Sonar and radar display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9201142-B2
Application number	US-201313827571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 1, 2015
Grant date	Dec 1, 2015

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are herein provided for causing presentation of sonar or radar image data over environment information. A method may include determining a position and a line of sight of a device. The method may further include determining at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight. The method may further include causing presentation of an image associated with the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data on a display of the device over environment information indicative of an environment currently viewable by a user through the device. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining a position and a line of sight of a device;
determining, by a processor, at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight; and
causing presentation of a generated image associated with the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data on a display of the device over unaltered environment information indicative of an environment currently viewable by a user through the display of the device, wherein the generated image is presented over the environment information from the perspective of the user viewing the environment information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight is indicative of sonar return data or radar return data currently being captured.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein causing presentation of the image comprises causing presentation of the image over the environment information to be at least partially transparent.

4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:
receiving user input indicating a desire to adjust a level of transparency of the image; and
in response, causing adjustment of the level of transparency of the image based on the user input.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein receiving user input comprises detecting movement of the user's head, and wherein causing adjustment of the level of transparency of the image comprises causing adjustment of the level of transparency based on a degree of movement of the user's head.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting instructions to a sonar system to cause a sonar transducer to aim in a direction associated with the position and the line of sight of the device.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
detecting movement of the device such that the device defines a second position and a second line of sight;
determining the second position and the second line of sight of the device;
determining at least one of second sonar image data or second radar image data associated with the second position and the second line of sight; and
causing presentation of the image to be updated based on the at least one of second sonar image data or second radar image data.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving user input indicating a desire to cause presentation of the image associated with the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and line of sight.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
receiving user input indicating a desire to cease presentation of the image; and
in response, causing presentation of the image to cease.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data comprises:
transmitting the position and the line of sight to a sonar signal processor; and
receiving the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight from the sonar signal processor.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data comprises:
receiving at least one of unfiltered sonar image data or unfiltered radar image data, wherein the unfiltered sonar image data is indicative of sonar return data from at least one sonar transducer, wherein the unfiltered radar image data is indicative of radar return data from a radar; and
determining the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight from among the at least one of unfiltered sonar image data or unfiltered radar image data.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one lens, wherein the user may view the environment through the at least one lens, and wherein causing presentation of the image on the display comprises causing presentation of the image on at least a portion of the at least one lens.

13. The method according to claim 1 further comprising causing presentation of the environment information on the display concurrent with causing presentation of the image on the display.

14. The method according to claim 1 further comprising causing presentation of additional information on the display concurrent with causing presentation of the image on the display, wherein the additional information includes at least one of navigational information, marine information, and weather information.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein causing presentation of the generated image over the unaltered environment information creates a combined reality and virtual reality view for the user.

16. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine a position and a line of sight of a device;
determine at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight; and
cause presentation of a generated image associated with the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data on a display of the device over unaltered environment information indicative of an environment currently viewable by a user through the display of the device, wherein the generated image is presented over the environment information from the perspective of the user viewing the environment information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight is indicative of sonar return data or radar return data currently being captured.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause presentation of the image by causing presentation of the image over the environment information to be at least partially transparent.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause presentation of the generated image over the unaltered environment information to create a combined reality and virtual reality view for the user.

20. Computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code portions stored thereon, the program code portions being a computer readable medium and configured when said program product is run on a computer or network device, to:
determine a position and a line of sight of a device;
determine at least one of sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight; and
cause presentation of a generated image associated with the at least one of sonar image data or radar image data on a display of the device over unaltered environment information indicative of an environment currently viewable by a user through the display of the device, wherein the generated image is presented over the environment information from the perspective of the user viewing the environment information.

21. The computer program product of claim 20 , wherein the at least one sonar image data or radar image data associated with the position and the line of sight is indicative of sonar return data or radar return data currently being captured

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Antao Barry

Classifications

• G01S7/24

  the display being orientated or displaced in accordance with movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus, e.g. true-motion radar · CPC title

• G01S7/629

  the display being oriented or displaced in accordance with the movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus · CPC title

• G01S15/96

  for locating fish · CPC title

• G01S13/862 Primary

  Combination of radar systems with sonar systems · CPC title

• G01S13/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title