GPS shellfish trap setting system
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for placing shellfish traps comprising:
- a GPS antenna that receives GPS information, the GPS antenna being connected to a microprocessor;
a trap counter that records the number of shellfish traps launched from a fishing vessel that is incremented for every shellfish trap that is launched from the fishing vessel, the trap counter being connected to the microprocessor;
the trap counter also recording the number of shellfish traps retrieved from a fishery;
a control unit that displays information to a user, the control unit being connected to the microprocessor;
wherein the microprocessor receives the GPS information from the GPS antenna;
parses the GPS information to determine latitude, longitude and velocity of the fishing vessel, the latitude and longitude of the fishing vessel being considered its present position;
calculates the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position by comparing the fishing vessel'"'"'s present position to a shellfish trap distance interval and subtracting the two values, the resultant being the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position;
displays the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position to the user on a distance to launch display;
wherein an increase distance control and a decrease distance control allows the user to increase or decrease the spacing between shellfish trap launch positions;
the microprocessor adding the distance increased by the user using the increase distance control or subtracting the distance decreased by the user using the decrease distance control from the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position to determine a new next shellfish trap launch position;
and wherein the control unit displays the number of shellfish traps launched from the fishing vessel and the distance to the new next shellfish trap launch position after increasing or decreasing the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position if the user has increased or decreased the spacing between shellfish trap launch positions.
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Abstract
A GPS shellfish trap setting system that indicates when to set shellfish traps at precise locations with controllable distance between shellfish traps to allow for efficient shellfish fishing is provided herein. The shellfish trap setting system receives a GPS signal, processes that signal to determine the precise distance at which to launch a shellfish trap from a fishing vessel, then displays that distance to a control unit monitored by a user. The GPS shellfish trap setting system also includes counters for counting the number of traps set and the number of shellfish deposited into a holding tank.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for placing shellfish traps comprising:
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a GPS antenna that receives GPS information, the GPS antenna being connected to a microprocessor; a trap counter that records the number of shellfish traps launched from a fishing vessel that is incremented for every shellfish trap that is launched from the fishing vessel, the trap counter being connected to the microprocessor; the trap counter also recording the number of shellfish traps retrieved from a fishery; a control unit that displays information to a user, the control unit being connected to the microprocessor; wherein the microprocessor receives the GPS information from the GPS antenna;
parses the GPS information to determine latitude, longitude and velocity of the fishing vessel, the latitude and longitude of the fishing vessel being considered its present position;
calculates the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position by comparing the fishing vessel'"'"'s present position to a shellfish trap distance interval and subtracting the two values, the resultant being the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position;
displays the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position to the user on a distance to launch display;wherein an increase distance control and a decrease distance control allows the user to increase or decrease the spacing between shellfish trap launch positions;
the microprocessor adding the distance increased by the user using the increase distance control or subtracting the distance decreased by the user using the decrease distance control from the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position to determine a new next shellfish trap launch position;and wherein the control unit displays the number of shellfish traps launched from the fishing vessel and the distance to the new next shellfish trap launch position after increasing or decreasing the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position if the user has increased or decreased the spacing between shellfish trap launch positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A GPS shellfish trap setting system for setting shellfish traps in a fishery as a fishing vessel travels along a path through the fishery, the system comprising:
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a microprocessor that receives information from a GPS antenna and parses the received GPS information to determine the latitude and longitude of the fishing vessel; the microprocessor also being capable of determining the next launch point for a shellfish trap; a shellfish trap counter that records the number of shellfish traps launched from the fishing vessel or pulled from a fishery, the shellfish trap counter being incremented every time a shellfish trap is launched from the fishing vessel or brought back onboard the fishing vessel, the shellfish trap counter being connected to the microprocessor; a shellfish counter that records the number of shellfish caught by the fishing vessel, the shellfish counter being incremented every time a shellfish is placed into a holding tank on the fishing vessel, the shellfish counter being connected to the microprocessor; a control unit that displays to the user;
the distance to the next launch point for a shellfish trap, the shellfish trap counter, and the shellfish counter;controls that allow the user to increase or decrease the distance between shellfish trap launch points, the controls being connected to the microprocessor; a reset controls that allows the user to reset the shellfish trap counter or the shellfish counter, the reset control being connected to the shellfish trap counter; and an external sounder connected to the microprocessor that receives actuation signals from the microprocessor and emits an audible sound that alerts the fishing vessel'"'"'s crew to launch a shellfish trap when the fishing vessel arrives at the next launch point for a shellfish trap. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for setting shellfish traps in a fishery as a fishing vessel travels along a path through the fishery comprising:
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receiving GPS information from a GPS antenna; parsing the GPS information for latitude and longitude; determining a present position of the fishing vessel from the parsed latitude and longitude; determining a next shellfish trap launch position by comparing the fishing vessel'"'"'s present position to a shellfish trap distance interval; allowing a user to increase or decrease the shellfish trap distance interval; recalculating the next shellfish trap launch position if the user increased or decreased the shellfish trap distance interval; displaying the distance to the next shellfish trap launch position to the user; actuating an external sounder that alerts the fishing vessel'"'"'s crew to launch a shellfish trap when the fishing vessel reaches the next shellfish trap launch position; incrementing a shellfish trap launch counter every time a shellfish trap is launched; incrementing a shellfish counter every time a shellfish is placed into a holding tank on the fishing vessel; and displaying the number of shellfish traps launched from the fishing vessel and the number of shellfish placed into the holding tank to the user. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification