JP2004219400A - Method,device,and program for display and processing of information below water surface, and display device for information below water surface - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display and processing method and a device for information below water surface, capable of displaying information below water surface which can be grasped directly via visual inspection of the relation between the vessel position on water surface and a target image formed by a detection information, and to provide a display processing program for information below water surface and a display device for information below water surface. <P>SOLUTION: By using a combined information acquiring means 13a, the following information is obtained sequentially and is combined, a detection information obtained on a target including a target depth at the undersurface of a vessel position, a vessel position information on the water surface which includes the latitude and the longitude of the vessel position measured at detection. For each sequential acquisition of a combination information, a composed three dimensional image, generating means 13b generates a three-dimensional image which is obtained by composing a navigation trajectory of a vessel on the water surface and the target image at the undersurface, corresponding to above trajectory, based on the combination information acquired sequentially and the combined information acquired previously. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an underwater information display processing method and apparatus for displaying and processing information for displaying underwater information such as the sea, lakes and marshes, and an underwater information display information for causing a computer to function as a means for displaying and processing underwater information. The present invention relates to a processing program and an underwater information display device that displays underwater information displayed and processed by an underwater display information processing method and apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for displaying information under water, there is a fish finder and the like. In a fish finder, for example, ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic transducer installed on the bottom of the ship are emitted into the water while moving the ship, and a reflected echo of the ultrasonic wave by the underwater target is received by the same transducer, and the ultrasonic wave The detection time including the depth of the target is obtained at intervals of, for example, 1 second by calculating the time from the launch to the reception of the reflected echo, and an image of the target is generated based on the obtained detection information, for example, as shown in FIG. Thus, the two-dimensional image is displayed on the display screen 100 of the display device with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing depth. In the drawing, reference numeral B denotes a water bottom which is one of the targets, and T denotes a floating object such as a school of fish which is another target in the water between the water surface Sw and the water bottom B.

  In the above-mentioned conventional fish finder, a series of detection information obtained with the passage of time from a target under the water surface is processed to generate a target image, and the generated target image is represented by time on the horizontal axis and depth. Since the plot is only plotted on the screen with the vertical axis, the corresponding position on the water surface cannot be directly recognized from the target image displayed on the display screen. For this reason, even if the target image is displayed on the display screen, the only way to return the ship to the position on the water surface corresponding to the one just before is to operate the ship with intuition based on experience, and it is a veteran Returning the ship to the exact desired position corresponding to the target has also been a daunting task.

  Therefore, in view of the above situation, the present invention displays the relationship between the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface and the position of the ship on the water surface on the display screen. It is a first and second object of the present invention to provide an underwater display information processing method and apparatus for performing display processing of underwater information so as to enable display of underwater information that can be directly grasped by visually recognizing the display of the display. .

  According to the present invention, the relationship between the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface and the position of the ship on the water surface is directly determined by visually recognizing the display on the display screen. A third object of the present invention is to provide an underwater information display processing program that causes a computer to function so as to display underwater information so as to enable the display of underwater information that can be grasped.

  According to the present invention, the relationship between the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface and the position of the ship on the water surface is directly determined by visually recognizing the display on the display screen. A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an underwater information display device capable of displaying underwater information that can be easily grasped.

  The invention according to claim 1 which has been made to solve the first problem is obtained by detecting information including a depth of a target obtained by detecting a target below a water surface where a ship is located, and by measuring at the time of the detection. Combination information with the vessel position information including the latitude and longitude of the position on the water surface of the vessel is sequentially acquired, and each time the combination information is acquired sequentially, the combination information acquired sequentially and the combination information acquired before that In order to combine and display on a single display screen the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface and the image of the underwater target corresponding to the navigation trajectory obtained on the basis of the navigation trajectory and the target image, The present invention provides a method for displaying underwater information, characterized by generating a composite three-dimensional image.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the plurality of pieces of combination information sequentially acquired are stored and collected in a combination information storage means, and the plurality of pieces of combination information stored in the combination information storage means are read out. In order to combine and display, on a single display screen, a navigation trajectory of a ship on the water surface obtained based on the combination information and an image of a target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory, the navigation trajectory and the target image are displayed. And generating a combined three-dimensional image with the underwater information display processing method according to claim 1.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the underwater surface is synthesized and displayed on the single display screen as a background image of the synthesized three-dimensional image. The underwater information display processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a three-dimensional underwater surface image of the underwater surface is generated based on the prepared underwater height information.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the water bottom three-dimensional image, the combination of the combined three-dimensional image and the water bottom three-dimensional image that matches the positions of the two three-dimensional images with respect to the water surface The method according to claim 3, wherein a display position of the three-dimensional image of the underwater floor on the display screen is determined based on a height of the water surface at the time of detecting the detection information. Exist.

  In the invention according to claim 5, water bottom height information at intersections of predetermined longitude and latitude lines is prepared in advance at predetermined intervals, and the water bottom below the water surface is used as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image as the single image. In order to combine and display on the display screen, a three-dimensional bottom image of the water bottom below the water surface is generated based on the water bottom height information prepared in advance, and a number of combinations stored in the combination information storage means. The latitude and longitude of the vessel position information of the information, the depth of the water bottom portion of the target image having the detection information combined with the vessel position information, based on the height of the water surface at the time of the detection information acquisition, 3. The water surface according to claim 2, wherein the height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and the height obtained by the calculation is replaced with that before the corresponding intersection to update the water bottom height information. Information below It exists to indicate processing method.

  The invention according to claim 6, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on the height of the position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information. The present invention resides in the underwater information display processing method described in 4 or 5.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention for solving the second problem, as shown in the basic configuration diagram of FIG. 1, the detection including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface where the ship is located. Combination information acquiring means 13a for sequentially acquiring information and combination information of ship position information including the latitude and longitude of the position of the ship on the water surface obtained at the time of the detection, and the combination information acquisition means 13a Each time sequentially obtains, the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the acquired combination information and the combination information acquired before that and the image of the underwater target corresponding to the navigation trajectory A combined three-dimensional image generating means for generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image in order to display the combined information on a single display screen; It resides in the processing apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 8 further comprises a combination information collection unit 13c for storing a large number of combination information sequentially acquired by the combination information acquisition unit in the combination information storage unit 5a and collecting the combination information, and the combined three-dimensional image generation unit 13b. Reads out a large number of pieces of combination information stored in the combination information storage means 5a, and displays the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and the target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory. A combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is generated to combine and display the two on a single display screen. .

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in order to combine and display the underwater surface as the background image of the combined three-dimensional image on the single display screen, the water bottom at the intersection of the predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals is determined. The underwater information display according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising an underwater three-dimensional image generating means (13d) for generating a three-dimensional underwater image of the underwater surface based on the prepared underwater height information. Exists in the processing unit.

  The invention according to claim 10, wherein the bottom 3D image generating means 13d is configured to combine the combined 3D image and the bottom 3D image with the display based on the height of the water surface at the time of acquiring the detection information. The underwater information display processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a display position of the three-dimensional image of the underwater floor on a screen is determined.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the water bottom under the water surface is synthesized and displayed on the single display screen as a background image of the synthesized three-dimensional image, and is stored in the water bottom height information storage means 5b and prepared in advance. A water bottom three-dimensional image generation means 13d for generating a water bottom three-dimensional image of a water bottom below the water surface based on water bottom height information at intersections of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals, and the combination information storage means 5a The latitude and longitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the, the depth of the water bottom portion of the target image having the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the water surface at the time of the detection information acquisition Based on the height, the height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and the height obtained by the calculation is calculated as the height before the corresponding intersection stored in the water bottom height information storage means 5b. Lies below the water surface information display apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a water bottom height information updating unit 13e for updating the Noto replacement water bottom height information.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on a height of a position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information. An underwater information display processing device according to 10 or 11.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention to solve the third problem, a computer for displaying and processing underwater information is provided with a computer as shown in the basic configuration diagram of FIG. Combination information acquisition for sequentially acquiring combination information of detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target and ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship measured at the time of the detection. Means 13a, and a navigation trajectory of a ship on the water surface obtained based on the combination information sequentially acquired by the combination information acquisition means 13a and the combination information acquired before that, and an underwater surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory. Functions as a combined three-dimensional image generating means 13b for sequentially generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image in order to combine and display the target image on a single display screen. Thereby lies below the surface information display processing program characterized.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the computer further functions as a combination information collection unit 13c that stores and collects a large number of combination information sequentially acquired by the combination information acquisition unit 13a in the combination information storage unit 5a, The combined three-dimensional image generation means 13b reads out a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means 5a, and corresponds to the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and the navigation trajectory. And a function of generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image in order to combine and display the image of the underwater target on a single display screen. In the underwater information display processing program described in No. 13.

  The invention according to claim 15, wherein the computer combines the underwater surface with the underwater surface as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image on the single display screen and displays the same. 15. The apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a water bottom three-dimensional image generation unit 13d that generates a water bottom three-dimensional image of the water bottom below the water surface based on the water bottom height information prepared in advance at the intersection of Underwater information display processing program.

  The invention according to claim 16, wherein the computer determines that the underwater three-dimensional image generating means 13d combines the combined three-dimensional image and the underwater three-dimensional image with a height of a water surface at the time of acquiring the detection information. 16. The underwater information display processing program according to claim 15, wherein the program functions to determine a display position of the underwater three-dimensional image on the display screen.

  The invention according to claim 17 stores the computer in the water bottom height information storage means 5b so that the computer displays the water bottom under the water surface as a background image of the composite three-dimensional image on the single display screen. A water bottom three-dimensional image generating means 13d for generating a water bottom three-dimensional image of the water bottom below the water surface based on water bottom height information at the intersection of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals prepared in advance, and The latitude and longitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means 5a, the depth of the water bottom portion of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the detection Based on the height of the water surface at the time of acquiring the information, the height of the point corresponding to the intersection is calculated by calculation, and the obtained height is stored in the corresponding intersection stored in the height information storage means 5b. Resides in claim 14 underwater information display processing program wherein to further function as a water bottom height information updating unit 13e for performing it updates the previous ones and replacement water bottom height information.

  The invention according to claim 18 is characterized in that the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on the height of the position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information. The present invention resides in the underwater information display processing program described in 16 or 17.

  The invention according to claim 19, which has been made to solve the fourth problem, is a detection method including a target depth obtained by detecting a target below a water surface where a ship is located, as shown in the basic configuration diagram of FIG. Detection information generating means 2 for generating information; ship position information generating means 3 for generating 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 by the depth information generating means; The method according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein a large number of pieces of combined information obtained by combining the detection information generated by the depth information generating means 2 and the ship position information generated by the ship position information generating means 3 are sequentially acquired. The present invention resides in an underwater information display device comprising: an underwater information display processing device 1; and a display means 4 for displaying underwater information displayed and processed by the underwater information display processing device.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the underwater target where the ship is located, and the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by measuring at the time of detection. Each time the combination information obtained by combining the ship position information including the latitude and longitude of the position is sequentially obtained, the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the sequentially obtained combination information and the combination information obtained before that. Since a three-dimensional image is generated by synthesizing the image of the underwater target corresponding to the navigation trajectory, the display on the display screen is performed by displaying the synthesized three-dimensional image on a single display screen. Thus, the mutual positional relationship between the position of the ship above the water surface and the target image below the water surface from the start of navigation to the present time can be clearly known. Therefore, it is possible to display the underwater information in which the relationship between the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the underwater target and the position of the ship on the water can be directly grasped by visually recognizing the display on the display screen. Thus, it is possible to provide an underwater display information processing method for displaying and processing underwater information.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, a large number of pieces of combination information sequentially acquired are stored and collected in the combination information storage means, and a large number of pieces of combination information stored in the combination information storage means are read out. A three-dimensional image is generated by combining the trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the combined information and the image of the target under the water surface corresponding to the trajectory. By displaying on the display screen of the ship, from the display on the display screen, from the display on the display screen, the interaction between the ship position on the water surface and the target image below the water from the start of navigation to each point in time It is possible to provide an underwater display information processing method for displaying and processing underwater information so that the positional relationship of the information can be clearly understood.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the water bottom three-dimensional image of the water bottom below the water surface is generated based on the water bottom height information prepared at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals. By combining the three-dimensional image of the underwater with the underwater surface as a background image of the combined three-dimensional image on a single display screen and displaying the combined image, a part of the target elephant corresponding to the trajectory from the display screen is displayed. To be able to know the state of the water bottom around a certain water bottom, to clarify what kind of terrain the bottom of the target elephant is in, and to assist in maneuvering a ship to a desired location The present invention can provide an underwater display information processing method for displaying and processing underwater information so that the information can be displayed.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional water bottom image, the display position of the three-dimensional water bottom image on the display screen is determined based on the height of the water surface at the time of detection information acquisition. Since the determination is made, it is possible to provide an underwater display information processing method for displaying and processing underwater information so as to reduce the displacement of the underwater surface between the two combined three-dimensional images.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a water bottom three-dimensional image of a water bottom below the water surface is generated, and is synthesized and displayed on a single display screen as a background image of the synthesized three-dimensional image. The water bottom height information at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines is prepared in advance, but the latitude and longitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means and the detection combined with the ship position information The height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation based on the depth of the water bottom part of the target image that the information has and the height of the water surface at the time of acquiring the combination information, and this is replaced with the previous one of the corresponding intersection and updated Since the water bottom height information prepared in advance to generate the background image can be updated by the height obtained based on the detection information obtained by detecting during actual navigation, more accurate water bottom 3D image It is possible to provide a submerged display information processing method for displaying processing underwater information so that it can be displayed as a background image.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, since the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on the height of the position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information, the position of the ship position information By obtaining the height along with the latitude and longitude of the sea, the height of the water surface can be obtained by calculation.For example, when the height of the water surface fluctuates with time according to the tide level such as the sea surface, the water surface It is possible to provide an underwater display information processing method for performing display processing of underwater information in which the height of an object can be easily and accurately known at each time.

  According to the invention described in claim 7, the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the underwater target where the ship is located, and the latitude and longitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measuring at the time of detection. Each time the combination information obtaining means 13a sequentially obtains the combination information obtained by combining the vessel position information including the ship position information, the combination three-dimensional image generation means 13b sequentially obtains the combination information based on the combination information previously obtained and the combination information previously obtained. Since a three-dimensional image is generated by combining the obtained navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface and the image of the target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory, the synthesized three-dimensional image is displayed on a single display screen. By doing so, the mutual positional relationship between the position of the ship on the water surface and the target image below the water surface from the start of navigation to the current time can be clearly known from the display on the display screen. Therefore, it is possible to display the underwater information in which the relationship between the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the underwater target and the position of the ship on the water can be directly grasped by visually recognizing the display on the display screen. It is possible to provide an underwater display information processing device that performs display processing of underwater information in such a manner as to perform the following processing.

  According to the invention of claim 8, a large number of sequentially acquired combination information is stored and collected in the combination information storage means 5a by the combination information collection means 13c, and the combined three-dimensional image generation means 13b stores this combination information. A three-dimensional form in which a large number of combination information stored in the means 5a is read out, and a navigation trajectory of a ship on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and an image of a target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory are synthesized. Since the image is generated, by displaying this composite three-dimensional image on a single display screen, from the display on the display screen, from the start of navigation to each point in time, An underwater display information processing device that displays and processes underwater information so that the mutual positional relationship between the position of the ship above the water surface and the target image under the water surface can be clearly known. It can be provided.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the water bottom three-dimensional image generation means 13d performs the water bottom tertiary for the water bottom below the water surface based on the water bottom height information prepared at the intersection of the predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals. Since the original image is generated, by combining this water bottom three-dimensional image on the single display screen with the water bottom below the water surface as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image and displaying it, the display screen is converted into a navigation trajectory. It is possible to know the state of the water bottom around the water bottom that is a part of the corresponding target elephant, it is clear what the bottom of the target elephant is part of the topography of the water bottom, and the ship is placed in the desired place It is possible to provide an underwater display information processing device that performs display processing of underwater information so as to assist in maneuvering when moving.

  According to the tenth aspect of the invention, in synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional water bottom image, the display position of the three-dimensional water bottom image on the display screen is determined based on the height of the water surface at the time of detection information acquisition. Since the determination is made, it is possible to provide an underwater display information processing apparatus that performs display processing of underwater information so as to reduce the displacement of the underwater surface of the combined two-dimensional images.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional water bottom image of a water bottom below the water surface is generated, and is synthesized and displayed on a single display screen as a background image of the synthetic three-dimensional image. The water bottom height information at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines is prepared in advance, but the longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means 5a are combined with the ship position information. Based on the depth of the water bottom portion of the target image included in the detection information and the height of the water surface at the time of acquisition of the detection information, the water bottom height information updating unit 13e calculates the height of the point corresponding to the intersection by calculation, and calculates the height of the corresponding intersection. Since it has been replaced and updated with the previous one, the water bottom height information prepared in advance to generate the background image can be updated by the height obtained based on the detection information obtained by detecting during actual navigation, Ri can provide underwater display processing device for displaying process subsurface information to show a good water bottom 3D image accuracy as the background image.

  According to the invention of claim 12, since the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on the height of the position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information, the history of the position of the ship position information By obtaining the height along with the degree, the height of the water surface can be obtained by calculation.For example, when the height of the water surface fluctuates with time according to the tide level such as the sea surface, the height of the water surface can be obtained. It is possible to provide an underwater display information processing apparatus for performing display processing of underwater information that can easily and accurately know the degree of the underwater information at each time.

  According to the invention of claim 13, the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the underwater target where the ship is located, and the latitude and longitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measuring at the time of detection. Each time the computer sequentially obtains the combination information obtained by combining the ship position information including the ship position information with the combination information acquired by the computer functioning as the combined three-dimensional image generation means 13b, Since a three-dimensional image is generated by synthesizing the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the acquired combination information and the target image under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory, the synthesized three-dimensional image is generated. By displaying the image on a single display screen, the position on the water surface from the start of navigation to the present and the target It is possible to know the mutual positional relationship between an imaging clarity. Therefore, it is possible to display underwater information in which the relationship between the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the underwater target and the position of the ship on the water can be directly grasped by visually recognizing the display on the display screen. An underwater display information processing program for displaying and processing underwater information by causing a computer to function as follows.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, a large number of sequentially acquired combination information is stored and collected in the combination information storage unit 5a by the computer functioning as the combination information collection unit 13c, and is used as the combined three-dimensional image generation unit 13b. A functioning computer reads a large number of pieces of combination information stored in the combination information storage means 5a, and a navigation trajectory of a ship on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and a target under the water corresponding to the navigation trajectory. A three-dimensional image is generated by combining this image with the image on the display screen. , You can clearly understand the mutual positional relationship between the position of the ship above the water surface and the target image below the water surface from the start of navigation to each point in time It is possible to provide a submerged display information processing program for display processing subsurface information by function urchin computer.

  According to the invention described in claim 15, the computer functioning as the water bottom three-dimensional image generating means 13d is configured such that the water bottom below the water surface is prepared based on the water bottom height information prepared at the intersection of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals. Since the underwater three-dimensional image is generated for this, the underwater surface of the underwater surface is synthesized on the single display screen as a background image of the synthesized three-dimensional image, and displayed on the display screen. It is possible to know the state of the water bottom around the bottom, which is a part of the target elephant corresponding to the navigation trajectory, and to clarify what kind of terrain the bottom of the target elephant is, An underwater display information processing program that causes a computer to function to display and process underwater information can be provided so as to assist in maneuvering a ship when moving to a desired place.

  According to the invention of claim 16, in synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional water bottom image, the display position of the three-dimensional water bottom image on the display screen is determined based on the height of the water surface at the time of detection information acquisition. Since the determination is made, it is possible to provide an underwater display information processing program for displaying and processing underwater information by causing a computer to function so as to reduce the displacement of the water bottom between the two three-dimensional images.

  According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, a three-dimensional water bottom image of a water bottom below the water surface is generated and synthesized and displayed on a single display screen as a background image of the synthesized three-dimensional image. The water bottom height information at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines is prepared in advance, but the longitude and latitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means 5a are combined with the ship position information. The computer functioning as the water bottom height information updating means 13e calculates the height of the point corresponding to the intersection based on the depth of the water bottom part of the target image having the detection information and the height of the water surface at the time of detection information acquisition, Since the corresponding intersection has been replaced and updated, the water bottom height information prepared in advance to generate the background image is obtained based on the detection information obtained by detecting during actual navigation. Was updated by the height, it is possible to provide a submerged display information processing program for display processing subsurface information by a computer to function so that it can display more accurate underwater three-dimensional image as the background image.

  According to the invention of claim 18, since the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on the height of the position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information, the position of the ship position information By obtaining the height along with the latitude and longitude, the height of the water surface is obtained by calculation, so if the height of the water surface fluctuates with time depending on the tide, such as the sea surface, the height of the water surface Can be provided so that a computer capable of easily and accurately knowing at any time can be operated to display underwater information.

  According to the invention of claim 19, a large number of combined information obtained by combining the detection information generated by the detection information generating means 2 and the ship position information generated by the ship position information generating means 3 are sequentially acquired to display the underwater information. Since the underwater information displayed by the processing device 1 is displayed by the display means 4, the target image generated based on the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the underwater target and the position of the ship on the water Can be provided to enable the display of the underwater information in which the relationship with the information can be directly grasped by visually recognizing the display on the display screen.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 incorporates an underwater information display processing program of the present invention for causing a computer to function as underwater information display processing means, and incorporates an underwater information display processing device that performs the underwater information display processing method of the present invention. It is a block diagram showing one embodiment of an underwater information display device.

  In FIG. 2, an underwater information display device includes an underwater information display processing device 1, a detection information generation unit 2, a ship position information generation unit 3, a display unit 4, an external memory 5 including, for example, a hard disk, and an operation unit. And an input unit 6.

  The underwater information display processing device 1 includes a ROM 11 which 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, and a work area for performing data processing work. It comprises a microcomputer comprising a RAM 12, which is a readable and writable memory that functions, and a CPU 13, which is a central processing unit for performing various processes in accordance with the above processing programs. The underwater information display processing device 1 is connected to a detection information generation unit 2, a ship position information generation unit 3, a display unit 4, an external memory 5, and an operation input unit 6.

  The display unit 4 displays the underwater information subjected to the display processing by the underwater information display processing device 1, and functions as a display unit. The external memory 5 stores the installed processing programs, and also stores the detection information generated by the detection information generation unit 2 and the ship position information generated by the ship position information generation unit 3 collected by the underwater information display processing device 1. And functions as various storage means.

  Before the details of the underwater information display processing device 1 are described, a detection information generation unit 2 and ship position information that respectively generate detection information and ship position information that constitute combination information displayed and processed by the device 1 are described. The generator 3 will be described.

  When the start of detection is instructed by an operation input in the operation input unit 6, the detection information generation unit 2 starts operation under the control of the water surface information display processing device 1 and performs measurement on a target below the water surface where the ship is located. The detection information including the depth of the target obtained by the above is generated, and for example, a part of the function of an existing fish finder is used. 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 by the detection unit 21 and generates detection information. Then, the generated detection information is output to the underwater information display processing device 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the detection unit 21 includes an ultrasonic oscillator 21 a provided on a ship bottom or the like, an oscillator 21 b that generates a driving signal for driving the ultrasonic oscillator 21 a to generate an ultrasonic wave, After being driven by the drive signal and emitting ultrasonic waves into the water, the emitted ultrasonic waves are reflected by the target and returned by the ultrasonic transducer 21a according to the intensity of the ultrasonic echo output from the ultrasonic transducer 21a. 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 an ultrasonic wave into water, and converts the digitized detection signal output from the A / D converter 21d. And performs signal processing to generate detection information including the depth of the target and the strength of the detection signal.

  The signal processing unit 22 is specifically configured by a microcomputer that performs a program operation under the control of the underwater information display processing device 1 described above, inputs a detection signal from the detection unit 21, and outputs the detection signal. The following processing is performed to generate detection information.

  First, the time from when the ultrasonic transducer 21a emits an ultrasonic wave to when the ultrasonic transducer 21a receives the ultrasonic echo is timed to calculate the reciprocating propagation time of the ultrasonic wave. Next, the reciprocating propagation time is multiplied by the speed of sound in water to determine the reciprocating distance from the ultrasonic transducer 21a to the target, and the depth to the target is calculated from the reciprocating 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 for which the depth is to be calculated. In calculating the intensity, for example, the propagation loss of the ultrasonic wave 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 water bottom and the intensity of reflection at each target.

  Note that the target includes all objects such as plankton, a school of fish, and the like floating in the water, and a fixed substance on the water floor and the like, 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, the intensity of the detection signal obtained after correcting the propagation loss as described above changes depending on the size of the target, the distribution density, and the like. Therefore, the calculated intensity can be used for estimating the type of the target. Therefore, the intensity of the detection signal of each target is used to change the color in the case of a color screen and the shading in the case of a monochrome screen, and reflect the type of the target in the display when displaying a target image described later. .

  The ship position information generating unit 3 generates ship position information indicating a three-dimensional position including the latitude and longitude and the height (height on the geocentric coordinate system) of the ship on the water surface, and for example, an existing ship navigation device. Of the GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. The ship position information generated by the ship position information generation unit 3 is supplied to the underwater information display processing device 1 and combined with the above-described detection information generated by the detection information generation unit 2 to generate underwater information display processing device 1 as combination information. Are obtained sequentially.

  Although described below, the underwater information display processing device 1 includes the depth of the target obtained for the underwater target on which the ship is located when the CPU 13 executes the processing program (the detection information generation unit 2 performs the following processing). Combination information of detection information (generated) and ship position information (generated by the ship position information generation unit 3) including the latitude and longitude and the height of the ship position on the water surface obtained by measuring the position of the ship at the time of detection Are sequentially obtained. The acquired combination information is stored in the storage area of the RAM 12 in chronological order, for example, in a format as shown in FIG. With this processing, the CPU 13 functions as the combination information acquisition unit 13a.

  The CPU 13 in the underwater information display processing device 1 corresponds to the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface and the navigation trajectory based on the combination information acquired sequentially and the combination information acquired earlier and stored in the RAM 12. In order to combine and display the image of the underwater target 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 composite three-dimensional image is stored in the display information area allocated to the RAM 12. However, a dedicated V-RAM is provided separately from the RAM 12 and stored in the V-RAM. You can also do so. Thus, the CPU 13 functions as a synthetic three-dimensional image generation unit. Here, an outline of a method of generating the bird's-eye view will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of generating a bird's-eye view using a cross section showing a water surface Sw, a target T (floating matter) below the water surface Sw, and a water bottom B for simplicity. As shown, 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 above 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 the composite three-dimensional image is based on the navigation depth and the navigation trajectory including the current position of the ship on the water surface based on the depth of the target of the detection information constituting the combination information and the longitude and latitude of the ship position information. When the underwater target image corresponding to the above is looked down from an arbitrary viewpoint, the coordinates of the window W of a predetermined size are transformed into a viewable image, but the navigation is performed so that the underwater target image can be visually recognized well. The water surface on the front side of the portion where the trajectory is drawn is not displayed. Even without displaying the water surface, the target image is displayed such that the navigation trajectory of the ship appears on the assumed surface corresponding to the height position of the water surface. Of course, the target image below the water surface, where the display of the water surface is not omitted, may be hidden behind the water surface and displayed invisible, and the display may be performed so that only the trajectory of the ship is drawn on the water surface. Alternatively, the area of the target image that can be seen may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the area of the water surface to be displayed.

  Note that the window W is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the center optical axis L (1 / 2θ) of the viewing angle θ when viewing the predetermined range. The minimum viewing angle θ is determined by the point UP corresponding to the farthest navigation trajectory St on the water surface that the user wants to see on the screen, and the point LP of the maximum depth Dmax corresponding to the closest navigation trajectory St. Of course, if the angle is equal to or larger than the angle θ, the periphery can be seen at the same time. Note that the maximum depth Dmax is determined to be the maximum depth obtained as the detection information, for example, 150 m.

  Although FIG. 5 shows the range in the up-down direction, the range in the left-right direction is also determined by the trajectory on the water surface that the user wants to see and the deepest position corresponding to the trajectory. In either case, the required range must be visible from the display screen in any of the vertical and horizontal directions, so that the display range is automatically determined by the larger one. In addition, the viewpoint EP is not a fixed point, but the height and direction can be arbitrarily selected, and the state is seen from an arbitrary position where the position is changed from an arbitrary height within a range of 360 °. It can be displayed.

  Further, the CPU 13 stores a series of combination information temporarily stored in the storage area of the RAM 12 for display processing in the external memory 5 as combination information storage means for use in subsequent batch processing after completion of the display processing. To collect. Thus, the CPU 13 also functions as a combination information collecting unit.

  A series of combination information stored in the external memory 5 is collected by past navigation of the ship, and the CPU 13 sequentially or collectively reads the combination information at an arbitrary time by a batch process, and based on the read combination information. It is possible to generate a composite three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface and the image of the target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory, and combine and generate the three-dimensional image on the single display screen of the display unit 4. it can. In addition, in order to specify the range for generating the composite three-dimensional image, prior to generation of the composite three-dimensional image, only the ship position information of the combination information is used, and as shown in FIG. Only the trajectory of the ship is displayed two-dimensionally on the display screen of the display unit 4. By drawing a display frame F on this display screen, a combined tertiary trajectory St in this frame and a target image located below the navigation trajectory are combined and displayed on the same display screen. An original image is generated. Further, on the same screen, a tool for designating angles θ1, θ2,... Formed by the azimuths E, W, S, N for viewing the designated range and the water surface is also displayed.

  The operation performed by the underwater information display processing device 1 based on the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 showing a processing flow performed by the internal CPU 13 according to a 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 generation unit 2 (step ST2). . Thereafter, the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by the detection information generation unit 2 detecting the underwater target where the ship is located, and the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by measurement by the ship position information generation unit 3 at the time of detection. Combination information with ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position is sequentially obtained (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 an image of a target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory are displayed. A combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is sequentially generated to be combined and displayed on the display screen of the unit 4 (step ST4). The processing of step ST3 and step ST4 is repeatedly continued until an operation for instructing the end of detection is performed on the operation input unit 6 (until step ST6 becomes YES). The generated composite three-dimensional image is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4 and is output to the display unit 4 to display the composite three-dimensional image on the display screen (step ST5).

  By the above processing, the display of the combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the corresponding target image is performed every time the combination information of the detection information and the ship position information generated when the ship is navigated while performing the detection is obtained. This is performed in real time on the display screen of the display unit 4, and a bird's eye view as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is displayed, for example. 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 target image T of the underwater surface corresponding to each position can be visually recognized in a directly related manner. Intuitively understand the positional relationship between the two. Therefore, when maneuvering and moving a ship to a water surface position that has already passed from the current ship position while observing the target image, maneuvering the ship to a position where one wants to return while watching the display on the display screen is supported.

  Also, in the illustrated example, a screen is drawn between the navigation trajectory and the water bottom of the corresponding target image, so that the correspondence between the two can be more easily understood, and a floating object between the water surface and the water bottom is displayed on this screen. Images (fish schools, etc.) are drawn separately, making it easier to understand the correspondence between suspended matter and the corresponding water bottom position.

  However, when the navigation trajectory in the left-right direction is turned halfway as in the example of FIG. 9, the screen is drawn as a translucent one so that the target image behind is not obstructed by the screen, and is drawn through the screen. The target image can be visually recognized. In the illustrated example, the target image is drawn so as to overlap many layers in the rear, but in reality, there is a limit to see through even if it is translucent, so the amount of information to be displayed at one time is: It is preferable to limit to a target image that is overlapped only once by folding back. Of course, the bird's-eye view can be displayed by moving the viewpoint to an arbitrary position of 360 °, so if it is difficult to visually recognize it because it is located behind, if the viewpoint position is changed from the 180 ° position to the view, the display can be viewed from behind. In addition, poor visibility can be eliminated. Further, the target image corresponding to the navigation trajectory in the front-rear direction cannot be visually recognized from the display, but such a portion can be visually recognized by drawing a bird's-eye view in which the viewpoint position is 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 a display screen of a display unit of a conventional fish finder, and FIG. 11C is a display screen of a display unit 4 according to the present invention. Are schematically shown, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, at a measurement site including a water surface Sw and a water bottom B, when a ship acquires detection information while sailing on the water surface Sw along a trajectory St, from a group of fish under the water surface. Consider the case where a target T exists. In such a case, in the conventional fish finder, as shown in FIG. 11B, a two-dimensional image in which the target image based on the detection information is sequentially moved from the left to the right of the display screen with the passage of time is displayed. Even if the ship position can be displayed on another screen by switching screens, it is difficult to understand the relationship between the detected position of the school of fish T and the ship position on the water surface. In the case where the navigation trajectory St turns back halfway as in the example shown in the figure, the fish school T supposed to be one lump is displayed as fish shadows T1 and T2. Since the relative positional relationship between T1 and T2 below the water surface is not known, it is difficult to understand that each fish shadow is part of a group of fish schools, and is generally regarded as a measurement result of another school of fish. Tends to. On the other hand, according to the display obtained by the present invention, as shown in FIG. 11C, a three-dimensional display is performed in which the navigation trajectory St of the ship on the water surface can be clearly recognized as being turned back halfway, Since the underwater target image corresponding to the trajectory is also displayed three-dimensionally, the relative positional relationship between the fish shadows T1 and T2 is also displayed from the display. It is also easy to understand that the measurement result is a part of the school of fish T.

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

  In the above-described process of acquiring the combination information in step ST3, the ship position information from the ship position information generation unit 3 and the detection information from the detection information generation unit 2 are obtained every second by, for example, a one-second timer interrupt. The acquired ship position information and detection information are combined by being stored in a storage area in the RAM 12. However, due to the operation of the detection information generation unit 2, as the combination information, two types of information obtained continuously are not simply combined. That is, in the detection information generation 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 a predetermined deepest part and the returned reflected echo. It takes a certain time to generate detection information. In the embodiment, the deepest portion is assumed to be 150 m, and the fixed time is set to 1 second. Therefore, the detection information generation unit 2 that has started operation emits ultrasonic waves at regular time intervals of one second and generates detection information obtained as a result. It is obtained by being combined with the detection information acquired next time.

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

  Since the generated composite 3D image increases in proportion to the cruising distance of the ship, if all the generated composite 3D images are displayed on a single display screen without any limitation, the temporally old image will be displayed. A new image is superimposed, making it difficult to see the latest image. Therefore, a limit is set on the number of combination information to be used for display, and when the acquired combination information exceeds the limitation number, the oldest combination information exceeding the limitation number is acquired with the latest combination information acquisition. The generated three-dimensional image is erased from the display information storage area in the RAM 12 or the V-RAM. In such a case, the old combination information used for the generation of the combined three-dimensional image is sequentially transferred to the external memory 5 and stored in accordance with the deletion of the combined three-dimensional image, and is stored and collected in the external memory 5 in step ST8. The information you provide can be up-to-date.

  Next, in the operation input unit 6, when there is no operation for instructing the start of detection (when step ST1 in FIG. 7 is NO), and instead, an operation for instructing the start of batch processing is performed (step ST11 is executed). If YES), the CPU 13 reads out the file names attached to the combination information collected during the past voyage 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). When one of the file names is selected (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 a storage area in the RAM 12, and among the read combination information, A two-dimensional image of the trajectory of the ship is generated based on the ship position information (step ST14), and this is output to the display unit 4 and displayed on the display image (step ST15).

  Thereafter, on the image on which the navigation trajectory is displayed, the navigation trajectory corresponding to the target image to be displayed and viewed is surrounded by a frame (see FIG. 6F), so that the range in which the composite three-dimensional image is to be displayed is determined. 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 trajectory of the designated range from the storage area of the RAM 12. Then, a combined 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). The original image is output to the display unit 4 and synthesized and displayed on the display screen (step ST18).

  Note that the CPU 13 repeats the processing operations of steps ST17 to ST19 described above until all the combination information within the designated range is read (until step ST19 becomes YES). When there is neither the end operation of the batch process in the range nor the end operation of the batch process itself (when both ST20 and ST21 are NO), the process returns to the step ST16, and the end process or the batch process of the batch process in the selected range. Until the end operation of the device itself is performed (until step ST20 or ST21 becomes YES), the processing operations of steps ST14 to ST21 described above are repeated. When an instruction operation to change is performed, processing according to the instruction is performed. When a change is not performed, it repeats the same processing operations as earlier. When the end instruction operation of the selected range is performed (when step ST20 is YES), the process returns to step ST14 to generate a two-dimensional image of the 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 operation of ending the batch processing itself is performed (YES in step ST21), the process returns to step ST1 to wait for the detection start operation or the batch processing start operation to be performed.

  As described above, the underwater information that has been sailed in the past can be displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4 at any time based on the combination information stored and collected in the external memory 5. You can view and use past underwater information.

  In the above-described embodiment, only the composite three-dimensional image generated based on the combination information of the detection information and the ship position information is displayed on the display screen. Water bottom height information prepared in advance at the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines is stored, and a three-dimensional image of the water bottom generated based on this water bottom height information is used as a background image of the composite three-dimensional image as shown in FIG. They can be combined and displayed on the display screen. In FIG. 12, the drawing of the three-dimensional image of the bottom of the water is omitted because it is difficult to understand even if it is expressed. Only an image is drawn.

  As can be seen from the figure, the portion of the combined three-dimensional image below the water bottom is masked by the background image and is not displayed. As a result, the outline of the water bottom Tb of the target image displayed as a part of the three-dimensional water bottom image is clear. Will be displayed. By displaying the water bottom three-dimensional image as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image, the relationship between the target image drawn by the detection information and the surrounding water bottom topography can be clearly grasped. 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 land topography not shown in the figure, it is stored in external memory as height information similar to the water bottom height information, and when the display range includes land, When the original image is generated, a three-dimensional land image can also be 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 by the water surface height, the display of the landscape at the shore, which changes depending on the tide level, can be made as close as possible to the real one.

  Next, a specific method of generating a three-dimensional water bottom image will be described. First, as the water bottom height information, as shown in FIG. 13, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, the intersection of the longitude and latitude lines predetermined at predetermined intervals so that a square having one side of, for example, 5 m is formed. (The height of the center of the earth which is the height from the center of the earth) is prepared in advance and stored in the external memory 5. In generating a three-dimensional water 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 height thereof, and the determined points PP are determined. A plurality of triangular planes indicated by dotted lines formed by three adjacent points are connected to form a water bottom surface. Then, coordinate conversion is performed on the underwater surface as a bird's-eye view when viewed under the same conditions as when the combined three-dimensional image is generated, and a three-dimensional image of the underwater surface is generated.

  When the composite 3D image is displayed alone on the display screen, 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 synthesized 3D image by combining the generated 3D image as the background image, if the 3D positions of both 3D images are not aligned, the 3D image of the water bottom will be the background of the synthesized 3D image. It is not effective as an image. Therefore, a method of matching the two three-dimensional images will be described below.

The ship position information that constitutes the combination information includes the height of the ship's position on the water surface, and this height is, as shown in FIG. 15, the antenna provided on the ship of the GPS receiver. (Height on the geocentric coordinate system), the height Hw (height on the geocentric coordinate system) of the water surface is obtained based on the height H of the antenna by the following equation.
Hw = H-h1 + h2
In the equation, h1 is the height from the bottom to the antenna, and h2 is the height from the bottom to the waterline. Note that the position of the waterline varies depending on the state of the cargo on board the ship, but if the accuracy of the height allows this variation, the average position of the waterline may be fixedly used. However, when it is necessary to obtain the water surface height with high accuracy so as not to allow this change, it is necessary to change the information of the waterline position every time the position of the waterline changes.

  The water surface height Hw obtained as described above is displayed on the display screen in association with the water surface height Hw when displaying the combined three-dimensional image and the water bottom three-dimensional image on a single display screen. By using 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 combined three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional image of the underwater floor, which is displayed as described above, can be matched. Of course, due to the inaccuracy of the height information of the intersection point C used for generating the three-dimensional image of the water bottom and the method of generating the three-dimensional image based on the triangular plane, the positions of the water bottom of both three-dimensional images are completely Therefore, for the underwater portion where both three-dimensional images overlap, the display by the combined three-dimensional image is displayed in preference to the underwater background image. In addition, as for the height of the water surface, an example has been described in which the ship position information has as a part thereof and is obtained using the height obtained simultaneously with the current longitude and latitude position of the ship having the ship position information, It is not always necessary to use the height of the ship position information. For example, it can be obtained by using tide information that can be periodically acquired as a part of hydrological 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 (height on the geocentric coordinate system), the current water surface height can be obtained by calculation based on this information. It may be used as it is.

  As described above, when the water bottom three-dimensional image generated using the existing water bottom height information as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image is combined and displayed on a single display screen, the combined three-dimensional Since not only the water bottom that is a part of the target image corresponding to the navigation trajectory but also the surrounding water bottom can be seen at the same time, whether the water bottom corresponding to the navigation trajectory is a sloping water bottom, Alternatively, it can be grasped at a glance whether the object is a horizontal water bottom.

  Therefore, not only when the display is performed in real time, but also when the display is performed by batch processing, the floating object of the target image, 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 of the ship on the water surface and the position on the water bottom corresponding to that position on the display screen displayed as It is possible to assist in maneuvering the boat to move to a position on the water floor or water surface where the movement has been determined.

  As described above, when combining a water bottom three-dimensional image generated using existing water bottom height information as a background image of a composite three-dimensional image and displaying it on a single display screen, underwater information display processing The generation of the underwater three-dimensional image and the display processing of the generated underwater three-dimensional image performed by the CPU 13 in the apparatus 1 according to the processing program may be performed prior to the processing of generating and displaying the synthesized three-dimensional image. Steps can be inserted between appropriate steps in the processing flows of FIGS. 7 and 8, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  The information about the water bottom height at the intersection of a square having a side of 5 meters previously prepared and stored in the external memory 5 is prepared for generating a background image of the water bottom. The accuracy is very poor because it is artificially created by calculating based on the existing water bottom height information about the intersection of the cells.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the accuracy of the background image can be improved using the combination information obtained by the actual measurement. That is, the latitude and longitude and height of the ship position information of the series of combination information stored and collected in the external memory 5 and the depth of the portion corresponding to the water bottom of the target image of the detection information combined with the ship position information , The height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and the height obtained by 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 (coordinates and longitudes) at which the detection information was acquired are specified by the ship position information of the combination information. As shown in the figure, when the intersection is surrounded by a triangular plane formed by connecting the three positions S4, S7, and S8 closest to the arbitrary intersection, as shown in FIG. By subtracting the water bottom depth Db at each position from the water surface height Hw calculated based on (same as H in FIG. 15), the water bottom height Hb at each position on the geocentric coordinate system at each position is calculated. Using the heights 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 calculated, and this is replaced with the previous one.

  As a result, the inaccurate height information of the intersection created artificially is updated to a more accurate one based on the detection information obtained by the actual measurement. In the illustrated example, only one intersection is shown, but for all intersections that meet the above-described conditions, the heights of the intersections are obtained by calculation and replaced with the previous ones. Therefore, after the update, the water bottom three-dimensional image generated based on the updated water bottom height information is combined with the combined three-dimensional image as a background image and displayed on the display screen. The situation of the water bottom around the composite three-dimensional image can be grasped more accurately. In addition, the update of the water bottom information may not be automatically performed every time the detection information is obtained, but may be performed when a start operation is performed by the user. Also, in the case where the update operation is automatically performed, it is preferable that the update operation is automatically started when a predetermined condition is satisfied, instead of being performed unconditionally.

  The update process of the water bottom height information described above can be performed at any time when a series of collected combination information is not used for generating a composite three-dimensional image. Since the reliability may be inferior, it is preferable not to use it for updating, and it may be possible to determine a condition for automatically giving the determination information therefor. In addition, since the condition of the water bottom varies greatly with time in some places, it is not always good to update once, and it is preferable to execute the process when the latest reliable information is collected.

  In the above-described embodiment, the water bottom height information is stored in the external memory, which is a recording medium mounted on the own ship, and the information is updated. Is stored in a recording medium of a server computer installed in a location of a general position, and a user who has registered in advance, when necessary, obtains information on a water bottom height in a necessary range through a server computer via a wireless communication means mounted on the ship. It can also be downloaded from and made available.

  In such a case, it is necessary to update the height information stored in the recording medium of the server computer. The information used for the update may be, for example, provided by a communication unit with detection information obtained by actual measurement from a specific reliable contract user (also a user) distributed over a wide area. In this case, the water bottom height information, which was not very accurate when the server was opened, becomes highly accurate within a short period of time, and is appropriately updated with new detection information. Therefore, even if the user travels for the first time in a water area, a three-dimensional water bottom image generated based on accurate water bottom height information is displayed from the beginning. Such a situation cannot be realized when updating is performed only with the information collected by itself. The water bottom three-dimensional image with high accuracy can be used not only as a background image but also independently as water bottom map information.

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

  Further, the measurement of the depth of the target is not limited to the ultrasonic wave, but may be another method such as measurement using laser light from a laser sounder.

  Further, the measurement of the position of the ship is not limited to a simple GPS receiver, and a ship position measuring means such as a reinforced DGPS (differential GPS), an RTK-GPS (real-time kinematic GPS), and Loran-C may be used.

  Further, 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 by using the parallel projection method may be displayed.

  Further, a 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 means, for example, that the tide level (tide information) that changes every moment around the position of the ship is calculated by a known calculation formula, the tide is estimated from the calculated tide level, and the estimated tide is displayed in the bird's-eye view. Display on the water surface. By superimposing and displaying the tidal current in the bird's eye view, the tidal current in the field where fishing is performed can be accurately grasped, and useful information for fishing work (for example, casting net) can be grasped from the bird's eye view.

  The hydrological information (tide information, tidal current information, water temperature information, wind information, etc.) may be acquired by telemetry using radio waves, tidal current information may be acquired using a Doppler velocimeter, and wind information may be acquired using an anemometer. Alternatively, the water temperature information may be actually measured by a water temperature sensor or the like. The tide information may be calculated from tide information and wind information using a calculation formula. The processing of the bird's eye view includes displaying not only the tide but also other information useful for fishing in the bird's eye view.

1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration diagram of an underwater information display processing device and an underwater information display device of the present invention. It is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an underwater information display device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of a part in FIG. 2. It is a figure showing the format of combination information. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for describing a method of generating a bird's-eye view. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for describing a method of specifying a display range when displaying a composite three-dimensional image by batch processing. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a process performed by a CPU in FIG. 2 according to a processing program. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating another part of the processing performed by the CPU in FIG. 2 according to the processing program. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a three-dimensional image of a target under water displayed by the underwater information display device of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a three-dimensional image of a target under the water surface when a three-dimensional image of the underwater surface displayed by the underwater information display device in FIG. 2 is used as a background image. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an effect of underwater information displayed by the underwater information display device of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a three-dimensional image of a target under water displayed by the underwater information display device of FIG. 2. It is a figure showing composition of water bottom height information used for generating a water bottom three-dimensional image. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a method of generating a three-dimensional water bottom image. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to obtain | require a water surface height. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to update water bottom height information. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating how to obtain | require the height of a water bottom based on the depth of a water bottom. It is a figure which shows an example of the underwater information displayed by the conventional fish finder.

Explanation of reference numerals

1 underwater information display processing device 2 detection information generation means (detection information generation unit)
3 Ship position information generation means (ship position information generation unit)
4 display means (display section)
5a Combination information storage means (external memory)
5b Water bottom height information storage means (external memory)
13a Combination information acquisition means (CPU)
13b Synthetic three-dimensional image generation means (CPU)
13c Combination information collection means (CPU)
13d Water bottom 3D image generation means (CPU)
13e Water bottom height information updating means (CPU)

Claims (19)

Combination information of the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface where the ship is located, and the ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained at the time of the detection Are sequentially obtained,
Each time the combination information is sequentially acquired, the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the sequentially acquired combination information and the combination information acquired before that, and the underwater target corresponding to the navigation trajectory And generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image in order to combine and display the images on a single display screen. A large number of the combination information sequentially acquired is stored in the combination information storage means and collected,
A large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means is read out, and a navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the read out combination information and an image of a target under the water surface corresponding to the navigation trajectory are simply obtained. The underwater surface information display processing method according to claim 1, wherein a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is generated for combining and displaying on a single display screen. In order to combine and display the underwater floor as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image on the single display screen, the water bottom height information prepared at the intersection of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals is used. The underwater information display processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a three-dimensional underwater surface image of the underwater surface is generated based on the underwater surface. When synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the three-dimensional underwater image, a display position of the three-dimensional underwater image on the display screen is determined based on a height of a water surface at the time of acquiring the detection information. The underwater information display processing method according to claim 3, wherein Preparing water bottom height information at the intersection of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals,
In order to combine and display the underwater floor on the single screen as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional bottom of the underwater floor based on the previously prepared bottom height information Generate an image,
Latitude and longitude of the ship position information of a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, depth of a water bottom portion of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the detection information Based on the height of the water surface at the time of acquisition, the height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation,
3. The underwater information display processing method according to claim 2, wherein the height obtained by the calculation is replaced with that before the corresponding intersection, and the water bottom height information is updated. The underwater information according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on a height of a position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information. Display processing method. Combination information of the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface 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 at the time of the detection Combination information acquisition means for sequentially acquiring
Each time the combination information acquiring means sequentially acquires the combination information, the navigation information corresponds to the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the acquired combination information and the combination information acquired before that, and the navigation trajectory. Combined three-dimensional image generating means for generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image in order to combine and display the image of the underwater target on a single display screen. Underwater information display processing device. Combination information collecting means for collecting and storing a large number of combination information sequentially obtained by the combination information obtaining means in the combination information storage means,
The combined three-dimensional image generation means reads out a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, and corresponds to a navigation trajectory of a ship on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and the navigation trajectory. The underwater surface according to claim 7, wherein a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image is generated in order to combine and display the image of the underwater target on a single display screen. Information display processing device. In order to combine and display the underwater floor as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image on the single display screen, the water bottom height information prepared at the intersection of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals is used. The underwater information display processing device according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising a water bottom three-dimensional image generating means for generating a water bottom three-dimensional image of the underwater surface based on the underwater surface. The underwater three-dimensional image generating means, in synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the underwater three-dimensional image, the underwater three-dimensional image on the display screen on the basis of the height of the water surface at the time of the detection information acquisition The underwater information display processing device according to claim 9, wherein the display position is determined. In order to combine and display the underwater surface on the single display screen as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image, the process is stored in the water bottom height information storage means and predetermined at predetermined intervals prepared in advance. Water bottom three-dimensional image generating means for generating a water bottom three-dimensional image of the water bottom below the water surface based on water bottom height information at the intersection of the parallel lines,
The latitude and longitude of the ship position information of the multiple pieces of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, the depth of the underwater portion of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the detection information Based on the height of the water surface at the time of acquisition, the height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and the height obtained by the calculation is obtained by calculating the height of the corresponding intersection stored in the height information storage means. 9. The underwater information display processing device according to claim 8, further comprising: a water bottom height information updating means for updating the water bottom height information by replacing the previous one. The underwater information according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the height of the water surface is calculated based on a height of a position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information. Display processing device. A computer to display and process underwater information,
Combination information of the detection information including the depth of the target obtained by detecting the target below the water surface where the ship is located, and the ship position information including the longitude and latitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained at the time of the detection Combination information acquisition means for sequentially acquiring
The navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the combination information sequentially acquired by the combination information acquisition means and the combination information acquired before that, and the image of the underwater target corresponding to the navigation trajectory are simply displayed. An underwater information display processing program functioning as combined three-dimensional image generating means for sequentially generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image for display on a single display screen. . Said computer,
Along with further functioning as combination information collecting means for storing and collecting a large number of combination information sequentially obtained by the combination information obtaining means in the combination information storage means,
The combined three-dimensional image generation means reads out a large number of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, and corresponds to the navigation trajectory of the ship on the water surface obtained based on the read combination information and the navigation trajectory. 14. A function for generating a combined three-dimensional image of the navigation trajectory and the target image to combine and display the image of the underwater target on a single display screen. Underwater information display processing program described. Said computer,
In order to combine and display the underwater floor as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image on the single display screen, the water bottom height information prepared at the intersection of predetermined longitude and latitude lines at predetermined intervals is used. The underwater information display processing program according to claim 13 or 14, further functioning as an underwater three-dimensional image generating means for generating an underwater three-dimensional image of the underwater surface based on the underwater surface. Said computer,
The underwater three-dimensional image generating means, in synthesizing the combined three-dimensional image and the underwater three-dimensional image, the underwater three-dimensional image on the display screen on the basis of the height of the water surface at the time of the detection information acquisition To determine the display position of
16. The underwater information display processing program according to claim 15, wherein the program is caused to function. Said computer,
In order to combine and display the underwater floor on the single display screen as the background image of the composite three-dimensional image, the history is stored in the water bottom height information storage means and predetermined at predetermined intervals. A water bottom three-dimensional image generating means for generating a water bottom three-dimensional image of the water bottom below the water surface based on water bottom height information at the intersection of the parallel lines, and
The latitude and longitude of the ship position information of the multiple pieces of combination information stored in the combination information storage means, the depth of the underwater portion of the target image included in the detection information combined with the ship position information, and the detection Based on the height of the water surface at the time of information acquisition, the height of the point corresponding to the intersection is obtained by calculation, and the height obtained by the calculation is calculated for the corresponding intersection stored in the height information storage means. 15. The underwater information display processing program according to claim 14, further comprising a water bottom height information updating means for updating the water bottom height information by replacing the previous one. The underwater information according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the height of the water surface is obtained by calculating based on a height of a position on the water surface of the ship further included in the ship position information. Display processing program. Detection information generating means for generating detection information including a depth of the target obtained by detecting a target below the surface where the ship is located,
Ship position information generating means for generating ship position information including the latitude and longitude of the position on the water surface of the ship obtained by measuring at the time of detection by the depth information generating means,
The underwater surface according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein a large number of pieces of combined information obtained by combining the detection information generated by the depth information generating means and the ship position information generated by the ship position information generating means are sequentially acquired. An information display processing device;
Display means for displaying underwater information displayed and processed by the underwater information display processing device.

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