Systems and associated methods for route generation and modification

• US 10,460,484 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Hovland, Eirik, Harnett, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Dragoescu, Claudia
• Application Number:
  US15/192,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20170370724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 49/00 Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A touch screen may be utilized by a marine electronic device to easily enter a route in relation to a chart. The marine electronic device may automatically determine and join geographic points associated with the chart to generate a route based on a touch pattern. The marine electronic device may be configured to complete the route to form a route loop in instances in which the start and end of the touch pattern are within a predetermined distance. The completion of the route may be accomplished by connecting the end point to the start point or by “snapping” the end point to the start point, e.g. shifting the end point to the start point. Additionally or alternatively, a user may use pre-determined route snippets to quickly and easily alter a route.

Claims

1. A marine electronic device comprising:

a user interface comprising a touch screen;

a processor; and

a memory having computer program code stored thereon, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the marine electronic device to;

cause a chart to be displayed on the touch screen;

receive, via the touch screen, user input defining a continuous touch pattern directed to the chart, wherein the touch pattern defines a starting point, an ending point, and a drawn route between the starting point and the ending point;

determine one or more geographic locations on the chart that each correspond to one or more points along the touch pattern including a starting location that corresponds to the starting point and an ending location that corresponds to the ending point;

determine a distance between the starting location and the ending location; and

in an instance in which the distance between the starting location and the ending location is within a completion threshold, generate a continuous route comprising at least the starting location and one or more other determined geographic locations on the chart corresponding to one or more points along the touch pattern, wherein the continuous route is generated by shifting the ending location to match the starting location, wherein the continuous route defines a travel path that does not end such that a watercraft navigating along the travel path would return to the starting location and continue navigating along the travel path again.

2. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the marine electronic device to:

receive, via the user interface, an indication to activate the route; and

send, to an autopilot for a maneuvering system of a watercraft including the marine electronic device, instructions to cause the autopilot to operate the maneuvering system such that the watercraft travels along the route.

3. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the marine electronic device to:

generate the route between a plurality of waypoints, wherein each waypoint corresponds to a determined geographic location that corresponds to a point along the touch pattern.

4. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the marine electronic device to:

compare the route to one or more predetermined navigational thresholds, wherein the navigational threshold is based on a speed of a vessel and turn radius associated with the speed of the vessel; and

modify at least a portion of the route to generate a safe route which satisfies the predetermined navigational thresholds such that the route will not exceed a minimum safe turn radius.

5. The marine electronic device of claim 4, wherein the safe route comprises a plurality of waypoints and course headings, and

wherein the distance between two consecutive waypoints of the plurality of waypoints is based on predetermined navigation thresholds.

6. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the marine electronic device to:

compare the route to one or more predetermined navigational thresholds, wherein the one or more navigational thresholds are based at least on one of obstacles, depth, and land; and

modify at least a portion of the route to generate a safe route which satisfies the predetermined navigational thresholds such that a vessel avoids marine hazards along the route.

7. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the marine electronic device to:

compare at least a portion of the route to a plurality of stored route patterns; and

update the portion of the route to reflect at least one of the plurality of stored route patterns in an instance in which the portion of the route matches the one of the plurality of stored route patterns within a route pattern threshold.

8. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the electronic navigation device to:

receive a repeat route indication; and

cause the route to repeat for at least a plurality of cycles.

9. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the electronic navigation device to:

receive an indication of a change to the route; and

update the route based on the indication of the change to the route.

10. The marine electronic device of claim 1, wherein the indication of a change to the route comprises:

receiving an indication of a selected route snippet;

receiving an indication of a selected portion on the generated route;

causing the route snippet to replace the selected portion; and

causing the route snippet to be activated and the selected portion to be deactivated.

11. The marine electronic device of claim 10, wherein the route snippet is activated in response to an indication of route snippet activation from the user interface.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program code configured to, with a processor, cause a marine electronic device to:

cause a chart to be displayed on a touch screen of a user interface;

receive, via the touch screen, user input defining a continuous touch pattern directed to the chart, wherein the touch pattern defines a starting point, an ending point, and a drawn route between the starting point and the ending point;

determine one or more geographic locations on the chart that each correspond to one or more points along the touch pattern including a starting location that corresponds to the starting point and an ending location that corresponds to the ending point;

determine a distance between the starting location and the ending location; and

in an instance in which the distance between the starting location and the ending location is within a completion threshold, generate a continuous route comprising at least the starting location and one or more other determined geographic locations on the chart corresponding to one or more points along the touch pattern, wherein the continuous route is generated by shifting the ending location to match the starting location, wherein the continuous route defines a travel path that does not end such that a watercraft navigating along the travel path would return to the starting location and continue navigating along the travel path again.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the computer program code is further configured to cause the marine electronic device to:

receive, via a user interface, an indication to activate the route; and

send, to an autopilot for a maneuvering system of a watercraft including the marine electronic device, instructions to cause the autopilot to operate the maneuvering system such that the watercraft travels along the route.

14. A method comprising:

causing a chart to be displayed on a touch screen of a user interface;

receiving, via the touch screen, user input defining a touch pattern directed to the chart, wherein the touch pattern defines a starting point, an ending point, and a drawn route between the starting point and the ending point;

determining one or more geographic locations on the chart that each correspond to one or more points along the touch pattern including a starting location that corresponds to the starting point and an ending location that corresponds to the ending point;

determining a distance between the starting location and the ending location; and

in an instance in which the distance between the starting location and the ending location is within a completion threshold, generating a continuous route comprising at least the starting location and one or more other determined geographic locations on the chart corresponding to one or more points along the touch pattern, wherein the continuous route is generated by shifting the ending location to match the starting location, wherein the continuous route defines a travel path that does not end such that a watercraft navigating along the travel path would return to the starting location and continue navigating along the travel path again.