Sonar rendering systems and associated methods

A method comprising:

• emitting a sonar beam by a transducer assembly affixed to a watercraft;
• receiving return echoes of the sonar beam;
• converting the return echoes into raw sonar data;
• determining positioning data by position sensing circuitry, the positioning data being indicative of a position of the watercraft;
• receiving the raw sonar data and the positioning data by processing circuitry;
• converting the raw sonar data into range cell data based at least on amplitudes of the return echoes;
• making a location-based association between the range cell data and the positioning data;
• plotting the range cell data based on respective positions derived from the positioning data and rotating the range cell data based on a direction of movement of the watercraft to generate adjusted range cell data;
• converting the adjusted range cell data into sonar image data;
• and
• rendering, by a display device, at least a portion of a sonar image over a geographic map at a position and oriented in the direction of movement of the watercraft, wherein the sonar image is based on the sonar image data, wherein the position of the sonar image on the geographic map corresponds to the position of the watercraft associated with the sonar image data;
• wherein, in an instance in which at least two sets of range cell data are associated with a same location, the display device is configured to render the portion of the sonar image at the same location corresponding to one of the at least two sets of range cell data, wherein each set of range cell data of the at least two sets of range cell data comprises an amplitude value at the same location, and wherein the amplitude value for the one of the at least two sets of range cell data that corresponds to the rendered portion of the sonar image is larger than any of the other amplitude values of the other sets of range cell data of the at least two sets of range cell data.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprised of at least one memory device having computer program instructions stored thereon, the computer program instructions being configured, when executed by processing circuitry, to:

• cause transmission of a sonar beam via a transducer assembly affixed to a watercraft;
• determine positioning data by position sensing circuitry, the positioning data being indicative of a position of the watercraft;
• convert received raw sonar data into range cell data based at least on amplitudes of return echoes of the sonar beam received by the transducer assembly, wherein the raw sonar data is based on the return echoes;
• make a location-based association between the range cell data and the positioning data;
• plot the range cell data based on respective positions derived from the positioning data and rotate the range cell data based on a direction of movement of the watercraft to generate adjusted range cell data;
• convert the adjusted range cell data into sonar image data;
• and
• render at least a portion of a sonar image over a geographic map at a position and oriented in the direction of movement of the watercraft, wherein the sonar image is based on the sonar image data, wherein the position of the sonar image on the geographic map corresponds to the position of the watercraft associated with the sonar image data;
• wherein, in an instance in which at least two sets of range cell data are associated with a same location, the portion of the sonar image that is rendered at the same location corresponds to one of the at least two sets of range cell data, wherein each set of range cell data of the at least two sets of range cell data comprises an amplitude value at the same location, and wherein the amplitude value for the one of the at least two sets of range cell data that corresponds to the rendered portion of the sonar image is larger than any of the other amplitude values of the other sets of range cell data of the at least two sets of range cell data.