Underwater mapping apparatus and method

• US 4,445,186 A
• Filed: 07/02/1980
• Issued: 04/24/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KeyBank National Association (KeyCorp)
• Original Assignee: Eg&G, Inc. (C.T. Consultants Inc.)
• Inventors: Germain, Francis R., Caron, Roger L., Clifford, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US06/165,234
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 340/798, 340/344, 340/347, 364/44, 364/521, 364/518-520, 364/523, 367/88, 358/112
• US Class Current: 345/539
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8902 Side-looking sonar

Abstract

A method and apparatus for producing a linear plan view display of a seabed, employing a side scan sonar signal system, have circuitry for repeatedly determining the height of the transmitting source relative to the seabed, circuitry for sampling the returning sonar signals, and circuitry for providing from the height determination and the sampled signals, the slant range correction needed to provide a linear output display, at least in a direction normal to the direction of movement of the transmitting source. The preferred method and apparatus also have elements for determining the velocity of the transmitting source and for effecting a one-to-one aspect ratio linear plan view of the seabed topography. In other aspects of the invention, a method and apparatus for controlling the display and for implementing the mapping transformation are described.

Claims

1. a display apparatus for displaying successive lines of data comprising

storage means for storing each successive line of data,

means for forming a line count associated with each line of data,

means for storing said formed line count, and

means for displaying each successive line of data in a number of successive lines of said display, said number corresponding to said stored line count.

2. The display apparatus of clam 1 wherein said storage means comprises

first and second storage registers, each storage register having means for receiving and storing said data and for making said lines of data available for reading, and said registers being connected so that when one of said registers is storing data, the other register makes its contents available for reading.