Abstract:
A combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder ( 10 ) that more efficiently utilizes limited marine instrument panel space, that is more convenient and simple to operate, and that shares certain components and, therefore, is less expensive to manufacture and install. The apparatus includes a main unit ( 12 ) and a separate remote unit ( 14 ). The main unit includes a housing ( 16 ); an entertainment assembly including a display ( 20 ) and an entertainment component ( 18 ) positioned in the housing; and a depth sounder assembly including a depth display ( 48 ) positioned within the same housing as the entertainment assembly display and entertainment component.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the invention 
     The present invention relates to marine entertainment and information systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a combination marine entertainment system and depth sounder that more efficiently utilizes limited space on a boat instrument panel, that is more convenient to operate, and that is more economical to manufacture. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Many boats are outfitted with both entertainment systems and depth sounders. Unfortunately, prior art marine entertainment systems and depth sounders are manufactured and installed separately in their own housings, necessitating the mounting of both devices on or near a boat&#39;s instrument panel so that both can be easily seen and operated. Those familiar with boats will appreciate that the typical marine instrument panel is crowded with a multitude of gauges and instruments and, therefore, space is extremely limited. Another limitation with the prior art practice of manufacturing and installing marine entertainment systems and depth sounders separately is that the controls, displays and other components of the devices are duplicated, thus increasing both the costs to manufacture and the complexity of operating the devices. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for improved marine entertainment systems and depth sounders that overcome the limitations of the prior art. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of marine entertainment and information systems. More particularly, the present invention provides a combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder that more efficiently utilizes limited marine instrument panel space, that is more convenient and simple to operate, and that shares certain components and, therefore, is less expensive to manufacture and install. 
     The combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder of the present invention broadly includes a housing; an entertainment assembly including a display and an entertainment component positioned in the housing; and a depth sounder assembly including a depth display positioned within the same housing as the entertainment assembly display and entertainment component. 
     The entertainment component of the entertainment assembly may be one or more of the following: a commercial broadcast AM receiver, a commercial broadcast FM receiver, a NOM weather radio band receiver, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player, a mini-disc player, a cassette tape player, an audio playback apparatus, a low-level audio input driven by an external audio source, a low-level audio output to drive external audio equipment, a digital audio input, a digital audio output; or any other conventional entertainment device. The depth display is configured to be coupled with a depth soundertransducer for receiving depth information therefrom and for displaying the depth information. 
     The housing, entertainment assembly, and depth display described above make up a main unit of the marine entertainment and information apparatus. In preferred forms, the apparatus also includes a separate remote unit positioned outside the housing of the main unit and operatively coupled therewith. The remote unit includes a remote housing, a remote depth sounderdisplay positioned within the remote housing for remotely displaying the depth information, and remote controls for remotely controlling operation of the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly. 
     By constructing a combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder as described herein, numerous advantages are realized. For example, by positioning components of the entertainment assembly and depth sounder in a common housing that can be mounted in a single opening of a marine instrument panel, valuable marine cockpit space is saved. Moreover, by combining the components of the entertainment assembly and depth sounder into a single unit, displays, controls, and certain other components required by both devices can be combined, further saving instrument panel space and simplifying the operation and use of the devices. Furthermore, the sharing of certain components of the devices reduces the manufacturing and installation costs of the apparatus. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the main unit of a combined marine entertainment system and depth sounder apparatus constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the remote unit of the apparatus. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the coupling of other components to the main unit and the remote unit. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cockpit of a typical boat showing an exemplary mounting of the main unit and the remote unit of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawing figures and particularly FIG. 3, a marine entertainment system and depth sounder apparatus  10  constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The apparatus is configured for mounting in or near an instrument panel of a marine cockpit as illustrated in FIG.  4  and broadly includes a main unit  12  and one or more remote units  14 . 
     The main unit  12 , which is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 1, includes an outer housing  16 , portions of an entertainment assembly including an entertainment component  18  and display  20  positioned in the housing, and portions of a depth sounder assembly including a display  22  also positioned within the housing. The housing is conventional and may be formed of any conventional material such as synthetic resin materials, but is preferably manufactured from high-impact resistant plastic alloys. The housing is preferably similar in size and shape as housings typically used for automobile stereo systems. 
     The entertainment component  18  may be a commercial broadcast AM receiver, a commercial broadcast FM receiver, a NOAA weather radio band receiver, a compact disc player, a digital video disc player, a mini-disc player, a cassette tape player, an audio playback apparatus, a low-level audio input driven by an external audio source, a low-level audio output to drive external audio equipment, a digital audio input, a digital audio output; or any other conventional entertainment device positioned in the housing  66 . 
     The entertainment display  20  is positioned in the housing so that it is visible from the front of the main unit as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. The display is preferably a liquid crystal display (LCD). 
     The entertainment assembly also includes controls mounted to the housing so that they are visible from the front of the assembly for operating the assembly. The controls may include a keypad  24  for presetting certain information such as radio channels and pushbuttons for conventional features such as power  26 , weather band (WX)  28 , source (SRC)  30 , increase volume (+)  32 , decrease volume (−)  34 , scan forward (UP)  36 , and scan backward (DN)  38 . 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, the entertainment assembly may also include externally mounted speakers  40 , a CD changer  42 , an antenna  44 , a power amplifier  46 , and other conventional entertainment components. The entertainment assembly is preferably powered by a battery such as the battery provided in a conventional boat. Operation of certain functions of the entertainment assembly are performed by an internal microprocessor, microcontroller, or other computing device (not shown). 
     The depth sounder display  22  is also mounted in the housing  16  as best illustrated in FIG.  1 . The display is preferably an LCD. The depth sounder assembly also includes an external depth sounder transducer  50  illustrated in FIG.  3 . The transducer is preferably a sonic-type depth transducer but may be any device operable to determine depth information and to display the depth information in the depth display. The depth sounder assembly may also include controls for controlling operation of the assembly and be configured for receiving user-configurable depth offsets. 
     In preferred forms, the depth sounder display  22  comprises a portion of the entertainment assembly display  20  as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. This permits the depth information to be displayed alongside information on the entertainment assembly to reduce the number of components in the apparatus and, therefore, reduce space requirements and manufacturing costs. Similarly, operation of the depth sounder assembly is preferably accomplished with the same controls provided with the entertainment assembly and processing required by the depth sounder assembly may be performed by the microprocessor or microcontroller provided with the entertainment assembly. A “mode” switch  52  is provided to switch the controls between the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly. Once again, the use of common controls and microprocessor or microcontroller for the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly reduces the components of the apparatus and, therefore, conserves space and costs. 
     The remote unit  14 , which is best illustrated in FIG. 2, is separate from the main unit  12  and is operably coupled therewith. The remote unit may be coupled with the main unit by conventional wires or cabling or may alternately communicate with the main unit via wireless transceivers positioned in both units. The remote unit broadly includes a remote housing  54 , a remote display  56 , and remote controls  58 . The remote unit may also include its own microprocessor, microcontrolleror other computing device. 
     The remote housing  54  is preferably sized to fit within a standard marine instrument opening as illustrated in FIG.  4 . The housing may be formed of any conventional material such as synthetic resin materials, but is preferably manufactured from high-impact resistant plastic alloys. 
     The remote display  56  is provided for remotely displaying the entertainment information and/or the depth information that is also displayed on the main unit  12 . The remote display is also preferably an LCD. 
     The remote controls  58  may include pushbuttons similar to the pushbuttons on the main unit including pushbuttons for features such as weather band (WX)  60 , source (SRC)  62 , increase volume (+)  64 , decrease volume (−)  66 , scan forward (UP)  68 , scan backward (DN)  70 , mode  72  (for switching the controls and display between the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly), mute  74  (for muting or pausing the entertainment assembly), and display  76  (for switching the display between the entertainment assembly and the depth sounder assembly and for muting a depth sounder alarm). 
     The apparatus  10  of the present invention may also include additional remote units (not shown) that may be positioned elsewhere in the boat. For example, the apparatus may include remote units similar to the one illustrated in FIG. 2 except that the display or the controls may be removed. 
     In preferred forms, the depth sounder assembly also includes an alarm circuit for sounding an audible alarm during certain conditions. For example, the alarm circuit may be configured to sound an alarm if the depth of the body of water being monitored is below a certain threshold level. The audible alarm may be a separate alarm such as a bell or horn, but is preferably sounded over the speakers  40  of the entertainment assembly. This further reduces the required number of components of the apparatus, saving mounting space and manufacturing and instruction costs. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the entertainment assembly includes an automatic muting circuit for muting the entertainment assembly when the audible alarm of the depth sounder is sounding so that only the depth alarm is heard over the speakers  40 . 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. 
     Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent includes the following: