Depth highlight, depth highlight range, and water level offset highlight display and systems

• US 8,606,432 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• 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:
  US13/904,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 195 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 345/442
• US Class Current: 701/2
• 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 to a display, the method comprising, the steps of:

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

identifying a contour corresponding to the at least one depth; and

outputting one or more indications associated with the contour on the display to highlight the contour.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the user selection of the at least one depth to be highlighted comprises the step of receiving the user selection of a single depth, and wherein the step of identifying the contour comprises the step of identifying a contour line, and wherein the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour comprises the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour line on the display to highlight the contour line.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the user selection of the at least one depth to be highlighted comprises the step of receiving the user selection of a depth range, and wherein the step of identifying the contour comprises the step of identifying a contour area, and wherein the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour comprises the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour area on the display to highlight the contour area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the contour comprises the step of identifying a depth contour interval corresponding to the at least one depth, and wherein the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour comprises the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the depth contour interval on the display to highlight the contour area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the user selection of the at least one depth to be highlighted comprises the step of receiving the user selection of a depth and a depth highlight range, and wherein the step of identifying the contour comprises the step of identifying a contour area between the depth plus the depth highlight range and the depth minus the depth highlight range, and wherein the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour comprises the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour area on the display to highlight the contour area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the user selection of the at least one depth to be highlighted comprises the step of receiving the user selection of a depth for a water level offset, and wherein the step of identifying the contour comprises the step of identifying each contour line included on the depiction, and wherein the step of outputting one or more indications associated with the contour comprises the step of outputting one or more indications associated with each contour line on the display to highlight the contour area including an adjustment to each contour line by the water level offset.

7. A method for displaying selected features of a chart of a body of water and associated areas, comprising the steps of:

receiving from a user a selected parameter by which to adjust a display of the chart;

highlighting a contour on the chart on the display when the selected parameter is a desired depth highlight;

highlighting a first contour area on the chart on the display when the selected parameter is a desired depth highlight with a depth contour interval corresponding to the desired depth highlight;

highlighting a contour area on the chart on the display when the selected parameter is a range of contiguous depths or a desired depth highlight and a depth highlight range; and

changing displayed depth values on the display for contour lines on the chart when the selected parameter is a water level offset.

8. A method of adjusting depth indications of contour lines on at least a portion of a chart based on a change in water level of a body of water, comprising the steps of:

receiving a water level offset value indicative of a change in water level from a chart water level existing at a time when the chart was made;

mathematically adjusting the depth indications of the contour lines included on the chart based on the water level offset value; and

displaying adjusted depth indications of the contour lines on at least the portion of the chart.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of displaying area above an adjusted depth of zero as land on the chart.