Watercraft automation and aquatic effort data utilization

• US 9,944,365 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2017
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Grace, Ted V., Grace, Ryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US15/678,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20170369135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 244 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 37, 701 45, 701 49, 701200, 701201, 701300, 340425, 3404255, 340988, 4384571, 438461, 438549, 4388154, 43881545, 2102421, 56 8, 56 9, 414242, 414244, 440 30, 440 38, 440 73, 405 3, 405 52
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 83/02 Expanding fish-hook assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/00 Artificial bait for fishing
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/02 with means for concealing or protecting hooks, e.g. to prevent entanglement with weeds
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 91/08 Trolling devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 93/02 with signalling devices
• 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: B63B 2201/18 Sonar
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2211/02 Oceanography
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2213/02 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 51/00 Marking of navigation route
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/15 for monitoring environmental variables, e.g. wave height or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 79/40 for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 20/007 Trolling propulsion units trolling plates for slowing down B63H25/50; dynamo-electric machines of trolling units H02K
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2021/216 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2025/045 making use of satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. the Global Positioning System [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2025/425 Propulsive elements, other than jets, substantially used for steering or dynamic anchoring only, with means for retracting, or otherwise moving to a rest position outside the water flow around the hull
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 21/21 Control means for engine or transmission, specially adapted for use on marine vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 25/04 automatic, e.g. reacting to compass
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 : Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 : for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 : Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 : specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/00 : Control of position or direction G05D1/00 takes precedence; numerical control to execute positioning G05B19/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 : Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 : communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 : Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/80 : in fisheries management

Abstract

A watch device includes a processor, a display and a memory. The memory includes instructions for establishing a network connection between the watch device and an electronic GPS mapping computer of a watercraft for transmitting, receiving or displaying data.

Claims

1. A watch device, the watch device comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a memory, the memory having computer executable instructions executable by the processor, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

establishing a network connection between the watch device and an electronic GPS mapping computer of a watercraft,

receiving, from the GPS mapping computer, data stored on the GPS mapping computer, wherein the data includes at least one member of a group consisting of;

sensor data of at least one sensor associated with the GPS mapping computer, and map data of at least one map stored on the electronic GPS mapping computer, and

displaying the data on the display of the watch device.

2. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the sensor data of at least one sensor associated with the GPS mapping computer includes at least one member of a group consisting of:

environmental sensor data and watercraft sensor data.

3. The watch device of claim 2, wherein the environmental sensor data includes at least one member of a group consisting of:

weather sensor data, temperature sensor data, water depth sensor data, water sensor data, water flow sensor data, barometric sensor data, wind sensor data, rain sensor data, water quality sensor data, and air quality sensor data.

4. The watch device of claim 2, wherein the watercraft sensor data includes at least one member of a group consisting of:

fuel sensor data, oil sensor data, battery sensor data, watercraft drift sensor data, and GPS sensor data.

5. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the map data includes at least one member of a group consisting of:

sonar data, angling rules, angling limits, restaurant information, hotel information, dam reports, water discharge reports, moon phase reports, tide information, weather reports, ocean reports, text data, picture data, video data and lake reports.

6. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for sending a control instruction to the GPS mapping computer.

7. The watch device of claim 6, wherein the control instruction includes at least one member of a group consisting of:

an instruction to change the direction of a trolling device, and an instruction to change the speed of a trolling device.

8. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for establishing a network connection between the watch device and an audio device having at least one speaker.

9. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for establishing a network connection between the watch device and a mobile computing device.

10. The watch device of claim 9, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for receiving, from the mobile computing device, at least one member of a group consisting of:

telephone data, text data, and tide data.

11. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for establishing a network connection between the watch device and a computing device having an input device, wherein the computer executable instructions are also configured for receiving, from the computing device having the input, at least one member of a group consisting of:

video data and photo data.

12. The watch device of claim 1, further comprising at least one member of a group consisting of:

a GPS sensor, a barometric sensor, and a compass.

13. The watch device of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured to store at least one member of a group comprising:

a quantity of fish caught and a type of fish caught.

14. A watch device, the watch device comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a memory, the memory having computer executable instructions executable by the processor, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

establishing a bi-directional network connection between the watch device and an electronic GPS mapping computer of a watercraft,

receiving, from the GPS mapping computer, data stored on the GPS mapping computer, wherein the data includes environmental sensor data, and

sending a control instruction to the GPS mapping computer, wherein the control instruction includes at least one member of a group consisting of;

an instruction to change the direction of the watercraft, and an instruction to change the speed of the watercraft.

15. The watch device of claim 14, wherein the environmental sensor data includes at least one member of a group consisting of:

weather sensor data, temperature sensor data, water depth sensor data, water sensor data, water flow sensor data, barometric sensor data, wind sensor data, rain sensor data, water quality sensor data, and air quality sensor data.

16. The watch device of claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for establishing a network connection between the watch device and an audio device having at least one speaker.

17. The watch device of claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for establishing a network connection between the watch device and a mobile computing device.

18. The watch device of claim 17, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for receiving, from the mobile computing device, at least one member of a group consisting of:

telephone data, text data, and tide data.

19. The watch device of claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions are further configured for establishing a network connection between the watch device and a computing device having an input device, wherein the computer executable instructions are also configured for receiving, from the computing device having the input, at least one member of a group consisting of:

video data and photo data.

20. A watch device, the watch device comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a memory, the memory having computer executable instructions executable by the processor, wherein the computer executable instructions are configured for;

establishing a network connection between the watch device and an electronic GPS mapping computer of a watercraft, and

receiving, from the GPS mapping computer, data stored on the GPS mapping computer, wherein the data includes map data of at least one map stored on the electronic GPS mapping computer, wherein the map data includes at least one member of a group consisting of;

sonar data, angling rules, angling limits, restaurant information, hotel information, dam reports, water discharge reports, moon phase reports, tide information, weather reports, ocean reports, text data, picture data, video data and lake reports, and

displaying the data on the display of the watch device.