Multichannel sonar systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416307-B2
Application number	US-201615353579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2016
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide accurate and compact multichannel sonar systems for mobile structures. A compact multichannel sonar system includes a multichannel transducer and associated processing and control electronics and optionally orientation and/or position sensors disposed substantially within the housing of a sonar transducer assembly. The multichannel transducer includes multiple transmission and/or receive channels/transducer elements. The transducer assembly is configured to support and protect the multichannel transducer and associated electronics and sensors, to physically and/or adjustably couple to a mobile structure, and/or to provide a simplified interface to other systems coupled to the mobile structure. The system may additionally include an actuator configured to adjust an orientation of the transducer assembly. Resulting sonar data and/or imagery may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a sonar transducer assembly including a housing adapted to be mounted to a mobile structure;
a multichannel transducer disposed within the housing; and
a logic device disposed within the housing and in communication with the multichannel transducer, wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive acoustic returns from the multichannel transducer;
form one or more sonar return beams based, at least in part, on the acoustic returns; and

generate sonar image data based, at least in part, on the sonar return beams.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the multichannel transducer comprises:
a transmission channel configured to receive a transmission signal from a transmitter in communication with the logic device and produce an acoustic beam; and
at least two receive channels configured to provide acoustic returns to at least two receivers in communication with the logic device, wherein:
the at least two receivers are configured to provide the acoustic returns to the logic device; and
the logic device is configured to form the one or more sonar beams by performing beamforming, interferometry, and/or interpolation processing on the acoustic returns provided by the at least two receivers.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the multichannel transducer comprises an array of linear transducer elements disposed substantially longitudinally adjacent to each other; and
the array of linear transducer elements are arranged in a curved array and/or one or more planar arrays.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second transducer disposed within the housing and in communication with the logic device, wherein:
the second transducer comprises a single channel linear transducer, a single channel circular transducer, or a second multichannel transducer; and
the logic device is configured to:
transmit second transducer acoustic beams and/or receive second transducer acoustic returns using the second transducer; and

generate the sonar image data based, at least in part, on the second transducer acoustic beams and/or returns.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second transducer disposed within the housing and in communication with the logic device, wherein:
the second transducer comprises a single channel linear transducer, a single channel circular transducer, or a second multichannel transducer; and
the logic device is configured to:
transmit second transducer acoustic beams and/or receive second transducer acoustic returns using the second transducer; and

generate the sonar image data based, at least in part, on the second transducer acoustic beams and/or returns.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the mobile structure comprises a watercraft;
the temperature sensor, orientation sensor, and/or position sensor are disposed within the housing; and
the transducer assembly is adjustably mounted to a transom of the watercraft, a hull of the watercraft, a side of the watercraft, and/or an actuated and/or manual probe coupled to the watercraft and/or held by a user of the watercraft.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator in communication with the logic device and configured to adjust an orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly, wherein the logic device is configured to:
receive a measured orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly and/or the mobile structure;
determine an orientation and/or position adjustment based, at least in part, on a desired orientation and/or position for the transducer assembly and the measured orientation and/or position; and
control the actuator to adjust the orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly substantially to the desired orientation and/or position.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a user interface configured to accept user input, wherein the logic device is adapted to:
receive user input corresponding to a desired relative and/or absolute orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly; and
determine the desired orientation and/or position based, at least in part, on the user input.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface configured to display the sonar image data to a user, wherein the logic device is adapted to:
generate one or more selected display views from the sonar image data; and
display the one or more selected display views to the user, wherein the selected display views comprise an instantaneous view, an aggregate side view, a port and starboard differentiated aggregate side view, a port and starboard perspective view, an aggregate vertical down view, a three dimensional perspective view, a three dimensional bathymetric view, and/or a graphically differentiated port and starboard differentiated aggregate side view.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter in communication with the logic device and configured to provide a shaped transmission signal, wherein:
the transmitter comprises a digital to analog converter configured to convert a digital shaping control signal provided by the logic device to an analog shaping control signal, a shaping circuit configured to generate a shaped voltage based, at least in part, on the analog shaping control signal, and a power amplifier configured to generate the shaped transmission signal based, at least in part, on the shaped voltage and a transmission control signal provided by the logic device;
the power amplifier comprises a power source configured to supply a reference voltage to the shaping circuit;
the shaping circuit comprises an analog current amplifier configured to amplify the analog shaping control signal in proportion to the reference voltage to produce the shaped voltage; and
the transmitter is configured to provide the shaped transmission signal to a transmission channel of the multichannel transducer.

11. A method comprising:
receiving acoustic returns from a multichannel transducer disposed within a housing of a sonar transducer assembly;
forming one or more sonar return beams based, at least in part, on the acoustic returns; and
generating sonar image data based, at least in part, on the sonar return beams.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a shaped and/or unshaped transmission signal;
producing an acoustic beam based, at least in part, on the transmission signal;
providing acoustic returns to at least two receivers; and
forming the one or more sonar return beams by performing beamforming, interferometry, and/or interpolation processing on the acoustic returns.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the multichannel transducer comprises an array of linear transducer elements disposed substantially longitudinally adjacent to each other; and
the array of linear transducer elements are arranged in a curved array and/or one or more planar arrays.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting second transducer acoustic beams and/or receiving second transducer acoustic returns using a second transducer disposed within the housing, wherein the second transducer comprises a single channel linear transducer, a single channel circular transducer, or a second multichannel transducer; and
generating the sonar image data based, at least in part, on the second transducer acoustic beams and/or returns.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving temperature, orientation, and/or position measurements from a temperature, an orientation, and/or a position sensor; and
generating the sonar image data based, at least in part, on the temperature,

Assignees

• Flir Systems

Inventors

• Stokes Paul
• Wellcome David

Classifications

• G01S15/87

  Combinations of sonar systems · CPC title

• G01S7/521

  Constructional features · CPC title

• G01S7/52003

  Techniques for enhancing spatial resolution of targets (G01S7/52046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S15/86

  Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection · CPC title

• G01S15/96

  for locating fish · CPC title