Shallow water highlight method and display systems

• US 8,577,525 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics Incorporated (Johnson Outdoors, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics Incorporated (Johnson Outdoors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wood, Michael Wesley, Smith, Jeffrey Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/904,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 160 Days
• Field of Search: 701/21
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/006 Representation of non-cartographic information on maps, e.g. population distribution, wind direction, radiation levels, air and sea routes

Abstract

A digital mapping display and related system for fishing, and other applications.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a depiction of an area of a body of water on a display, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user selection of a shallow water depth to be highlighted on the depiction of the area of the body of water on the display;

determining at least one shallow water region to be highlighted on the display that is shallower than the shallow water depth; and

outputting one or more indications representative of the at least one shallow water region on the display to highlight the at least one shallow water region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining at least one shallow water region to be highlighted on the display that is shallower than the shallow water depth comprises the step of determining at least one shallow water region to be highlighted on the display that is shallower than a contour line on a chart of the body of water that is next deeper than the shallow water depth.

3. A method of providing a visual navigational aid on a chart of at least a portion of a body of water displayed on a display, comprising the steps of:

setting a shallow water highlight depth;

determining at least one contiguous shallow water region to be highlighted on the display that is shallower than the shallow water highlight depth based on contour lines contained on the chart; and

outputting one or more indications representative of the at least one contiguous shallow water region on the display to highlight the at least one shallow water region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining at least one contiguous shallow water region to be highlighted on the display that is shallower than the shallow water highlight depth based on contour lines contained on the chart comprises the step of including a next deeper contour line relative to the shallow water highlight depth in the shallow water region.