display device mounted in the captain'"'"'s cabin for receiving video signals either from the low-light video camera or from the conventional video camera and for displaying the received signal;

circuitry responsive to the azimuth and elevation signal generating circuitry for overlying data indicative of the azimuth and elevation of the housing on the image displayed on the first and second video display devices;

conventional television signal receiving circuitry mounted on the vessel;

circuitry for selectively displaying signals received by the conventional television signal receiving circuitry on either the first video display device, or on the second video display device, or both;

circuitry for determining vessel speed and direction and for overlaying visual representations of the vessel speed and direction on the image displayed on either of the first video display device or on the second video display device, or both;

global positioning signal receiving circuitry mounted on the vessel for generating output signals indicative of the longitude and latitude of the vessel; and

circuitry for displaying the output of the global positioning signal receiving circuitry on either of the first and second video display devices, or both.