Multichannel sonar systems and methods

• US 10,416,307 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne FLIR LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stokes, Paul, Wellcome, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/353,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20170059705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/87 Combinations of sonar systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52003 Techniques for enhancing spatial resolution of targets G01S7/52046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/524 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6245 Stereoscopic displays; Three-dimensional displays; Pseudo-three dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/006 Transducer mounting in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys

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.

Claims

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, orientation, and/or position measurements.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the transducer assembly is mounted to a mobile structure, at least in part, through an actuator configured to adjust an orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly, and wherein the mobile structure comprises a drone, a watercraft, an aircraft, a robot, and/or a vehicle, the method further comprising:

receiving a measured orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly and/or the mobile structure;

determining 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

controlling the actuator to adjust the orientation and/or position of the transducer assembly substantially to the desired orientation and/or position.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating one or more selected display views from the sonar image data; and

displaying the one or more selected display views to a 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.

18. A method comprising:

providing a transducer assembly housing and a logic device;

assembling a multichannel transducer; and

placing the multichannel transducer and the logic device within the housing to provide a transducer assembly, 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.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the multichannel transducer comprises a transmission channel configured to receive a transmission signal from a transmitter and at least two receive channels configured to provide acoustic returns to at least two receivers, the method further comprising:

providing the transmitter and at least two receivers; and

placing the transmitter and the at least two receivers within the housing.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a transmitter configured to provide a transmission signal to a transmission channel of the multichannel transducer, 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 provide a shaped voltage based, at least in part, on the analog shaping control signal, and a power amplifier configured to provide 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.