Patent ID: 8384585

Claim:
A system for remotely controlling a marine radar device having a built-in controller and generating a local or built-in display video stream, said marine radar device having non-automated or manual radar controls, comprising: a remote-controllable radar controller hardware separate from said built-in controller of said marine radar device and configured to provide at least one external control signal replicating an internal control signal of said built-in controller to cause said marine radar device to change its state; a command combiner configured for radar data transmission functions, said radar controller being connected to an input of said command combiner, the non-automated or manual radar controls of said marine radar device being connected to another input of said command combiner, said command combiner being connected at an output to at least one command input of said marine radar device to alternatively provide thereto said external control signal from said radar controller and at least one signal from the non-automated or manual radar controls of said marine radar device; a software interface operatively connected to said radar controller hardware via a computer network, for enabling a user or program to operate said radar controller hardware remotely over said network; and means for capturing at least a portion of the local or built-in display video stream of said marine radar device and for presenting the captured portion of said local or built-in display video stream to said user or said program to allow said user or said program to confirm that the state of said marine radar device changes in accordance with the operating of said software interface.