Horizon Night View Simulation for Maritime Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ship crews face challenges in navigating at night due to the inability to visually verify the position of land and objects using electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) since these features are not easily visible in darkness, leading to reliance on GPS and increased susceptibility to human error and equipment failures.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that simulates a night view of the horizon by determining the positions and attributes of light sources and their reflections on water, providing a visualization that includes light representations and reflection characteristics, allowing crews to validate their position and situational awareness more efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GPS and ECDIS are used for navigation at night, then positioning information is provided, but visual verification of ship position is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the nighttime horizon view by rendering light sources and their reflections based on GPS position data. This virtual horizon is displayed on the ECDIS screen, allowing crews to visually verify their position without needing actual visual information from the dark environment. The system copies the essential visual elements (lights, reflections, horizon) that would be present in reality and presents them as a synthetic view.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a computational intermediary that processes GPS coordinates and light source data to generate a synthesized horizon view. This intermediary layer translates numerical positioning data into a visual representation that mimics the actual nighttime view, serving as a mediator between the GPS/ECDIS system and the crew's need for visual verification.
2Measurement precision
If manual verification of lights is performed, then position confirmation is achieved, but the process is time consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automated self-verification by computationally determining the expected positions of light sources and their reflections based on the ship's GPS location. Rather than requiring crew members to manually identify and verify each light, the system automatically calculates where lights should appear in the virtual horizon view and compares this with the actual GPS position, providing instant verification without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of visual verification with an automated computational system. Instead of crew members physically locating lights and comparing them to chart positions, the system uses algorithms to calculate light positions, render them in a virtual horizon, and automatically verify positional accuracy, eliminating the time-consuming manual process.
3Ease of operation
If light representations are displayed on ECDIS, then visual verification is enabled, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the horizon rendering functionality into the existing ECDIS system, allowing the display to serve multiple purposes: showing traditional navigational charts and providing the synthesized nighttime horizon view. The system uses existing ECDIS components (display, processor, GPS interface) for the additional function of rendering virtual lights and reflections, rather than requiring a completely separate system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the GPS positioning data, light source information, and horizon rendering into a single integrated display on the ECDIS. Rather than having separate systems for navigation and visual verification, the patent combines these functions into one unified interface where the virtual horizon is overlaid or displayed alongside traditional navigational information.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances navigation safety by providing a realistic electronic simulation of the night view, reducing reliance on GPS and minimizing human error through a more efficient and accurate comparison of simulated and actual views.
Implementation Method 1
determining a number of positions associated with a number of light sources from the perspective of a viewer location, as well as a number of attributes corresponding to the light sources
Implementation Method 2
For each of the light sources, it is determined whether a reflection of the light source exists on water that is positioned between the user and the viewer location
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are described herein for simulating a view of a horizon at night. The positions of a number of light sources may be determined from the perspective of a viewer location. A number of light attributes associated with the light sources are determined. A horizon view visualization is provided that includes a number of light representations corresponding with the light sources. The light representations are depicted according to the determined positions and light attributes.