Castable sonar devices and operations in a marine environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11809179-B2
Application number	US-202318159209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2023
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

Many different types of systems are utilized and tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of castable devices that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more castable devices can be integrated with a transducer assembly, such as a phased array, that emits sonar beams and receives sonar returns from the underwater environment. Processing circuitry may receive the sonar returns, process the sonar returns, generate an image, and transmit the image to a display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for controlling castable sonar devices, the system comprising:
a plurality of castable sonar devices, wherein the plurality of castable sonar devices comprises a first castable sonar device and a second castable sonar device, and wherein each castable sonar device within the plurality of castable sonar devices comprises:
a housing configured to float on a body of water above an underwater environment, wherein the housing comprises a tether connection feature configured to connect to a tether or fishing line;
a power source positioned within the housing;
a transducer assembly positioned within the housing, wherein the transducer assembly comprises at least one transducer element positioned within the housing and aimed downwardly therefrom;
a location sensor configured to determine a position of the castable sonar device;
a propulsion system configured to propel the castable sonar device along a surface of the body of water;
a wireless communication element configured to transmit one or more signals to and receive one or more signals from a remote computing device; and
processing circuitry provided within the housing, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine a current position of the castable sonar device;
transmit the current position of the castable sonar device to the remote computing device;
receive instructions from the remote computing device to move to a location;
cause the propulsion system to operate to cause the castable sonar device to move to the location;
receive one or more sonar returns from the at least one transducer element; and
transmit, via the wireless communication element, sonar data or sonar image data corresponding to the one or more sonar returns to the remote computing device for presentation on a display of the remote computing device; and

the remote computing device comprising:
a wireless communication element configured for wireless communication with each of the plurality of castable sonar devices;
a user interface comprising a display; and
processing circuitry configured to:
determine a first position of the first castable sonar device and a second position of the second castable sonar device such that the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device form a relative position with respect to each other;
send a first signal to the first castable sonar device to cause the propulsion system of the first castable sonar device to propel the first castable sonar device to the first position;
send a second signal to the second castable sonar device to cause the propulsion system of the second castable sonar device to propel the second castable sonar device to the second position;
receive the one or more sonar images from the plurality of castable sonar devices; and
cause presentation of the one or more sonar images on the display of the remote computing device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to maintain the first castable sonar device within a predetermined distance threshold from the second castable sonar device such that the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device form a desired shape to provide increased sonar coverage of the underwater environment.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the desired shape is a square grid or an array.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive a third signal from the first castable sonar device containing a first detected position from the location sensor of the first castable sonar device;
receive a fourth signal from the second castable sonar device containing a second detected position from the location sensor of the second castable sonar device; and
determine if the first detected position and the second detected position correspond to the relative position for the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device; and
in an instance in which the first detected position and the second detected position correspond to the relative position for the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device, causing the first castable sonar device to maintain the first detected position and the second castable sonar device to maintain the second detected position; or
in an instance in which the first detected position and the second detected position do not correspond to the relative position for the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device, determining an updated first position of the first castable sonar device and an updated second position of the second castable sonar device such that the updated first position and the updated second position correspond to the relative position of the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device, causing the first castable sonar device to propel the first castable sonar device to the updated first position, and causing the second castable sonar device to propel the second castable sonar device to the updated second position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position are continuously determined and additional signals are sent to the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device such that the first castable sonar device and the second castable sonar device move in formation, while maintaining the relative position, to patrol an area of the body of water.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to combine the one or more sonar images into a combined sonar image and cause presentation of the combined sonar image on the display of the remote computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to automatically determine the first position and the second position such that the plurality of castable sonar devices provides an optimal sonar coverage of the underwater environment.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the first position and the second position based on user input.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote computing device comprises one of a mobile computing device or a marine electronic device associated with a vessel.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each transducer assembly comprises a plurality of transducer elements that are affixed to a printed circuit board (PCB), and wherein each of the plurality of transducer elements is electrically connected to traces on the PCB.

11. A marine electronic device for controlling a plurality of castable sonar devices, the marine electronic device comprising:
a wireless communication element configured to receive one or more sonar images from a plurality of castable sonar devices, wherein the plurality of castable sonar devices comprises a first castable sonar device and a second castable sonar device, and wherein each castable sonar device within the plurality of castable sonar devices comprises:
a housing configured to float on a body of water above an underwater environment, wherein the housing comprises a tether connection feature configured to connect to a tether or fishing line;
a power source positioned within the housing;
a transducer assembly positioned within the housing, wherein the transducer assembly comprises at least one transducer element positioned within the housing and aimed downwardly therefrom;
a location sensor configured to determine a position of the castable sonar device;
a propulsion system configured to propel the castable sonar device along a surface of the body of water;
a wireless communication element configured to transm

Assignees

• Navico Inc

Inventors

• Clark Jeremiah
• Laster Matthew
• Newberry Jr William B
• Snyder Kristopher C

Classifications

• G05D1/0206

  specially adapted to water vehicles · CPC title

• G05D1/0094

  involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target · CPC title

• G05D1/0016

  characterised by the operator's input device (input arrangements for computing systems in general G06F3/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0038 Primary

  by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation (images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246) · CPC title

• B63B34/00 Primary

  Vessels specially adapted for water sports or leisure; Body-supporting devices specially adapted for water sports or leisure (water sports boards B63B32/00; swimming frameworks A63B35/00; propulsion arrangements actuated by muscle power B63H16/00) · CPC title