The objective of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic-wave transmitter/receiver fish-finder that stabilizes its balanced state while in water to transmit ultrasonic waves vertically downward, thus improving detection accuracy. The ultrasonic-wave transmitter/receiver 10 includes an ultrasonic transducer 21 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves; a hanging-bell shaped case 50 that houses the ultrasonic transducer 21; and a cable 40 that suspends the case 50. A weight 81 is arranged above the ultrasonic transducer 21 provided at the bottom 54 of the case 50. In addition, the filler A1 is filled into the case 50 such that a cavity A2 is secured in the upper region of the case 50.

The objective of this invention is to provide an ultrasonic-wave transmitter/receiver fish-finder that stabilizes its balanced state while in water to transmit ultrasonic waves vertically downward, thus improving detection accuracy. The ultrasonic-wave transmitter/receiver 10 includes an ultrasonic transducer 21 that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves; a hanging-bell shaped case 50 that houses the ultrasonic transducer 21; and a cable 40 that suspends the case 50. A weight 81 is arranged above the ultrasonic transducer 21 provided at the bottom 54 of the case 50. In addition, the filler A1 is filled into the case 50 such that a cavity A2 is secured in the upper region of the case 50.

An underwater detection apparatus is provided which includes a transmission transducer, a reception transducer, and a motor. The transmission transducer transmits a transmission wave within a given fan-shaped transmission space, the fan-shaped transmission space having a first transmission width in a given first plane and a second transmission width in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane. The reception transducer receives, as a reception wave, a reflection wave of the transmission wave within a given fan-shaped reception space, the fan-shaped reception space having a first reception width in the first plane and a second reception width in the second plane, the second reception width being wider than the second transmission width, and in the second plane, the fan-shaped transmission space being within the fan-shaped reception space. The motor rotates the fan-shaped transmission space and the fan-shaped reception space.

An underwater detection apparatus is provided which includes a transmission transducer, a reception transducer, and a motor. The transmission transducer transmits a transmission wave within a given fan-shaped transmission space, the fan-shaped transmission space having a first transmission width in a given first plane and a second transmission width in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane. The reception transducer receives, as a reception wave, a reflection wave of the transmission wave within a given fan-shaped reception space, the fan-shaped reception space having a first reception width in the first plane and a second reception width in the second plane, the second reception width being wider than the second transmission width, and in the second plane, the fan-shaped transmission space being within the fan-shaped reception space. The motor rotates the fan-shaped transmission space and the fan-shaped reception space.

A sonar system for transmitting and/or receiving sonar beams with a desired beam pattern or patterns. The system has a transducer having a linear array of transducer elements, which is driven by element driving signals to project a sonar beam and which generates element receive signals in response to a received sonar signal or sonic wave. A control unit controls the transducer and is configured to generate the element driving signals from a waveform signal based on a set of drive pattern weightings associated with a desired beam pattern to project from the transducer. The control unit is also configured to apply a set of receive pattern weightings to the element receive signals, the receive pattern weightings associated with a desired beam pattern to be detected or sensed received by the sonar system. The drive pattern weightings and receive pattern weightings comprise an amplitude component and polarity component.

Many different types of systems are utilized and tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of castable devices that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more castable devices can be integrated with a transducer assembly, such as a phased array, that emits sonar beams and receives sonar returns from the underwater environment. Processing circuitry may receive the sonar returns, process the sonar returns, generate an image, and transmit the image to a display.

Many different types of systems are utilized and tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of castable devices that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more castable devices can be integrated with a transducer assembly, such as a phased array, that emits sonar beams and receives sonar returns from the underwater environment. Processing circuitry may receive the sonar returns, process the sonar returns, generate an image, and transmit the image to a display.

A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes two or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to create arcs of sonar coverage extending forward from a watercraft, from each side of the watercraft, and downward of the watercraft. Accordingly, multiple 2D live sonar images can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams can be selected and used to form sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements.

A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes two or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to create arcs of sonar coverage extending forward from a watercraft, from each side of the watercraft, and downward of the watercraft. Accordingly, multiple 2D live sonar images can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams can be selected and used to form sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements.

An underwater detection apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include a transmission transducer, a reception transducer, and processing circuitry. The transmission transducer may transmit a transmission wave. The reception transducer may include a plurality of reception elements that generate a reception signal based on a reflection wave including a reflection of the transmission wave on an underwater target. The processing circuitry may generate a 3D image data that represents an echo intensity of the underwater target based at least in part on the reception signal generated by each reception element, and may set a depth marking on the 3D image data for which a depth is equal to a given depth, by changing an echo intensity color that represents the echo intensity of the 3D image data into a depth color that represents a depth of the 3D image data, the depth color being different from the echo intensity color.