Systems, devices, methods for sensing and processing fishing related data

• US 9,135,731 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Lauenstein, Michael, Johnson, Matthew, McCutcheon, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): HULKA, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US13/780,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 367/99
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 11/008 incorporating GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/00 Accessories for angling fish stringers A01K65/00; landing-nets or landing-spoons for fishing A01K77/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models

Abstract

Devices and systems for noninvasively and nondestructively sensing a signal in an electrical outdoor device, such a fishing transponder, are described. The device can include a first electrical connection to connect to a port on a main unit of an echo-location device, a second electrical connection to connect to a port on a transponder, the second electrical connection being in bi-directional electrical communication with the first connection to send a power signal from the main unit to the transponder and return an echoed signal to the main unit, and a third electrical connection to sense the signals between the first electrical connection and the second electrical connection. Positioning data is also created and stored with the signal data. The positioning data can be used to control acquisition of data. Systems and methods for processing the sensed data are described. Reports can be generated using the data and, in some reports with the positioning data.

Claims

1. A method of mapping geospatial data, the method comprising:

receiving positional data, temporal data, sensed data, and manually entered data regarding a body of water from monitoring systems operated by a plurality of users;

correlating each individual positional datum with each individual temporal datum and each individual sensed datum;

sampling the positional data to verify that there is a predetermined minimum distance representing watercraft movement between each individual positional datum to eliminate redundant data;

storing the received data in a database except for the redundant data;

receiving a request from a first user for a report for the body of water to be generated;

generating a report that visually represents report data from the database, wherein the report data is based upon stored data received from the first user, data from other users that has been authorized to be shared, and any data set that is automatically available to the first user based on its data type; and

providing access to the report to the first user;

wherein the sensed data represents at least one of depth, bottom composition, bottom structure, fish, bait fish, vegetation, thermocline data, and raw return signal data.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

receiving third party data from a third party data provider; and

adding the third party data to the report data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporal data comprises a plurality of times with dates.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

receiving manual data that is entered by the first user; and

adding the manual data to the report data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data occurs via wireless transmission from the monitoring system or from a mobile memory device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the report comprises:

analyzing the report data to create a first layer representing a first data set with a first data type; and

overlaying the first layer on a map.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising:

analyzing the report data to create a second layer representing a second data set, the second data set being from a different time than the first data set; and

overlaying the second layer on the map to display a historical trend in the report.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the report comprises:

displaying visually the first layer in the report;

including the second layer in the report but not displaying the second layer visually.

9. The method of claim 6, and further comprising:

analyzing the report data to create a second layer representing a second data type;

storing a second data type as a second layer, the second data type representing a different type of data from the first data type; and

overlaying the second layer on the map to display a plurality of data types in the report.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the report comprises:

displaying visually the first layer in the report;

including the second layer in the report but not displaying the second layer visually.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the report to the first user comprises allowing the first user to provide additional text for the report.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the report to the first user comprises allowing the first user to select waypoints for the report.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the received positional data was evaluated and false positional data points were removed from the positional data.

14. A geospatial data processing system comprising:

a data communicating module that receives positional data, temporal data, sensed data and manually entered data from a plurality of monitoring systems, each monitoring system being operated by a user;

a database that stores the received data except for redundant data, wherein the redundant data is determined by sampling the positional data to determine if there is a predetermined minimum distance representing watercraft movement between each individual positional datum;

an analysis performing module that analyzes the data using at least one rule to create report data, the report data being selected from the database as a function of what body of water the data is for;

which user the data belongs to, whether the data has been authorized to be shared, and what data type the data represents; and

a report generating module that receives a request for a report and generates the report, wherein the report visually represents the report data;

wherein the sensed data represents at least one of depth, bottom composition, bottom structure, fish, bait fish, vegetation, thermocline data, and raw return signal data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the report generating module provides the report to a user that requested the report.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user provides additional text for the report.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the report further comprises:

a first layer that represents a first data set with a first data type, wherein the first layer is overlayed over a map.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the report further comprises:

a second layer that represents a second data set that is from a different time than the first data set, wherein the second layer is overlayed over the map to display a historical trend in the report.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the report further comprises:

a second layer that represents a second data type that is different than the first data type, wherein the second layer is overlayed over the map to display a plurality of data types in the report.