Systems and associated methods for measuring the length of a fish

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9928611-B2
Application number	US-201615150898-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2016
Priority date	May 10, 2016
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide an accurate way to measure the length of a fish. Some embodiments of the present invention propose utilizing a known length of a marker within a camera view or picture to determine the length of the fish also shown in the same camera view or picture. This determination could be performed in real-time or later remotely. Further, the measurement of the length of the fish is reliable because it is not dependent on a zoom value or angle of the camera and there is no required measurement device. Further, the technique is easy to use and can be performed with a camera phone or tablet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory including computer program code, wherein the apparatus further comprises a camera, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive user input indicating a desire to measure a length of a fish;
cause display of fish measurement guidelines in conjunction with a camera view for use with taking a picture using the camera, wherein the fish measurement guidelines form a shape within the camera view that corresponds to a shape of a generic fish such that the user is encouraged to zoom the camera such that an image of the fish through the camera view aligns with the fish measurement guidelines;
determine if an image of a marker is present with the image of the fish within the camera view;
determine a length of the marker;
determine a length of the image of the marker;
determine, in an instance in which the image of the fish through the camera view is aligned with the fish measurement guidelines, a length of the image of the fish based on a known length corresponding to the fish measurement guidelines presented in the camera view; and
determine the length of the fish based on the length of the marker, the length of the image of the marker, and the length of the image of the fish.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine the length of the marker by:
determining a first theoretical plane associated with the image of the marker; and
determining a length associated with the image of the marker within the first theoretical plane; and

determine the length of the fish by:
determining a conversion rate between the length associated with the image of the marker in the first theoretical plane and the known length of the marker; and
converting the length associated with the image of the fish to the length of the fish based on the determined conversion rate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the length of the fish by:
determining a number of pixels associated with the length of the image of the marker;
determining a conversion rate between pixels and length based on the number of pixels associated with the length of the image of the marker and the known length of the marker;
determining a number of pixels associated with a length of the image of the fish; and
converting the number of pixels associated with the length of the image of the fish to the length of the fish.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine if the image of the fish through the camera viewer is positioned in accordance with the measurement guidelines; and
provide an indication in an instance in which the image of the fish through the camera viewer is positioned in accordance with the measurement guidelines.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to display the length of the fish on a display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to deteunine data associated with a machine-readable code from the marker, wherein the data includes the length of the marker.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the length of the marker based on a pre-set length of the marker.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive user input indicating a desire to take a picture of the fish and the marker; and
cause, in response to receiving the user input, a picture to be taken.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
transmit the picture and the plurality of camera parameters to a remote device for determination of the size of the fish.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to record, in response to receiving the user input indicating a desire to take the picture, at least one of time, location, or date associated with the picture.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera defines at least one camera parameter, wherein the at least one camera parameter includes at least one of field of view, number of pixels, lens size, lens type, or lens distortion value, and wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine the length of the image of the marker further based on the at least one camera parameter.

12. A method for determining a length of a fish, the method comprising:
receiving user input indicating a desire to measure a length of a fish;
causing display of fish measurement guidelines in conjunction with a camera view for use with taking a picture using a camera, wherein the fish measurement guidelines form a shape within the camera view that corresponds to a shape of a generic fish such that the user is encouraged to zoom the camera such that an image of the fish through the camera view aligns with the fish measurement guidelines;
determining if an image of a marker is present with an image of the fish within the camera view;
determining a length of the marker;
determining a length of the image of the marker;
determining, in an instance in which the image of the fish through the camera view is aligned with the fish measurement guidelines, a length of the image of the fish based on a known length corresponding to the fish measurement guidelines presented in the camera view; and
determining the length of the fish based on the length of the marker, the length of the image of the marker, and the length of the image of the fish.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
determining the length of the marker comprises:
determining a first theoretical plane associated with the image of the marker; and
determining a length associated with the image of the marker within the first theoretical plane; and

determining the length of the fish comprises:
determining a conversion rate between the length associated with the image of the marker in the first theoretical plane and the known length of the marker; and
converting the length associated with the image of the fish to the length of the fish based on the determined conversion rate.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the length of the fish comprises:
determining a number of pixels associated with the length of the image of the marker;
determining a conversion rate between pixels and length based on the number of pixels associated with the length of the image of the marker and the known length of the marker;
determining a number of pixels associated with a length of the image of the fish; and
converting the number of pixels associated with the length of the image of the fish to the length of the fish.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprised of at least one memory device having computer program instructions stored thereon, the computer p

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Butterworth Paul

Classifications

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N5/23293

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06T2207/30204

  Marker · CPC title