Surface mapping systems and methods using dynamic thresholds
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a sonar transducer assembly comprising a sonar transducer;
a sonar receiver configured to receive acoustic returns from the sonar transducer and convert the acoustic returns into arrays of time differentiated sonar data samples; and
a logic device adapted to communicate with the sonar receiver, wherein the logic device is configured to;
receive the arrays of the time differentiated sonar data samples from the sonar receiver;
divide a search area into a plurality of depth windows; and
successively search each of the plurality of depth windows until a surface is detected;
wherein for each successive search, the logic device is further configured to;
select one of the plurality of depth windows to be searched;
dynamically determine a threshold based on noise characteristics of the sonar data samples within the selected one of the plurality of depth windows;
detect whether the surface is present in the selected one of the depth windows based, at least in part, on a portion of the sonar data samples within the selected one of the plurality of depth windows having values that exceed the determined threshold for the selected one of the plurality of depth windows; and
determine a distance to the detected surface based on the detected portion of the sonar data samples.
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Abstract
Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide dynamic threshold sonar systems for mobile structures. A dynamic threshold sonar system may include sonar equipment configured to capturing sonar data by receiving and converting acoustic returns into arrays of time differentiated sonar data samples, and a processor communicatively coupled to the sonar receiver. The processor may be configured to receive the sonar data samples and determine noise characteristics of the sonar data. The processor may determine a threshold for surface detection based on the noise characteristics and detect a surface, and determine a distance to the surface, based on a comparison of the sonar data to the threshold that has been determined based on the same sonar data.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a sonar transducer assembly comprising a sonar transducer; a sonar receiver configured to receive acoustic returns from the sonar transducer and convert the acoustic returns into arrays of time differentiated sonar data samples; and a logic device adapted to communicate with the sonar receiver, wherein the logic device is configured to; receive the arrays of the time differentiated sonar data samples from the sonar receiver; divide a search area into a plurality of depth windows; and successively search each of the plurality of depth windows until a surface is detected; wherein for each successive search, the logic device is further configured to; select one of the plurality of depth windows to be searched; dynamically determine a threshold based on noise characteristics of the sonar data samples within the selected one of the plurality of depth windows; detect whether the surface is present in the selected one of the depth windows based, at least in part, on a portion of the sonar data samples within the selected one of the plurality of depth windows having values that exceed the determined threshold for the selected one of the plurality of depth windows; and determine a distance to the detected surface based on the detected portion of the sonar data samples. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of operating a sonar system, the method comprising:
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receiving sonar data samples from a sonar receiver; dividing a search area into a plurality of depth windows; and successively searching each of the plurality of depth windows until a surface is detected by a process comprising; dynamically determining a threshold based on the noise characteristics of the sonar data samples for a selected one of a plurality of depth windows; detecting the surface based, at least in part, on a portion of the sonar data samples within the selected one of the plurality of depth windows having values that exceed the determined threshold; and determining a distance to the detected surface based on the detected portion of the sonar data samples.
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18. A sonar system comprising:
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sonar equipment configured to capture sonar data; and a processor communicatively coupled to the sonar equipment, wherein the processor is configured to; determine a noise characteristic of the sonar data for a first of a plurality of depth windows; determine a threshold based on the noise characteristic for the first of the plurality of depth windows; accumulate a group of sonar data samples in the sonar data for the first of the plurality of depth windows, wherein each of the group of sonar data samples exceeds the determined threshold; and determine a distance to a surface based on a common distance of the group of sonar data samples. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification