Wake vision system and method
AssigneeBrunswick Corporation
InventorTrevor George
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wake detection system for a marine vessel comprises a stereovision system and a control system. The stereovision system includes at least two cameras and is configured to image a water surface behind the marine vessel. The control system is configured to receive image data from the stereovision system, including at least one image of the water surface behind the marine vessel, identify at least one wave on the water surface in the at least one image, then determine at least one dimension of the at least one wave. The control system is further configured to then determine whether the at least one dimension of the at least one wave is exceeds a pre-wake threshold, and then generate a wake mitigation action.
Claims24
A wake detection system on a marine vessel comprising:
- a stereo vision system on the marine vessel including at least two cameras, the stereo vision system configured to image a water surface behind the marine vessel where wake lines extend outward from a stern of the marine vessel to generate stereovision image data;
- a control system configured to:
- receive the stereovision image data from the stereo vision system;
- identify at least one wave on the water surface in the stereovision image data;
- identify that the at least one wave includes at least one vessel-generated wave generated by the marine vessel based on a location of the at least one wave in the stereovision image data being between the wake lines;
- determine at least one dimension of the at least one vessel-generated wave based on the stereovision image data;
- and
- determine that the at least one dimension exceeds a pre-wake threshold and then generate a wake mitigation action.
A method of detecting wake behind a marine vessel, the method comprising:
- imaging with an image system on the marine vessel a water surface behind the marine vessel where wake lines extend outward from a stern of the marine vessel;
- receiving image data from the image system, the image data containing at least one image of the water surface behind the marine vessel;
- identifying at least one wave on the water surface in the at least one image;
- identifying that the at least one wave includes at least one vessel-generated wave generated by the marine vessel based on a location of the at least one wave in the image data being between the wake lines;
- determining at least one dimension of the at least one vessel-generated wave based on the image data;
- and
- determining that the at least one dimension exceeds a pre-wake threshold and then generating a wake mitigation action, wherein generating the wake mitigation action comprises controlling a propulsion system of the marine vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.