Abstract:
A fishing rod and lure system for collecting and analyzing fishing data to provide for manual or automatically controlled fishing experience comprising a fishing rod having a handle portion and a shaft portion, a fishing line reel encasing fishing line, a plurality of guides located along the fishing rod for guiding the fishing line, a lure attached to the fishing line, a central control device electrically coupled with the fishing rod for receiving, manipulating and outputting data and configured to control the lure, a display device electrically coupled with the central data device and capable of receiving and displaying data, and a sensor electrically coupled with the central control device for sensing and sending data to the central control device, wherein the central control device uses the data received from the sensor to display data to the user via the display and control the fishing rod and lure system.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/940,193, filed May 25, 2007, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to fishing gear and, more particularly, to a computer integrated fishing rod, reel, line and lure and a method of using the invention and interpreting data collected by the invention to obtain better results in terms of catching fish. 
         [0003]    The traditional fishing rod or fishing pole has been around for many years. What started as a simple stick with a string attached and a hook with a worm on the end of the string to entice fish has undergone much advancement over the years. Advancements have been made to the pole, the “string,” and the type of lure used. These advancements are not only with regard to the materials used but also to the functionality of the devices. There are lures that move underwater to attract fish and even scented lures to further entice fish, but most of these lures are designed for certain species of fish and unfortunately, fishers are often using the wrong lure for the type of fish in the water. Oftentimes a fisher does not know what type of lure to use, what type of fish is in the water, if his lure is at the proper depth, or if there are even any fish near his lure. This leaves a lot of guessing to be done by the fisher. 
         [0004]    Therefore, there is a need in the art for a fishing apparatus and method for providing data and insight to a fisher in order to increase success rates and to enable a fisher to “see” down in the water. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention concerns a computerized fishing rod and lure system for collecting and analyzing fishing data to provide for manual or automatically controlled optimal fishing experience. The system includes a fishing rod having a handle portion and a shaft portion; a fishing line reel; a fishing line encased in the fishing line reel; a plurality of guides located along the fishing rod for guiding the fishing line along the fishing rod; a lure attached to the fishing line; a central control device electrically coupled with the fishing rod for receiving, manipulating and outputting data, the central control device further configured to control the lure; a display device electrically coupled with the central data device and capable of receiving and displaying data from the central control device; and a sensor located on at least one of the fishing rod and the lure and electrically coupled with the central control device for sensing and sending data to the central control device, wherein the central control device uses the data received from the sensor to display data to the user via the display device and control the operation of the fishing rod and lure system. The sensor can provide real time information to the fisher such as line length, lure depth, depth of water, fish strike detection, line tension, rod stress, water temperature, and fish location. This data can be used by a computer program during the fishing process to attract certain species of fish and further enhance the fishing experience. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The above, as well as other, advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a cross section of the handle portion of the preferred embodiment of the present invention taking along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a lure in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of the communication system of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0011]    The present invention concerns a fishing apparatus and a system for the collecting and use of data obtained by the fishing apparatus to achieve optimal fishing results. More specifically, the present invention is a computerized fishing apparatus including a rod, reel, line and lure for providing real time information to the fisher such as line length, lure depth, depth of water, fish strike detection, line tension, rod stress, and fish location. This data can be used during the fishing process to attract certain species of fish and further enhance the fishing experience. 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  10 . The invention is comprised of a rod  12 , a reel  14 , a line  16 , lure  18 , and display  20 . The rod  12  is preferably made up of a handle portion  22  and a shaft portion  24 . In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the reel  14  and display  20  are mounted on the handle portion  22  of the rod  12 . The shaft portion  24  further includes a plurality of guides  26  extending therefrom. The line  16  is encased in the reel  14  and extends from the reel  14 , through the guides  26  along the shaft portion  24  of the rod  12  where the line  16  is then connected to the lure  18 . 
         [0013]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the handle portion  22  of the rod  12  of the preferred embodiment is preferably comprised of an inner body  28  and an outer body  30  encasing the inner body  28 . The inner body  28  houses a central control device  31 . The central control device  31  includes a circuit board  32 , a computer chip  34  seated on the circuit board  32 , a battery  36  and the necessary wiring. As will be described in more detail hereinbelow, the circuit board  32  and computer chip  34  receive data from other components of the invention and outputs data to the display  20 . Preferably, the computer chip  34  is a microcontroller such as Texas Instruments Model MSC1212Y5, but one skilled in the art will appreciate that any similar chip could be used. The battery  36  is used to power the central control device  31  and is preferably rechargeable. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the computer chip  34  accepts both digital and analog inputs for real time data acquisition and functions as a 16 Bit A/D and D/A data acquisition device. The computer chip  34  performs the calculations and computations necessary for the present invention and the instructions for performing the calculations and computations resides on the chip  34 . Again, this is one way of carrying out the instant invention and one skilled in the art will realize that many modifications to the above description are possible without straying from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, multiple chips and/or controllers could be utilized to achieve the same functionality of the one chip  34  as disclosed in the preferred embodiment without straying from the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0014]    Further, while the display  20  is preferably mounted on the reel  14 , it is anticipated that the display could be mounted on the handle portion  22  without straying from the scope of the present invention. The display  20  receives data from the central control device  31  and displays the information to the fisher. In turn, the fisher is able to view and control the real time fishing data as well as command and control the invention in view of the data. The command and control of the invention could be manual or computerized via interaction with the computerized elements of the invention. For example, the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a control interface  38  which is preferably located on the display  20 . The fisher is able to control and input information into the invention via the control interface  38 . The display  20  may also be capable of displaying or signaling audible alarms in certain situations. 
         [0015]    Further, with respect to the handle portion  22  of the rod  12 , the handle portion  22  preferably contains a functional direction sensor  40  that measures the directional location of the handle in real time and outputs the directional data to the central control device  31 . The reel  14  performs typical reeling functions and may also include a length sensor  42  to measure the length of the line  16  and communicate the length data to the central control device  31 . The reel  14  has a button  44  for zeroing the data prior to each new casting sequence. While the button  44  is shown on the reel  14 , it is anticipated that the button could be located in a variety of places such as on the handle portion  22  or on the display  20  without straying from the scope of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Focusing now on the shaft portion  24  of the rod  12 , each of the guides  26  located along the shaft portion  24  contains a guide sensor  46  for determining the stress and force of the rod  12  at each guide  26  in real time. Preferably, the guide sensor  46  is a strain gauge sensor but other types of sensors may be used. The guide sensor  46  outputs data to the central control device  31  to be used for calculations performed by the invention. The line  16  used for the present invention is preferably is thin shielded cable such as fiber optic cable, capable of transmitting analog and digital signals from the lure  18  to the central control device  31  to be used for calculations performed by the invention. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the lure  18  contains a data processing unit  50  that includes a circuit board  52 , a computer chip  54  and a battery  56 . The battery  56  is used to power the data processing unit  50  and is preferably rechargeable. The data processing unit  50  of the lure  18  allows the lure  18  to be used to perform and collect real time fishing measurements and functions. Preferably, the computer chip  54  is Texas Instruments Model MSC1212Y5, but one skilled in the art will appreciate that any number of chips may be used. The lure  18  has at least one hook  58  for engaging a fish. The hook  58  contains a bite sensor  60  for detecting bites and nibbles by fish. The bite sensor  60  is preferably a strain gauge sensor, but numerous other types of sensors may be used to achieve the same result. The information from the bite sensor  60  is transmitted to the data processing unit  50  in the lure which then transmits the data to the central control device  31  in the handle portion  22  of the rod  12  via the line  16 . The central control device  31  can then convert the measured values into force pound values and output that information to the display  20 . The invention can use this information from the bite sensor  60  to allow the fisher to control the action or allow the invention to automatically control the various options and functions of the lure  18  as described hereinbelow in order to further entice the fish or to repel the fish. Preferably, the hook  38  is detachable from the lure  18  in the event of a snag thereby allowing the lure  18  to be retrieved by the fisher. If the lure  18  has multiple hooks  38 , the lure is preferably able to sense and determine which hook  38  is snagged and selectively release only that particular hook  38 . 
         [0018]    The lure  18  also has at least one depth sensor  62  for measuring depth and operating as a fish finder for determining the location and count of fish in the surrounding area. The lure  18  may also contain a temperature sensor  64  to determine the temperature of the water surrounding the lure  18 . According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lure  18  further includes an output device  66  that is configured to emit sounds, light, scent, and/or blood to attract certain types of fish. These features of sounds, scents, etc. are selectable either manually by the fisher or automatically by the invention such that certain sounds and/or scents may be emitted depending on the type of fish either near the lure or that the fisher hopes to attract. Optionally, the lure  18  may be configured to fire an explosive to disable a fish or emit an electric shock to immobilize a fish in an effort to prevent the fish from continuing to fight on the fisher&#39;s line. The lure  18  can also be equipped with a video camera  68  for displaying video images to the fisher via the display  20 . The lure  18  may also be equipped with a signaling beacon  70  that allows a fisher to find a lure that has become lost either in the water or elsewhere. Additionally, the lure  18  may be further equipped with a motor  72  thereby providing movement to the lure  18  in order to imitate movement of certain types of prey. Yet another optional feature of the lure  18  is a collapsible hook (not shown) that could collapse upon command by the fisher. A collapsible hook would be a benefit when the fisher does not want a particular fish located near the hook or even in the case of a snag. Once a fish is caught, the bite sensor  60  or a separate sensor can determine the weight of the fish and allow the fisher to selectively release certain sized fish. Another optional feature of the lure  18  is the inclusion of a compartment (not shown) to take on water or release water in order to adjust the lure depth in the water. The lure  18  features described above may be used at the fisher&#39;s command or may be controlled automatically by the invention. 
         [0019]    The present invention utilizes a computer program, or software, which is preferably part of the central control device  31  to collect and interpret the data sent by all of the sensors of the present invention in order to control the invention. The software controls multiple features including, but not limited to, alerts, lure options, output to peripheral devices, and memory storage. Whether lure  18  control is performed automatically or manually by the fisher, the software relays commands to the lure  18  and any of its various components. The software may also control an automatic electric reel  14 , which is optional. During the fisher&#39;s action for reeling in a fish, especially a large heavy fish, the software can automatically reel in the fish according to data collected from the sensors especially as related to the action of the fish. Typically, the fish will fight and run out the line  16 , and then the fisher must repeatedly pull the fishing rod/pole  12  upward and inward to reel in the line  16  until the fish is brought to the fisher&#39;s location. This repeated action can take up to two to three hours in extreme cases and can be exhausting. The use of an automatic reel controlled by the invention would emulate this process and make the catch easier on the fisher. 
         [0020]    The software may also be configured so as to enable the invention to transmit real time fishing data to another source via a communication device  74 . The communication device  74  can be configured to communicate with another source via various transmission means such as the Internet and television, in order to allow the real time data to be viewed by third parties. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the software can be configured in numerous different ways to use the data collected and transmitted by the present invention. 
         [0021]    In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the rod  12  does not house the central control device  31  in the handle portion  22 . Instead, a computing means such as the central control device  31  is provided in a separate unit preferably a display unit  20 . In this embodiment, the data is passed to the display unit  20  for processing. The display unit  20  could be mounted on the rod  12  or reel  14  as described above or could be separate from the rod  12 . In accordance with this alternate embodiment, if the display unit  20  is a fish finder which are often used on boats, the fish finder can communicate with the motor  72  in the lure  18  in order to automatically move or reposition the lure  18  into an area where fish have been found. 
         [0022]    In another alternate embodiment of the present invention, the lure  18  could be adapted to send data to the central control device  31  or any similar computing device, whether located in or on the rod  12  or in a separate display unit  20 , wirelessly. In this embodiment, the line  16  may be standard fishing line instead of the fiber optic cable preferred in other embodiments. 
         [0023]    Many variations and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment as described herein without straying from the scope of the present invention. For example, the battery  36  of the central control device  31  in the handle portion  22  of the rod  12  and the battery  56  of the data processing unit in the lure  18  may be recharged via a power cord connector or may be solar charged or they may be replaceable standard sized batteries. Further, additional sensors may be placed on the rod  12  to sense the bowing of the rod  12  in order to measure the overall stress and force exerted on the rod  12  at all times. Another example of a modification that is within the scope of the present invention is not including the display  20  on the rod  12  and/or enabling the rod  12  to transmit information to be displayed to another device such as a depth finder installed on a boat or a computer either via a wired connection or via wireless communication. In yet another example of further functionality, the invention could be set into trolling mode to allow the fisher to troll without affecting the real time fishing data. In another example, the invention may be configured to allow the fisher to store fishing data and/or video on either an internal hard drive, a removable memory card, and/or an external hard drive. In the case of an internal hard drive, the fisher could export such data for use with another device either by direct connection or wirelessly. The above mentioned examples are for example only and are not included so as to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0024]    In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.