Methods and apparatus for measuring and monitoring an anchoring operation
OwnerEric R. Sirkin, Xavier Alexandreinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Novel techniques and equipment for anchoring a boat include sensing and measuring the real time rate and length of rode release based on detecting real time changes in the angular position of a windlass by computer vision using a portable computing device. Rode release is also detected using novel methods based on sensing sound, rode chain movement, and sensing acceleration and/or motion. The apparatus can include software operable to provide safe anchoring based on monitoring real times values of the rate and length of rode release, comparing these values to the speed and position of the boat, and providing local and remote status and alarm information to crew members.
Claims22
A method for determining a length of rode traversing a gypsy of a windlass in real time during an anchoring operation, based on accumulating a sum of signed incremental rotation angles of a windlass in real time with a computer, the method comprising:
- capturing early and later digital images including the windlass and a trackable feature on the uppermost surface of the windlass, at respectively early and later times, and saving the early and the later digital images in a computer memory;
- sensing an early and a later angular position of the trackable feature on the windlass in the respective early and later digital images using a computer vision algorithm;
- detecting a difference between the early and the later angular positions of the trackable feature on the windlass in real time with a computer, wherein said difference between the angular positions is a signed incremental rotation angle;
- adding the signed incremental rotation angle to the sum of signed incremental rotation angles;
- and
- multiplying the sum of signed incremental rotation angles by a calibration factor defining a proportionality between a length of rode release and windlass rotation angle.
A method of determining a length of rode chain traversing a gypsy of a windlass and emerging from the windlass in real time during an anchoring operation, the method comprising:
- providing a number of rode chain links in a unit length of the rode chain;
- supporting a digital camera in a position wherein the length of rode chain emerging from the windlass is within the field of view of the digital camera;
- capturing a sequence of digital video images from the digital camera and saving the digital video images of the sequence;
- analyzing each digital video image of the sequence in relation to previous digital video image(s) of the sequence with an optical flow analysis algorithm to detect a number of chain links passing through the field of view;
- and dividing the number of chain links passing through the field of view by the number of chain links per unit length of the rode chain.
Computer readable tangible media having stored data and instructions for a mobile computing device to perform steps operable to measure a length of rode traversing a windlass gypsy of a boat and a rate of rode being released and/or gathered by the windlass gypsy in a boat anchoring operation;
- the steps comprising:
- capturing an early and a later digital image of the windlass at respectively early and later times with a digital camera and saving the early and later digital camera images in a computer memory;
- sensing an early and a later angular position of a trackable feature on the windlass in the respective early and later digital images with a computer vision algorithm;
- detecting a difference between the early and the later angular positions of the trackable feature on the windlass in real time using the mobile computing device, wherein said difference between the angular positions is a signed incremental rotation angle;
- adding the signed incremental rotation angle to a sum of signed incremental rotation angles;
- and
- multiplying the sum of signed incremental rotation angles by a calibration factor defining a length of rode that is released proportionate to an angle of windlass rotation.
A method of accumulating a sum of incremental angles of windlass rotation to determine a length of rode traversing a gypsy of a windlass in an anchoring operation, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of samples of a sound field in a directional microphone fixed to the windlass, and storing a digital representation of each sound sample in tangible media;
- detecting a pattern characteristic of a difference between a later and an early angular position of the windlass in the digital representations of the samples;
- and
- extracting a signed incremental rotation angle of the windlass from the sound sample based on detecting the pattern;
- adding the signed incremental rotation angle to a sum of signed incremental rotation angles;
- and
- multiplying the sum of signed incremental rotation angles by a calibration factor defining a length of rode that is released proportionate to an angle of windlass rotation.
Tangible media comprising instructions and data operable for a computer to perform steps for measuring a length of rode traversing a windlass gypsy and a rate of rode being released and/or gathered by the windlass gypsy in an anchoring operation, the steps comprising:
- receiving a plurality of samples of a sound field with a directional microphone fixed on the windlass, and storing a digital representation of each directional microphone sound field sample in tangible media;
- detecting a pattern characteristic of a difference between a later and an early angular position of the windlass in the digital representations of the plurality of sound field samples from the directional microphone;
- and
- extracting a signed incremental rotation angle of the windlass based on the characteristic pattern detected;
- adding the signed incremental rotation angle to a sum of signed incremental rotation angles;
- and
- multiplying the sum of the signed incremental rotation angles by a calibration factor defining a length of rode that is released proportionate to an angle of windlass rotation.
Tangible media comprising operable instructions and data for a processor to perform steps for:
- capturing a plurality of digital images using an image sensor;
- performing a computer vision algorithm operable to extract an amount and rate of angular rotation of a windlass from the digital images;
- and
- determining a length and rate of rode release based on the rate and the amount of angular rotation.
Tangible media comprising anchoring data and instructions operable for a local mobile computing device to measure a real time rate and length of rode traversing a windlass, wherein
- the local mobile computing device includes a processor, tangible media operable to store data and instructions, a digital camera operable to capture digital images of a member selected from the group consisting of the windlass and chain links of the rode, in real time, a touch-sensitive display screen, a speaker, and a wireless network communication interface;
- the anchoring data and instructions are operable for the processor to determine real time information including a length of rode release and a rate of rode release using the captured digital images;
- and
- the anchoring data and instructions are further operable to communicate the real time information from the local mobile computing device to a remote crew member by sending the real time information from the local mobile computing device over a wireless network to a remote mobile computing device, wherein the remote crew member receives the information from the remote mobile computing device.
Means for using a computing device selected from the group consisting of a smartphone comprising a digital camera and a tablet computer comprising a digital camera to measure a length of rode release from a windlass in real time using a sequence of images acquired with the digital camera during an anchoring operation.
An apparatus operable for a crew member to measure a real time length and real time rate of rode chain release through a windlass of a boat,
- the apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- a camera operable to capture sequential digital images comprising a trackable item selected from among a trackable feature on the windlass and chain links emerging from the windlass gypsy, wherein the sequential images include information operable for a processor to determine the real time length and rate of rode chain length released through the windlass;
- a network interface controller;
- and
- machine readable tangible media comprising data and instructions operable for a processor to perform steps for:
- determining the real time length of rode chain release and the real time rate of rode chain release using the sequence of digital video images;
- wherein the apparatus is operable to determine a real time speed of the boat based on determining a boat location and using the boat location to find a real time speed of the boat and distance of the boat from an anchoring site;
- and
- comparing a value of the real time speed of the boat to a value of the real time rode chain release and sending an alarm if the ratio of these values exceeds a predetermined threshold alarm value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.