Enhanced pilot display systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016162145-A1
Application number	US-201615011399-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to generate navigational imagery to help users pilot and/or otherwise operate mobile structures. A pilot display system includes one or more logic devices configured to communicate with various sensors, such as a ranging sensor and a speed, position, and/or orientation sensor (SPOS) mounted to a mobile structure, and one or more user interfaces, which may include one or more displays. At least one user interface is in proximity to a mobile structure and/or a user of a mobile structure and is configured to receive user input and provide user feedback with respect to a mobile structure. The logic devices are configured to render a reference icon on a display substantially statically relative to the display, to receive user selection of a target icon, and to render a target dialog substantially statically relative to the selected target icon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a logic device configured to communicate with a user interface for a mobile structure, wherein the logic device is configured to:
render a target icon and a reference icon on a display of the user interface, wherein the reference icon is associated with the mobile structure and is rendered substantially statically relative to the display;
receive user selection of the target icon; and
render a target dialog on the display, wherein the target dialog is rendered substantially statically relative to the selected target icon.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a speed, position, and/or orientation sensor (SPOS) coupled to the mobile structure, wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive a series of speeds, positions, and/or orientations of the mobile structure from the SPOS and one or more positions of a target, corresponding to the target icon, from a target database and/or a ranging sensor configured to communicate with the logic device; and render the target icon to indicate positions of the target relative to positions and/or orientations of the mobile structure.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
the ranging sensor configured to communicate with the logic device.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to:
render a screen cursor on the display prior to the receiving the user selection of the target icon; and render a target cursor on the display after the receiving the user selection of the target icon, wherein the target cursor is configured to indicate the selected target icon and/or at least partially graphically link the target dialog to the target icon.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to:
determine, based at least in part on a series of positions and/or orientations of the mobile structure and/or one or more positions of a target, corresponding to the target icon, that a position of the target relative to a position and/or orientation of the mobile structure is too large to render on the display; and remove the target icon and the target dialog from the display.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the logic device is configured to:
render a screen cursor in place of the removed target icon and/or dialog.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive user selection of the target dialog; render a target menu on the display, wherein the target icon and the target menu are rendered substantially statically relative to the display until the target menu is dismissed by user selection.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the receive user selection of the target icon comprises:
receiving user selection indicating a portion of the display and determining that the indicated portion intersects and/or adjoins the target icon.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the determining that the indicated portion intersects or adjoins the target icon comprises:
rendering a screen cursor at the indicated portion and determining that an area of the display, corresponding to a shape of the screen cursor, intersects and/or adjoins the target icon; rendering a target selection dialog comprising a list of a plurality of selectable target icons intersected and/or adjoined by the area, and receiving user selection of the target icon in the target selection dialog; and/or rendering a zoom window configured to provide increased spatial detail at the indicated portion, displaying each of the plurality of selectable target icons intersected and/or adjoined by the area, and receiving a user drag at the display to substantially align the target icon with the indicated portion.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the receive user selection of the target icon comprises:
receiving user selection indicating a portion of the display and determining that the indicated portion does not intersect or adjoin the target icon; rendering the target dialog on the display, wherein the target dialog is rendered substantially statically relative to the indicated portion; receiving a user drag at the display; and repositioning the target icon according to the received drag to substantially align the target icon with the indicated portion and determining that the indicated portion intersects or adjoins the target icon.

11 . A method comprising:
rendering a target icon and a reference icon on a display of the user interface, wherein the reference icon is associated with the mobile structure and is rendered substantially statically relative to the display; receiving user selection of the target icon; and rendering a target dialog on the display, wherein the target dialog is rendered substantially statically relative to the selected target icon.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a series of speeds, positions, and/or orientations of the mobile structure from a speed, position, and/or orientation sensor (SPOS) coupled to the mobile structure and one or more positions of a target, corresponding to the target icon, from a target database and/or a ranging sensor; and rendering the target icon to indicate positions of the target relative to positions and/or orientations of the mobile structure.

13 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising rendering marine chart data on the display, wherein:
the display is configured to indicate a position and/or orientation of the mobile structure relative to the marine chart data; and the mobile structure comprises a watercraft.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
rendering a screen cursor on the display prior to the receiving the user selection of the target icon; and rendering a target cursor on the display after the receiving the user selection of the target icon, wherein the target cursor is configured to indicate the selected target icon and/or at least partially graphically link the target dialog to the target icon.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on a series of positions and/or orientations of the mobile structure and/or one or more positions of a target, corresponding to the target icon, that a position of the target relative to a position and/or orientation of the mobile structure is too large to render on the display; and removing the target icon and the target dialog from the display.

16 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
rendering a screen cursor in place of the removed target icon and/or dialog, wherein the screen cursor is rendered substantially statically relative to the display.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user selection of the target dialog; rendering a target menu on the display, wherein the target icon and the target menu are rendered substantially statically relative to the display until the target menu is dismissed by user selection.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the receive user selection of the target icon comprises:
receiving user selection indicating a portion of the display and determining that the indicated portion intersects and/or adjoins the target icon.

19 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining that the indicated portion intersects or adjoins the target icon comprises:
rendering a screen cursor at the indicated portion and determining that an area of the display, corresponding to a shape of the screen cursor, intersects and/or adjoins the target icon; rendering a target selection dialog comprising a list of

Assignees

• FLIR Belgium BVBA

Inventors

• Rivers Mark
• Garland Mark

Classifications

• G01S13/937

  of marine craft · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G01C21/12

  executed aboard the object being navigated; Dead reckoning · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G01S7/414

  Discriminating targets with respect to background clutter · CPC title