Combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder

• US 6,345,179 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Garmin Corporation (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Corporation (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Poindexter, Brian, Wiegers, Michael Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/412,908
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/345, 455/346, 455/352, 455/353, 367/98, 367/111
• US Class Current: 455/344
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 13/008 measuring depth of open water

Abstract

A combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder (10) that more efficiently utilizes limited marine instrument panel space, that is more convenient and simple to operate, and that shares certain components and, therefore, is less expensive to manufacture and install. The apparatus includes a main unit (12) and a separate remote unit (14). The main unit includes a housing (16); an entertainment assembly including a display (20) and an entertainment component (18) positioned in the housing; and a depth sounder assembly including a depth display (48) positioned within the same housing as the entertainment assembly display and entertainment component.

Claims

1. A marine entertainment and information apparatus comprising:

a housing;

an entertainment assembly including a display and a component selected from the group consisting of;

a commercial broadcast AM receiver, a commercial broadcast FM receiver, a NOM weather radio band receiver, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player, a mini-disc player, a cassette tape player, an audio playback apparatus, a low-level audio input driven by an external audio source, a low-level audio output to drive external audio equipment, a digital audio input, and a digital audio output;

the display and the component being positioned in the housing; and

a depth sounder assembly including a depth display positioned within the housing with the entertainment assembly display and component and configured to be coupled with a depth sounder transducer for receiving depth information therefrom and for displaying the depth information.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the depth display comprises a portion of the display of the entertainment assembly.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including controls positioned on the housing for controlling operation of the entertainment assembly.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the controls are also configured for controlling operation of the depth sounder assembly.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including a remote unit positioned outside the housing and operatively coupled with the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly, the remote unit including a remote housing, a remote depth sounder display positioned within the remote housing for remotely displaying the depth information, and remote controls for remotely controlling operation of the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the remote housing is sized to fit within a marine instrument opening.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4, the controls including a keypad and a plurality of pushbuttons.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, the remote controls including pushbuttons.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the remote unit is coupled with the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly by wires.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the remote unit is coupled with the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly by a wireless communication assembly.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, the entertainment assembly and depth sounder assembly including a single computing device positioned within the housing for controlling functions of both the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further including a single power supply for powering both the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly .

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, the depth sounder assembly further including an alarm circuit for sounding an audible alarm during a depth alarm condition, the entertainment assembly including an automatic muting circuit for muting the entertainment assembly when the audible alarm of the depth sounder is sounding.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13, the entertainment assembly further including speakers coupled with the component, wherein the audible alarm of the depth sounder assembly is sounded over the speakers.

15. A marine entertainment and information apparatus comprising:

a main unit including

housing,

an entertainment assembly including a display and a component selected from the group consisting of;

a commercial broadcast AM receiver, a commercial broadcast FM receiver, a NOAA weather radio band receiver, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player, a minidisc player, a cassette tape player, an audio playback apparatus, a low-level audio input driven by an external audio source, a lowlevel audio output to drive external audio equipment, a digital audio input, and a digital audio output;

the display and the component being positioned in the housing, and

a depth sounder assembly including a depth display positioned within the housing with the entertainment assembly display and component and configured to be coupled with a depth sounder transducer for receiving depth information therefrom and for displaying the depth information; and

a remote unit operatively coupled with the main unit and including a

remote housing,

a remote depth sounder display positioned within the remote housing for remotely displaying the depth information, and

remote controls for remotely controlling operation of the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, wherein the remote housing is sized to fit within a marine instrument opening.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, the entertainment assembly and depth sounder assembly including a single microprocessor positioned within the housing for controlling functions of both the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly.

18. The apparatus as setforth in claim 15, further including a single power supply for powering both the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15, the depth sounder assembly further including an alarm circuit for sounding an audible alarm during a depth alarm condition, the entertainment assembly including an automatic muting circuit for muting the entertainment assembly when the audible alarm of the depth sounder is sounding.

20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 19, the entertainment assembly further including speakers coupled with the component, wherein the audible alarm of the depth sounder assembly is sounded over the speakers.