Alert zones for a marine environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022684-B2
Application number	US-201816121976-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2018
Priority date	Sep 13, 2014
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

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 processor; and
a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the 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 an area extending forward and down from the vessel, wherein the area is formed using polar coordinates based on at least one of an alert depth or an alert forward range;
receive sonar data from a transducer assembly 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 is an at least partially circular area extending forward and down from the vessel.

3. The marine electronics device of claim 1 , wherein values for the alert forward range or the alert depth are based on one or more user inputs.

4. The marine electronics device of claim 1 , wherein the area is formed based on a first imaginary line extending forward of the vessel to the alert forward range, a second imaginary line extending downward of the vessel to the alert depth, and an imaginary curved line extending between a first imaginary point corresponding to the alert forward range and a second imaginary point corresponding to the alert depth.

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

6. The marine electronics device of claim 5 , wherein the critical zone is formed based on at least one of a critical forward range or a critical depth, and wherein warning zone is formed based on at least one of a warning forward range or a warning depth.

7. The marine electronics device of claim 6 , 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.

8. The marine electronics device of claim 6 , wherein an edge of the critical zone is closer to the vessel than an edge of the warning zone.

9. The marine electronics device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more alert zones further comprise a safe zone that is formed based on at least one of a screen forward range or a screen depth.

10. The marine electronics device of claim 9 , 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.

11. The marine electronics device of claim 6 , 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. The marine electronics device of claim 13 , wherein the visual representation comprises a depth display, wherein the depth display provides a representation of the one or more alert zones, the depth line, and depths of one or more objects of the marine environment.

15. The marine electronics device of claim 13 , 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 represent where the depth line is positioned within the one or more alert zones.

16. A sonar system comprising:
a transducer assembly 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 processor;
a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the 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 an area extending forward and down from the vessel, wherein the area is formed using polar coordinates based on at least one of an alert depth or an alert forward range;
receive sonar data from the transducer assembly, 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.

17. The sonar system of claim 16 , wherein the area is formed based on a first imaginary line extending forward of the vessel to the alert forward range, a second imaginary line extending downward of the vessel to the alert depth, and an imaginary curved line extending between a first imaginary point corresponding to the alert forward range and a second imaginary point corresponding to the alert depth.

18. A marine electronics device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the 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 an area extending forward and down from the vessel, wherein the area is formed into a free form shape that is based on one or more free form input selections;
receive sonar data from a transducer assembly 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.

19. The marine electronics device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more free form input selections are based on user input provided to a touch screen of the marine electronics device.

20. The marine electronics device of claim 18 , wherein the one or more free from input selections correspond to one or more modifications to a pre-formed geometric shape.

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