3D SONAR DISPLAY WITH SEMI-TRANSPARENT SHADING

• US 20150039221A1
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Kabel, Darrin W., Cowen, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,423,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/428
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/203 Specially adapted for sailing ships

Abstract

A marine navigation device comprises a location determining element, a display, a memory element, and a processing element. The location determining element determines a current geolocation of a marine vessel on a first body of water. The memory element stores sonar data for a plurality of bodies of water. The processing element is in communication with the memory element and is configured to access the sonar data from the memory element corresponding to the first body of water, calculate bottom hardness shading data based on the sonar data, generate a map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, the map representation including shading derived from the calculated bottom hardness shading data, and control the display to visually present the map representation.

Claims

1. A marine navigation device comprising:

a location determining element configured to determine a current geolocation of a marine vessel on a first body of water;

a display;

a memory element configured to store sonar data for substantially all of each of a plurality of bodies of water; and

a processing element in communication with the memory element and the display, the processing element configured to—

access the sonar data from the memory element corresponding to the first body of water,

calculate bottom hardness shading data based on the sonar data,

generate a map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, the map representation including shading derived from the calculated bottom hardness shading data, and

control the display to visually present the map representation.

2. The marine navigation device of claim 1, wherein the sonar data includes a plurality of geolocations for each body of water such that the geolocations include all geolocations of each body of water that are navigable by the marine vessel, each geolocation being associated with a depth of water value and with a hardness value which varies according to a density of the soil in the geolocation.

3. The marine navigation device of claim 2, wherein the bottom hardness shading data includes a monochromatic shade value of a first color for each geolocation of the sonar data, such that each monochromatic shade value varies according to the hardness value of the associated geolocation.

4. The marine navigation device of claim 3, wherein the processing element is further configured to associate monochromatic shade values for lighter shades of the first color with geolocations whose hardness value indicates denser soil.

5. The marine navigation device of claim 2, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

calculate depth shading data based on the sonar data, the depth shading data including a shade value of a second color for at least a portion of the geolocations of the body of water such that the shade value of the second color is associated with those geolocations whose depth of water value is within a range of values, and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation including shading derived from the calculated depth shading data and shading derived from the calculated bottom hardness shading data.

6. The marine navigation device of claim 5, wherein the processing element is further configured to incrementally vary the shade value of the second color for incrementally changing depth of water values for those geolocations whose depth of water value is less than a threshold value.

7. The marine navigation device of claim 5, wherein the processing element is further configured to generate depth shading data to include a value of a single color for those geolocations whose depth of water value is between a range of values or greater than a threshold value.

8. The marine navigation device of claim 1, wherein the memory element is further configured to store digital elevation model data and the processing element is further configured to—

calculate three-dimensional terrain data based on the sonar data and the digital elevation model data,

generate a three-dimensional image derived from the three-dimensional terrain data, the three-dimensional image including a perspective view of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, and

control the display to visually present the three-dimensional image instead of the map representation.

9. The marine navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

determine a route from the current geolocation to a user-selected destination and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation including at least a portion of the route and shading from the calculated bottom hardness shading data.

10. The marine navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

calculate contour line data for at least a portion of the first body of water, the contour line data determining a plurality of contour lines, each contour line indicating all of the geolocations of underwater terrain that exist at a depth of water and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation including at least a portion of the contour lines and shading from the calculated bottom hardness shading data.

11. A marine navigation device comprising:

a location determining element configured to determine a current geolocation of a marine vessel on a first body of water;

a display;

a memory element configured to store sonar data for a plurality of bodies of water, the sonar data for each body of water including all geolocations of the body of water that are navigable by the marine vessel, each geolocation being associated with a depth of water value and with a hardness value which varies according to a density of the soil in the geolocation; and

a processing element in communication with the memory element and the display, the processing element configured to—

access the sonar data from the memory element corresponding to the first body of water,

calculate bottom hardness shading data based on the sonar data, the bottom hardness shading data including a monochromatic shade value of a first color for each geolocation of the sonar data, such that each monochromatic shade value varies according to the hardness value of the associated geolocation,

generate a map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, the map representation including monochromatic shading derived from the calculated bottom hardness shading data, and

control the display to visually present the map representation.

12. The marine navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processing element is further configured to associate monochromatic shade values for lighter shades of the first color with geolocations whose hardness value indicates denser soil.

13. The marine navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

calculate depth shading data based on the sonar data, the depth shading data including a shade value of a second color for at least a portion of the geolocations of the body of water such that the shade value of the second color is associated with those geolocations whose depth of water value is within a range of values, and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation including shading derived from the calculated depth shading data and shading derived from the calculated bottom hardness shading data.

14. The marine navigation device of claim 13, wherein the processing element is further configured to incrementally vary the value shade of the second color for incrementally changing depth of water values for those geolocations whose depth of water value is less than a threshold value.

15. The marine navigation device of claim 13, wherein the processing element is further configured to generate depth shading data to include a value of a single color for those geolocations whose depth of water value is between a range of values or greater than a threshold value.

16. The marine navigation device of claim 11, wherein the memory element is further configured to store digital elevation model data and the processing element is further configured to—

calculate three-dimensional terrain data based on the sonar data and the digital elevation model data,

generate a three-dimensional image derived from the three-dimensional terrain data, the three-dimensional image including a perspective view of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, and

control the display to visually present the three-dimensional image instead of the map representation.

17. The marine navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

determine a route from the current geolocation to a user-selected destination and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation including at least a portion of the route and shading from the calculated bottom hardness shading data.

18. The marine navigation device of claim 11, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

calculate contour line data for at least a portion of the first body of water, the contour line data determining a plurality of contour lines, each contour line indicating all of the geolocations of underwater terrain that exist at a depth of water and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation including at least a portion of the contour lines and shading from the calculated bottom hardness shading data.

19. A marine navigation device comprising:

a location determining element configured to determine a current geolocation of a marine vessel on a first body of water;

a display;

a memory element configured to store sonar data for a plurality of bodies of water, the sonar data for each body of water including all geolocations of the body of water that are navigable by the marine vessel, each geolocation being associated with a depth of water value and with a hardness value which varies according to a density of the soil in the geolocation; and

a processing element in communication with the memory element and the display, the processing element configured to—

access the sonar data from the memory element corresponding to the first body of water,

calculate bottom hardness shading data based on the sonar data, the bottom hardness shading data including a monochromatic shade value for each geolocation of the sonar data, such that each monochromatic shade value varies according to the hardness value of the associated geolocation,

calculate depth shading data based on the sonar data, the depth shading data including a shade value of a second color for at least a portion of the geolocations of the body of water such that the shade value of the second color is associated with those geolocations whose depth of water value is within a range of values,

generate a map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, the map representation including monochromatic shading derived from the calculated bottom hardness shading data and color shading derived from the depth shading data, and

control the display to visually present the map representation.

20. The marine navigation device of claim 19, wherein the processing element is further configured to—

calculate contour line data for at least a portion of the first body of water, the contour line data determining a plurality of contour lines, each contour line indicating all of the geolocations of underwater terrain that exist at a depth of water and

generate the map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water, the map representation additionally including at least a portion of the contour lines.

21. A marine navigation device comprising:

a location determining element configured to determine a current geolocation of a marine vessel on a first body of water;

a display;

a memory element configured to store bottom hardness shading data for substantially all of each of a plurality of bodies of water; and

a processing element in communication with the memory element and the display, the processing element configured to—

access the bottom hardness shading data from the memory element corresponding to the first body of water,

generate a map representation of at least a portion of the first body of water corresponding to the current geolocation, the map representation including bottom hardness shading derived from the bottom hardness shading data, and

control the display to visually present the map representation.

22. The marine navigation device of claim 21, wherein the sonar data includes a plurality of geolocations for each body of water such that the geolocations include all geolocations of each body of water that are navigable by the marine vessel, each geolocation being associated with a depth of water value and with a hardness value which varies according to a density of the soil in the geolocation.

23. The marine navigation device of claim 22, wherein the bottom hardness shading data includes a monochromatic shade value of a first color for each geolocation of the sonar data, such that each monochromatic shade value varies according to the hardness value of the associated geolocation.

24. The marine navigation device of claim 23, wherein the monochromatic shade values for lighter shades of the first color are associated with geolocations whose hardness value indicates denser soil.