Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide reliable and relatively quick bottom reacquisition in sonar systems for mobile structures, including three dimensional (3D) capable and/or multichannel sonar systems. A sonar system includes a sonar transducer and associated processing and control electronics and optionally orientation and/or position sensors disposed substantially within the housing of a sonar transducer assembly. A logic device of the sonar system is configured to detect bottom lock loss based, at least in part, on sonar data provided by the sonar transducer, determine an expected bottom depth associated with the detected bottom lock loss, and generate updated sonar data based, at least in part, on the expected bottom depth. 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.

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide reliable and relatively quick bottom reacquisition in sonar systems for mobile structures, including three dimensional (3D) capable and/or multichannel sonar systems. A sonar system includes a sonar transducer and associated processing and control electronics and optionally orientation and/or position sensors disposed substantially within the housing of a sonar transducer assembly. A logic device of the sonar system is configured to detect bottom lock loss based, at least in part, on sonar data provided by the sonar transducer, determine an expected bottom depth associated with the detected bottom lock loss, and generate updated sonar data based, at least in part, on the expected bottom depth. 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 imaging system that utilizes deterministic bit sequences modulated onto an in-phase component of a carrier frequency and continuously transmitted via a transducer and received for imaging a medium and/or environment is provided. The received signal is demodulated by an in-phase demodulator and a quadrature demodulator and the demodulated components are processed to provide a spatial mapping of a medium or environment being imaged.

An imaging system that utilizes deterministic bit sequences modulated onto an in-phase component of a carrier frequency and continuously transmitted via a transducer and received for imaging a medium and/or environment is provided. The received signal is demodulated by an in-phase demodulator and a quadrature demodulator and the demodulated components are processed to provide a spatial mapping of a medium or environment being imaged.

A method of filtering an acoustic B-scan (500) for passive detection of an object (106, 108) underwater comprising ensonifying (400) a region (104) of an underwater environment (102) and receiving (402) acoustic signals from the ensonified region (104) of the underwater environment (102), the received acoustic signals corresponding to a plurality of sonar beams. The method also comprises generating (404) the acoustic B-scan (500) from the received acoustic signals and pre-processing (406-414) the acoustic B-scan (500) to remove historic artefacts and mitigate influence of reverberant energy. Energy content is then scored (416) in respect of the pre-processed acoustic B-scan (524) to provide a plurality of energy scores and at least one local maximum (200) of the plurality of energy scores is; identified (418). A predetermined criterion is then applied (808) to a local maximum (700) of the at least one local maximum (700) identified.

A method of filtering an acoustic B-scan (500) for passive detection of an object (106, 108) underwater comprising ensonifying (400) a region (104) of an underwater environment (102) and receiving (402) acoustic signals from the ensonified region (104) of the underwater environment (102), the received acoustic signals corresponding to a plurality of sonar beams. The method also comprises generating (404) the acoustic B-scan (500) from the received acoustic signals and pre-processing (406-414) the acoustic B-scan (500) to remove historic artefacts and mitigate influence of reverberant energy. Energy content is then scored (416) in respect of the pre-processed acoustic B-scan (524) to provide a plurality of energy scores and at least one local maximum (200) of the plurality of energy scores is; identified (418). A predetermined criterion is then applied (808) to a local maximum (700) of the at least one local maximum (700) identified.

An ultrasonic image processing apparatus includes pixels arranged in a first axis direction corresponding to a scanning direction of an ultrasonic wave transmitted to an object and a second axis direction corresponding to a distance direction in which the ultrasonic wave propagates. Each of the pixels has coordinates based on a reflection position of the ultrasonic wave and a pixel value based on a strength of a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus includes: a speckle pattern reduction processor setting a size of a filter according to a coordinate on the second axis of a pixel of interest included in the ultrasonic image and performing filter processing using the filter to reduce a speckle pattern in the pixel of interest; and an edge information calculator calculating edge information for the pixel of interest in which the speckle pattern has been reduced.

An ultrasonic image processing apparatus includes pixels arranged in a first axis direction corresponding to a scanning direction of an ultrasonic wave transmitted to an object and a second axis direction corresponding to a distance direction in which the ultrasonic wave propagates. Each of the pixels has coordinates based on a reflection position of the ultrasonic wave and a pixel value based on a strength of a reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus includes: a speckle pattern reduction processor setting a size of a filter according to a coordinate on the second axis of a pixel of interest included in the ultrasonic image and performing filter processing using the filter to reduce a speckle pattern in the pixel of interest; and an edge information calculator calculating edge information for the pixel of interest in which the speckle pattern has been reduced.

An imaging system that utilizes deterministic bit sequences modulated onto an in-phase component of a carrier frequency and continuously transmitted via a transducer and received for imaging a medium and/or environment is provided. The received signal is demodulated by an in-phase demodulator and a quadrature demodulator and the demodulated components are processed to provide a spatial mapping of a medium or environment being imaged.

An imaging system that utilizes deterministic bit sequences modulated onto an in-phase component of a carrier frequency and continuously transmitted via a transducer and received for imaging a medium and/or environment is provided. The received signal is demodulated by an in-phase demodulator and a quadrature demodulator and the demodulated components are processed to provide a spatial mapping of a medium or environment being imaged.