초록 ▼

A navigational aid and autopilot in which informational data pertaining to the physical operating conditions of the craft, the external characteristics relevant to the operation of the craft, and a chart mapping a selected portion of the surface of the earth in which the craft is operating are combi

A navigational aid and autopilot in which informational data pertaining to the physical operating conditions of the craft, the external characteristics relevant to the operation of the craft, and a chart mapping a selected portion of the surface of the earth in which the craft is operating are combined into a single communication correlating such data in a manner assisting an operator of the craft in the performance of his duties. The navigational aid measures external physical conditions such as radio transmissions, radar soundings, sonar soundings, and the like, as well as the physical state of the craft such as fuel flow, list of the craft, and speed of the motor. By monitoring these characteristics in association with an electronic chart, the system correlates and combines the total informational content in a comprehensive form so as to relieve the operator pilot of the necessity of integrating and correlating data from a plurality of different sources. The autopilot operation accepts two types of data command, the first being a destination, the second being a bearing and time duration. Through the use of a position determining means, such as a Loran-C receiver, the system controls the craft and its movement to the destination. With the help of the external physical condition monitors, the system provides course direction so that the craft will not collide with another boat nor run aground. The autopilot additionally plots the course for the craft.

대표청구항 ▼

A navigational aid system for providing correlated informational data in a form facilitating the operation of a craft, said navigational aid system comprising: means for determining the status of at least one external physical condition independent of the operation of the craft but having significan

A navigational aid system for providing correlated informational data in a form facilitating the operation of a craft, said navigational aid system comprising: means for determining the status of at least one external physical condition independent of the operation of the craft but having significance with respect to the operation of the craft and producing first output data indicative thereof; means for determining the status of at least one internal physical state of the craft independently of said external physical condition status-determining means and producing second output data indicative thereof; means providing a surface characteristics representation of a selected portion encompassing an area of the surface of the earth related to the position in which the craft is disposed; data processing means operably coupled to said external physical condition status-determining means, said internal physical state status-determining means, and said surface characteristics representation means for automatically correlating said first and second output data with said surface characteristics representation to produce combined correlated output data significant to the continued operation of the craft; and data presentation means coupled to said data processing means and responsive to said combined correlated output data produced therefrom to provide a presentation of said combined correlated output data in a unitary format readily comprehendible by an operator.