Device, program and method for displaying situation

• US 9,767,534 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Dohi, Osamu, Tsujimoto, Kazuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Li, Grace Q
• Application Number:
  US14/198,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 70/00 Maritime or waterways transport

Abstract

A situation display device is provided. The device includes: an observation data acquiring module configured to acquire observation data, and information of observed locations of the observation data; a data selecting module configured to select the observation data within a predetermined range from a course of the device; and a display unit configured to display a location of the device on a bottom side of a display screen, and display the course linearly such that its traveling direction extends upward from the bottom side. The display unit displays, a predetermined area in an upward tapering shape, and displays the selected observation data at a position that indicates a relation between the course and the observed location, the displayed position of the device in the perpendicular direction being corresponding to an offset of the location of the device from the course.

Claims

1. A situation display device adapted to be equipped in a ship, the device comprising:

a controller comprising memory and one or more processors configured to execute;

an observation data acquiring module configured to acquire observation data obtained by observing a direction and a magnitude of at least one of meteorological phenomena and hydrographic phenomena, along with information of observed locations of the observation data from a beacon receiver and a GPS receiver, wherein the meteorological phenomena and hydrographic phenomena include at least one phenomenon selected from the group consisting of a wind direction, a wind speed, an atmospheric pressure, and a wave height; and

a data selecting module configured to select the observation data obtained at the observed location that is within a predetermined range from a set course of the device; and

a display unit configured to display, when a display screen is oriented vertically, on a bottom side of the display screen, a three-dimensional graphic with a location of the device with respect to the course, and display the course linearly such that a traveling direction thereof extends upward from the bottom side,

wherein the display unit displays, in an upward tapering shape, an area having a predetermined range from the course to a perpendicular direction to the course, and displays the selected observation data as an observation data display part at a position on the display screen that indicates a relationship between the course and the observed location of the selected observation data, the displayed position of the device in the perpendicular direction being corresponding to an offset amount of the location of the device from the course, and the observation data display part including a visually distinguishable symbol that graphically illustrates the direction and the magnitude of the selected observation data relative to the course; and

wherein a size of the symbol of the observation data display part with respect to the direction and the magnitude is adjusted according to the observed location on the display screen.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein among a plurality of display positions set in advance, the display unit selects a display position with a relative relationship to the course that corresponds closest to a relationship between the course and the observed location of the selected observation data, and the display unit displays the observation data at the selected display position.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the observation data of which the observed location is close to the device larger than the observation data of which the observed location is far from the device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein when the symbol is selected on the display screen, the display unit displays a detail of the observation data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the observation data acquiring module acquires the observation data along with an observed timing thereof, and

wherein the display unit visually changes a display mode of the observation data according to an elapsed time length from the observed timing.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the set course of the device is a course to a set waypoint.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the set course of the device is a course to a set azimuth.

8. Computer readable media configured to store a computer executable program in a non-transitory manner, which upon execution by a processor of a computer causes the computer to display a situation around a situation display device adapted to be equipped in a ship, the program comprising:

causing a computer to acquire observation data obtained by observing a direction and a magnitude of at least one of meteorological phenomena and hydrographic phenomena, along with information of observed locations of the observation data from a beacon receiver and a GPS receiver, wherein the meteorological phenomena and hydrographic phenomena include at least one phenomenon selected from the group consisting of a wind direction, a wind speed, an atmospheric pressure, and a wave height;

causing a computer to select the observation data obtained at the observed location that is within a predetermined range from a set course of the device; and

causing a computer to display, when a display screen is oriented vertically, on a bottom side of the display screen, a three-dimensional graphic with a location of the device with respect to the course, and display the course linearly such that a traveling direction thereof extends upward from the bottom side,

wherein an area having a predetermined range from the course to a perpendicular direction to the course is displayed in an upward tapering shape, and the selected observation data is displayed as an observation data display part at a position on the display screen that indicates a relationship between the course and the observed location of the selected observation data, the displayed position of the device in the perpendicular direction being corresponding to an offset amount of the location of the device from the course, and the observation data display part including a visually distinguishable symbol graphically illustrating the direction and the magnitude of the selected observation data relative to the course; and

wherein a size of the symbol of the observation data display part with respect to the direction and the magnitude is adjusted according to the observed location on the display screen.

9. A method of displaying a situation around a situation display device adapted to be equipped in a ship, the method comprising:

acquiring observation data obtained by observing a direction and a magnitude of at least one of meteorological phenomena and hydrographic phenomena, along with information of observed locations of the observation data from a beacon receiver and a GPS receiver, wherein the meteorological phenomena and hydrographic phenomena include at least one phenomenon selected from the group consisting of a wind direction, a wind speed, an atmospheric pressure, and a wave height;

selecting the observation data obtained at the observed location that is within a predetermined range from a set course of the device; and

displaying, when a display screen is oriented vertically, on a bottom side of the display screen, a three-dimensional graphic with a location of the device with respect to the course, and displaying the course linearly such that a traveling direction thereof extends upward from the bottom side,

wherein an area having a predetermined range from the course to a perpendicular direction to the course is displayed in an upward tapering shape, and the selected observation data is displayed as an observation data display part at a position on the display screen that indicates a relationship between the course and the observed location of the selected observation data, the displayed position of the device in the perpendicular direction being corresponding to an offset amount of the location of the device from the course, and the observation data display part including a visually distinguishable symbol that graphically illustrates the direction and the magnitude of the selected observation data relative to the course; and

wherein a size of the symbol of the observation data display part with respect to the direction and the magnitude is adjusted according to the observed location on the display screen.