JP2006010483A - Method and apparatus for updating information on bottom of water - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for updating information on the bottom of the water updating information on the bottom of the water with a correction or an upgrading so as to accurately display the state of the bottom of the water as a three-dimensional image. <P>SOLUTION: Means for storing information on the bottom of the water 5a stores information on the bottom of the water for generating a three-dimensional image comprising the surface of the water on which a present position and a navigation track are superimposed and the topography on the bottom of the water under the surface of the water. The information on the bottom of the water has information on the height of the bottom of the water at points of intersection of predetermined longitudes and latitudes with predetermined intervals. Combined information acquisition means 13a successively acquires combined information comprising detection information including the depth of a target under the water where a ship is positioned and ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position of the ship on the surface of the water measured at the time of detection and stores it on combined information storage means 5b. Means for calculating the height of the bottom of the water 13b, on the basis of the longitude and latitude of the ship position information, the depth of a part of the bottom of the water of the detection information, and the height position at the time of acquisition of the detection information, calculates the height of the bottom of the water at the point of intersection and replaces previous one at the corresponding point of intersection stored on the means for storing information on the bottom of the water 5a to update it. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a water bottom information updating method and apparatus, and more particularly, to a water bottom information updating method and apparatus for updating water bottom information prepared in advance for displaying a state of a water bottom such as a sea or a lake on a screen as a three-dimensional image. Is.

  The present invention relates to a water bottom information update processing program, and more specifically, water bottom information for causing a computer to function as a means for updating water bottom information prepared in advance to display a state of a water bottom such as a sea or a lake on a screen as a three-dimensional image. The present invention relates to an update processing program.

  The present invention relates to a water bottom information distribution system, and more specifically, water bottom information prepared in advance for displaying a state of a water bottom such as a sea or a lake on a screen as a three-dimensional image is distributed to a ship that needs the information. The present invention relates to a bottom information update distribution system.

  Paper charts, which were indispensable for ship operation, have been replaced by electronic charts (from April 2002) with the recent development of computer technology. Electronic charts are digital data of all the information described in paper charts. For example, the current position of a ship is obtained by receiving radio waves from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. A navigation system for a ship that displays a current position superimposed on an electronic chart on a display screen can be configured and used for assisting in maneuvering.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19 showing a display example of an electronic chart performed on the display screen of a conventional general ship handling support system, the screen surrounds the land L1 to L3 and the land L1 to L3. The current position P of the marine vessel being manipulated on the sea area M and the electronic chart is displayed.

  On the land L1 to L3, contour lines measured with the average water surface as an altitude reference plane are displayed, and it is also possible to grasp the land buildings such as the shape of the coastline, lighthouses, bridges and towers. In addition, in the sea area M, as with the contour lines of the land L1 to L3, contour lines measured with the lowest water surface at the time of low tide as the reference surface of the water depth are displayed. It also includes sunken ships and reefs.

  In this way, electronic charts are provided by public institutions in the same way as paper charts, and in addition to the land terrain of land L1 to L3 that can be seen during ship maneuvering, they are under water and difficult to see during maneuvering. It expresses even the ocean floor topography. Accordingly, the ship operator can determine the landforms of the land terrain L1 to L3 near the coast, the position of the lighthouse, the water depth, the bottom sediment, etc. according to the current position P of the ship displayed superimposed on the electronic chart on the display screen. It is possible to grasp information useful for maneuvering and the seabed topography of the sea area M, and to maneuver the ship so as to avoid accidents such as grounding. However, as shown in the electronic chart shown in FIG. 19, it is not possible to intuitively grasp the state of the water bottom topography with respect to the ship being operated by simply displaying the water bottom topography in two dimensions.

  Therefore, the applicant of the present application diverts the water depth information of the electronic chart and creates and prepares water bottom height information at intersections of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals of 10 m, for example. As shown in FIG. 20, based on the information, a three-dimensional image of the bottom terrain B and the water surface F is generated and displayed, and the current position P of the ship and the navigation trajectory are displayed on the water surface F. This is proposed in 2002-381601. As is clear from the display shown in FIG. 20, the three-dimensional image of the bottom terrain B is convenient for intuitively grasping the relationship between the bottom terrain B and the current position P of the ship on the water surface F with respect to the bottom terrain. is there.

By the way, in order to generate a three-dimensional image of the water bottom topography, information on the water bottom height at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines determined in advance at predetermined intervals is prepared in advance, but it relates to the electronic chart provided in the sea near Japan that was diverted in creating it. The information is a mesh of water depth data at intervals of 500m (not mesh data along longitude and latitude).
(1) latitude: N 34 to 46 (degrees), longitude: E 135 to 148 (degrees)
(2) latitude: N 30 to 38 (degrees), longitude: E 128 to 144 (degrees)
(3) latitude: N 24 to 30 (degrees), longitude: E 122 to 132 (degrees)
There are some areas where data are blank in the coastal area.

  The data format consists of type (0 or 1), latitude (unit: degree), longitude (unit: degree), and water depth (m), such as [I1, F10.5, F10.5, I6]. It is represented. The type 0 is the water depth obtained from the measured water depth or the contour line, and 1 is the water depth created by the interpolation process.

  As described above, electronic chart data has only water depth data at positions represented by latitude and longitude of points at intervals of 500 m, and many points are only water depths obtained by interpolation processing from measured water depths or contour lines. Absent. For this reason, although the 3D image of the water bottom topography formed based on the water bottom height information generated by diverting this electronic chart data is convenient for intuitively understanding the water bottom topography, No more than what can be obtained by charts. Therefore, even if it is useful for knowing the outline of the seabed off the ship's route, it is undeniable that there will be insufficient information in order to know the details accurately.

  For this reason, for example, even if a fishing boat or a leisure boat seeks a seabed suitable for fishing according to the fish species targeted for fishing, it is impossible to perform effective exploration from the water depth data of the electronic chart. In addition, it is necessary for a safe ship operation to know the details of the depth of water down to the bottom of the water surface and the presence or absence of obstacles for leisure boats that always enter and operate in all water areas. However, it is impossible to know from the electronic chart data.

  Therefore, in view of the present situation described above, the present invention can display water bottom information prepared in advance to display the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, etc. on the screen as a three-dimensional image, and more accurately display the state of the water bottom as a three-dimensional image. In addition, it is a first and second object to provide a bottom information updating method and device that is updated by updating or upgrading.

  The present invention also corrects or upgrades the water bottom information prepared in advance to display the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, etc. on the screen as a three-dimensional image so that the state of the bottom of the water can be displayed more accurately as a three-dimensional image. Therefore, it is a third object to provide a water bottom information update processing program that causes a computer to function as a processing means for updating.

  The present invention further modifies or upgrades the water bottom information prepared in advance for displaying the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, etc. on the screen as a three-dimensional image so that the state of the bottom of the water can be displayed more accurately as a three-dimensional image. The fourth problem is to provide a water bottom information update distribution system that updates and distributes the updated water bottom information to a ship that requires such water bottom information.

  In order to solve the first problem, the invention according to claim 1 is for generating a three-dimensional image of a water surface displayed by superimposing a current position of a ship and a navigational trajectory and a bottom terrain below the water surface. A water bottom information updating method for updating water bottom information prepared in advance, wherein the prepared water bottom information has water bottom height information at intersections of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals, and a water surface on which a ship is located A number of combination information combining detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the lower target and ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the surface of the ship obtained by measurement during the detection. Based on the longitude and latitude of the ship position information, the depth of the bottom of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the height of the water surface when the detection information is acquired, versus Seeking water bottom height of the points by calculating the water bottom height determined by the calculation consists in underwater information update method characterized by replacing it with the previous ones of the corresponding intersection of the previously prepared water bottom information.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the water bottom information update method according to claim 1, wherein the height of the water surface is calculated based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It exists in the bottom information update method characterized by being a thing.

  The invention according to claim 3, which has been made to solve the second problem, includes a water surface on which the current position of a ship and a navigation trajectory are superimposed and displayed, as shown in the basic configuration diagram of FIG. A water bottom information updating device that updates water bottom information prepared in advance and stored in the water bottom information storage means 5a in order to generate a three-dimensional image of the water bottom topography under the water surface, wherein the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means 5a is stored in the water bottom information storage means 5a. , Having water bottom height information at intersections of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals, and detecting information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target under the water where the ship is located, and measuring at the time of the detection Combination information acquisition means 13a for sequentially acquiring combination information with ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the obtained position on the water surface of the ship, and combination information for storing combination information acquired by the combination information acquisition means 13a The longitude and latitude of the ship position information of the combination information stored in the storage means 5b, the combination information storage means 5b, and the bottom portion of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information. Based on the depth and the height position at the time of detection information acquisition, a water bottom height calculating means 13b for calculating a water bottom height of a point corresponding to the intersection, and a water bottom determined by the water bottom height calculating means 13b The water bottom information updating apparatus includes an updating unit 13c that replaces and updates the height with a previous one of the corresponding intersection of the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage unit 5a.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the water bottom information updating apparatus according to the third aspect, the height of the water surface is calculated based on a height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It exists in the bottom information update device characterized by being.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the water bottom information updating device according to the third or fourth aspect, the combination information acquisition unit 13a includes detection information including a depth of the target obtained by detecting a target below the surface where the ship is located. Detection information from the fish finder 2 that generates the ship, and ship position information from the GPS signal generator 3 that generates ship position information including the latitude and longitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement during the detection; It exists in the water bottom information update device characterized by acquiring in combination.

  In order to solve the third problem, the invention according to claim 6 is a predetermined information stored in water bottom information storage means prepared in advance for displaying on the screen a state of the water bottom such as the sea and lakes as a three-dimensional image. Detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the computer for the target under the water surface where the ship is located in order to update the water bottom information having the water bottom height information at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines predetermined at intervals; Combination information acquisition means for sequentially acquiring combination information with ship position information including longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement at the time of detection and storing the combination information in the combination information storage means, the combination information storage means The longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in and the depth of the bottom portion of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information , Based on the height position at the time of detection information acquisition, the water bottom height calculating means for calculating the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection, and the water bottom height calculated by the water bottom height calculating means The water bottom information update processing program functions as update means for replacing and updating the corresponding intersection of the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the water bottom information update processing program according to claim 6, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It exists in the bottom information update processing program characterized by being.

  In order to solve the fourth problem, the invention according to claim 8 displays the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, etc. on the screen as a three-dimensional image as shown in the basic configuration diagram of FIG. Therefore, the water bottom information storage means 22a storing the water bottom information prepared in advance so as to be rewritable, the updating means 213a for updating the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means 22a based on the update information, and the communication line A water bottom information update / distribution system comprising distribution means 25, 26 for distributing water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means 22a in response to a request from the outside, wherein the prepared water bottom information is a predetermined value. It has water bottom height information at intersections of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at intervals, and the updated information includes detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target under the water where the ship is located. And the ship position information including the latitude and longitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement at the time of detection, and the updating means 213a is a bottom of water stored in the bottom information storage means 22a. Receiving means 25 and 26 for receiving the update information for updating information via a communication line, update information storage means 22b for collecting and storing the received update information, and storing in the update information storage means 22b The longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information as the updated information, the depth of the bottom portion of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information, and acquisition of the detection information Water bottom height calculating means 213a1 for calculating the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection based on the height of the water surface at the time, and by the water bottom height calculating means 213a1 The water bottom height was calculated lies in the sea bed information update distribution system and updates replace the water bottom height of the sea bed information of the corresponding intersection is stored in the sea bed information storage unit 22a before that.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the water bottom information update distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It exists in the bottom information update distribution system characterized by being.

  The invention described in claim 10 is the bottom information update distribution system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the combination information received by the receiving means 25, 26 and stored as update information in the update information storage means 22b is It exists in the bottom information update distribution system characterized by having been produced and transmitted based on the combination information stored in the said combination information storage means which the bottom information update apparatus in any one of 3 thru | or 5 has .

  As described above, according to the first and third aspects of the invention, the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target under the surface where the ship is located, and the ship obtained by measurement at the time of detection. The latitude and longitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information combining the ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface and the depth of the bottom portion of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information And based on the height of the water surface at the time of detection information acquisition, the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals is obtained by calculation, and the water bottom height obtained by this calculation is calculated in advance. In order to generate a three-dimensional image of the water surface displayed by superimposing the current position and navigational trajectory of the ship and the water bottom topography below this surface, by replacing it with the previous one at the corresponding intersection of the prepared water bottom information. Prepared Since the water bottom information is updated, the water bottom information prepared in advance to display the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, etc. as a three-dimensional image on the screen, so that the state of the water bottom can be displayed more accurately as a three-dimensional image, It is possible to provide a water bottom information updating method and apparatus that is updated by updating or upgrading.

  According to the second and fourth aspects of the invention, the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It is possible to provide a water bottom information updating method and apparatus that do not require measurement of the height of a changing water surface.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the combination information is generated by the GPS signal generator including the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the surface where the ship where the fish finder is generated is located. Since it is combined with ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the ship's position on the water surface obtained by measurement at the time of detection, the water bottom information is updated with information that can be easily obtained from measuring equipment mounted on leisure ships and fishing boats. It is possible to provide a water bottom information update device capable of performing the above.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in order to display the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, and the like as a three-dimensional image on the screen, it is prepared in advance and stored in the bottom information storage means at predetermined intervals. Since the computer functions as combination information acquisition means, bottom height calculation means, and update means in order to update the bottom information having the bottom height information at the intersection, the state of the bottom of the sea, lakes, etc. is three-dimensional. Water bottom information update processing program for causing a computer to function as processing means for correcting or upgrading and updating water bottom information prepared in advance for display on the screen as an image so that the state of the water bottom can be displayed more accurately as a three-dimensional image Can be provided.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It is possible to provide a water bottom information update processing program that does not require measuring the height of the water surface.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the update information received by the receiving means has the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target under the water surface where the ship is located, and obtained by measurement at the time of detection. The latitude and longitude of the ship position information of the multiple combination information combined with the ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship, and the bottom of the bottom part of the target image that the detection information combined with the ship position information has Based on the depth and the height of the water surface at the time of detection information acquisition, the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals is obtained by calculation, and the water bottom height obtained by this calculation is To generate a three-dimensional image of the water surface and the water bottom topography below this surface by superimposing the current position and navigational trajectory of the ship by replacing the corresponding water bottom information with the previous one. The water bottom information prepared in advance is updated and the water bottom information is distributed according to the request from the outside via the communication line, so the water bottom prepared in advance to display the state of the sea bottom, such as the sea and lakes on the screen as a three-dimensional image Update the bottom information to update and update the information so that the state of the bottom of the water can be displayed more accurately as a three-dimensional image, and distribute the updated bottom information to ships that require such bottom information. A distribution system can be provided.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. It is possible to provide a bottom information update distribution system that does not require measuring the height of the water surface.

  According to the invention described in claim 10, the combination information received by the receiving means and stored as update information is based on the combination information stored in the combination information storage means included in the water bottom information update device mounted on the ship. Since it was created and transmitted, the bottom information is updated over a wide area by many update information acquired in a large body of water by a large number of ships, and the state of the bottom can be displayed more accurately as a three-dimensional image. In this way, it is possible to provide a water bottom information update delivery system capable of delivering the bottom information that has been corrected or upgraded.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 includes a water bottom information update processing program for implementing the water bottom information update method of the present invention, which incorporates the water bottom information update processing program of the present invention for causing a computer to function as the water bottom information update processing means. It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the underwater information display system which displays underwater information based on the updated bottom information.

  In FIG. 2, the underwater information display system includes a microcomputer (hereinafter abbreviated as a microcomputer) 1, a detection information generator 2, and a ship position information generator that functions as a water bottom information update device and an underwater information display processor. 3, a display unit 4, an external memory 5 composed of, for example, a hard disk, an operation input unit 6, and an FD device 7 for exchanging information with the outside via a flexible disk (FD) that is a portable recording medium Have Note that the wireless communication means 8 indicated by a dotted line is for directly exchanging information with the outside via the wireless communication line without using the FD.

  The microcomputer 1 includes a ROM 11 that is a read-only memory in which a predetermined control program and the like are written, a storage area for temporarily storing various data and processing programs regarding underwater information input from the outside, and data The RAM 12 is a readable / writable memory that functions as a work area for performing processing work, and the CPU 13 is a central processing unit that performs various processes according to the processing program. The microcomputer 1 uses a detection information generation unit 2 that can be configured by diverting a part of the functions of an existing fish finder and a part of a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver of an existing marine navigation system. A ship position information generating unit 3, a display unit 4, an external memory 5, an operation input unit 6, an FD device 7, and a wireless communication unit 8 are connected.

  The display unit 4 displays the underwater information displayed by the microcomputer 1 functioning as an underwater information display processing device, and functions as a display unit. The external memory 5 stores water bottom information and functions as a database of these information, and also stores an installed processing program and is also collected by the microcomputer 1 functioning as an underwater information display processing device. The combination information of the detection information generated by 2 and the ship position information generated by the ship position information generating unit 3 is stored and functions as various storage means. The water bottom information prepared in advance and stored in the external memory 5 includes information on the height of the water bottom at the intersection of the squares having a side of 5 meters. This is prepared to display a three-dimensional image of the bottom of the water as a background image, but based on the existing bottom information about the intersection of a 500-meter square that one side provides, for example, in an electronic chart. Since the calculation is artificially created, the accuracy is very poor. Therefore, in the present invention, the microcomputer 1 functioning as the bottom information update processing device corrects or upgrades the bottom information that is generated by processing the combination information that is also stored in the external memory 5.

  Before explaining the details of the function of the microcomputer 1 that functions as the underwater information display processing device and the bottom information update device, the detection information and ship position information that constitute the combination information used for the display processing and update processing by the microcomputer 1 The detection information generation unit 2 and the ship position information generation unit 3 that generate

  The detection information generation unit 2 is started by the control of the microcomputer 1 when the detection start is instructed by the operation input in the operation input unit 6, and the target information obtained by measuring the target below the surface where the ship is located is measured. Generates detection information including depth. As shown in FIG. 2, the detection information generation unit 2 includes a detection unit 21 that outputs a detection signal, and a signal processing unit 22 that inputs and processes the detection signal output from the detection unit 21 to generate detection information. The generated detection information is output to the microcomputer 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the detection unit 21 includes an ultrasonic transducer 21a provided on the bottom of a ship, an oscillator 21b that generates a drive signal for driving the ultrasonic transducer 21a to generate ultrasonic waves, The ultrasonic transducer 21a receives and outputs an ultrasonic echo that is driven by a drive signal and emits an ultrasonic wave into the water, and then the reflected ultrasonic wave is reflected back from the target. And an A / D converter 21d that converts the amplified detection signal into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal. On the other hand, the signal processing unit 22 determines the timing at which the oscillator 21b generates a drive signal and the ultrasonic transducer 21a emits ultrasonic waves into the water, and the digitized detection signal output from the A / D converter 21d. Is detected and signal processing is performed to generate detection information consisting of the depth of the target and the intensity of the detection signal.

  Specifically, the signal processing unit 22 is configured by a microcomputer that performs a program operation under the control of the microcomputer 1 functioning as the underwater information display processing device, and receives a detection signal from the detection unit 21. This detection signal is processed as follows to generate detection information.

  First, the time from when the ultrasonic transducer 21a emits an ultrasonic wave until the ultrasonic transducer 21a receives the ultrasonic echo is counted to calculate the round-trip propagation time of the ultrasonic wave. Next, the round trip distance from the ultrasonic transducer 21a to the target is obtained by multiplying the round trip propagation time by the speed of sound in water, and the depth to the target is calculated from this round trip distance. Accompanying the calculation of the depth, the intensity of the detection signal is calculated based on the magnitude proportional to the reflection intensity at the target whose depth is to be calculated. In calculating the intensity, for example, a propagation loss that the ultrasonic wave receives in water is corrected in advance. As a result of the above processing, the signal processing unit 22 generates detection information including the depth of each target from the water surface to the bottom of the water and the intensity of reflection at each target.

  Note that the target includes all targets such as plankton, a submerged floating object such as a school of fish, a water bottom and a fixed object on the water bottom, which generate ultrasonic echoes by reflecting ultrasonic waves emitted into the water. Such targets have different sizes, distribution densities, and the like depending on their types. Further, as described above, the intensity of the detection signal obtained after correcting the propagation loss varies depending on the size of the target, the distribution density, and the like. Therefore, the calculated intensity can be used to estimate the type of target. Therefore, the intensity of the detection signal of each target is used to reflect the target type on the display by changing the color if the screen is a color screen and changing the density if the screen is a monochrome screen. .

  The ship position information generating unit 3 generates ship position information indicating a three-dimensional position including the longitude and latitude of the ship on the water surface and the height (height on the geocentric coordinate system). The ship position information generated by the ship position information generating unit 3 is supplied to the microcomputer 1 that functions as an underwater information display processing device, and is combined with the detection information generated by the detection information generating unit 2 described above to be combined information by the microcomputer 1. Obtained sequentially.

  The microcomputer 1 functioning as the underwater information display processing device includes the depth of the target obtained for the underwater target where the ship is located when the CPU 13 executes the processing program, as will be described in detail later (detection information). Detection information (generated by the generation unit 2), and ship position information including the longitude and latitude and height of the ship position on the water surface obtained by measuring the position of the ship at the time of detection (generated by the ship position information generation unit 3) The combination information is acquired sequentially. The acquired combination information is stored in time series in the storage area of the RAM 12, for example, in the format shown in FIG. By this processing, the CPU 13 functions as a combination information acquisition unit.

  The CPU 13 in the microcomputer 1 determines the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface and the target below the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory based on the sequentially acquired combination information and the combination information acquired before and stored in the RAM 12. In order to combine and display the image on the screen of the display unit, a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is generated as a bird's eye view. In the embodiment, the generated synthesized three-dimensional image is stored in the display information area assigned to the RAM 12. However, a dedicated V-RAM is provided separately from the RAM 12 and stored therein. It can also be done. Thus, the CPU 13 functions as a synthesized 3D image generating unit. Here, an outline of how to generate a bird's eye view will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining how to generate a bird's-eye view using a cross-sectional view showing a water surface Sw, a target T (floating matter) under the water surface Sw, and a water bottom B for the sake of simplicity. As shown in the figure, the bird's-eye view is a view in which a predetermined range of the water surface Sw and the target T can be seen from obliquely upward through a window W corresponding to the size of the display screen from an arbitrary viewpoint EP above the water surface. In other words, the bird's-eye view as a composite three-dimensional image is a navigation trajectory and navigation trajectory including the current position of the ship on the water surface based on the target depth of the detection information constituting the combination information and the longitude and latitude of the ship position information. When the target image under the water surface corresponding to is looked down from an arbitrary viewpoint, the coordinates of the window W of a predetermined size are transformed into an image that can be seen. The water surface in front of the part where the locus is drawn should not be displayed. Even without displaying the water surface, the target image is displayed so that the navigation trajectory of the ship appears on the assumed surface corresponding to the height position of the water surface. Of course, it is also possible to display the target image below the surface of the water surface, where the display of the surface of the water is not omitted, hidden behind the surface of the water, so that only the navigation trajectory of the ship is drawn on the surface of the water. Further, the area of the water surface to be displayed may be increased or decreased to adjust the range in which the target image can be seen.

  The window W is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the central optical axis L (1 / 2θ) of the viewing angle θ when viewing the predetermined range. The minimum viewing angle θ is determined by a point UP corresponding to the farthest navigation trajectory St on the water surface desired to be seen on the screen and a point LP having the deepest depth Dmax corresponding to the nearest navigation trajectory St. Of course, if the angle is greater than or equal to this angle θ, the periphery can be seen simultaneously. The deepest depth Dmax is determined to be the deepest depth obtained as detection information, for example, 150 m.

  FIG. 5 shows the range in the vertical direction, but the range in the horizontal direction is also determined by the locus on the water surface that is desired to be seen and the deepest position corresponding to the locus. In any case, since the necessary range must be visible from the display screen in both the top and bottom and left and right directions, the display range is automatically determined by the larger one. Note that the viewpoint EP is not a fixed point, and the height and direction can be arbitrarily selected, and the viewpoint EP is viewed from an arbitrary position changed in a range of 360 ° from the arbitrary height. It can be displayed.

  The CPU 13 also displays combination information storage means for use in subsequent water bottom information display processing and water bottom information update processing after the display processing of a series of combination information temporarily stored in the storage area of the RAM 12 for display processing is completed. Are stored in the external memory 5 and collected. Thus, the CPU 13 also functions as a combination information collecting unit.

  The series of combination information stored in the external memory 5 is collected by the past navigation of the ship, and during the subsequent water bottom information display processing, the CPU 13 sequentially executes the combination information at an arbitrary time by batch processing. Alternatively, collective reading, a combined three-dimensional image of a ship navigation trajectory on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and an image of the target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory is generated, and a single display on the display unit 4 Can be synthesized and displayed on the screen. In addition, in order to specify the range for generating the composite 3D image, prior to the generation of the composite 3D image, only the ship position information in the combination information is used, as shown in FIG. Only the navigation trajectory of the ship is two-dimensionally displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4. Then, by drawing the display frame F on this display screen, the composite tertiary such that the navigation trajectory St in this frame and the target image existing below the navigation trajectory are compositely displayed on the same display screen. An original image is generated. On the same screen, tools for designating the angles θ1, θ2,... Between the orientations E, W, S, N and the water surface for viewing the designated range are displayed at the same time.

  The operation performed by the microcomputer 1 based on the configuration described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 showing a processing flow performed by the CPU 13 in accordance with the processing program.

  First, when an operation for instructing detection start is performed in the operation input unit 6 (when step ST1 in FIG. 7 is YES), the CPU 13 outputs a detection start instruction to the detection information generating unit 2 (step ST2). . Thereafter, the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by the detection information generation unit 2 detecting the target below the surface of the water on which the ship is located, and the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement by the vessel position information generation unit 3 at the time of detection. The combination information with the ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position is sequentially acquired (step ST3). Subsequently, the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the combination information sequentially acquired in step ST3 and the combination information acquired before that, and the image of the target below the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory are displayed. In order to compose and display on the display screen of the unit 4, a composite three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is sequentially generated (step ST4). The processes in steps ST3 and ST4 are repeated until the operation input unit 6 performs an operation for instructing the end of detection (until YES in step ST6). Since the generated composite 3D image is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4, it is output to the display unit 4 to display the composite 3D image on the display screen (step ST5).

  Through the above processing, each time the combination information of the detection information and the ship position information generated when navigating the ship while detecting is acquired, a composite three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the corresponding target image is displayed. For example, bird's-eye views as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 are displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4 in real time. From the bird's-eye view displayed on the display screen, the navigation trajectory St including the current position P of the ship drawn on the water surface and the image T of the target below the water surface corresponding to each position can be visually recognized. Intuitively understand the positional relationship between the two. Therefore, when observing the target image and maneuvering and moving the vessel to the water surface position that has already passed from the current vessel position, maneuvering of the vessel to the position to return while viewing the display on the display screen is supported.

  In the illustrated example, a screen is drawn between the navigation trajectory and the corresponding bottom of the target image to make the correspondence between both easier to understand, and the floating object between the water surface and the bottom of the water is displayed on the screen. The images (such as school of fish) are drawn separately to make it easy to understand the correspondence between the suspended matter and the corresponding bottom position.

  However, as in the example of FIG. 9, when the navigation trajectory in the left-right direction is folded halfway, the screen is drawn as a translucent one so that the target image behind the screen is not invisible by the screen, The target image of can be visually recognized. In the example shown in the figure, the target image is drawn with many layers on the back, but in reality, there is a limit that can be seen through even if it is translucent, so the amount of information displayed at one time is It is preferable to limit to a target image that is overlapped only once by folding. Of course, the bird's-eye view can be displayed by moving the viewpoint to an arbitrary position of 360 °. Therefore, when it is difficult to view the rear view, it is necessary to change the viewpoint position to be viewed from the rear after changing the position of 180 °. The poor visibility can be resolved. In addition, although the target image corresponding to the navigation trajectory in the front-rear direction cannot be visually recognized from the display, such a portion can be visually recognized by drawing a bird's-eye view with the viewpoint position changed by 90 °.

  The usefulness of the synthesized three-dimensional image generated by the present invention and displayed on the display screen will be described more specifically with reference to FIG. 11A is an example of an actual measurement site, FIG. 11B is a display performed on the display screen of the display unit of the conventional fish detector, and FIG. 11C is a display screen of the display unit 4 according to the present invention. Each of these displays is shown schematically.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (a), in the measurement site consisting of the water surface Sw and the bottom B, when the detection information is acquired while the ship is navigating along the navigation trajectory St on the water surface Sw, from a lump of fish under the water surface. Consider a case where a target T exists. In such a case, the conventional fish detector displays a two-dimensional image in which the target image based on the detection information is sequentially moved from the left to the right on the display screen as time passes, as shown in FIG. 11B. Even if the ship position can be displayed on another screen by switching the screen, the relationship between the detected position of the fish school T and the ship position on the water surface is difficult to understand. Further, as shown in the illustrated example, when the navigation trajectory St turns back halfway, the fish school T that should be a lump is displayed as fish shadows T1 and T2, but from the display, these fish shadows are displayed. Since the relative positional relationship between T1 and T2 under the surface of the water is unknown, it is difficult to understand that each fish shadow is part of a group of fish, and it is generally captured as a measurement result of another school of fish. Tend to. On the other hand, according to the display obtained by the present invention, as shown in FIG. 11 (c), a three-dimensional display that can be clearly recognized as a navigation trajectory St of the ship on the surface of the water turned back halfway is performed. Since the underwater target image corresponding to the navigation trajectory is also displayed three-dimensionally, the relative positional relationship between the fish shadows T1 and T2 is also displayed from the display, and each of the fish shadows T1 and T2 is a lump. It becomes easy to understand that it is a measurement result of a part of the fish school T.

  When an operation for instructing the end of detection is performed in the operation input unit 6 (when step ST6 becomes YES), a detection end instruction is output to the detection information generation unit 2 to detect the detection information in the detection information generation unit 2. The generating operation is stopped (step ST7). Subsequently, in order to make it possible to use a series of combination information used for real-time display of a synthetic three-dimensional image of underwater information by a series of processing operations to generate a synthetic three-dimensional image or the like by a subsequent batch process, All combination information stored in the RAM 12 used for generating the composite 3D image in ST4 is stored in the external memory 5 and collected (step ST8). At the time of storage, a name such as a water area name is attached as a file name so that information can be easily taken out at the time of later use.

  In the above-described combination information acquisition process in step ST3, for example, the ship position information from the ship position information generation unit 3 and the detection information from the detection information generation unit 2 are acquired every second by a timer interruption of 1 second. The acquired ship position information and detection information are combined by being stored in the storage area in the RAM 12. However, due to the operation of the detection information generating unit 2, two types of information acquired in succession are not simply combined as combination information. That is, in the detection information generating unit 2, the signal processing unit 22 processes the time until the detection unit 21 emits an ultrasonic wave and the reflected echo returns from the predetermined deepest part, and the returned reflected echo. It takes a certain time to generate detection information. In the embodiment, the deepest part is assumed to be 150 m, and the predetermined time is set to 1 second. Therefore, since the detection information generation unit 2 that has started the operation emits ultrasonic waves at regular intervals of 1 second and generates detection information obtained as a result, the ship position information acquired this time is included as combination information. It is obtained by combining with detection information acquired next time.

  In addition, in the above-described composite three-dimensional image generation process in step ST4, every time new combination information is acquired in step ST3, the ship position on the water surface and the target below the water surface based on the ship position information in the combination information. Are combined and displayed on a single display screen, a combined three-dimensional image is generated. The generated combined 3D image data is stored in the display information storage area in the RAM 12 for display on the screen of the display unit 4 or in a dedicated V-RAM, overwriting the previous data. . As a result, a single display of the navigation trajectory of the ship on the surface of the water obtained based on the combination information acquired sequentially and the combination information acquired before that and the image of the target under the water corresponding to this navigation trajectory A composite three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is sequentially generated for display on the screen. The generated combined 3D image is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4 and is output to the display unit 4 (step ST5), and the combined 3D image is displayed on the display screen.

  Since the generated composite 3D image increases in proportion to the navigation distance of the ship, if all of the generated composite 3D image is displayed on a single display screen without any restriction, it will be an old image in time. New images are superimposed, making it difficult to see the latest images. Therefore, if there is a limit on the number of combination information used for display and the acquired combination information exceeds the limit number, the old combination information that exceeds the limit number will accompany the acquisition of the latest combination information. The generated composite three-dimensional image is erased from the display information storage area in the RAM 12 or the V-RAM. In this case, the old combination information used for the generation of the synthesized 3D image is sequentially transferred to the external memory 5 and stored in the external memory 5 in step ST8 and collected. You can keep only the latest information.

  Next, when there is no operation for instructing start of detection in the operation input unit 6 (when step ST1 in FIG. 7 is NO), instead, an operation for instructing start of batch processing is performed (step ST11 is changed). When YES, the CPU 13 reads out the file names attached to the combination information collected during the past navigation of the ship and stored in the external memory 5, and displays the list on the display screen of the display unit 4 (step) ST12). Next, it waits for one of the file names to be selected from the displayed list (step ST13), and by selecting one of the file names (when step ST13 is YES), the underwater information is obtained by batch processing. When the combination information to be displayed is selected, the CPU 13 collectively reads a series of combination information with the selected file name from the external memory 5 into the storage area in the RAM 12, and among the read combination information. Based on the ship position information, a two-dimensional image of the ship's navigation trajectory is generated (step ST14), which is output to the display unit 4 and displayed on the display image (step ST15).

  Thereafter, the navigation trajectory corresponding to the target image to be displayed and viewed on the image on which the navigation trajectory is displayed is surrounded by a frame (see F in FIG. 6), so that a range in which the composite three-dimensional image is to be displayed is obtained. Wait for designation (step ST16). When the range is designated (when step ST16 is YES), the CPU 13 sequentially reads out the combination information having the ship position information used to draw the navigation locus of the designated range from the storage area of the RAM 12. Then, a composite three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the sequentially read combination information and the image of the target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory is generated (step ST17), and the generated composite tertiary The original image is output to the display unit 4 and is synthesized and displayed on the display screen (step ST18).

  The CPU 13 repeats the processing operations of the above-described steps ST17 to ST19 until all the combination information within the specified range is read (until YES in step ST19), and after selecting all the combination information, the CPU 13 selects the combination information. When neither the end operation of the batch processing in the range nor the end operation of the batch processing itself is performed (when both steps ST20 and ST21 are NO), the process returns to step ST16 to end the batch processing in the selected range or batch processing Until the end operation of itself is performed (until step ST20 or ST21 becomes YES), the processing operations of the above-described steps ST14 to ST21 are repeated. In the process, for example, display contents such as change of viewpoint, enlargement ratio, display range, and the like are displayed. When an instruction operation is performed to change the When a change is not performed, it repeats the same processing operations as earlier. Further, when an instruction to end the selected range is performed (when step ST20 is YES), the process returns to step ST14 to generate a two-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory of the ship so that another range can be selected. Is output to the display unit 4 and displayed on the display image (step ST15). When the end operation of the batch process itself is performed (when step ST21 is YES), the process returns to step ST1 and waits for the detection start operation or the batch process start operation to be performed.

  As described above, the information below the surface that has been navigated in the past can be displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4 at any time by the combination information collected and stored in the external memory 5. You can use it by looking at past underwater information.

  In the above-described embodiment, only the combined three-dimensional image generated based on the combination information of the detection information and the ship position information is displayed on the display screen. As shown in FIG. 12, the water bottom height information prepared in advance at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines is stored, and the three-dimensional image of the water bottom generated based on the water bottom height information is used as the background image of the synthesized three-dimensional image. It can be synthesized and displayed on the display screen. In FIG. 12, since it is difficult to understand even if expressed, the drawing of the bottom 3D image is omitted, but the combined 3D on the display screen when the bottom 3D image is displayed as the background image of the combined 3D image. Only the statue is drawn.

  As can be seen from the figure, the portion below the bottom of the composite 3D image is masked by the background image and is not displayed. As a result, the outline of the bottom Tb of the target image displayed as a part of the bottom 3D image is clear. Will be displayed. Then, by displaying the water bottom 3D image as the background image of the combined 3D image, it becomes possible to clearly grasp the relationship between the target image drawn by the detection information and the surrounding water bottom topography. In FIG. 12, the latest position of the ship is drawn as a symbol mark of the ship facing the moving direction. In addition, in order to display the land topography not shown in the figure, it is stored in the external memory as height information similar to the water bottom height information, and when the designation including the land is included in the display range, A three-dimensional land image can also be generated when the original image is generated, and a bird's eye view including the land topography can be displayed. At this time, if the boundary between the water surface and the land is determined based on the height of the water surface, the display of the waterfront scenery that changes depending on the tide level can be brought closer to the real one.

  Next, a specific method for generating a bottom three-dimensional image will be described. First, as the bottom height information, as shown in FIG. 13, for example, as shown in FIG. Is prepared in advance and stored in the external memory 5 (the height of the earth center, which is the height from the center of the earth). In generating the three-dimensional bottom image, a large number of points PP as shown in FIG. 14 are determined based on the longitude and latitude of the intersection C read from the external memory 5 and the determined points PP are determined. A water bottom is formed by connecting a large number of triangular planes indicated by dotted lines formed by three adjacent points. Then, the water bottom is coordinate-transformed as a bird's eye view when viewed under the same conditions as when generating the synthesized three-dimensional image to generate a three-dimensional image of the water bottom.

  In addition, when displaying the composite 3D image on the display screen alone, if the depth of the target image from the water surface is known, the composite 3D image can be displayed on the display screen. In order to display the composite 3D image by combining the 3D image of the bottom generated as a background image, the 3D image of the bottom of the composite 3D image is the background of the combined 3D image unless the 3D positions of both 3D images are matched. It is not effective as an image. Therefore, how to align both three-dimensional images will be described below.

The ship position information constituting the combination information includes the height of the position of the ship on the water surface. As shown in FIG. 15, this height is an antenna provided on the ship of the GPS receiver. Therefore, the height Hw of the water surface (height on the geocentric coordinate system) is obtained by the following equation based on the height H of the antenna.
Hw = H−h1 + h2
In the formula, h1 is the height from the ship bottom to the antenna, and h2 is the height from the ship bottom to the water line. In addition, although the position of a waterline changes with the conditions of the ship's loading, when the accuracy of height accept | permits this change width, the position of an average waterline should just be used fixedly. However, when it is necessary to obtain a highly accurate water surface height that does not allow this change, whenever the position of the waterline changes, it is also necessary to change the information on the waterline position.

  The height Hw of the water surface obtained as described above is displayed on the display screen in association with the height Hw of the water surface when combining and displaying the composite 3D image and the water bottom 3D image on a single display screen. By using it to determine the display position of the bottom 3D image to be displayed, the water surface of the combined 3D image is combined with the water surface common to both 3D images and combined on a single display screen. The three-dimensional position of the synthesized three-dimensional image and the bottom three-dimensional image displayed can be matched. Of course, due to the inaccuracy of the height information of the intersection C used to generate the bottom three-dimensional image and the generation method generated by the triangular plane, the bottom positions of both three-dimensional images are completely Therefore, for the bottom portion where the three-dimensional images overlap each other, the display by the combined three-dimensional image is displayed with priority over the bottom background image. In addition, about the height of the water surface, the ship position information has a part thereof, and the example obtained by using the height obtained at the same time as the current longitude and latitude position of the ship that the ship position information has has been described. It is not necessary to obtain the height of ship position information. For example, it can be obtained by using tide information that can be periodically acquired as part of hydrology information from a broadcast on marine information. That is, since the tide information has tide level fluctuation information with respect to the standard water surface height (the height on the geocentric coordinate system), the current water surface height can be obtained by calculation based on this information. You may make it utilize as it is.

  As described above, when the 3D water bottom image generated using the existing water bottom height information is synthesized as a background image of the composite 3D image and displayed on a single display screen, the composite 3D image is displayed. Since not only the bottom of the target image corresponding to the navigation trajectory by the image, but also the surrounding water bottom can be seen at the same time, whether the bottom corresponding to the navigation trajectory is an inclined bottom surface, Or it can grasp | ascertain at a glance whether it is a thing of a horizontal water bottom.

  Therefore, not only when the display is performed in real time, but also when it is performed by batch processing, the floating object of the target image and the state of the corresponding water bottom and the state of the surrounding water bottom are synthesized. It is appropriate to move the ship from the current position by displaying the current position on the water surface of the ship and the position on the bottom of the water corresponding to the position on the display screen. It is possible to assist in maneuvering to move the ship to the bottom of the water or the surface of the water on which the movement is decided.

  As described above, when a water bottom 3D image generated using existing water bottom height information is synthesized as a background image of a combined 3D image and displayed on a single display screen, the CPU 13 in the microcomputer 1 is used. Generation of the bottom three-dimensional image performed according to the processing program and display processing of the generated bottom three-dimensional image may be performed prior to processing for generating and displaying the combined three-dimensional image. Since it can be inserted between appropriate steps in the processing flow of FIG. 8, a specific description is omitted.

  Next, a method of updating the bottom information including the bottom height information at the intersection of longitude and latitude prepared and stored in the external memory 5 in advance according to the present invention will be described below. In the present invention, the accuracy of the background image can be increased by using the combination information obtained by actual measurement. That is, the longitude and latitude and height of the ship position information of the series of combination information collected by being stored in the external memory 5 and the depth of the portion corresponding to the water bottom of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information The water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and the water bottom height obtained by the calculation is replaced with that before the corresponding intersection to update the water bottom height information.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the positions S1 to S10 (longitude and latitude) where the detection information is acquired are specified by the ship position information of the combination information. As shown in FIG. 17, the nearest three positions S4, S7, and S8 that surround the intersection in a triangle formed by connecting the positions with a straight line as shown in FIG. By subtracting the bottom depth Db of each position from the water surface height Hw calculated based on the common height H (same as H in FIG. 15), the bottom height Hb of each position on the geocentric coordinate system of each position. Using the height of the three positions, the longitude and latitude of each position, and the longitude and latitude of the intersection, the height on the triangular plane corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and this is replaced with the previous one.

  As a result, the inaccurate height information of the intersection created artificially is updated with higher accuracy based on the detection information obtained by actual measurement. In the example shown in the figure, only one intersection is shown, but the heights of all the intersections that meet the above-described conditions are obtained by calculation and replaced with the previous ones. Therefore, after the update, the water bottom 3D image generated based on the updated water bottom height information is combined with the composite 3D image as a background image and displayed on the display screen. It becomes possible to grasp the condition of the bottom of the water around the composite 3D image more accurately. The update of the water bottom height information may not be automatically performed every time detection information is obtained, but may be performed when a start operation is performed at the user's discretion. In addition, even when it is performed automatically, it is not unconditionally performed. For example, the wave height is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, and predetermined conditions such as high reliability of detection information obtained by actual measurement are satisfied. Sometimes it is preferable to automatically start the update operation.

  The update processing of the water bottom height information described above can be performed at any time when the series of collected combination information is not used for generation of the composite three-dimensional image. Since there is a possibility that the reliability is inferior, it is preferable not to use it for updating, and it is conceivable to set conditions for automatically assigning determination information therefor. In addition, depending on the location, there are places where the bottom of the water bottom changes drastically over time, so it is not necessary to update it once, but it is preferable to execute it when the latest reliable information is collected.

  In the above-described embodiment, the water bottom height information is stored in the external memory of the apparatus mounted on the ship and the information is updated. Stored in the storage device of the server computer installed at the location of the server, the user registered in advance distributes the water bottom height information of the required water area from the server computer via the wireless communication means mounted on the ship when necessary. It can also be received and downloaded for use. In addition, the update of the water bottom information in the center can be performed by the same process as the update method described above.

  FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an underwater information update distribution system that implements the water bottom information update method of the present invention to update the water bottom information and distribute the updated water bottom information. In FIG. 18, the bottom information update distribution system is installed at a central location, a server computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a server) 210 that functions as update means and distribution means, and an external memory 220 composed of, for example, a hard disk, It has a display unit 23, an operation input unit 24, and a wired communication means 25 controlled externally through a wired communication line. The wireless communication means 26 indicated by a dotted line is for directly exchanging information with the outside through the wireless communication line.

  The server 210 includes a ROM 211, which is a read-only memory in which a predetermined control program is written, a storage area for temporarily storing various data and processing programs for update information input from the outside, and data processing The RAM 212 is a readable / writable memory that functions as a work area for performing work, the CPU 213 that is a central processing unit that performs various processes in accordance with the processing program, and the like. The server 210 is connected to the external memory 220, the display unit 23, the operation input unit 24, the wired communication unit 25, and the wireless communication unit 26.

  The external memory 220 stores water bottom information prepared in advance so that the state of the water bottom such as the sea and lakes can be displayed on the screen as a three-dimensional image, and water bottom information storage means (FIG. 1) that functions as a database of these information. In addition to 220a) in (b), it functions as a program storage means for storing the installed processing program. The water bottom information prepared and stored in the external memory 220 is similar to the system described above with reference to FIG. 2, for example, the water bottom height at the intersection of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals consisting of intersections of squares having a side of 5 meters. It consists of the information. This is prepared for distribution when requested to display a three-dimensional image of the bottom of the water as a background image. It was created artificially by calculating based on the bottom height information of the water, and the accuracy is very poor.

  The external memory 220 also includes update information storage means for storing update information received by the wired communication means 25 or the wireless communication means 26 functioning as reception means for updating the water bottom information stored therein (FIG. 1 (b). ) 220b). The update information includes detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the surface where the ship is located, and ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement during the detection. This is created and transmitted based on the combination information stored in the external memory 5 that functions as the combination information storage means included in the water bottom information update device of the system described above with reference to FIG. is there.

  The server 210 updates the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means based on the update information stored in the update information storage means when the CPU 213 executes the processing program. The same wired communication means 25 or wireless communication functioning as receiving means and distributing means under the control of the CPU 213, for the bottom information stored in the bottom information storage means in response to a request from the outside via the communication means 26 Deliver via means 26. By this processing, the CPU 213 functions as an updating unit.

  Specifically, the CPU 213 functioning as the update unit includes the longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information as update information stored in the external memory 220 serving as the update information storage unit, the ship position information, Based on the depth of the water bottom portion of the target image included in the combined detection information and the height of the water surface when the detection information is acquired, the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection is calculated. By this processing, the CPU 213 functions as a water bottom height calculating means. This calculated water bottom height is replaced with the water bottom height of the water point information of the corresponding intersection previously stored in the external memory 220 as the water bottom information storage means. As described above, the CPU 213 of the server 210 functioning as the updating means corrects or updates the bottom information based on the bottom height information of the intersection obtained by calculation based on the combination information also stored in the external memory 220. To do. Note that the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on the height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information as described above with reference to FIG.

  The bottom information consisting of the height information stored in the external memory 220 of the server 210 is very inaccurate and needs to be updated. However, the information used for this update is distributed over a wide area, for example. The detection information obtained by actual measurement from a specific contract user (which is also a user) equipped with a measurement device having reliable measurement accuracy can be directly transmitted by the wireless communication means 8 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. Alternatively, the combination information stored in the external memory 5 is read out, written on a portable recording medium such as FD, and sent from a personal computer connected to the Internet communication line by a wired line. It can be obtained by receiving via the wired communication means 25 or the wireless communication means 26 indicated by a dotted line.

  In either case, combination information obtained by actual measurement by a specific contractor is gathered at the center. The collected combination information is originally highly reliable. However, when updating it, if the bottom of the water obtained based on multiple combination information obtained for the same water area is within the specified range, just in case. It is determined whether or not, and on the condition that it is within a predetermined range, the bottom information is finally replaced and updated.

  In such a case, the water bottom height information, which was not very accurate at the time of opening the server, becomes highly accurate in a short period of time, and is updated appropriately with new detection information.

  The water bottom information updated in the center can be obtained through a wireless communication line by wireless communication between the wireless communication means 8 and 26. When a portable recording medium such as FD is used, the bottom information of the required water area is downloaded to the FD through the Internet, read into the device on the ship from the FD, and the already stored bottom information is overwritten. For example, the bottom information on the ship can be updated. In addition, when the communication speed of the wireless communication line by the wireless communication means 8 is high, it is not necessary to have water bottom information in the device mounted on the ship, via the water bottom information wireless line of the water area that is sometimes required. You may make it obtain and display.

  Therefore, even if the user navigates the water area for the first time, the bottom three-dimensional image generated based on the accurate bottom height information is displayed from the beginning. Such a case cannot be realized in the case of updating only by information collected by itself. An accurate bottom 3D image can be used not only as a background image but also as sole floor map information.

  In the above-described embodiment, the detection information generation unit uses an ultrasonic beam for detection, but a conical spot beam, a fan-shaped fan beam, a forward search beam, or the like can be used as the beam.

  Furthermore, the measurement of the depth of the target is not limited to ultrasonic waves, and other methods such as measurement using laser light from a laser sounding instrument may be used.

  Furthermore, ship position measurement is not limited to a simple GPS signal generator, and ship position measurement means such as a reinforced DGPS (differential GPS), RTK-GPS (real-time kinematic GPS), and Loran C may be used.

  Furthermore, the display of the detection data is not limited to the bird's eye view, and a three-dimensional image of the detection data generated using the parallel projection method may be displayed.

  Further, the bird's eye view may be processed and displayed in consideration of hydrological information such as tide information, tidal current information, water temperature information, and wind information. The processing of the bird's-eye view is, for example, calculating the tide level (tide information) that changes every moment around the position of the ship using a known formula, estimating the tide from the calculated tide level, and the estimated tide in the bird's-eye view Display on the water surface. By displaying the tides in a bird's-eye view, it is possible to accurately grasp the tides in the field where fishing is performed, and it is possible to grasp information useful for fishing work (such as throwing nets) from the bird's-eye view.

  This hydrology information (tide information, tidal current information, water temperature information, wind information, etc.) may be acquired by telemetry using radio waves, tidal current information is a Doppler velocimeter, and wind information is an anemometer. The water temperature information may actually be measured with a water temperature sensor or the like. Moreover, you may calculate tidal current information with a calculating formula from tidal information and wind information. The processing of the bird's-eye view includes not only the tidal current but also displaying other information useful for the fishery in the bird's-eye view.

(A) is a bottom information updating apparatus of the present invention, and (b) is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a bottom information updating distribution system. It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of the bottom information update apparatus of this invention applied to the underwater information display system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a part of FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows the format of combination information. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the method of the production | generation of a bird's-eye view. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to designate the display range at the time of displaying a synthetic | combination 3D image by batch processing. It is a flowchart figure which shows a part of process which CPU in FIG. 2 performs by a processing program. It is a flowchart figure which shows another part of the process which CPU in FIG. 2 performs by a processing program. It is a figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional image of the target under the water surface displayed by the underwater surface information display apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional image of the target under the water surface when the water bottom three-dimensional image displayed by the under-water surface information display apparatus of FIG. 2 is made into a background image. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of the underwater information displayed by the underwater information display apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the three-dimensional image of the target under the water surface displayed by the underwater surface information display apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the water bottom height information used in order to produce | generate a water bottom 3D image. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the method of the production | generation of a bottom 3D image. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to obtain | require water surface height. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the method of updating water bottom height information. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to obtain | require the height of the bottom based on the depth of a bottom. It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of the bottom information update delivery system of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the conventional electronic chart. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the water bottom topographic map displayed three-dimensionally.

Explanation of symbols

2 Fish finder 3 GPS signal generator 5a Water bottom information storage means (external memory)
5b Combination information storage means (external memory)
13a Combination information acquisition means (CPU)
13b Water bottom height calculation means (CPU)
13c Update means (CPU)
220a Water bottom information storage means (external memory)
220b Update information storage means (external memory)
213a Update means (CPU)
213a1 Water bottom height calculation means (CPU)
25, 26 Receiving means, distributing means (wired communication means, wireless communication means)

Claims (10)

A water bottom information updating method for updating water bottom information prepared in advance to generate a three-dimensional image of a water surface displayed by superimposing a current position and a navigation trajectory of a ship and a water bottom topography under the water surface,
The previously prepared water bottom information has water bottom height information at intersections of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals,
The detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target under the water surface where the ship is located is combined with the ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measuring at the time of the detection. Based on the longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information, the depth of the bottom of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the height of the water surface when the detection information is acquired Calculating the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection,
The water bottom information updating method, wherein the water bottom height obtained by the calculation is replaced with a previous one at the intersection corresponding to the water bottom information prepared in advance. The water bottom information updating method according to claim 1, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on a height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. Water bottom information update device for updating water bottom information prepared in advance and stored in water bottom information storage means for generating a three-dimensional image of the water surface and the water bottom topography displayed under the current position and navigation trajectory of the ship. Because
The bottom information stored in the bottom information storage means has bottom height information at the intersection of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals,
Combination information of detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target under the water surface where the ship is located, and ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement at the time of the detection Combination information acquisition means for sequentially acquiring,
Combination information storage means for storing the combination information acquired by the combination information acquisition means;
The longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, the depth of the bottom portion of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the detection information Based on the height position at the time of acquisition, water bottom height calculating means for calculating the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection,
An update means for replacing and updating the water bottom height determined by the water bottom height calculating means with a previous one of the corresponding intersection of the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means; Information update device. The water bottom information update device according to claim 3, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on a height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. The combination information acquisition means includes detection information from a fish detector that generates detection information including a depth of a target obtained by detecting a target below the surface where the ship is located, and the ship obtained by measurement at the time of detection. The bottom information updating apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the information is acquired in combination with ship position information from a GPS signal generator that generates ship position information including longitude and latitude of a position on the water surface. Water bottom information having water bottom height information at intersections of predetermined longitude and latitude lines prepared in advance and stored in the water bottom information storage means to display the state of the water bottom such as the sea and lakes on the screen as a three-dimensional image In order to update the computer, detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the surface where the ship is located, and the latitude and longitude of the position on the surface of the ship obtained by measurement at the time of the detection Combination information acquisition means for sequentially acquiring combination information with ship position information including and storing the combination information in the combination information storage means,
The longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, the depth of the bottom portion of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the detection information Based on the height position at the time of acquisition, the water bottom height calculating means for calculating the water bottom height of the point corresponding to the intersection, and
The water bottom is made to function as update means for replacing and updating the water bottom height obtained by the water bottom height calculating means with the previous one of the corresponding intersection of the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storing means. Information update processing program. The water bottom information update processing program according to claim 6, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on a height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. Water bottom information storage means for rewritably storing water bottom information prepared in advance for displaying on the screen a state of the water bottom such as the sea, lakes, etc., and update information on the water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means A water bottom information update distribution system comprising: update means for updating based on the information; and distribution means for distributing water bottom information stored in the water bottom information storage means in response to an external request via a communication line,
The previously prepared water bottom information has water bottom height information at intersections of longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals,
The update information includes detection information including a depth of a target obtained by detecting a target below the surface where the ship is located, and a ship position including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measurement during the detection. Information combined with information,
The updating means includes
Receiving means for receiving the update information for updating the bottom information stored in the bottom information storage means via a communication line;
Update information storage means for collecting and storing the received update information;
The longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information as the stored information stored in the update information storage means, and the bottom of the bottom of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information A water bottom height calculating means for calculating the water bottom height of a point corresponding to the intersection based on the depth and the height of the water surface at the time of obtaining the detection information;
A water bottom information update distribution system, wherein the water bottom height calculated by the water bottom height calculation means is replaced with and updated with the water bottom height of the water bottom information at the corresponding intersection previously stored in the water bottom information storage means. . The water bottom information update distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation based on a height position of the ship on the water surface further included in the ship position information. The combination information received by the receiving means and stored as update information in the update information storage means is a combination stored in the combination information storage means of the water bottom information update device according to any one of claims 3 to 5. The water bottom information update distribution system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the information is generated and transmitted based on information.

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