An underwater detection apparatus is provided. The underwater detection apparatus includes a transmission and reception circuit, and processing circuitry. The transmission and reception circuit drives a transmission transducer to transmit a transmission wave and generates a reception signal based on a reflection wave including a reflection of the transmission wave on an underwater target. The processing circuitry acquires a water bottom depth, sets a boundary passing at a point having a depth equal to the water bottom depth, the boundary making a given angle with a horizontal direction, and generates an image data that represents a location of the underwater target based at least in part on the reception signal, the image data including a color information, the color information being set based at least in part on the location of the underwater target relative to the boundary.

A sonar mapping system that includes a sonar transducer assembly configured for mounting on a watercraft, and a display configured to show a topographical chart of a body of water. The sonar mapping system further includes a processor coupled to the sonar transducer assembly and display. The processor is configured to create the topographical chart in real time, and to update the topographical chart in real time, based on sonar data provided by the sonar transducer assembly. The processor is also configured to render the created or updated topographical chart on the display. The sonar mapping system has memory accessible by the processor and configured to store the topographical chart rendered by the processor, and to store the sonar data provided by the sonar transducer assembly.

A marine sonar display device comprises a display, a memory element, and a processing element. The display displays sonar images. The memory element stores sonar data. The processing element is configured to transmit a transmit electronic signal to a frequency steered sonar element which transmits an array of sonar beams into a body of water, each sonar beam transmitted in a different angular direction, receive a receive electronic signal from the frequency steered sonar element, the receive electronic signal including a plurality of frequency components, calculate an array of sonar data slices, one sonar data slice for each frequency component, generate an array of sonar image slices, one sonar image slice for each sonar data slice, and control the display to visually present the array of sonar image slices in near real time and a historical sequence of at least one sonar image slice.

Sonar devices for detecting underwater objects are provided whereby a set of angled ultrasound transducers are employed to sense ultrasound signals from a plurality of different spatial regions. The angled ultrasound transducers may include a first pair of side-viewing ultrasound transducers and a second pair of ultrasound transducers configured for interrogating forward and reverse directions. The ultrasound signals from the set of angled ultrasound transducers may be processed to identify the presence of underwater objects in each spatial region, and the resulting identified underwater objects may be displayed, on a per-region basis, on a user interface. The ultrasound signals may additionally or alternatively be processed to generate a topographical model of the bed surface, and to generate a topographical surface image based on the three-dimensional topographical model. The topographical surface image may be displayed as a fly-over animation.

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.

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.

Sonar devices for detecting underwater objects are provided whereby a set of angled ultrasound transducers are employed to sense ultrasound signals from a plurality of different spatial regions. The angled ultrasound transducers may include a first pair of side-viewing ultrasound transducers and a second pair of ultrasound transducers configured for interrogating forward and reverse directions. The ultrasound signals from the set of angled ultrasound transducers may be processed to identify the presence of underwater objects in each spatial region, and the resulting identified underwater objects may be displayed, on a per-region basis, on a user interface. The ultrasound signals may additionally or alternatively be processed to generate a topographical model of the bed surface, and to generate a topographical surface image based on the three-dimensional topographical model. The topographical surface image may be displayed as a fly-over animation.

A marine electronic device is provided including a user interface, a processor, and a memory having computer program code stored thereon. The memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the marine electronic device to receive a first user input defining a minimum water depth value for a route on a body of water, receive a second user input defining a maximum water depth value for the route, cause a chart to be displayed on the user interface, receive a third user input directed to the chart defining an ending point, and generate a continuous route from a starting location to an ending location corresponding to the ending point based on the maximum water depth value and the minimum water depth value.

A sonar mapping system that includes a sonar transducer assembly configured for mounting on a watercraft, and a display configured to show a topographical chart of a body of water. The sonar mapping system further includes a processor coupled to the sonar transducer assembly and display. The processor is configured to create the topographical chart in real time, and to update the topographical chart in real time, based on sonar data provided by the sonar transducer assembly. The processor is configured to render the created or updated topographical chart on the display. The sonar mapping system has memory accessible by the processor and configured to store the topographical chart rendered by the processor, and to store the sonar data provided by the sonar transducer assembly. The sonar data includes information indicative of vegetation present on a lakebed, seabed, or riverbed surface, the information being displayed on the topographical chart.

A marine sonar display device comprises a display, a memory element, and a processing element. The display displays sonar images. The memory element stores sonar data. The processing element is configured to transmit a transmit electronic signal to a frequency steered sonar element which transmits an array of sonar beams into a body of water, each sonar beam transmitted in a different angular direction, receive a receive electronic signal from the frequency steered sonar element, the receive electronic signal including a plurality of frequency components, calculate an array of sonar data slices, one sonar data slice for each frequency component, generate an array of sonar image slices, one sonar image slice for each sonar data slice, and control the display to visually present the array of sonar image slices in near real time and a historical sequence of at least one sonar image slice.