Dynamic Navigation Chart System for Night Aid Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation charts fail to effectively identify and display navigation aids during night navigation, making it difficult for mariners to determine their location and heading due to limited visual references.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that generates a navigation chart displaying visible navigation aids and their attributes in real-time, using a computing device with a cartographic database and navigation aid database, which includes symbols and labels to help users identify aids and confirm their location and heading, even in low-light conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional static navigation charts are used, then chart data is preserved, but real-time navigation aid identification capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static navigation charts into dynamic, real-time displays that automatically update based on the vessel's current position. The system continuously refreshes the chart data to show current locations of navigation aids relative to the moving vessel, enabling immediate identification without manual updates or reference book consultations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the vessel's position through GPS or other navigation instruments and automatically updating the chart display accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the navigation chart always reflects the current spatial relationship between the vessel and navigation aids, eliminating delays in identification.
2Loss of information
If reference books are used to identify navigation aids, then comprehensive information is available, but navigation time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electronic chart display system as an intermediary between the navigator and navigation aid information. This intermediary automatically processes and presents relevant navigation aid information in context, eliminating the need for navigators to manually search reference books while maintaining complete and accurate information delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical process of manually consulting reference books with an automated electronic information retrieval and display system. The electronic chart automatically queries navigation databases and presents relevant aid information based on current position, substituting manual lookup operations with automated computational processes.
3Measurement precision
If detailed navigation aid information is displayed, then identification accuracy is improved, but display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by displaying detailed navigation aid information selectively based on relevance to the vessel's current situation. The system highlights only those navigation aids that are nearby, relevant to the current course, or require attention, rather than displaying all possible information uniformly. This selective display maintains identification accuracy while reducing overall display complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation information is segmented into hierarchical levels of detail. The system first displays basic navigation aid identification, then provides additional detailed attributes only when needed or relevant. This segmentation allows the interface to maintain simplicity while providing comprehensive information on demand, resolving the contradiction between detail and complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one aspect, a system for generating a navigation chart is provided. The system includes a display device and a computing device coupled to the display device. The computing device is configured to receive at least one of current geographic position data from a navigation instrument and a desired geographic position input by a user and to generate a navigation chart having a geographic area that corresponds to one of the current geographic location and the desired geographic position and that includes at least one navigation aid, the navigation chart includes at least one navigation aid symbol corresponding to a position of the navigation aid within the geographic area. The computing device is further configured to determine whether each navigation aid is visible at a predetermined position within the geographic area and to display the navigation chart on the display device.