Patent ID: 8433463
Filing Date: 2013-04-30
Classification: B63B,G06F,H04M

Abstract:
1. A maritime vehicular-to-handheld interface system comprising: a communications network or bus hardwired and communicatively coupled to a plurality of vehicular peripheral devices, the peripheral devices including at least a sonar; and a dual-mode interface device coupled to the communication network or bus, the dual-mode interface device including an interface processor, housing, user interface, display, power supply means, memory storage means, and means to communicatively couple with a handheld computing device, the memory including instructions which when executed by the interface processor enable the dual-mode interface device to switch between at least two operational modes: i) a slave mode when the handheld computing device is communicatively coupled to the dual-mode interface device, wherein when in a slave mode the interface processor is a peripheral to the handheld computing device, the latter of which serves as a master controller which receives input from a user and which communicates with each of the vehicular peripheral devices, and wherein in the slave mode all data communicated from each one of the peripheral devices to the handheld computing device or from the handheld computing device to any one of the peripheral devices is routed to and passes through the dual-mode interface device, and ii) a master mode when a handheld computing device is not communicatively coupled to the dual-mode interface device, wherein when in the master mode the interface processor is a master controller which receives input from a user and which communicates with each of the vehicular peripheral devices; wherein the handheld device includes one or more application programs which are configured to receive data from and transmit data to one or more vehicular peripheral devices, wherein the interface processor receives software updates retrieved by the handheld computing device from a remote server, and wherein the housing includes a receptacle to releasably retain and electrically couple the handheld device to the interface processor and power supply means.