A marine electronic system is provided including a transducer housing including a first transducer element configured transmit one or more first sonar signals into a body of water and a second transducer element configured to transmit one or more second sonar signals into the body of water. A length of the first transducer element is longer than a length of the second transducer element. The transducer housing also includes at least one third transducer element configured to receive first sonar returns from the first sonar signals and second sonar returns from the second sonar signals. The system includes a sonar signal processor configured to receive the first sonar returns, receive the second sonar returns, and determine sonar image data based on both the first sonar returns and second sonar returns. A transducer housing with a forward scanning portion and a downward scanning portion is also provided.

A method for providing a broadband constant beam pattern acoustic array includes providing an array of transducers in a known three dimensional axisymmetric spherical configuration with each transducer element having an associated signal. A user can specify a far field beam pattern for the array. Weightings are calculated for each transducer in the array as being proportional to the voltage that gives the beam pattern power level associated with the bearing for each transducer. Signal power levels for each transducer are modified in accordance with the weightings. The array can be operated for receiving and transmitting signals with a constant beam pattern over a broad range of frequencies.

An ultrasonic transducer device comprises a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT), a transmitter with first and second differential outputs, and a controller. The PMUT includes a membrane layer. A bottom electrode layer, comprising a first bottom electrode and a second bottom electrode, is disposed above the membrane layer. The piezoelectric layer is disposed above the bottom electrode layer. The top electrode layer is disposed above the piezoelectric layer and comprises a segmented center electrode disposed above a center of the membrane layer and a segmented outer electrode spaced apart from the segmented center electrode. The controller, responsive to the PMUT being placed in a transmit mode, is configured to couple the first and second segments of the bottom electrode layer with ground, couple the first output of the transmitter with the segments of the segmented center electrode, and couple the second output with the segments of the segmented outer electrode.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and compact three dimensional (3D) capable multichannel sonar systems for mobile structures. A 3D capable multichannel sonar system includes a multichannel transducer and associated processing and control electronics and optionally orientation and/or position sensors disposed substantially within the housing of a sonar transducer assembly. The multichannel transducer includes multiple transmission and/or receive channels/transducer elements. The transducer assembly is configured to support and protect the multichannel transducer and associated electronics and sensors, to physically and/or adjustably couple to a mobile structure, and/or to provide a simplified interface to other systems coupled to the mobile structure. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.

An autonomous vehicle is improved with a navigational system having both cameras and echolocation sensors. The cameras and echolocation sensors may be part of an optical and echolocation system, respectively, that may work in conjunction with, for example, a global positioning system to determine a course for the autonomous vehicle to reach an objective while detecting and avoid obstacles along the course.

The application relates to bi-static or multi-static holographic navigation systems, including methods of localizing an emitter or receiver with high precision relative to the sea floor. The system and methods can be used with a fully active sonar or radar system using well synchronized transmitters and receivers. The system and methods can be used with a passive sonar or radar system localizing a transmitter or a receiver based on poorly timed received signals.

A signal probing system includes: a probing module, including a transmitting device, a first probing device and a second probing device, wherein the transmitting device is configured to transmit a first signal, the first probing device is coupled to the second probing device, and the first probing device and the second probing device are respectively configured to receive a high frequency reflective signal and a low frequency reflective signal corresponding to the first signal; and a processing module coupled to the probing module, the processing module being configured to process the high frequency reflective signal and the low frequency reflective signal into image signals.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to devices, system and processes for detecting saturation of a received signal in a PAS system. A process may include detecting, in a received signal and during a measurement interval, one or more correlated signal levels. Based on one or more results of the detecting, the process may include identifying in a correlated output signal portions of the received signal which exceed a given magnitude threshold during the measurement interval and providing the correlated output signal to an electronic control unit (ECU). A magnitude detector outputs the correlated output signal. A saturation detector determines whether the received signal is saturated during a portion of a measurement interval. When the received signal is saturated, a saturation signal is generated and provided on a delayed basis to the ECU such that it is provided substantially contemporaneously with the correlated output signal.

A survey system including a transmitter, receiver, projector array and hydrophone array transmits and receives sound waves to perform one or more survey missions.

A method of tracking a known object is presented, wherein a sonar image of an object which is distorted by an artifact associated with sonar imaging is compared with an image generated from a model of the object, and at least one of the two images is modified to reduce differences between them.