Quantitative echo souner and method of quantitative sounding of fish

• US 20050226099A1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Misonoo, Satoshi, Toda, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Katsuhisa, Satoh, Takanori, Kinoshita, Youhei, Onishi, Yuriko, Kubota, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,193,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/99
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/539 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/346 using phase variation

Abstract

A quantitative echo sounder includes delay circuits, phase correction circuits, an incidence angle calculator and a directivity correction unit. The delay circuits adjust transmission start timing or phases of acoustic waves radiated by individual vibrating elements based on pitch and roll angles measured by a motion sensing device so that the direction of an acoustic axis of a transmitting beam matches a sounding direction. The phase correction circuits adjust phases of received echo signals based on the pitch and roll angles so that the direction of an acoustic axis of a receiving beam matches the sounding direction. The incidence angle calculator calculates echo signal incidence angle with respect to the sounding direction from phase differences among receiving beam signals obtained by four vibrating element groups. The directivity correction unit corrects a measured target strength by using the echo signal incidence angle calculated by the incidence angle calculator.

Claims

1. A split-beam type quantitative echo sounder having a capability to correct a measured target strength of an object by the angle of incidence of echo signals returned by said object, said quantitative echo sounder comprising:

a transducer having a plurality of vibrating elements for radiating acoustic waves, the vibrating elements being arranged close to one another on a flat plane and divided at least into three groups, the centers of gravity of the three vibrating element groups being located not in line;

a transmit signal regulator for matching the direction of an acoustic axis of a transmitting beam with a predetermined sounding direction by adjusting transmission start timing or phases of the acoustic waves radiated by the individual vibrating elements based on pitch and roll angles measured at a moment of transmission start and the positions of the individual vibrating elements on the transducer;

a received signal regulator for matching the direction of an acoustic axis of a receiving beam with said sounding direction by adjusting phases of the echo signals received by the individual vibrating elements based on pitch and roll angles measured at a moment of receiving the echo signals and the positions of the individual vibrating elements on the transducer;

an incidence angle calculator for calculating the angle of incidence of the echo signals with respect to said sounding direction from phase differences between receiving beam signals formed from the phase-adjusted received echo signals obtained by at least one vibrating element group; and

a first target strength corrector for correcting the measured target strength of said object based on the calculated incidence angle of the received echo signals.

2. The quantitative echo sounder according to claim 1 further comprising a second target strength corrector which calculates a first angle that the normal to a transmit-receive surface of said transducer makes with said sounding direction by using the pitch and roll angles measured at the moment of transmission start, calculates a second angle that the normal to the transmit-receive surface of said transducer makes with said sounding direction by using the pitch and roll angles measured at the moment of receiving the echo signals, and corrects said target strength based on said first and second angles.

3. The quantitative echo sounder according to claim 1 further comprising means for calculating a first aperture area of the transmit-receive surface of said transducer as viewed along said sounding direction by using the pitch and roll angles measured at the moment of transmission start, varying the number of vibrating elements used for transmitting the acoustic waves in a manner that said first aperture area has a fixed value, calculating a second aperture area of the transmit-receive surface of said transducer as viewed along said sounding direction by using the pitch and roll angles measured at the moment of receiving the echo signals, and varying the number of vibrating elements used for receiving the echo signals in a manner that said second aperture area has a fixed value.

4. The quantitative echo sounder according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the amount of adjustment of the transmission start timing or the phases of the acoustic waves and the amount of adjustment of the phases of the received echo signals are calculated from the scalar product of a vector indicating said sounding direction and position vectors of the individual vibrating elements corrected by the pitch and roll angles.

5. The quantitative echo sounder according to one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising:

a display unit for displaying the location of said object detected; and

means for determining the amount of displacement of said transducer from a reference position thereof in a vertical direction;

wherein the location of said object along the vertical direction displayed on said display unit is corrected by the determined amount of displacement of said transducer.

6. The quantitative echo sounder according to one of claims 1 to 3 further comprising means for varying said sounding direction which is a vertically downward direction or a direction inclined from the vertically downward direction by a specific angle.

7. The quantitative echo sounder according to claim 6 further comprising:

a display unit for displaying the location of said object detected; and

means for determining the amount of displacement of said transducer from a reference position thereof in a vertical direction;

wherein the location of said object along the vertical direction displayed on said display unit is corrected by the determined amount of displacement of said transducer and said specific angle that said sounding direction makes with the vertically downward direction.

8. A method of split-beam type quantitative fish echo sounding by use of a transducer having a plurality of vibrating elements for radiating acoustic waves, the vibrating elements being arranged close to one another on a flat plane and divided at least into three groups, the centers of gravity of the three vibrating element groups being located not in line, in which a measured target strength of an object is corrected by the angle of incidence of echo signals returned by said object, said method comprising:

matching the direction of an acoustic axis of a transmitting beam with a predetermined sounding direction by adjusting transmission start timing or phases of the acoustic waves radiated by the individual vibrating elements based on pitch and roll angles measured at a moment of transmission start and the positions of the individual vibrating elements on the transducer;

matching the direction of an acoustic axis of a receiving beam with said sounding direction by adjusting phases of the echo signals received by the individual vibrating elements based on pitch and roll angles measured at a moment of receiving the echo signals and the positions of the individual vibrating elements on the transducer;

calculating the angle of incidence of the echo signals with respect to said sounding direction from phase differences between receiving beam signals formed from the phase-adjusted received echo signals obtained by at least one vibrating element group; and

correcting the measured target strength of said object based on the calculated incidence angle of the received echo signals.

9. A split-beam type quantitative echo sounder comprising:

a transducer having a plurality of vibrating elements for radiating acoustic waves;

a transmit signal regulator for matching the direction of an acoustic axis of a transmitting beam with a predetermined sounding direction based on pitch and roll angles measured at a moment of transmission start; and

a received signal regulator for matching the direction of an acoustic axis of a receiving beam with said sounding direction based on pitch and roll angles measured at a moment of receiving echo signals.