Linear and circular downscan imaging sonar
AssigneeNavico, Inc.
InventorsAaron R. Coleman, Jeffrey W. Hanoch, Brian T. Maguire
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for providing a combined linear and circular downscan sonar display may include receiving linear downscan sonar data from a linear downscan transducer, receiving conical downscan sonar data from a circular downscan transducer, and combining the linear downscan sonar data and the conical downscan sonar data to produce combined downscan sonar data. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.
Claims81
A method comprising:
- receiving linear downscan sonar data based on sonar returns from a series of fan-shaped beams produced sequentially by a linear downscan transducer mounted on a watercraft, the series of fan-shaped beams insonifying different fan-shaped regions of an underwater environment beneath the watercraft as the watercraft travels;
- receiving conical downscan sonar data based on sonar returns from a generally conical beam produced by a second downscan transducer, wherein the conical beam is wider than each fan-shaped beam in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the linear downscan transducer;
- combining the linear downscan sonar data and the conical downscan sonar data to produce combined downscan sonar data;
- and
- rendering the combined downscan sonar data as at least one image on a display, the at least one image including a composite of images of the fan-shaped regions arranged in a progressive order corresponding to the travel of the watercraft.
A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:
- program code instructions for receiving linear downscan sonar data based on sonar returns from a series of fan-shaped beams produced sequentially by a linear downscan transducer mounted on a watercraft, the series of fan-shaped beams insonifying different fan-shaped regions of an underwater environment beneath the watercraft as the watercraft travels;
- program code instructions for receiving conical downscan sonar data based on sonar returns from a generally conical beam produced by a second downscan transducer, wherein the conical beam is wider than each fan-shaped beam in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the linear downscan transducer;
- program code instructions for combining the linear downscan sonar data and the conical downscan sonar data to produce combined downscan sonar data;
- and
- program code instructions for rendering the combined downscan sonar data as at least one image on a display, the at least one image including a composite of images of the fan-shaped regions arranged in a progressive order corresponding to the travel of the watercraft.
An apparatus comprising a sonar signal processor configured to:
- receive linear downscan sonar data based on sonar returns from a series of fan-shaped beams produced sequentially by a linear downscan transducer mounted on a watercraft, the series of fan-shaped beams insonifying different fan-shaped regions of an underwater environment beneath the watercraft as the watercraft travels;
- receive conical downscan sonar data based on sonar returns from a generally conical beam produced by a second downscan transducer, wherein the conical beam is wider than each fan-shaped beam in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the linear downscan transducer;
- combine the linear downscan sonar data and the conical downscan sonar data to produce combined downscan sonar data;
- and
- render the combined downscan sonar data as at least one image on a display, the at least one image including a composite of images of the fan-shaped regions arranged in a progressive order corresponding to the travel of the watercraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.