JP6198374B2 - River mile marker display system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a river mile marker display system for displaying a mile marker indicating a distance from a reference station in a river on a radar image.

  The mile marker is one of distance signs that indicate the distance from the starting point of a reference station such as a railroad, road, or river to the current position, and the place name and distance of the starting point are respectively indicated. This mile marker, particularly in rivers, has fewer landmarks and targets in the vicinity than railways and roads, so crew members identify their current position by visually checking the mile marker.

  Therefore, some ships navigating the river are equipped with a river mile marker display system, and the mile marker can be displayed on a screen provided in a wheelhouse or the like. Specifically, the conventional river mile marker display system is based on a river map (electronic map) including a mile marker and a current position of the ship acquired by a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. A mile marker is displayed on the map along with the current position of the ship.

  Also, based on the current position of the ship, there is a technology for obtaining various information by displaying the radar image obtained by the ship radar device and the image of the river map in a superimposed manner or by displaying them in parallel. It is known (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  As described above, the conventional river mile marker display system displays a mile marker together with various information by overlaying a river map on information such as a radar image based on the current position of the ship. is there.

JP 2001-281331 A JP 2002-372583 A JP 2005-096674 A

  However, in the conventional river mile marker display system, mile marker information cannot be obtained unless the river map is referred to. For this reason, there is a problem that it is necessary to purchase a river map, and the equipment cost (system cost) becomes high. In addition, when a radar device is used, displaying a map for rivers with a large amount of information places a heavy load on the display processing of the radar device, so the processing speed may be significantly reduced if the display processing capability of the radar device is low. There was a risk that the processing would be impossible.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a river mile marker display system that does not require a river map and can easily display mile markers on a radar image of a radar apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a river mile marker display system that is installed in a ship navigating a river and displays a mile marker indicating a distance from a reference station, and includes an aerial line of the ship. Radar image generation means for generating radar images of targets including land, based on the video waveform of radar echo received at, position detection means for detecting the position of the ship, mark information and installation position of each mile marker And a marker information storage means for storing mile marker information including a symbol representing the own ship based on the position of the own ship and the mile marker information , so that the traveling direction faces the upper part of the screen. the laser was positioned on the lower side is displayed on the screen superimposed on the radar image, the title information of the mile marker present in the radar image, including land And a processing unit to be displayed on the screen superimposed on the image, a river mile marker display system, characterized in that.

According to this invention, the mile marker information including the mark information and the installation position of each mile marker is stored in the marker information storage means, and the position information of the own ship is detected by the position detection means and received by the antenna of the own ship. By generating a radar image based on the video waveform, the mark information of the mile marker that should be present in the radar image is read out from the marker information storage means based on the position information, and converted into the radar image of the target including the land. Overlaid on the screen.

The invention according to claim 1 further includes trajectory storage means for storing a navigation trajectory of the ship, and the processing means is predicted to pass next based on the navigation trajectory and the position of the ship. The mile marker is determined from the marker information storage means, and the mile marker is highlighted on the screen so that it can be distinguished from other mile markers.

According to the present invention, the mile marker that is estimated to be passed next is calculated from the marker information storage unit based on the navigation track and the position of the ship by storing the navigation track with the track storage unit. the, that displays on the screen to emphasize so that it can be distinguished from the other mile markers.

The invention according to claim 2 is the river mile marker display system according to claim 1, further comprising speed measuring means for measuring the speed of the ship, wherein the processing means includes the position, speed, and mile of the ship. Based on the marker information, the time required to reach the input mile marker is calculated and displayed on the screen.

  According to the present invention, the speed of the ship is measured by the speed measuring means, and based on the measured speed, the ship's position, speed, and mile marker information, the processing means can input the inputted mile marker. The time required to reach is calculated and displayed on the screen.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to acquire the mark information of the mile marker that should be present in the radar image based on the position of the ship and the marker information stored in the marker information storage means. In other words, it is possible to obtain the mile marker mark information that should be present in the radar image without using a river map, so there is no need for high load processing such as displaying a river map with a large amount of data. Therefore, the mile marker information can be quickly displayed together with the radar image of the target including the land . As a result, it is possible to apply even a radar apparatus having a low display processing capability without imposing a burden on the display processing capability of the radar apparatus. In addition, since it is not necessary to purchase a river map, the equipment cost of the device mounted on the ship can be greatly reduced.

According to the invention described in claim 1, further, since the mile markers next expected to pass through is displayed on the screen with emphasis so as to be distinguished from other mile markers, sailors traveling direction of the ship S Can be easily grasped. As a result, misunderstanding of the traveling direction of the ship S can be prevented, and the ship can be navigated safely.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to calculate the time required to reach the input mile marker and display it on the screen, so that it is not necessary for the sailor to manually calculate the time. As a result, unnecessary work (calculation of time) during navigation is reduced, and navigation can be performed smoothly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the river mile marker display system which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. In the river mile marker display system of FIG. 1, it is the schematic which shows the screen displayed at the time of navigation. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a screen displayed at the time of berthing in the river mile marker display system of FIG. 2. It is a flowchart which shows the process by the mile marker image generation task of the radar system control part of FIG. In the river mile marker display system which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention, it is the schematic which shows the screen displayed at the time of navigation. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the structure of the river mile marker display system which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

  Hereinafter, description will be given based on this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the present invention. The river mile marker display system 1 displays a mile marker M indicating a distance from a reference station (for example, an estuary) on a radar image of the river R.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, mile marker information 200 including the mark information of each mile marker M and the installation position (latitude, longitude) is made public via a communication line NW such as the Internet, and can be downloaded. is there. The title information of the mile marker M includes a post name composed of a river ID and a post number that is a distance (number of miles) from the reference station. Specifically, the post name is, for example, the river ID “MI” (Mississippi River), and “MI195” in the case of the post number “195”. The post name is displayed on the display unit 7 as a mile marker M in a process described later. Further, the mile marker information 200 is downloaded to an external storage device (USB memory) 400 connected to a connection terminal (USB port) provided on a personal computer (PC) 300 connected to the communication line NW. .

  The river mile marker display system 1 mainly includes an aerial part 2 as an aerial line, a GPS receiver 3 as a position detecting means, an orientation sensor 4, an operation part 6, a display part 7, and an external memory connection part 8. And a control unit 10 for controlling them.

  The aerial unit 2 is a marine radar device for detecting a target existing around the ship S, for example, a land (river) B or another ship. The aerial unit 2 always transmits a radio signal from its own ship S in a wide range and in all directions during navigation, receives a reflected wave (radar echo) from a target that has received the radio signal, and will be described later. A radar video waveform is transmitted to an ADC (Analog Digital Converter) 11 of the control unit 10. The aerial unit 2 is controlled by an aerial unit controller 13 described later to transmit a radio signal for each transmission pulse signal and receive a radar echo for each transmission pulse signal. Further, the rotation of the antenna unit 2 is controlled by the antenna unit controller 13.

  The GPS receiver 3 always obtains the current position (latitude and longitude) of the ship S by converting it into position information based on the GPS signal received by the GPS antenna during navigation. The data is transmitted to the radar system control unit 14.

  The direction sensor 4 is composed of, for example, a gyrocompass, and measures the heading of the ship S and transmits it to the radar system control unit 14 of the control unit 10 described later.

  The operation unit 6 is a controller disposed in a wheelhouse or the like, and can operate the river mile marker display system 1. For example, the operation unit 6 is used to input and set the destination (target mile marker) and passing point (passing mile marker) of the own ship S, and to adjust the display range of the radar image displayed on the display unit 7. Enter and set the magnification (enlargement ratio, reduction ratio).

The display unit 7 is disposed in a wheelhouse or the like, and is configured by a display device such as a liquid crystal display. As shown in FIG. 2, the display unit 7 displays a radar image of the river R and a mile marker M present in the radar image. Overlapping display. The display unit 7 mainly includes, for example, a radar image display unit 70, a navigation information display unit 71, an alarm setting information display unit 72, other setting information display unit 73, and a display unit 74 for own ship information and the like. Yes. The radar image display unit 70 displays a radar image of the river R. Specifically, for example, the radar image display unit 70, along with the radar image of the river R to the installation position of the mile markers _M 1 ~M ₃ close to the ship S, the post name ( "MI295" ~ "MI297") is It is displayed. The navigation information display unit 71 displays a river name 711 during navigation, a post name 712 of the mile marker M closest to the own ship S, destination mile markers 713 and 714, and the like. The alarm setting information display unit 72 displays the ON / OFF setting state of the alarm input and set by the operation unit 6, and the other setting information display unit 73 displays other river mile marker display system 1. The setting information is displayed, and the ship speed etc. of the own ship S is displayed on the own ship information etc. display section 74.

  The display unit 7 can change the display range by adjusting the enlargement ratio and the reduction ratio via the operation unit 6. For example, when the enlargement ratio is increased and the display range is reduced (the display range is narrowed), the display unit 7 displays an enlarged view around the current position of the ship S as shown in FIG.

  The external memory connection unit 8 can connect an external storage medium such as a USB memory 400, for example. When the USB memory 400 is connected to the external memory connection unit 8, a program or task having a data reading function is activated, and the mile marker information 200 stored in the USB memory 400 is stored in the system memory 141 of the control unit 10. Is programmed to remember.

  The control unit 10 has a function of controlling the antenna unit 2, the GPS receiver 3, the direction sensor 4, the operation unit 6, the display unit 7, and the external memory connection unit 8. The control unit 10 mainly includes an ADC 11, a signal processing unit 12 as a radar image generation unit, a coordinate conversion memory 121, a signal processing memory 122, an antenna unit control unit 13, and a radar system control as a processing unit. Section 14, display control section 15, graphic memory 151, and I / F 16.

  The ADC 11 samples the radar video waveform received from the antenna unit 2, converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and transmits the analog signal to the signal processing unit 12.

  The signal processing unit 12 has a function of generating a radar image based on the radar video waveform converted into a digital signal. Specifically, in order to display the radar video waveform received from the ADC 11 on the display unit 7 as the first layer, the signal processing unit 12 performs coordinate conversion processing, adjustment of the attenuation amount of the radar echo, interference removal, and the like. A program or task having a function of generating data by performing processing. The coordinate conversion process is a process of converting the coordinates so that the radar video waveform can be displayed on the display unit 7 based on the angle of the antenna unit 2 and the heading of the own ship S measured by the direction sensor 4. is there. At this time, the coordinate conversion data is temporarily stored in the coordinate conversion memory 121. The interference removal is a process for removing noise such as a reflected wave from the water surface included in the radar echo. The signal processing unit 12 temporarily stores data related to processing in the signal processing memory 122. The data processed by the signal processing unit 12 is stored in the system memory 141.

  The antenna unit control unit 13 performs the transmission timing of the radio signal of the antenna unit 2 and the reception of the radar echo, the rotation control of the antenna unit 2, and the like.

  The radar system control unit 14 has a function and a task having a function of displaying the mark information of the mile marker M existing in the radar image on the radar image on the screen based on the current position of the ship S and the mile marker information. It is. The processing in the radar system control unit 14 is programmed so that it is always activated and executed during navigation. Specifically, the radar system control unit 14 includes a plurality of programs and tasks that perform the following processing.

  First, the radar system control unit 14 extracts the data generated by the signal processing unit 12 from the system memory 141 for each range bin (data unit) in each azimuth direction, generates a radar image, and displays it on the first layer. It has a program and a task having a function of transmitting data to the graphic memory 151 (radar image generation task). That is, the radar image generation task receives data that can be displayed on the display unit 7 from the signal processing unit 12, generates a radar image for each data unit, and transmits the data to be displayed on the first layer to the graphic memory 151. It is supposed to be.

  Further, the radar system control unit 14 displays, for example, a figure, a symbol mark, or the like associated with position information such as a set target mile marker or a passing mile marker based on data received by the GPS receiver 3 or the direction sensor 4. And a program and a task having a function of transmitting data to be displayed at a position on the screen calculated from the current position of own ship S, that is, data to be displayed on the second layer, to the graphic memory 151 (second Layer generation task).

  Further, the radar system control unit 14 stores data to be displayed at a position on the screen calculated from the current position of the ship S based on the mile marker information 200 stored in the system memory 141, that is, the second layer. It has a program and a task having a function of transmitting data to be displayed to the graphic memory 151 (mile marker video generation task). Specifically, the mile marker video generation task performs processing based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, the current position of the ship S is acquired (step S11), and the display range of the radar image displayed on the display unit 7 is acquired (step S12). Here, the display range of the radar image is, for example, a circle having a radius Xkm centered on the current position of the ship S, depending on the display range of the display unit 7 set via the operation unit 6. Then, a mile marker M to be displayed on the display unit 7 is acquired based on the mile marker information 200 included in the display range of the radar image, that is, close to the current position of the ship S (step S13). Then, one mile marker M is acquired from the acquired mile marker M (step S14). And the display position in the display part 7 is calculated about this mile marker M (step S15). That is, based on the installation position of the mile marker M, the display position is calculated so as to be displayed at the corresponding position in the radar image. Then, it is determined whether or not the processing has been completed for all the mile markers M acquired in step S13 (step S16). If it is determined that the process has not been completed (in the case of “NO”), the process returns to step S14 and the processes from step S14 to step S16 are repeated until the process is completed for all mile markers M. If it is determined that it has been completed (in the case of “YES”), it is transmitted to the graphic memory 151 as data to be displayed on the second layer so that all mile markers M are displayed at the calculated display positions (step S17). The processing of this task is finished.

  The processing of the radar image generation task, the second layer generation task, and the mile marker image generation task is synchronized, and the radar image display unit 70 of the display unit 7 uses the data generated in each task. The video to be displayed is formed with consistency.

  The system memory 141 stores mile marker information 200 and data processed by the signal processing unit 12. Here, the mile marker information 200 is stored in the system memory 141 in order to speed up the processing by the radar system control unit 14.

  The display control unit 15 superimposes the second layer graphic, the symbol mark, the mile marker M, and information necessary for the screen configuration on the first layer radar image stored in the graphic memory 151, and displays the display unit 7. It is a program or task that has the function of displaying on the screen. The display control unit 15 is programmed to refresh the video displayed on the display unit 7 every time the data stored in the graphic memory 151 is updated, and the display unit 7 always displays the latest video. It has come to be.

  The graphic memory 151 stores a radar image to be displayed on the first layer, a figure, a symbol mark, a mile marker M, and the like to be displayed on the second layer.

  In this way, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the display unit 7 always displays the video (first and second layers) at the current position of the ship S during the navigation of the ship.

  Next, a display method and operation for displaying the mile marker M on the radar image in the river mile marker display system 1 having such a configuration will be described.

  First, the mile marker information 200 is downloaded to the USB memory 400 connected to the USB port provided in the PC 300. When the USB memory 400 storing the mile marker information 200 is connected to the external memory connection unit 8, a program or task having a data reading function is activated, and the mile marker is stored in the system memory 141 via the I / F 16. Information 200 is stored.

  Next, when the ship starts navigation, the river mile marker display system 1 is activated. As a result, the aerial unit 2, the GPS receiver 3, and the azimuth sensor 4 are always in operation during the navigation of the ship, and the data such as the radar video waveform and the current position of the ship S is constantly updated by the control unit 10. Has been transmitted.

  In the signal processing unit 12, processing for displaying the radar video waveform received from the ADC 11 as the first layer on the display unit 7 is performed, and the data is stored in the system memory 141. Next, when data for display on the first layer is generated by the radar image generation task of the radar system control unit 14, the data is stored in the graphic memory 151.

  Further, the second layer generation task of the radar system control unit 14 generates data such as figures and symbol marks associated with position information such as a target mile marker and a passing mile marker, that is, data to be displayed on the second layer. Then, the data is stored in the graphic memory 151.

  Further, when the mile marker image generation task of the radar system control unit 14 generates the mile marker M close to the current position of the ship S as data to be displayed on the second layer, the data is stored in the graphic memory 151. .

  Subsequently, the display control unit 15 superimposes the second layer graphic, the symbol mark, the mile marker M, and the information necessary for the screen configuration on the first layer radar image stored in the graphic memory 151. 2 is displayed on the display unit 7 as shown in FIG.

  The video displayed on the display unit 7 is refreshed every time the own ship S navigates and the current position changes and the data stored in the graphic memory 151 is updated. That is, the latest video is always displayed on the display unit 7.

  In this way, the mile marker M around the own ship S is always displayed on the radar image of the river R on the display unit 7.

  As described above, according to the river mile marker display system 1, the mile marker to be present in the radar image of the display unit 7 based on the current position of the ship S and the mile marker information 200 stored in the system memory 141. M can be acquired. Further, since the acquired mile marker M is displayed superimposed on the radar image, the mile marker M can be displayed without using a river map. As a result, since there is no high-load display processing for displaying a river map, even an existing radar device with a low display processing capability can be applied without reducing the processing capability. In addition, since it is not necessary to purchase a river map, the facility cost can be greatly reduced.

  Further, without using a river map, as shown in FIG. 2, the terrain is specified by the radar image and the riverbank B can be grasped, so that only the mile marker M necessary for navigation can be displayed with an inexpensive configuration. Appropriate navigation support is possible.

(Embodiment 2)
In this embodiment, the river mile marker display system includes a trajectory database (not shown) as trajectory storage means for storing the navigation trajectory of the ship S in the system memory 141, and the radar system control unit 14 A program and a task having a function of calculating the mile marker M predicted to pass next based on the current position of the ship S from the mile marker information 200 stored in the system memory 141 and displaying the mile marker M on the screen It differs from the river mile marker display system 1 in the first embodiment only in that it has a (mile marker passing prediction task). For this reason, the description of the configuration equivalent to that of Embodiment 1 is omitted. The same applies to the following embodiments.

Specifically, after processing the mile marker image generation task, the radar system control unit 14 uses the mile marker passage prediction task to determine the mile marker M to be displayed on the display unit 7 acquired in step S13 of the mile marker image generation task. Based on the navigation trajectory stored in the trajectory database and the current position of the ship S, the mile marker M predicted to pass next is determined from the mile marker information 200 stored in the system memory 141. That is, the navigation locus determines the traveling direction of the ship, along the direction of travel, to get the next mile marker M ₂ mile markers M ₁ which has passed through. Then, transmission to the graphics memory 151 so that data, such as the Miles marker M ₂ stored in the graphic memory 151 is highlighted for instance the fonts as large (overwriting with) the process of this task finish.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the mile marker M ₂ predicted to pass next is highlighted and displayed on the screen so as to be distinguished from the other mile markers M ₁ and M _3. The traveling direction of the ship S can be easily grasped. As a result, misunderstanding of the traveling direction of the ship S can be prevented, and the ship can be navigated safely.

That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the own ship S is berthing, the display range of the display unit 7 is narrowed, and the traveling direction of the own ship S is difficult to identify from the radar image. by miles marker M ₂ that is expected next pass is highlighted, it is possible to grasp the traveling direction of the ship S. Specifically, for example, when navigating from the downstream side to the upstream side, in order to load and unload the load, the bow is directed toward the downstream side in order to berth the loaded side (the traveling direction and Even if the ship is berthed (with the bow facing the other side), it can be easily grasped without misidentifying the next direction of travel.

(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the river mile marker display system 100 includes a speed sensor 5 that measures the ship speed of the ship S, and the radar system control unit 14 determines the position and speed of the ship S. A program having a function of calculating the time required to reach the target mile marker or passing mile marker input and set by the operation unit 6 based on the mile marker information 200 stored in the system memory 141 and displaying it on the screen The only difference from the river mile marker display system 1 in the first embodiment is that it has a task (estimated arrival time calculation task).

  Specifically, when a target mile marker or a passing mile marker (set mile marker) is input and set via the operation unit 6, the radar system control unit 14 activates an estimated arrival time calculation task. Then, the distance between the current position of the ship S and the set mile marker is calculated, the required time is calculated by dividing the distance by the speed of the ship S, and the estimated mile marker arrival time is calculated. Then, the calculated estimated mile marker arrival time is displayed on the estimated arrival time display unit 715 of the navigation information display unit 71 of the display unit 7 as shown in FIG. This estimated arrival time calculation task is programmed to be activated at predetermined intervals, and always calculates and displays the estimated arrival time of the mile marker based on the current position and speed of the latest ship S. ing.

  As described above, according to this river mile marker display system, the time required to reach the input set mile marker can be calculated and displayed on the screen, so that the crew does not have to manually calculate the time. As a result, unnecessary work (calculation of time) during navigation is reduced, and navigation can be performed smoothly. At this time, by using the speed of the ship S measured by the speed sensor 5, since the flow velocity of the river is taken into account, a more accurate mile marker arrival prediction time can be calculated.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration is not limited to the above embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention, Included in the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the display is performed only on the display unit 7 of the river mile marker display system 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first layer stored in the graphic memory 151 is not limited thereto. It is also possible to transmit the radar image, the second layer graphic or symbol mark, and the mile marker M to another navigation support device (for example, a river map display device) for display.

  Further, the mile marker information 200 may be read directly from an external storage medium that can be read at high speed instead of the system memory 141.

  Furthermore, it goes without saying that the speed may be calculated from the time change of the position information converted based on the GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 3 without providing the speed sensor 5.

1 River mile marker display system 12 Signal processor (radar image generation means)
14 Radar system controller (processing means)
15 Display control part 2 Aerial part (antenna)
3 GPS receiver (position detection means)
4 Direction sensor 5 Speed sensor (speed measurement means)
6 Operation section 7 Display section (screen)
8 External memory connection 200 Mile marker information 300 Personal computer 400 USB memory 100 River mile marker display system M Mile marker S Own ship

Claims (2)

A river mile marker display system that is installed on a ship navigating a river and displays a mile marker indicating the distance from the reference station on the screen.
Radar image generating means for generating a radar image of a target including land based on a video waveform of a radar echo received by an aerial of the ship;
Position detecting means for detecting the position of the ship;
Marker information storage means for storing mile marker information including the title information of each mile marker and the installation position;
Trajectory storage means for storing the navigation trajectory of the ship;
Based on the position of the ship and the mile marker information, a symbol representing the ship is arranged on the lower side of the screen so that the traveling direction faces the upper part of the screen, and is superimposed on the radar image. The mile marker mark information displayed in the radar image is displayed on the screen so as to be superimposed on the radar image including the land, and based on the navigation trajectory and the position of the ship. Processing means for determining a mile marker predicted to pass through the marker information storage means and highlighting the mile marker so as to be distinguishable from other mile markers on the screen ;
A river mile marker display system characterized by comprising: Equipped with speed measuring means to measure the speed of own ship,
The processing means calculates the time required to reach the input mile marker based on the position and speed of the ship and the mile marker information, and displays the time on the screen.
The river mile marker display system according to claim 1 .