Fish Culling Scale With GPS and Dynamic Tag Color Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fish culling methods, such as color-coding with cull tags, are inefficient and prone to human error, and external GPS systems for fishing scales are prone to synchronization failures, leading to inaccuracies and inefficiencies in managing fish catches.

Innovation Solution

A fish culling system with an integrated scale and GPS sensor that maintains a predetermined color order for cull tags and automatically suggests the next-up color, reducing manual updates and errors, while integrating GPS data for real-time fish catch records.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional color-coding cull tags are used with manual record-keeping, then fish culling can be performed, but the process is inefficient and prone to human error

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of culling processVSAvoidefficiency of culling process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically manages the tag color record without requiring manual updates by the angler. The scale system itself tracks which colors have been assigned and automatically determines the next available color, eliminating human error in record-keeping while maintaining operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides real-time feedback to the angler about the next available tag color through the user interface. This automatic feedback mechanism eliminates confusion about which color to use next and ensures the angler always has the correct information without manually checking records

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If conventional fishing scales with external GPS sensors are used, then GPS data can be collected, but synchronization failures occur leading to inaccurate data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of GPS dataVSAvoidnumber of devices to sync

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The GPS sensor is integrated directly into the scale system, merging two previously separate functions (weighing and location tracking) into a single unified device. This eliminates synchronization issues between separate devices while maintaining both weighing accuracy and GPS data accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The scale system is designed to perform multiple functions including weighing fish, tracking GPS location, and managing tag color records. This multi-functional approach reduces the need for separate external devices while improving overall system reliability and data accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If manual updates of tag-color records are performed, then culling decisions can be tracked, but processing resources and memory usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking of culling decisionsVSAvoidprocessing resources and memory usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-allocates and manages tag color assignments in advance, automatically determining the next available color before it is needed. This preliminary action eliminates the need for complex real-time processing and memory management during the actual culling decision-making process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts and manages only the essential information needed for culling decisions (tag color assignments) separately from the main fish catch data. This separation simplifies the data structure and reduces overall memory usage while maintaining complete tracking of culling decisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If anglers manually determine which fish to release by comparing weights, then culling decisions can be made, but time is wasted and confusion occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of culling decisionVSAvoidtime spent on culling decisions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces the manual mechanical process of comparing fish weights and tracking tag colors with an automated electronic system. The scale automatically compares weights, determines which fish should be released based on culling rules, and identifies the correct tag color to use, eliminating manual calculation and reducing decision time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically updates the tag color record in real-time as fish are caught and released. This dynamic approach ensures the system always has current information about which colors are available, allowing anglers to make quick culling decisions without manual record updates or confusion about color availability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12532871B2Tagging and culling system for fishing

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 WILDER DANNY

AI summary

Systems and methods for tagging, culling, or tagging and culling fish include various elements. For example, the systems and methods may be implemented on a scale for weighing fish and may maintain a pre-determined color order to suggest a next-up color for a cull tag. In addition, the pre-determined color order may be dynamically updated in real time to account for overrides by an angler or releasing of an already caught fish. In an additional aspect, the scale may have an integrated global positioning system (GPS) sensor to capture position information associated with the catch and used to pull other relevant information.