Sonar imaging system for mounting to watercraft

• US 20060023570A1
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Inventors: Betts, David A., Derrow, Robert W., Howells, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,652,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/88
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/107 using frequency agility of carrier wave
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8902 Side-looking sonar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features

Abstract

A sonar imaging system for a watercraft is disclosed. The sonar imaging system comprises a transducer coupled to the watercraft and having at least one side scanning element and at least one bottom scanning element, an electronic control head unit coupled to the transducer and configured to display sonar images. The downward acoustic elements may be circular and the side scan acoustic elements may be rectangular. A software filter may be provided to remove noise generated by a spark plug or other operation of a motor for the watercraft.

Claims

21. A transducer assembly, comprising:

a housing having mounting members adapted to mount the transducer assembly to a watercraft; and

at least one side scan acoustic element positioned within the housing to provide side scan sonar imaging.

1. A sonar imaging system, comprising:

a transducer assembly including a housing having mounting members adapted to mount the transducer assembly to a watercraft, the transducer assembly including at least one side scan acoustic element positioned within the housing to provide side scan sonar imaging; and

an electronic control head operatively coupled to the transducer assembly to control the at least one side scan acoustic element, the electronic control head including a user interface for displaying side scan sonar images.

2. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a second side scan acoustic element positioned within the housing to provide opposite side scan sonar imaging.

3. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, wherein the at least one side scan acoustic element is positioned within the housing at a depression angle of between about 20 degrees and about 40 degrees.

4. The sonar imaging system of claim 3, wherein the at least one side scan acoustic elements is positioned within the housing at a depression angle of about 30 degrees.

5. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control head controls the at least one side scan acoustic element to operate at dual frequencies.

6. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, wherein the control head controls the at least one side scan acoustic elements to operate at approximately a 260 kHz resonant frequency to provide a wide acoustic wave beam for imaging deep depths and far distances.

7. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, wherein the control head controls the at least one side scan acoustic element to operate at approximately a 462 kHz resonant frequency to provide a narrow acoustic wave beam for shallow depths and short distances.

8. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, wherein the at least one side scan acoustic element is configured to generate an acoustic wave having a wide vertical angle and a narrow horizontal angle.

9. The sonar imaging system of claim 8, wherein the at least one side scan acoustic element is rectangular having a length of between about three inches to about seven inches and a width of between about 0.125 inches and about 0.5 inches.

10. The sonar imaging system of claim 9, wherein the length is about 4.5 inches and the width is about 0.25 inches.

11. The sonar imaging system of claim 8, further comprising an acoustic shield surrounding all but one face of the at least one side scan acoustic element.

12. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, further comprising at least one down scan acoustic element positioned in the housing.

13. The sonar imaging system of claim 12, further comprising two down scan acoustic elements positioned in the housing.

14. The sonar imaging system of claim 12, wherein the at least one down scan acoustic element is cylindrical.

15. The sonar imaging system of claim 14, wherein the at least one down scan acoustic element has a diameter of between about one to two inches and a height of between about 0.2 inch and about 0.5 inch.

16. The sonar imaging system of claim 12, wherein the at least one down scan acoustic element produces an acoustic pulse having a beam angle of about 20 degrees.

17. The sonar imaging system of claim 12, wherein the electronic control head controls the at least one down scan acoustic element to operate at at least dual frequencies.

18. The sonar imaging system of claim 12, wherein the transducer assembly includes means for transducer yaw compensation.

19. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control head includes means for filtering vessel noise sources.

20. The sonar imaging system of claim 1, further comprising a GPS receiver operatively coupled to the electronic control head to provide positioning information thereto.

22. The transducer assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one side scan acoustic element is positioned within the housing at a depression angle of about 20 degrees.

23. The transducer assembly of claim 21, wherein the at least one side scan acoustic element is rectangular having dimensions particularly configured to generate an acoustic wave having a wide vertical angle and a narrow horizontal angle.

23-1. The transducer assembly of claim 21, further comprising at least one down scan acoustic element positioned within the housing to provide down scan sonar imaging.

24. A transducer assembly for providing sonar imaging below and to each side of a watercraft, comprising:

a housing having mounting members adapted to mount the transducer assembly to a watercraft;

a pair of side scan acoustic elements positioned within the housing to provide side scan sonar imaging to each side of the watercraft; and

at least one down scan acoustic element positioned within the housing to provide down scan sonar imaging below the watercraft.