System and method for sonar image display

A sonar method for facilitating a sonar image representing an underwater environment, the sonar method performed by a sonar device installed on a vessel and comprising:

• transmitting an ultrasonic transmission wave into the underwater environment with a transducer;
• receiving an ultrasonic reflection wave corresponding to a reflection of the ultrasonic transmission wave on an underwater object in the underwater environment;
• generating a return signal based on the ultrasonic reflection wave;
• generating a plurality of reception beams making different angles with the horizontal direction by performing a beamforming process based on the generated return signal;
• generating reception beam data for each reception beam of the plurality of reception beams;
• detecting a plurality of targets within the reception beam data;
• creating a list of the detected plurality of targets, each target of the plurality of targets defined at least by a target-specific range associated with the transducer and an angle, relative to a predetermined sonar pointing direction, of a corresponding reception beam on which the target is detected;
• and
• based on the list of the detected plurality of targets, displaying a sonar image on a display, the sonar image including a predetermined graphical image for each target of the plurality of targets in the list, each target of the plurality of targets being displayed at a target-specific position calculated based on the target-specific range and the angle of the corresponding reception beam on which the target is detected,
• wherein the predetermined graphical image for each target of the plurality of targets in the list consists of a stretched-out circle having an orientation corresponding to the angle, relative to the predetermined sonar pointing direction, of the corresponding reception beam on which the target is detected.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of an apparatus installed on a vessel, cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:

• transmitting an ultrasonic transmission wave into the underwater environment with a transducer;
• receiving an ultrasonic reflection wave corresponding to a reflection of the ultrasonic transmission wave on an underwater object in the underwater environment;
• generating a return signal based on the ultrasonic reflection wave;
• generating a plurality of reception beams making different angles with the horizontal direction by performing a beamforming process based on the generated return signal;
• generating reception beam data for each reception beam of the plurality of reception beams;
• detecting a plurality of targets within the reception beam data;
• creating a list of the detected plurality of targets, each target of the plurality of targets defined at least by a target-specific range associated with the transducer and an angle, relative to a predetermined sonar pointing direction, of a corresponding reception beam on which the target is detected;
• and
• based on the list of the detected plurality of targets, displaying a sonar image on a display, the sonar image including a predetermined graphical image for each target of the plurality of targets in the list, each target of the plurality of targets being displayed at a target-specific position calculated based on the target-specific range and the angle of the corresponding reception beam on which the target is detected,
• wherein the predetermined graphical image for each target of the plurality of targets in the list consists of a stretched-out circle having an orientation corresponding to the angle, relative to the predetermined sonar pointing direction, of the corresponding reception beam on which the target is detected.