Assisted docking graphical user interface systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12084155-B2
Application number	US-202117246489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2021
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide graphical user interfaces for assisted and/or autonomous navigation for mobile structures. A navigation assist system includes a user interface for a mobile structure comprising a display and a logic device configured to communicate with the user interface and render a docking user interface on the display. The logic device is configured to monitor control signals for a navigation control system for the mobile structure and render the docking user interface based, at least in part, on the monitored control signals. The docking user interface includes a maneuvering guide with a mobile structure perimeter indicator, an obstruction map, and a translational thrust indicator configured to indicate a translational maneuvering thrust magnitude and direction relative to an orientation of the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a user interface for a mobile structure comprising a display; and
a logic device configured to communicate with the user interface and render a docking user interface on the display, wherein the logic device is configured to:
monitor control signals for a navigation control system for the mobile structure; and
render the docking user interface based, at least in part, on the monitored control signals, wherein the docking user interface comprises a maneuvering guide comprising a mobile structure perimeter indicator, an obstruction map, and a translational thrust indicator configured to indicate a translational maneuvering thrust magnitude and direction relative to an orientation of the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a rotational thrust indicator configured to indicate a rotational maneuvering thrust magnitude and direction relative to the orientation of the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the translational thrust indicator and the rotational thrust indicator are rendered according to a first render palette while the mobile structure is piloted according to a manual navigation mode and according to a second render palette while the mobile structure is piloted according to a docking assist navigation mode.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a set of translational thrust scale markers comprising a plurality of circles with increasing radiuses and centered on the mobile structure perimeter indicator, wherein each circle corresponds to a particular translational thrust percentage of a maximum available translational thrust generated by the navigation control system across the circumference of the circle; and
a set of rotational thrust scale markers comprising two pluralities of radially oriented line segments each distributed evenly across half a circumference of an outer circle of the set of translational thrust scale markers, wherein each line segment corresponds to a particular rotational thrust percentage of a maximum available rotational thrust generated by the navigation control system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a virtual bumper perimeter indicator disposed about the mobile structure perimeter indicator and corresponding to a safety perimeter for the mobile structure; and
a virtual bumper perimeter thickness indicator and/or a virtual bumper perimeter thickness selector configured to enable, disable, indicate, and/or provide for user selection of a thickness of the virtual bumper perimeter indicator disposed about the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a virtual bumper perimeter intrusion indicator disposed substantially within the virtual bumper perimeter indicator, wherein the virtual bumper perimeter intrusion indicator is configured to indicate a relative position of a navigation hazard disposed within a monitoring perimeter of a perimeter ranging system of the mobile structure and detected at or within the thickness of the virtual bumper perimeter indicator disposed about the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to:
generate the obstruction map based, at least in part, on perimeter sensor data from a perimeter ranging system mounted to the mobile structure, wherein the obstruction map comprises one or more navigation hazards disposed within a monitoring perimeter of the perimeter ranging system.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the docking user interface comprises:
one or more video feeds provided by a perimeter ranging system mounted to the mobile structure, wherein each video feed of the one or more video feeds is rendered left of the maneuvering guide if the video feed is provided by a camera of the perimeter ranging system that is disposed substantially on a port side of the mobile structure and is rendered right of the maneuvering guide if the video feed is provided by a camera of the perimeter ranging system that is disposed substantially on a starboard side of the mobile structure.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more video feeds comprises a plurality of video feeds, and wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive, from the user interface, user selection of at least one of the plurality of video feeds of the docking user interface; and
render an updated docking user interface comprising the selected at least one video feed and the maneuvering guide.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive, from the user interface, user selection of a relative viewpoint position relative to the mobile structure perimeter indicator and within the maneuvering guide; and
render an updated docking user interface comprising at least one video feed of the one or more video feeds comprising a field of view that includes the selected relative viewpoint position.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the mobile structure comprises a watercraft; and
the navigation control system comprises one or more of a steering actuator, a propulsion system, and a thrust maneuver system.

12. A method comprising:
monitoring control signals for a navigation control system for a mobile structure; and
rendering a docking user interface based, at least in part, on the monitored control signals, wherein the docking user interface comprises a maneuvering guide comprising a mobile structure perimeter indicator, an obstruction map, and a translational thrust indicator configured to indicate a translational maneuvering thrust magnitude and direction relative to an orientation of the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a rotational thrust indicator configured to indicate a rotational maneuvering thrust magnitude and direction relative to the orientation of the mobile structure perimeter indicator.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the translational thrust indicator and the rotational thrust indicator are rendered according to a first render palette while the mobile structure is piloted according to a manual navigation mode and according to a second render palette while the mobile structure is piloted according to a docking assist navigation mode.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a set of translational thrust scale markers comprising a plurality of circles with increasing radiuses and centered on the mobile structure perimeter indicator, wherein each circle corresponds to a particular translational thrust percentage of a maximum available translational thrust generated by the navigation control system across the circumference of the circle; and
a set of rotational thrust scale markers comprising two pluralities of radially oriented line segments each distributed evenly across half a circumference of an outer circle of the set of translational thrust scale markers, wherein each line segment corresponds to a particular rotational thrust percentage of a maximum available rotational thrust generated by the navigation control system.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the maneuvering guide comprises:
a virtual bumper perimeter indicator disposed about the mobile structure perimeter indicator and corresponding to a safety perimeter for the mobile structure; and
a virtual bumper perimeter thickness indicator and/or a virtual bumper perimeter thickness selector configu

Assignees

• FLIR Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Rivers Mark
• Holder Natalie
• Hawker Oliver
• Jales Richard
• Yeomans Christopher
• Rull Marcelo
• Johnson Mark

Classifications

• B63B79/40

  for controlling the operation of vessels, e.g. monitoring their speed, routing or maintenance schedules · CPC title

• B63B79/10

  using sensors, e.g. pressure sensors, strain gauges or accelerometers · CPC title

• B63H21/213

  Levers or the like for controlling the engine or the transmission, e.g. single hand control levers · CPC title

• B63H25/02

  Initiating means for steering {, for slowing down, otherwise than by use of propulsive elements, or for dynamic anchoring} · CPC title

• H04N7/181

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title