Sonar Module Using Multiple Receiving Elements

• US 20140010049A1
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Proctor, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 9,348,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 367/88
• 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 15/8902 Side-looking sonar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6218 providing two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction

Abstract

A sonar module using multiple receiving elements. A sonar module for use with a vessel may include a housing positioned on the vessel. The sonar module may also include one or more transmitting elements positioned inside the housing and configured to send at least one transmit signal to a transducer array. The sonar module may further include a first receiving element, a second receiving element, a third receiving element, and a fourth receiving element positioned inside the housing, where the first receiving element is configured to receive a first sonar data from the transducer array, the second receiving element is configured to receive a second sonar data from the transducer array, the third receiving element is configured to receive a third sonar data from the transducer array, and the fourth receiving element is configured to receive a fourth sonar data from the transducer array.

Claims

1. A sonar module for use with a vessel, comprising:

a housing positioned on the vessel;

one or more transmitting elements positioned inside the housing and configured to send at least one transmit signal to a transducer array; and

a first receiving element, a second receiving element, a third receiving element, and a fourth receiving element positioned inside the housing, wherein the first receiving element is configured to receive a first sonar data from the transducer array, the second receiving element is configured to receive a second sonar data from the transducer array, the third receiving element is configured to receive a third sonar data from the transducer array, and the fourth receiving element is configured to receive a fourth sonar data from the transducer array.

2. The sonar module of claim 1, wherein the one or more transmitting elements comprise a first transmitting element configured to send a first transmit signal to the transducer array and a second transmitting element configured to send a second transmit signal to the transducer array.

3. The sonar module of claim 2, wherein the first transmitting element is configured to send the first transmit signal to a linear transducer element of the transducer array, and wherein the second transmitting element is configured to send the second transmit signal to a circular transducer element of the transducer array.

4. The sonar module of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and wherein at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency.

5. The sonar module of claim 1, wherein the first sonar data, the second sonar data, and the third sonar data are received from linear transducer elements of the transducer array, and wherein the fourth sonar data is received from a circular transducer element of the transducer array.

6. The sonar module of claim 5, wherein the first sonar data corresponds to an area of water proximate a left side of the vessel, the second sonar data corresponds to an area of water proximate a down side of the vessel, the third sonar data corresponds to an area of water proximate a right side of the vessel, and the fourth sonar data corresponds to an area of water proximate the down side of the vessel.

7. The sonar module of claim 1, further comprising:

a sonar signal processor positioned inside the housing and configured to process the first sonar data, the second sonar data, the third sonar data, and the fourth sonar data; and

a display element positioned inside the housing and configured to display images of the processed first sonar data, the processed second sonar data, the processed third sonar data, and the processed fourth sonar data.

8. The sonar module of claim 1, wherein a frequency of the at least one transmit signal is selected from between about 40 kilohertz (kHz) to about 850 kHz.

9. The sonar module of claim 1, wherein the first receiving element is configured to filter the first sonar data, wherein the second receiving element is configured to filter the second sonar data, wherein the third receiving element is configured to filter the third sonar data, and wherein the fourth receiving element is configured to filter the fourth sonar data.

10. A sonar system for use with a vessel, comprising:

a sonar module, comprising;

a housing positioned on the vessel;

one or more transmitting elements positioned inside the housing and configured to send at least one transmit signal to a transducer array; and

a first receiving element, a second receiving element, a third receiving element, and a fourth receiving element positioned inside the housing, wherein the first receiving element is configured to receive a first sonar data from the transducer array, the second receiving element is configured to receive a second sonar data from the transducer array, the third receiving element is configured to receive a third sonar data from the transducer array, and the fourth receiving element is configured to receive a fourth sonar data from the transducer array; and

wherein the transducer array is in communication with the sonar module and is configured to (i) receive the at least one transmit signal from the one or more transmitting elements, (ii) produce one or more sonar beams based on the at least one transmit signal, and (iii) receive one or more sonar return signals from an underwater environment.

11. The sonar system of claim 10, wherein the one or more transmitting elements comprise a first transmitting element configured to send a first transmit signal to the transducer array and a second transmitting element configured to send a second transmit signal to the transducer array.

12. The sonar system of claim 11, wherein the transducer array comprises:

a first transducer element configured to (i) receive the first transmit signal from the first transmitting element, (ii) produce sonar beams based on the first transmit signal, and (iii) receive a first sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a first side of the vessel;

a second transducer element configured to receive a second sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a second side of the vessel;

a third transducer element configured to receive a third sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a third side of the vessel; and

a fourth transducer element configured to (i) receive the second transmit signal from the second transmitting element, (ii) produce sonar beams based on the second transmit signal, and (iii) receive a fourth sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a fourth side of the vessel.

13. The sonar system of claim 12, wherein the first transducer element, the second transducer element, and the third transducer element each comprise a linear transducer element, and wherein the fourth transducer element comprises a circular transducer element.

14. The sonar system of claim 12, wherein the first transducer element produces sonar beams via a down face, a left face, and a right face of the first transducer element.

15. The sonar system of claim 12, wherein the first side of the vessel is a down side of the vessel, the second side of the vessel is a right side of the vessel, the third side of the vessel is a left side of the vessel, and the fourth side of the vessel is the down side of the vessel.

16. The sonar system of claim 12, wherein the first transducer element is configured to convert the first sonar return signal to the first sonar data, wherein the second transducer element is configured to convert the second sonar return signal to the second sonar data, wherein the third transducer element is configured to convert the third sonar return signal to the third sonar data, and the fourth transducer element is configured to convert the fourth sonar return signal to the fourth sonar data.

17. The sonar system of claim 10, wherein the sonar module further comprises:

a sonar signal processor positioned inside the housing and configured to process the first sonar data, the second sonar data, the third sonar data, and the fourth sonar data; and

a display element positioned inside the housing and configured to display images of the processed first sonar data, the processed second sonar data, the processed third sonar data, and the processed fourth sonar data.

18. The sonar system of claim 10, wherein the first receiving element is configured to filter the first sonar data, wherein the second receiving element is configured to filter the second sonar data, wherein the third receiving element is configured to filter the third sonar data, and wherein the fourth receiving element is configured to filter the fourth sonar data.

19. The sonar system of claim 10, wherein a frequency of the at least one transmit signal is selected from between about 40 kilohertz (kHz) to about 850 kHz.

20. The sonar system of claim 10, wherein the at least one transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and wherein at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency.