Boat navigation assist system, and navigation assist apparatus and server of the system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272977-B2
Application number	US-201815933255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A navigation assist system having a plurality of navigation assist apparatuses installed on small boats like motorboats each fitted with an outboard motor to be able to navigate in a predetermined water area, and a server placed on land to communicate with the navigation assist apparatuses. Each of the navigation assist apparatuses detects a trim-up position of the outboard motor, adds the position to a danger level data downloaded from the server unit, and alerts an operator concerned when the boat approaches a region whose danger level is great.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A navigation assist system having:
a plurality of navigation assist apparatuses installed on boats each fitted with an outboard motor to be able to navigate in a predetermined water area, and
a server configured to communicate with the navigation assist apparatuses;
wherein each of the navigation assist apparatuses comprises:
a trim-up detector unit configured to detect trim-up of the outboard motor fitted on one of the boats that navigates in the predetermined water area within a predetermined speed range;
a trim-up position data transmitter unit configured to detect position data of the one of the boats as trim-up position data when the trim-up detector unit detects the trim-up of the outboard motor and sends the trim-up position data to the server;
a danger level data download unit configured to download from the server danger level data indicating a danger level of individual coordinate domains of the predetermined water area divided into mesh-like coordinate domains;
a danger level data display unit configured to display the downloaded danger level data on a map of the predetermined water area in association with coordinate regions corresponding to the coordinate domains; and
an alert/alarm unit configured to inform an operator of each of the boats by displaying an alert or sounding an alarm, when each of the boats approaches to within a predetermined distance of one of the coordinate regions on the map whose danger level of the danger level data is equal to or greater than a prescribed level;
wherein the server comprises:
a trim-up position data receiver/memory unit configured to receive the trim-up position data from the navigation assist apparatuses installed on the boats and stores the received trim-up position data in association with the individual coordinate domains of the predetermined water area divided into the mesh-like coordinate domains;
a danger level data update/storage unit configured to determine a danger level of individual coordinate regions based on the trim-up position data stored in association with the individual coordinate domains, and update and store the danger level data; and
a danger level data transmitter unit configured to transmit the danger level data of the individual coordinate regions to the navigation assist apparatuses in response to a download request made by the one of the navigation assist apparatuses.

2. The navigation assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the danger level data display unit is configured to display the downloaded danger level data on the map in colors, and
the alert/alarm unit is configured to inform the operator by displaying an alert when the danger level of the danger level data is greater than a first prescribed value of the prescribed level, while informing the operator by sounding an alarm when the danger level of the danger level data is greater than a second prescribed value which is greater than the first prescribed value of the prescribed level.

3. The navigation assist system according to claim 1 , wherein the navigation assist apparatuses include:
a shock occurrence position data transmitter unit configured to transmit position data of one of the boats concerned to the server as shock occurrence position data, when a G sensor provided on the one of the boats detects a shock exceeding a predetermined value, and
the trim-up position data receiver/memory unit is configured to add the received shock occurrence position data to the received trim-up position stored in association with the individual coordinate domains.

4. A navigation assist apparatus installed on boats each fitted with an outboard motor to be able to navigate in a predetermined water area, comprising:
a trim-up detector unit configured to detect trim-up of the outboard motor fitted on one of the boats that navigates in the predetermined water area within a predetermined speed range;
a trim-up position data transmitter unit configured to detect position data of the one of the boats as trim-up position data when the trim-up detector unit detects the trim-up of the outboard motor and sends the trim-up position data to a server;
a danger level data download unit configured to download from the server danger level data indicating a danger level of individual coordinate domains of the predetermined water area divided into mesh-like coordinate domains;
a danger level data display unit configured to display the downloaded danger level data on a map of the predetermined water area in association with coordinate regions corresponding to the coordinate domains; and
an alert/alarm unit configured to inform an operator of each of the boats by displaying an alert or sounding an alarm, when the each of the boats approaches to within a predetermined distance of one of the coordinate regions on the map whose danger level of the danger level data is equal to or greater than a prescribed level.

5. The navigation assist apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the danger level data display unit is configured to display the downloaded danger level data on the map in colors, and the alert/alarm unit is configured to inform the operator by displaying an alert when the danger level of the danger level data is greater than a first prescribed value of the prescribed level, while informing the operator by sounding an alarm when the danger level of the danger level data is greater than a second prescribed value which is greater than the first prescribed value of the prescribed level.

6. The navigation assist apparatus according to claim 4 , further including:
a shock occurrence position data transmitter unit configured to transmit position data of one of the boats to the server as shock occurrence position data, when a G sensor provided on the one of the boats detects a shock exceeding a predetermined value.

7. A server, comprising:
a trim-up position data receiver/memory unit configured to receive trim-up position data from navigation assist apparatuses installed on boats navigating in a predetermined water area within a predetermined speed range when outboard motors fitted on the boats are trimmed up, and store the received trim-up position data in association with individual coordinate domains of the predetermined water area divided into mesh-like coordinate domains;
a danger level data update/storage unit configured to determine a danger level of individual coordinate regions based on the trim-up position data stored in association with the individual coordinate domains, and update and store the danger level data; and
a danger level data transmitter unit configured to transmit the danger level data of the individual coordinate regions to the navigation assist apparatuses in response to a download request made by the navigation assist apparatuses.

8. The server according to claim 7 , wherein the trim-up position data receiver/memory unit is configured to include shock occurrence position data transmitted from the boats as shock occurrence position data when a G sensor provided on the boats detects a shock exceeding a predetermined value, and add the transmitted shock occurrence position data to the received trim-up position data stored in association with the individual coordinate domains.

9. A navigation assist apparatus installed on boats each fitted with an outboard motor to be able to navigate in a predetermined water area, comprising:
an electronic control unit having a processor and at least a memory coupled to the processor;
wherein the processor and memory are configured to perform:
detecting trim-up of the outboard motor fitted on one of the boats that navigates in the predetermined water area within a predetermined speed range;
detecting position data of the one

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hashizume Takashi
• Kimata Ryuichi

Classifications

• B63B2201/02

  Audible · CPC title

• B63H20/10

  Means enabling trim or tilt, or lifting of the propulsion element when an obstruction is hit; Control of trim or tilt · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G08B25/08

  using communication transmission lines {(G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B63B49/00 Primary

  Arrangements of nautical instruments or navigational aids (nautical measuring instruments G01C; radio navigation, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) · CPC title