G01S7/62

Castable sonar devices and operations in a marine environment

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.

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATION OF ECHO SOUNDING SYSTEMS AND IMPROVED SEAFLOOR IMAGING USING SUCH SYSTEMS
20180003809 · 2018-01-04 ·

A system and method are provided for increasing the resolvability of an echo sounding system by acquiring multiple survey lines under one or more different conditions to produce overlapping swaths of seafloor data. The difference conditions may include one or more of acquiring the survey lines along adjacent paths that are offset by less than a swath width, acquiring survey lines at different headings, and acquiring survey lines at different speeds.

DEVICES AND METHODS FOR LOCATING AND VISUALIZING UNDERWATER OBJECTS
20180011189 · 2018-01-11 ·

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.

Ship information display device and method of displaying ship information

A ship information display device is provided, which may include a first processor, a second processor, a graphic processor, and a display. The first processor may generate a first image based on first ship information received from a first ship sensor and generate a screen to be synthesized including the first image and a blank image. The second processor may generate a second image based on second ship information received from a second ship sensor. The graphic processor may generate a synthesized screen including the first image and the second image by replacing the blank image of the screen to be synthesized by the second image generated by the second processor. The display may display the synthesized screen.

Ship information display device and method of displaying ship information

A ship information display device is provided, which may include a first processor, a second processor, a graphic processor, and a display. The first processor may generate a first image based on first ship information received from a first ship sensor and generate a screen to be synthesized including the first image and a blank image. The second processor may generate a second image based on second ship information received from a second ship sensor. The graphic processor may generate a synthesized screen including the first image and the second image by replacing the blank image of the screen to be synthesized by the second image generated by the second processor. The display may display the synthesized screen.

Frequency steered sonar array system with three-dimensional functionality

A transducer system comprises a first frequency steered transducer array element and a second frequency steered transducer array element that is spaced apart from the first frequency steered transducer array element. The system additionally includes a processing element in communication with the first and second frequency steered transducer array elements. The processing element is configured to receive a first receive electronic signal from the first frequency steered sonar array element, receive a second receive electronic signal from the second frequency steered array sonar element, compare a difference in amplitude between the first receive electronic signal and the second receive electronic signal to determine a cross-track position of an underwater target, and control a display to present an indication of the cross-track position of the underwater target.

Frequency steered sonar user interface

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 STEERING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
20220373662 · 2022-11-24 ·

Sonar steering systems offering improved functionality and ease of use for an operator (e.g., an angler) are provided. A sonar steering system is configured to automatically adjust the directional coverage volume of the sonar system in a hands-free manner to allow the operator to focus on other tasks. Some such sonar steering systems are configured to adjust the directional coverage volume of the sonar transducers to maintain a target such as an area of interest (AOI) within the sonar display despite movement of the watercraft relative to the target. Accordingly, the coverage volume may be automatically adjusted to maintain the aim of the sonar transducers at a target that is moving through the water, such as a school of fish.

Sidescan sonar imaging system

Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.

TECHNOLOGY FOR ASSISTANCE WITH A VIEW OBSTRUCTED BY A USERS HAND
20230089701 · 2023-03-23 ·

For assistance viewing an object, a computer system receives first data from a first sensor sensing an object when a user's view of at least a portion of the object is obstructed by a hand of the user. The first sensor is fixed to a first wearable device. The computer system generates an image of the obstructed portion of the object in response to the first data. An image of the obstructed portion of the object is projected onto a surface within a view of the user.