Alert zones for a marine environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10094918-B2
Application number	US-201514852140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 13, 2014
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

Various implementations directed to alert zones for a marine environment. In one implementation, a marine electronics device may include a memory having a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to determine one or more alert zones for a marine environment proximate to a vessel, and to receive sonar data from a transducer array disposed on the vessel, where the sonar data corresponds to the marine environment. The memory may further have program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to analyze the received sonar data to determine a depth line, where the depth line is a representation of one or more depths of an underwater floor of the marine environment, and to provide one or more alerts if at least a portion of the depth line is positioned within the one or more alert zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A marine electronics device comprising:
a sonar signal processor; and
a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to:
determine one or more alert zones for a marine environment proximate to a vessel, wherein each of the one or more alert zones is a substantially rectangular area comprising:
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a determined forward range;
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a determined depth; and
an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the determined forward range and an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the determined depth that meet at a determined range point, wherein the determined range point is a point in the marine environment that has a horizontal offset from the vessel that is equal to the determined forward range and a vertical offset from the vessel that is equal to the determined depth;

receive sonar data from a transducer array disposed on the vessel, wherein the sonar data corresponds to the marine environment;
analyze the received sonar data to determine a depth line, wherein the depth line is a representation of one or more depths of an underwater floor of the marine environment; and
provide one or more alerts if at least a portion of the depth line is positioned within the one or more alert zones.

2. The marine electronics device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more alert zones comprise at least one of a critical zone, a warning zone, and a safe zone.

3. The marine electronics device of claim 2 , wherein the critical zone is a substantially rectangular area comprising:
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a critical forward range;
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a critical depth; and
an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the critical forward range and an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the critical depth that meet at a critical range point, wherein the critical range point is a point in the marine environment that has a horizontal offset from the vessel that is equal to the critical forward range and a vertical offset from the vessel that is equal to the critical depth.

4. The marine electronics device of claim 3 , wherein values for the critical forward range and the critical depth are based on one or more user inputs.

5. The marine electronics device of claim 3 , wherein the warning zone is a substantially rectangular area comprising:
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a warning forward range;
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a warning depth; and
an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the warning forward range and an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the warning depth that meet at a point in the marine environment.

6. The marine electronics device of claim 5 , wherein a value for the warning forward range is based on a ratio of the critical forward range, and wherein a value for the warning depth is based on a ratio of the critical depth.

7. The marine electronics device of claim 2 , wherein the safe zone is a substantially rectangular area comprising:
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a screen forward range;
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a screen depth; and
an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the screen forward range and an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the screen depth that meet at a point in the marine environment.

8. The marine electronics device of claim 7 , wherein the screen forward range is a range of the marine environment that is displayed by the marine electronics device and the screen depth is a depth of the marine environment that is displayed by the marine electronics device, and wherein values for the screen forward range and the screen depth are based on one or more user inputs.

9. The marine electronics device of claim 2 , wherein the critical zone is closer to the vessel than the warning zone and the safe zone, and wherein the warning zone is closer to the vessel than the safe zone.

10. The marine electronics device of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to provide the one or more alerts further comprise program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to provide the one or more alerts if at least a portion of the depth line is positioned within the critical zone or the warning zone.

11. The marine electronics device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more alerts comprise one or more visual indicators on a display, one or more audio signals in the form of an alarm sound, or combinations thereof.

12. The marine electronics device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions further cause the processor to display a visual representation of the one or more alert zones in conjunction with the depth line.

13. The marine electronics device of claim 12 , wherein the visual representation comprises a depth display, wherein the depth display visualizes the one or more alert zones, the depth line, and depths of one or more objects of the marine environment in the form of point cloud data.

14. The marine electronics device of claim 12 , wherein the visual representation comprises a heading line extension on a navigation chart display, wherein the heading line extension is a line indicating one or more future locations of the vessel if the vessel maintains a current course, and wherein the heading line extension is separated into one or more sections in order to visualize where the depth line is positioned within the one or more alert zones.

15. A sonar system comprising:
a transducer array configured to receive one or more sonar return signals and to convert the one or more sonar return signals into sonar data;
a marine electronics device comprising:
a sonar signal processor;

a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to:
determine one or more alert zones for a marine environment proximate to a vessel, wherein each of the one or more alert zones is a substantially rectangular area comprising:
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a determined forward range;
an imaginary straight line extending from the vessel to a point representing a determined depth; and
an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the determined forward range and an imaginary straight line extending from the point representing the determined depth that meet at a determined range point, wherein the determined range point is a point in the marine environment that has a horizontal offset from the vessel that is equal to the determined forward range and a vertical offset from the vessel that is equal to the determined depth;

receive sonar data from the transducer array, wherein the sonar data corresponds to the marine environment;
analyze the received sonar data to determine a depth line, wherein the depth line is a representation of one or more depths of an underwater floor of the marine environment; and
provide one or more alerts if at least a portion of

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Nickel Frank S
• Proctor Alan
• Brown Jr Tracy

Classifications

• G01S15/93

  for anti-collision purposes · CPC title

• G01S15/96

  for locating fish · CPC title

• G01S7/6272 Primary

  producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means · CPC title