# US 2014/0153370 A1 · Digital depth readout adapter for flasher type fish finder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153370 A1 - Document ID: US20140153370A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/095,514 - Filed: 2013-12-03 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-03 - Assignees: Vexilar, Inc. - Applicants: Vexilar, Inc. - Inventors: Steven E. Baumann; Duane E. Cummings - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153370A1 ## CPC - G01S 15/96: for locating fish - G01S 7/56: Display arrangements {(short-range imaging G01S7/52053)} - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract A depth display device for use with a flasher type fish finder system including a primary unit and a transducer assembly. The depth display device includes an enclosure, a microcontroller, a display panel, a transducer port, and an interface cable. The transducer port is configured for connection with the transducer assembly cable. The interface cable terminates at a connector configured for connection with a receptacle of the primary unit. During use, the display device establishes an electrical connection between the primary unit and the transducer cable such that drive signals generated by the primary unit are delivered to the transducer assembly, and return signals generated by the transducer are delivered to the primary unit. The microcontroller samples the transmitter and return signals to determine a depth of a body of water, and operates the display panel to display the determined depth. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water depth display device for use with a flasher type fish finder system, the flasher type fish finder system including a primary flasher display unit and a transducer assembly, the primary flasher display unit including a sonar transmitter and the transducer assembly including a transducer and a cable, the water depth display device comprising: an enclosure; a depth microcontroller maintained within the enclosure; a display panel carried by the enclosure and electronically connected to the depth microcontroller; a transducer port formed in the enclosure and electronically connected to the depth microcontroller, the transducer port configured to selectively establish a mechanical and electrical connection with the transducer assembly cable; and an interface cable extending from the enclosure and terminating at a connector electronically connected to the depth microcontroller, the connector configured to selectively establish a mechanical and electrical connection with a transducer receptacle of the primary flasher display unit; wherein the depth microcontroller is programmed, upon connecting the water depth display device between the primary flasher display unit and the transducer assembly, to: establish an electrical connection between the primary flasher display unit and the transducer cable such that drive signals generated by the transmitter of the primary flasher display unit are delivered to the transducer assembly, and return signals generated by the transducer in response to detected echo waves are delivered to the primary flasher display unit, sample the transmitter signals and the return signals to determine a depth of a body of water at which the transducer is located, prompt the display panel to display the determined depth in numerical form. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, wherein the depth microcontroller is further programmed to: determine whether a power status of the primary flasher display unit is powered on or powered off; and operate in a predetermined mode as a function of the determined power status. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The water depth display device of claim 2, wherein the depth microcontroller is further programmed to: operate in an active mode when the power status of the primary flasher display unit is powered on; and operate in a sleep mode when the primary flasher display unit is powered off. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, wherein the depth microcontroller is further programmed to determine the depth of the body of water independent of other user settings at the primary flasher display unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, further comprising: a battery status module carried by the enclosure; wherein the depth microcontroller is further programmed to determine a battery status level of the primary flasher display unit based upon sampled signals and to prompt the display panel to display the determined battery level status. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, further comprising: a temperature module carried by the enclosure and electronically connected to the depth microcontroller; wherein the depth microcontroller is further programmed to prompt the display panel to display a temperature as determined by the temperature sensor module. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, wherein the display panel is a digital display panel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, wherein the interface cable has a length of at least 12 inches. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, wherein the depth microcontroller is programmed to generate depth information in a slave-repeater fashion based upon drive signals generated by the primary flasher display unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The water depth display device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is configured to be hand-held. ### Claim 11 A method of displaying water depth information, the method comprising: providing a flasher type fish finder system including a primary flasher display unit and a transducer assembly, the primary flasher display unit including a sonar transmitter and the transducer assembly including a transducer and a cable; providing a water depth display device apart from the primary flasher display unit and the transducer assembly, the water depth display device including: an enclosure, a depth microcontroller maintained within the enclosure, a display panel carried by the enclosure and electronically connected to the depth microcontroller, a transducer port formed in the enclosure and electronically connected to the depth microcontroller, an interface cable extending from the enclosure and terminating at a connector electronically connected to the depth microcontroller; connecting the connector to a transducer receptacle of the primary flasher display unit; connecting the cable of the transducer assembly to the transducer port; operating the primary flasher display unit, wherein the depth microcontroller establishes an electrical connection between the primary flasher display unit and the transducer cable such that drive signals generated by the transmitter of the primary flasher display unit are delivered to the transducer assembly, and return signals generated by the transducer in response to detected echo waves are delivered to the primary flasher display unit; sampling the transmitter signals and the return signals by the depth microcontroller to determine a depth of a body of water at which the transducer is located; and displaying the determined depth in numerical form at the display panel. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: displaying a determined status of battery provided with the primary flasher display unit at the display panel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: displaying a temperature at the display panel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the water depth display device further includes a temperature sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: locating the transducer below a surface of a body of water, the surface being opposite a floor of the body of water; wherein the step of operating the primary flasher display unit includes the primary flasher display unit displaying information indicative of objects between the transducer and the floor, and further wherein the water depth display device does not display the information indicative of objects between the transducer and the floor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: moving the enclosure relative to the primary flasher display unit during the steps of operating the primary flasher display unit and displaying the determined depth of the display panel.