Integrated mapping and audio systems

• US 7,236,426 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lowrance Electronics Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Ronald G., Turner, Rex
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US10/937,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 367/88, 367/116, 367/128, 701/211, 342/357.13
• US Class Current: 367/88
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish

Abstract

An integrated position mapping system and an integrated sonar mapping system both permit recording, storage and playback of audio data. Audio data is provided to the integrated sonar mapping system or the integrated position mapping system so that it may be correlated to position data or echo data. The integrated sonar mapping system includes a sonar transducer for emitting and receiving sonar signals that may be subsequently be processed to provide echo data from objects in the water which reflect sonar signals. The integrated position mapping system includes a position receiver for providing position data. A controller not only processes the data for storage, but also correlates the audio data to echo data or position data. The correlated data may therefore be retrieved for playback of the audio data and display of the position data or echo data.

Claims

1. An integrated sonar mapping system, comprising:

a sonar transducer for emitting a sonar signal through a body of water and for receiving return sonar signals reflected by objects in the body of water;

a controller in communication with the sonar transducer for processing return signals to generate echo data representative of the returning sonar signals;

a microphone in communication with the controller for providing audio data to the controller;

a storage medium accessible by the controller for storing and retrieving the echo data and the audio data provided by the microphone, wherein the controller correlates the audio data from the microphone to echo data, and stores the correlated audio data and echo data in the storage medium; and

an audio speaker responsive to the controller for audibly reproducing the audio data.

2. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 1, further comprising a keypad and a screen display, both the keypad and the screen display in communication with the controller for operably permitting visual display of echo data, and recording and playback of audio data.

3. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium comprises a removable storage medium.

4. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 3, wherein the removable storage medium comprises an MMC card.

5. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 1, further comprising an altimeter in communication with the controller for providing altitude data, wherein the controller correlates altitude data to the echo data and stores the correlated altitude data and echo data.

6. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 1, further comprising a compass in communication with the controller for providing directional data, wherein the controller correlates directional data to the echo data and stores the correlated directional data and echo data.

7. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 1, further comprising an audio codec for converting audio data from the microphone from analog format to a digital format, and converting digital data from the storage medium from a digital format to analog format.

8. The integrated sonar mapping system according to claim 1, further comprising a position receiver communicating with at least one base station positioning system, the position receiver for receiving position data corresponding to a position relative to the at least one base station positioning system, the position receiver in communication with the controller to provide position data to the controller.

9. A method of storing echo data and audio data, comprising:

emitting a sonar signal through water;

receiving a return sonar signal reflected by objects in the body of the water;

processing echo data representative of the return sonar signal;

receiving audio data from a microphone, the audio data corresponding to the echo data;

correlating the echo data and the audio data; and

storing the correlated echo data and audio data.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising converting the audio data into a digital format.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of converting the audio data comprises converting the audio data into a format selected from the group consisting of MP3, WAV, and Ogg Vorbis.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of converting the audio data comprises converting the audio data into an Ogg Vorbis format.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising

retrieving the stored correlated audio data and echo data;

displaying the sonar data on a display; and

audibly reproducing the audio data.

14. An integrated position and sonar data mapping system, comprising:

a position receiver communicating with at least one base station positioning system, the position receiver configured to receive position data corresponding to a position relative to the at least one base station positioning system;

a sonar transducer for emitting a sonar signal through a body of water and for receiving return sonar signals reflected by objects in the body of water;

a controller in communication with the position receiver and with the sonar transducer and configured to process the position data and the return signals to generate echo data representative of the returning sonar signals;

a microphone in communication with the controller for providing audio data to the controller;

a storage medium accessible by the controller for storing and retrieving the position data, the echo data, and the audio data provided by the microphone, wherein the controller correlates the audio data from the microphone to the position data and the echo data, and stores the correlated audio data, position data, and echo data in the storage medium; and

an audio speaker responsive to the controller for audibly reproducing the audio data.

15. The integrated position mapping system according to claim 14, further comprising a keypad and a screen display, both the keypad and the screen display in communication with the controller for operably permitting visual display of position data, and recording and playback of audio data.

16. The integrated position mapping system according to claim 15, further comprising a cartographic data storage disposed in the controller and being selectable by the controller to display at least a portion of the cartographic data on the display.

17. The integrated position data mapping system according to claim 14, wherein the storage medium comprises a removable storage medium.

18. The integrated position data mapping system according to claim 17, wherein the removable storage medium comprises an MMC card.

19. The integrated position data mapping system according to claim 14, further comprising an altimeter in communication with the controller for providing altitude data, wherein the controller correlates altitude data to the position data and stores the correlated altitude data and position data.

20. The integrated position data mapping system according to claim 14, further comprising a compass in communication with the controller for providing directional data, wherein the controller correlates directional data to the position data and stores the correlated directional data and position data.

21. The integrated position data mapping system according to claim 14, further comprising an audio codec for converting audio data from the microphone from analog format to a digital format, and converting digital data from the storage medium from a digital format to analog format.

22. The integrated position data mapping system according to claim 14, wherein the position receiver comprises a position receiver selected from the group consisting of GPS receivers, satellite receivers, Loran receivers, and radio beacon receivers.

23. A method of storing position data, echo data, and audio data, comprising:

receiving position data regarding a position from a position receiver;

emitting a sonar signal through water;

receiving a return sonar signal reflected by objects in the body of the water;

processing echo data representative of the return sonar signal;

receiving audio data from a microphone, the audio data corresponding to the positon data;

correlating the position data, the echo data, and the audio data; and

storing the correlated position data, echo data, and audio data.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising converting the audio data into a digital format.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of converting the audio data comprises converting the audio data into an MP3 format.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the step of converting the audio data comprises converting the audio data into an Ogg Vorbis format.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising

retrieving the stored correlated audio data and position data;

displaying the position data on a display; and

audibly reproducing the audio data.