Navigational aid system for fishermen

• US 9,880,007 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2006
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jonathan Merrill Whiting
• Original Assignee: Jonathan Merrill Whiting
• Inventors: Whiting, Jonathan Merrill
• Primary Examiner(s): Patton, Spencer D
• Application Number:
  US11/588,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20080103695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,113 Days
• Field of Search: 3409951, 34099511, 34099514, 34099515, 34099526, 701208, 701213, 701400, 701408, 701409, 701461, 701462, 701468, 701487, 701516, 701532, 701538
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/80 in fisheries management

Abstract

A navigational aid system for fishermen comprises a computer that is connected to the Internet. The computer accesses a high resolution map in the vicinity of a fishing boat. The map depicts the ocean temperature and depth profile in relation to marked latitude and longitudinal indicators. A specialized GPS system in communication with the computer depicts the latitudinal and longitudinal position of the fisherman'"'"'s boat. The computer executes a separate program that has a transparent window overlaying the map. A user selects two points, one point at a time, on the map and enters corresponding latitude and longitude bearings consistent with those shown on the map. The separate program receives the GPS data and plots the boat position in an orthogonal coordinate system based on the two points selected and their corresponding coordinates. The map is optionally provided with data concerning weather and buoy or wreck hazards in the vicinity of the boat, together with details concerning the coastline.

Claims

1. A navigational aid system for fishermen comprising:

a. a computer program, running on a computer, configured to connect to the Internet to access one or more high resolution maps of ocean surface temperatures and one or more ocean depth profiles using an Internet browser software or other Internet site specific software;

b. said map having longitude and latitude reference lines marked thereon;

c. said computer being connected to a specialized GPS unit that receives the satellite signals computing longitudinal and latitude coordinates, a fisherman'"'"'s boat location, and communicates these two numbers to said computer;

d. a separate computer program having a transparent window showing the underlying said ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profile map and a menu bar having a menu item for quitting said separate computer program and a menu item for synchronizing a coordinate system with the latitude and longitude lines of said map;

e. when activated, said synchronize coordinate menu asking the user to select two points on said map, one point at a time, and enter latitude and longitude values of each point, thereby creating a synchronized orthogonal coordinate axes;

f. said separate computer program receiving GPS coordinates of the boat and automatically plotting a pictogram of the boat position in the transparent window overlaying said map;

g. said computer program, upon receipt of the next GPS coordinates of boat location, automatically actuating said separate computer program, erasing said previously displayed pictogram of the boat position, drawing a pictogram of said boat'"'"'s new position at a screen location according to received GPS coordinates and orienting the pictogram along a direction of movement of the boat, matching a sailing direction of the boat;

h. said map of ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profiles includes the presence of obstructions and hazard information, such as buoys or submerged wrecks;

i. said map of ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profiles includes an overlay of weather related image;

j. said specialized GPS has a memory resident program that automatically communicates latitude and longitude coordinates without said computer having to request said coordinates stored in a memory buffer;

k. said computer programs being stored on non-transitory computer readable storage mediums;

l. wherein said fisherman is automatically provided with an exact match of coastline information for visual matching of said boat'"'"'s location;

m. wherein said fisherman is automatically provided with hazards present near said boat'"'"'s location and along its sailing direction;

n. wherein said fisherman is automatically provided with weather related hazards present near said boat'"'"'s location and along its sailing direction;

o. said map of ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profiles is magnified to yield a displayed map grid of a high resolution image in a 60 mile by 60 mile area; and

p. said ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profile map remains in place unchanged and only said boat location is updated, wherein an updated magnified ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profile map is loaded when said fisherman comes to boundaries of said displayed map grid in order to establish a coordinate correlation thereof, and said coordinate correlation between the boat location and an ocean thermal profile, ocean water depth or hazard location guides the fisherman to locations where fish are likely to be found, increasing prospects for a safe and successful catch;

whereby a navigational aid that combines data concerning ocean surface temperature and ocean depth profile with data indicating the precise location of the fisherman'"'"'s boat as it travels within a large body of water, thereby automatically provides the fisherman with substantially complete boat location information on said computer screen with respect to ocean depth and ocean surface temperature within a 10 to 30 mile region surrounding the fisherman'"'"'s boat.

2. A navigational aid system for fishermen as recited by claim 1, wherein said weather related image is a Doppler radar image.

3. A navigational aid system for fishermen as recited by claim 1, wherein said weather related image is a satellite IR radar image.