Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide sonar systems for mobile structures. A sonar system includes a sonar transducer assembly including a sonar transducer, a sonar receiver configured to receive acoustic returns from the sonar transducer and convert the acoustic returns into arrays of time differentiated sonar data samples, and a logic device adapted to communicate with the sonar receiver. The logic device is configured to receive the arrays of the time differentiated sonar data samples from the sonar receiver and process the received arrays to enhance the time differentiated sonar data samples substantially without enhancing sonar artifacts in the time differentiated sonar data samples Processed sonar data and/or resulting 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 sonar transducer assembly and/or a mobile structure.

A marine multibeam sonar device comprises a processing element and a transmitter. The processing element generates a plurality of transmit transducer electronic signals and inverts a polarity of a first portion of the transmit transducer electronic signals. The transmitter is in communication with the processing element and includes a plurality of transmit electronic circuits and a plurality of transmit transducers. Each transmit electronic circuit receives and processes one of the transmit transducer electronic signals, wherein a first portion of the circuits re-inverts the polarity of the first portion of the transmit transducer electronic signals. The transmit transducers receive the processed transmit transducer electronic signals from the transmit electronic circuits and generate a sonar beam.

A marine multibeam sonar device comprises a processing element and a transmitter. The processing element generates a plurality of transmit transducer electronic signals and inverts a polarity of a first portion of the transmit transducer electronic signals. The transmitter is in communication with the processing element and includes a plurality of transmit electronic circuits and a plurality of transmit transducers. Each transmit electronic circuit receives and processes one of the transmit transducer electronic signals, wherein a first portion of the circuits re-inverts the polarity of the first portion of the transmit transducer electronic signals. The transmit transducers receive the processed transmit transducer electronic signals from the transmit electronic circuits and generate a sonar beam.

An apparatus for imaging a borehole wall includes an array of acoustic transducers and a controller. The controller scans a section of the borehole wall with first acoustic beams that are transmitted by a series of sets of acoustic transducers in the array to produce adjacent first acoustic measurements that are spaced a first distance D1 apart along the borehole wall, each set having at least one transducer that is different from an adjacent set, (ii) steers a second acoustic beam along the section of the borehole wall using one set of acoustic transducers in the array to produce adjacent second acoustic measurements that are a second distance D2 apart along the borehole wall, and (iii) images the borehole wall using the first acoustic measurements and the second acoustic measurement to generate a borehole wall image, wherein at least one second acoustic measurement is between adjacent first acoustic measurements.

An apparatus for imaging a borehole wall includes an array of acoustic transducers and a controller. The controller scans a section of the borehole wall with first acoustic beams that are transmitted by a series of sets of acoustic transducers in the array to produce adjacent first acoustic measurements that are spaced a first distance D1 apart along the borehole wall, each set having at least one transducer that is different from an adjacent set, (ii) steers a second acoustic beam along the section of the borehole wall using one set of acoustic transducers in the array to produce adjacent second acoustic measurements that are a second distance D2 apart along the borehole wall, and (iii) images the borehole wall using the first acoustic measurements and the second acoustic measurement to generate a borehole wall image, wherein at least one second acoustic measurement is between adjacent first acoustic measurements.

A marine sonar display device comprises a display, a sonar element, a memory element, and a processing element. The display presents sonar images. The sonar element generates a sonar beam and presents transducer signals. The processing element is in communication with the display, the sonar element, and the memory element and receives the transducer signals, calculates sonar data from the transducer signals and generates a three-dimensional view of a portion of the body of water, wherein the view includes a plurality of sonar images. Each sonar image is generated from sonar data derived from a previously-generated sonar beam and includes representations of underwater objects and a water bed. The processing element also generates a cursor plane and a cursor positioned thereon, both of which appear on the three-dimensional view. The processing element further controls the display to present the three-dimensional view, the sonar images, the cursor plane, and the cursor.

A marine sonar display device comprises a display, a sonar element, a memory element, and a processing element. The display presents sonar images. The sonar element generates a sonar beam and presents transducer signals. The processing element is in communication with the display, the sonar element, and the memory element and receives the transducer signals, calculates sonar data from the transducer signals and generates a three-dimensional view of a portion of the body of water, wherein the view includes a plurality of sonar images. Each sonar image is generated from sonar data derived from a previously-generated sonar beam and includes representations of underwater objects and a water bed. The processing element also generates a cursor plane and a cursor positioned thereon, both of which appear on the three-dimensional view. The processing element further controls the display to present the three-dimensional view, the sonar images, the cursor plane, and the cursor.

An object detection apparatus detects an object in a vicinity of a moving body in a state of being mounted to the moving body. The object detection apparatus measures a reverberation frequency that is a frequency of a reverberation signal that is generated in a transceiver that externally transmits a transmission wave that is an ultrasonic wave and receives a reception wave that includes a reflected wave of the transmission wave from the object. The object detection apparatus detects a specific segment that is an occurrence segment in which occurrence of beat that is attributed to a plurality of reverberation frequency components is confirmed in the reverberation signal, or a non-occurrence segment in which the occurrence of beat does not significantly occur. The object detection apparatus sets a measurement segment in which the reverberation frequency is measured in the non-occurrence segment based on a detection result of the specific segment.

A vehicle flow monitoring system for detecting both a car count and direction of movement of vehicles passing a point of interest. The vehicle flow monitoring system generally includes a car counter which may include a microcontroller and a pair of distance sensors. Each of the distance sensors is oriented toward a unique point of interest. Each of the distance sensors includes a threshold distance reading which is used to detect whether a vehicle has passed underneath the car counter. The system may determine direction of travel of the vehicle based on which of the distance sensors is passed by the vehicle first. The microcontroller may assign an Event ID to each time a vehicle passes each of the sensors, with the Event ID being used to identify when and if the vehicle should be counted, or whether a non-vehicle object has passed the car counter.

An ultrasonic type object detection apparatus sequentially detects a distance between an ultrasonic sensor and an object in a coverage of a transmission wave at a predetermined detection cycle based on a time taken for the ultrasonic sensor to transmit the transmission wave and then to receive a reflection wave. The apparatus includes: a storage storing the distance to the object; a vehicle information acquisition device acquiring vehicle information for calculating a movement distance; a detection distance predictor predicting a next detected distance to the object based on a past detection result and the vehicle information; and a short range determinator determining whether the object is present in a short range area in which the distance between the object and the ultrasonic sensor is equal to or shorter than a short range threshold.