Sonar systems and methods using interferometry and/or beamforming for 3D imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10114119-B2
Application number	US-201514717458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Provided are a sonar system, transducer assembly, and method for imaging an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing having a transducer array defining first and second rows of transducer elements positioned at a predetermined distance. The first row of transducer elements may include at least first and second transducer elements configured to convert sound energy into first and second sonar return data. The second row of transducer elements may include at least third and fourth transducer elements configured to convert sound energy into third and fourth sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may be configured to process the first and second sonar return data and third and fourth sonar return data to generate respective first and second array sonar return data corresponding to a plurality of first and second receive beams and generate 3D sonar return data by correlating the angles associated with the receive beams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sonar system for imaging an underwater environment comprising:
a housing mountable to a watercraft;
a transducer array within the housing and aimed at least partially downwardly from the watercraft;
wherein the transducer array defines a first row of transducer elements and a second row of transducer elements;
wherein the first row of transducer elements comprises at least a first transducer element and a second transducer element;
wherein the first transducer element is configured to receive first sonar returns from sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the first sonar returns into first sonar return data;
wherein the second transducer element is configured to receive second sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the second sonar returns into second sonar return data;

wherein the second row of transducer elements comprises at least a third transducer element and a fourth transducer element;
wherein the third transducer element is configured to receive third sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the third sonar returns into third sonar return data;
wherein the fourth transducer element is configured to receive fourth sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the fourth sonar returns into fourth sonar return data;

wherein the first row of transducer elements is disposed proximate the second row of transducer elements such that the first transducer element is positioned in the housing at a predetermined distance from the third transducer element and the second transducer element is positioned in the housing at the predetermined distance from the fourth transducer element;

a sonar signal processor configured to:
process the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data to generate a plurality of first array sonar return data that correspond to a plurality of first receive beams that are each oriented at different predetermined angles with respect to each other;
process the third sonar return data and the fourth sonar return data to generate a plurality of second array sonar return data that correspond to a plurality of second receive beams that are each oriented at the different predetermined angles with respect to each other;
generate, based on the first sonar return data, the second sonar return data, the third sonar return data, and the fourth sonar return data, a set of 3D sonar return data associated with the underwater environment by:
generating one or more second angles within each of the plurality of first receive beams by correlating the plurality of first array sonar return data and the plurality of second array sonar return data at each of the different predetermined angles, wherein the correlation is based on the predetermined distance, and wherein the second angle is perpendicular to the different predetermined angle of each corresponding first receive beam; and

generate a 3D image based on the generated set of 3D sonar return data.

2. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance is a first predetermined distance, wherein the transducer array further comprises:
a third row of transducer elements comprises at least a fifth transducer element and a sixth transducer element;
wherein the fifth transducer element is configured to receive fifth sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the fifth sonar returns into fifth sonar return data;
wherein the sixth transducer element is configured to receive sixth sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the sixth sonar returns into sixth sonar return data;

wherein the third row of transducer elements is disposed adjacent the second row of transducer elements, such that the fifth transducer element is positioned in the housing at a second predetermined distance from the third transducer element and the sixth transducer element is positioned in the housing at the second predetermined distance from the fourth transducer element;
wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the fifth sonar return data and the sixth sonar return data to generate a plurality of third array sonar return data that correspond to a plurality of third receive beams that are each oriented at the different predetermined angles with respect to each other; and
wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to generate the second angle within each of the plurality of first receive beams based on a correlation among the plurality of first array sonar return data, the plurality of second array sonar return data, and the plurality of third array sonar return data.

3. The sonar system of claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined distance is different than the second predetermined distance.

4. The sonar system of claim 3 , wherein the first predetermined distance is half the second predetermined distance.

5. The sonar system of claim 2 , wherein the fifth transducer element is positioned in the housing at a third predetermined distance from the first transducer element and the sixth transducer element is positioned in the housing at the third predetermined distance from the second transducer element.

6. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the first row and the second row are oriented horizontally, such that a first axis spanning the first transducer element and the second transducer element and a second axis spanning the third transducer element and the fourth transducer element are configured to be disposed perpendicular to a centerline of the watercraft.

7. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the first row and the second row are oriented at least partially vertically, such that at least a component of a first axis spanning the first transducer element and the second transducer element and at least a component a second axis spanning the third transducer element and the fourth transducer element are configured to be disposed parallel to a centerline of the watercraft.

8. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the first row of transducer elements further comprises a fifth transducer element configured to receive fifth sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the fifth sonar returns into fifth sonar return data,
wherein the second row of transducer elements further comprises a sixth transducer element configured to receive sixth sonar returns from the sonar pulses transmitted into the underwater environment and convert sound energy of the sixth sonar returns into sixth sonar return data,
wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the fifth sonar return data with the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data to generate the plurality of first array sonar return data, and
wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the sixth sonar return data with the third sonar return data and the fourth sonar return data to generate the plurality of second array sonar return data.

9. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first row of transducer elements and the second row of transducer elements include more transducer elements than a number of rows of transducer elements.

10. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the first transducer element is formed of a plurality of transducer elements electrically connected to act as the first transducer element.

11. The sonar s

Assignees

• Navico Holding As

Inventors

• Horner Ronald Joe
• Proctor Alan Lee

Classifications

• G01S15/8902 Primary

  Side-looking sonar · CPC title

• G01S7/6245 Primary

  Stereoscopic displays; Three-dimensional displays; Pseudo-three dimensional displays · CPC title

• G01S15/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title