Frequency steered sonar array system with three-dimensional functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11536820-B2
Application number	US-202016787217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2020
Priority date	Feb 11, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A transducer system comprises a first frequency steered transducer array element and a second frequency steered transducer array element that is spaced apart from the first frequency steered transducer array element. The system additionally includes a processing element in communication with the first and second frequency steered transducer array elements. The processing element is configured to receive a first receive electronic signal from the first frequency steered sonar array element, receive a second receive electronic signal from the second frequency steered array sonar element, compare a difference in amplitude between the first receive electronic signal and the second receive electronic signal to determine a cross-track position of an underwater target, and control a display to present an indication of the cross-track position of the underwater target.

First claim

Having thus described various embodiments of the technology, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. A transducer system comprising:
a first frequency steered transducer array element, the first frequency steered transducer array element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements;
a second frequency steered transducer array element, spaced apart from the first frequency steered transducer array element, the second frequency steered transducer array element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein each frequency steered transducer array element is configured to receive a transmit electronic signal including a plurality of frequency components and to transmit an array of sonar beams into a body of water, each sonar beam transmitted in an angular direction that varies according to one of the frequency components of the transmit electronic signal, and
a processing element in communication with the first and second frequency steered transducer array elements, the processing element configured to—
receive a first receive electronic signal from the first frequency steered sonar array element,
receive a second receive electronic signal from the second frequency steered array sonar element,
compare a difference in amplitude between the first receive electronic signal and the second receive electronic signal to determine a cross-track position of a plurality of underwater targets,
track the relative positions of the plurality of underwater targets, and
control a display to present an indication of the cross-track position of the plurality of underwater targets, and an alert when a first underwater target is determined to be positioned within a predetermined range of a second underwater target.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to—
create a sum signal by summing the first and second receive electronic signals,
create a difference signal based on the difference between the first and second receive electronic signals, and
determine a ratio of the sum signal and the difference signal, wherein the ratio is utilized to determine the cross-track position of each underwater target.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the cross-track position of each underwater target indicates whether the target is to the left or right of a pointing axis of the system.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each underwater target is colored a first color if determined to be to the left of the pointing axis and colored a second color if determined to be to the right of the pointing axis.

5. The system of claim 1 , further including a user interface in communication with the processing element, wherein the user interface enables a user to select one of the plurality of underwater targets.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processing element is further configured to generate a motor control signal based on the determined cross-track position of each underwater target, the motor control signal being usable by a motor to physically position one or more of the transducer array elements to track one of the plurality of underwater targets.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transducer array elements are arranged in a co-axial configuration such than an array face of the first transducer array element is rotated with respect to an array face of the second transducer array element.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is configured to automatically identify each underwater target.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency steered transducer array element and the second frequency steered transducer array element are each arranged in a fan-shaped configuration.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first underwater target is a fish and the second underwater target is a fishing lure.

11. A transducer system comprising:
a first frequency steered transducer array element, the first frequency steered transducer array element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements;
a second frequency steered transducer array element, spaced apart from the first frequency steered transducer array element, the second frequency steered transducer array element including a plurality of piezoelectric elements, wherein each frequency steered transducer array element is configured to receive a transmit electronic signal including a plurality of frequency components and to transmit an array of sonar beams into a body of water, each sonar beam transmitted in an angular direction that varies according to one of the frequency components of the transmit electronic signal;
a display;
a user interface; and
a processing element in communication with the display, the user interface, the first and second frequency steered transducer array elements, the processing element configured to—
receive a first receive electronic signal from the first frequency steered sonar array element,
receive a second receive electronic signal from the second frequency steered array sonar element,
compare a difference in amplitude between the first receive electronic signal and the second receive electronic signal to determine a cross-track position of a plurality of underwater targets,
track the relative positions of the plurality of underwater targets,
control the display to present an indication of the cross-track position of the plurality of underwater targets indicating whether each target is to the left or right of a pointing axis of the system and an alert when a first underwater target is determined to be positioned within a predetermined range of a second underwater target,
receive from the user interface a selection of one of the plurality of underwater targets by a user, and
in response to selection of one of the plurality of underwater targets by the user, generate a motor control signal based on the determined cross-track position of the selected underwater target, the motor control signal being usable by a motor to physically position one or more of the transducer array elements to track the selected underwater target.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing element is further configured to—
create a sum signal by summing the first and second receive electronic signals,
create a difference signal based on the difference between the first and second receive electronic signals,
determine a ratio of the sum signal and the difference signal, wherein the ratio is utilized to determine the cross-track position of each underwater target.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first and second transducer array elements are arranged in a co-axial configuration such than an array face of the first transducer array element is rotated with respect to an array face of the second transducer array element.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing element is configured to automatically identify each underwater target and present an indication of the identification on the display.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first frequency steered transducer array element and the second frequency steered transducer array element are each arranged in a fan-shaped configuration.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the motor control signal is a trolling motor control signal.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first underwater target is a fish and the second underwater target is a fishing lure.

Assignees

• Garmin Switzerland Gmbh

Inventors

• Wigh Jeffrey B
• Hendrix David M

Classifications

• G01S7/521 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title

• G01S7/6218

  providing two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction · CPC title

• G01S7/524

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S15/96

  for locating fish · CPC title