Tidal watch

In a tide prediction system comprising a user interface, processor means for performing data processing, and memory means for storage of tidal data for a plurality of ports and program information for use by said tide prediction system, a method of performing a custom port mode of operation upon command from a user comprising the steps of:

• retrieving, with the processor means from the memory means, tidal data for a port adjacent to a desired port;
• receiving, an input to the processor means from the user interface, observed or measured offset data associated with said desired port;
• producing custom port information with the processor means and storing, in the memory means, the custom port information, produced by the processor means, the custom port information being produced based on the retrieved tidal data and the input offset data;
• and
• producing with the processor means, and displaying on said user interface, tidal event data for said desired port, the tidal event data being based on the stored custom port information.

In a tide watch for displaying port tide table data for a plurality of ports, which data includes at lest a port code and the date and time of high and low tides, the tide watch including programmable processor means for performing data processing and controlling the operation of the tide watch, memory means for storing program code and data, input means for inputting to the tide watch data and function request from a user of the tide watch, and display means for displaying to the user data associated with the requests input with the input means, a method of storing and retrieving the port tide table data under the control of the processing means comprising the steps of:

• storing, with the processor means in the memory means, a port code for each of the plurality of ports, and storing, in the memory means, a port code for a custom desired port which port is adjacent to one of said stored ports;
• storing, with the processor means in the memory means, associated tide data corresponding to at least the date, time and type of tide, and storing, in the memory means, observed or measured tidal offset data for said custom desired port relative to an adjacent one of said stored ports;
• retrieving, with the processor means from the memory means, tide data associated with a desired port in response to inputting with the input means a port code and a desired data and time by a user of the tide watch;
• displaying, on the display means, the retrieved tide data, including at least the port code, the desired date and time, and the type, high or low, of a next tide;
• graphically displaying, on the display means, the water level associated with the retrieved tide data relative to the time interval between the next and previous high and low tide extremes;
• in response to inputting of said port code for said custom desired port and a date and time, displaying, on the display means under control of the processor means, date and time and the type, high or low, of a next tide for said desired custom port.

Tide prediction apparatus comprising:

• a memory for storing a database of tidal event data;
• a liquid crystal display for displaying information to a user of said apparatus;
• and
• a processor means for performing a custom port function by retrieving tidal event data from said memory associated with a know port, storing input observed or measured offset data from a user into said memory, calculating custom port tidal data from the known tidal event data and the user input offset data, and causing the calculated custom port tidal data be displayed on said display.

In a tide prediction watch comprising:

• memory means for storing port tide table data;
• mode selection means for selecting one of a plurality of modes of operation of the tide prediction watch;
• input means for inputting an address to identify a desired port and a desired data;
• processor means for performing functions associated with said plurality of modes of operation, including retrieving port tide table data and processing it in accordance with a selected mode of operation and the input data;
• and
• display means for displaying information to a user, the information including processed port tide table data, the improvement wherein one of said plurality of modes of operation is a customized port mode and said processor means includes means, responsive to an input address identifying a customized port, for producing customized port tide data for a user specified port, not previously stored in said memory means, based on port tide table data stored in said memory means and a user supplied observed or measured offset fed in via said input means.

In a tide watch for displaying tide table data for a plurality of ports, which data includes at least a port code and the date and time of high and low tides, a system for storing and retrieving the port tide table data comprising:

• (1) means for storing a port code for each of the plurality of ports;
• (2) means for storing associated tide data corresponding to at least the date, time and type of tide, for first selective ones of the plurality of ports, said first selective ones being major ports;
• (3) means for storing of set data for second selective ones of the plurality of ports, said second selective ones being substation ports;
• (4) means for receiving, an input from a user of the tide watch, a port code and a desired date, the input port code including a major port field and a substation field;
• (5) means for retrieving and displaying tide data associated with a desired port in response to the user input to the means for receiving including:
• (a) means for retrieving and displaying stored tide data directly, activated if the input port code is associated with a major port;
• and
• (b) means for retrieving tide data associated with an adjacent major port, means for finding the appropriate offset data, means for forming a result by combining the found offset data with the retrieved tide data, and means for displaying the formed result, activated if the input port code is associated with a substation port.

A tide prediction system comprising:

• (A) a user interface including:
• (1) mode means for scrolling through a plurality of modes of operation including a normal watch mode of operation, a set port mode of operation, a tide watch mode of operation, a custom port mode of operation, an alarm clock mode of operation, a stop watch mode of operation, a set time mode of operation, said normal watch mode of operation being returned to upon exiting any of the other modes of operation;
• (2) adjust means for controlling entrance and exit from the plurality of modes of operation;
• (3) display means for displaying the current mode of operation of the watch system, as well as information and user prompts associated with said current mode of operation, said information including phases of the moon, current relative water height, current port, time of the next tie, time of the last tide, current time and date, and alarm indications;
• (4) toggle means for changing the time and port information displayed by said display means, and for changing the setting of displayed information associated with the mode of operation;
• (5) memory switch means for entering and recalling user selected data;
• (6) alarm means for causing an alarm signal to be output to the user;
• (B) memory means for storage of data and program information for use by said tide prediction system, the data including at least tidal event data;
• and
• (C) processor means, connected to said memory means and responsive to signals from said user interface, for performing data processing including performing the corresponding operation upon entry to one of said modes of operation;
• wherein said display means includes:
• means for displaying a set time and set port prompt wherein activation of said adjust means during the display of said set time and set port prompt causes entry to said custom port mode of operation and wherein subsequent activation of said adjust means causes exit from said custom port mode of operation;
• means for displaying offset values to allow a user to select either a plus or minus observed or measured offset value of time and/or height for high and/or low tides by activation of said toggle means during display of said offset values to increment the displayed value, by activation of said mode means to select desired values, and by activation of said memory switch means to store selected high and low tide time and height of set values for a custom port;
• and
• means for displaying custom port information containing a changes substation field appended to a major port field, said changed substation field being automatically incremented each time a custom port is selected and stored.