Fish tracker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9817120-B2
Application number	US-201313948549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2013
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

An integrated fish detection module/navigation module system that may provide the location of fish over a distance or time is provided herein. The location of fish can be presented on a navigation module display to provide information regarding the location of fish relative to navigational data known to the navigation module. The information may create a record of fish location over time and distance. In some configurations, the navigational data and fish detection module data of more than one watercraft may be combined and distributed. In some configurations, a marker may be automatically placed on a navigation module to indicate that fish have been detected at the location on the navigation module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fish location system, comprising:
a first integrated fish location system installed on a first watercraft in motion, and a second integrated fish location system installed on a second watercraft in motion, the first integrated fish location system comprising:
a first fish detection module comprising a first transducer, the first fish detection module configured to output a first fish detection module output comprising a first indication of a first underwater object in a general vicinity of a first watercraft;
a first navigation module comprising a first navigational component configured to output a first navigation module output comprising first location information;
a first integrator configured to integrate the first fish detection module output and the first navigation module output to provide a first integrated output that provides a location of the first underwater object; and
a first display including:
a fish detection module portion comprising the fish detection module output of the first fish detection module; and
an integrated output portion comprising the integrated output of the first integrator and navigational information of the first watercraft displayed on a map; and

the second integrated fish location system communicatively connected with the first integrated fish location system, the second integrated fish location system comprising:
a second fish detection module comprising a second transducer, the second fish detection module configured to output a second fish detection module output comprising a second indication of a second underwater object;
a second navigation module comprising a second navigational component configured to output a second navigation module output comprising second location information;
a second integrator configured to integrate the second fish detection module output and the second navigation module output to provide a second integrated output that provides a location of the second underwater object, and wherein the second integrator is configured to provide the respective second integrated output in networked communication with the first integrator to provide for the integration of the second integrated output with the first integrated output; and
a second display including:
a fish detection module portion comprising the second fish detection module output of the second fish detection module; and
an integrated output portion comprising the second integrated output of the second integrator and navigational information of the second watercraft displayed on a map,

wherein the first integrated output and the second integrated output are both displayed on each of the integrated output portions of the first display and the second display while each of the first integrated fish location system and the second integrated fish location system are in motion.

2. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first integrated fish location system and the second integrated fish location system each further comprise a data store to automatically store respective first fish detection module output and second fish detection module output and the first navigation module output and the second navigation module output.

3. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first display and the second display are configured to display a marker identifying the location of the underwater object.

4. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein the first navigational component comprises a global positioning service device, radar, sounding equipment, and cellular-based location equipment.

5. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein the first navigational component comprises a clock, a sextant, a chart, and a geographical marker chart.

6. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein the first navigation module comprises map information so that the first location information may be integrated with the map information to place the first location information in a geographical context.

7. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein the first fish detection module output further comprises an identification of a detected fish, a depth of a detected fish, and a size of a detected fish.

8. The fish location system of claim 1 , wherein the the first display and the second display are each configured to display a date and time at which the first and second underwater objects were located.

9. The fish location system of claim 2 , wherein the first integrated output portion further comprises a marker identifying the location of the underwater object.

10. The fish location system of claim 2 , wherein the location information of the first navigation module is received from a global positioning service device, radar, sounding equipment, or cellular-based location equipment.

11. The fish location system of claim 2 , wherein the first navigation module output further comprises map information so that the location information of the first navigation module may be integrated with the map information to place the location information in a geographical context.

12. The fish location system of claim 2 , wherein the fish detection module portion comprises an identification of fish detected, a depth of fish, and a size of fish.

13. The fish location system of claim 12 , wherein the fish detection module portion of each of the first display and the second display further comprises a date at which the underwater object was located.

14. A method for providing integrated fish location information, comprising:
while a first watercraft and a second watercraft are in motion:
receiving first fish detection module output from a first integrated fish location system, wherein the first fish detection module output comprises a first indication of a first underwater object in a general vicinity of the first watercraft;
receiving first navigation module output from the first integrated fish location system, wherein the first navigation module output comprises first location information;
integrating the first fish detection module output with the first navigation module output to create first integrated data that comprises a first location of the first underwater object;
displaying the first fish detection module output on a first fish detection module output portion of a first display;
displaying the first integrated data on a first integrated data portion of the first display, where first integrated data portion of the first display includes a map;
receiving second fish detection module output from a second integrated fish location system, wherein the second integrated fish location system is communicatively connected with the first integrated fish location system, and wherein the second fish detection module output comprises a second indication of a second underwater object in the general vicinity of the second watercraft;
receiving second navigation module output from the second integrated fish location system, wherein the second navigation module output comprises second location information;
integrating the second fish detection module output with the second navigation module output to create second integrated data that comprises a second location of the second underwater object;
displaying the second fish detection module output on a second fish detection module output portion of a second display, the second display located on the second watercraft;
displaying the second integrated data on a second integrated data portion of the second display, where second integrated data portion of the first display includes the map;
integrating the first integrated data and the second integra

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Ferretti Andrea

Classifications

• G01S15/86

  Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection · CPC title

• G01S15/96 Primary

  for locating fish · CPC title

• G01S7/56

  Display arrangements {(short-range imaging G01S7/52053)} · 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

• G01S15/025

  Physics · mapped topic