Registration of latitude/longitude coordinates using range detection sensors and digital nautical charts

摘要

The present invention can find the exact location anywhere in the nautical world (latitude/longitude coordinates) by correlating or matching radar returns with maps produced by a digital nautical chart called a Chart Server, because each pixel location on the Chart Server maps can be traced back to a latitude/longitude coordinate. An obstacle avoidance module called a Chart Server provides digital nautical charts to create a map of the world. To determine the current world location of a vehicle, the invention combines the Chart Server maps with a radar return, which also appears to display prominent features such as coastlines, buoys, piers and the like. These return features from the radar are correlated or matched with features found in the Chart Server maps. The radar then reports its current location inside of its local map, which when translated to the Chart Server map, correlates to a latitude/longitude registration location.