Castable sonar device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054684-B2
Application number	US-201514806635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to a castable sonar device that may include a housing. The housing may include a buoyant component and a sonar transducer element configured to produce compressed high intensity radar pulse (CHIRP) sonar. The housing may include a wireless data communication module for communicating with one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A castable sonar device for imaging an underwater environment, the castable sonar device comprising:
a housing having:
a buoyant component;
a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to generate location data corresponding to the location of the castable sonar device;
a sonar transducer element configured to produce compressed high intensity radar pulse (CHIRP) sonar and produce sonar data corresponding to the underwater environment relative to the castable sonar device; and
a wireless data communication module for communicating with one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images, wherein the wireless data communication module is configured to transmit the sonar data and the location data to the one or more wireless computing devices, wherein the wireless data communication module is further configured to:
receive an instruction to provide location data for retrieval of the castable sonar device; and
transmit, in response to receiving the instruction, location data corresponding to a current location of the castable sonar device to the one or more wireless computing devices.

2. The castable sonar device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a CHIRP-enabled processor.

3. The castable sonar device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images is a marine electronics device configured to connect to a National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) network.

4. The castable sonar device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is waterproof.

5. A castable sonar device for imaging an underwater environment, the castable sonar device comprising:
a housing having:
a buoyant component;
a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to generate location data corresponding to the location of the castable sonar device;
a down-scan transducer configured to produce sonar data corresponding to the underwater environment relative to the castable sonar device; and
a wireless data communication module for communicating with one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images, wherein the wireless data communication module is configured to transmit the sonar data and the location data to the one or more wireless computing devices, wherein the wireless data communication module is further configured to:
receive an instruction to provide location data for retrieval of the castable sonar device; and
transmit, in response to receiving the instruction, location data corresponding to a current location of the castable sonar device to the one or more wireless computing devices.

6. The castable sonar device of claim 5 , wherein the housing further comprises a GPS module.

7. The castable sonar device of claim 5 , wherein the housing further comprises a sonar transducer element configured to produce CHIRP sonar.

8. The castable sonar device of claim 5 , wherein the wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images is a marine electronics device configured to connect to a NMEA network.

9. The castable sonar device of claim 5 , wherein the housing is waterproof.

10. A castable sonar device for imaging an underwater environment, the castable sonar device comprising:
a waterproof housing having:
a buoyant component;
a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to generate location data corresponding to the location of the castable sonar device;
a side-scan sonar transducer element configured to produce sonar data corresponding to the underwater environment relative to the castable sonar device; and
a wireless data communication module for communicating with one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images, wherein the wireless data communication module is configured to transmit the sonar data and the location data to the one or more wireless computing devices, wherein the wireless data communication module is further configured to:
receive an instruction to provide location data for retrieval of the castable sonar device; and
transmit, in response to receiving the instruction, location data corresponding to a current location of the castable sonar device to the one or more wireless computing devices.

11. The castable sonar device of claim 10 , wherein the waterproof housing further comprises a motor configured to spin the sonar device while the side scan sonar transducer element operates.

12. The castable sonar device of claim 10 , wherein the waterproof housing further comprises a sonar transducer element configured to produce CHIRP sonar.

13. The castable sonar device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display sonar images is a marine electronics device configured to connect to a NMEA network.

14. A castable device for imaging an underwater environment, the castable device comprising:
a waterproof housing having:
a buoyant component;
a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to generate location data corresponding to the location of the castable device;
a camera configured to generate camera data corresponding to the underwater environment relative to the castable device;
a light; and
a wireless data communication module for communicating with one or more wireless computing devices enabled to display images, wherein the wireless data communication module is configured to transmit the camera data and the location data to the one or more wireless computing devices, wherein the wireless data communication module is further configured to:
receive an instruction to provide location data for retrieval of the castable device; and
transmit, in response to receiving the instruction, location data corresponding to a current location of the castable device to the one or more wireless computing devices.

15. The castable device of claim 14 , wherein the waterproof housing further comprises a down-scan transducer.

16. The castable device of claim 14 , wherein the waterproof housing further comprises a sonar transducer element configured to produce CHIRP sonar.

17. The castable device of claim 14 , wherein the waterproof housing further comprises a motor configured to spin the device while the camera operates.

18. The castable device of claim 14 , wherein the wireless computing devices enabled to display images is a marine electronics device configured to connect to a NMEA network.

19. The castable sonar device of claim 1 , wherein the location data was recorded for a location corresponding to receipt of the sonar data, and wherein the location data is associated with the sonar data when transmitted to the one or more wireless computing devices.

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Laster Matthew

Classifications

• G01S19/35

  Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain · CPC title

• G01S15/8902

  Side-looking sonar · CPC title

• G01S19/14

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01S7/524

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S15/104

  wherein the transmitted pulses use a frequency- or phase-modulated carrier wave · CPC title