Sonar fish and bottom finder and display
First Claim
1. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
- sonar pulse generating means;
transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses, said target data comprising a plurality of data samples, each of said data samples corresponding to a predetermined depth increment;
addressable memory means for storing said target data;
display means for displaying stored target data retrieved from said memory means and scaled to a first depth scale; and
scale changing means for replacing at least some previously displayed stored target data on said display means with stored target data retrieved from said memory means and scaled to a second depth scale,whereby changing the scale on the display causes at least some information previously displayed on said display means at said first depth scale to be replaced with information at said second depth scale.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved microprocessor-controlled sonar depth sounder, which is automatically operative to detect and lock to the bottom of a body of water, fill in the display below the detected bottom, change display scales in response to the detected bottom going off-scale, and reformat the entire display in response to a scale change. A memory is provided for storing target data up to the operable depth limits of the device, thereby allowing display reversing and display expansion or "zoom" of a predetermined portion of the display selected by a zoom cursor. The zoom or cursor is variably positionable at different depths. The device employs an improved variable sensitivity amplifier. Also disclosed is an improved water-resistant switch construction for marine electronic equipment.
119 Citations
42 Claims
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1. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses, said target data comprising a plurality of data samples, each of said data samples corresponding to a predetermined depth increment; addressable memory means for storing said target data; display means for displaying stored target data retrieved from said memory means and scaled to a first depth scale; and scale changing means for replacing at least some previously displayed stored target data on said display means with stored target data retrieved from said memory means and scaled to a second depth scale, whereby changing the scale on the display causes at least some information previously displayed on said display means at said first depth scale to be replaced with information at said second depth scale. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses; addressable memory means for storing said target data in a predetermined number of arrays, each one of said arrays storing data corresponding to sonar returns from a single sonar pulse to a predetermined depth setting; display means for simultaneously displaying data corresponding to said predetermined number of arrays of stored target data retrieved from said memory means in a first format corresponding to a first depth scale not exceeding said predetermined depth setting; and scale changing means operative to cause said display means to replace previously displayed data corresponding to said predetermined number of arrays of stored target data with data in a second format different from said first format corresponding to a second depth scale, whereby changing the scale on the display causes information previously displayed on said display means in said first format to be reformatted and replaced with information in said second format.
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4. An echo ranging sonar depth sounding apparatus, comprising:
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sonar transducer means for generating sound pulses in response to an input signal and for providing an echo signal in response to reflected sound pulses; receiver means responsive to said echo signal for amplifying said echo signal to provide electrical target signals; addressable memory means for storing said target signals in a plurality of addressable locations; control means for storing said target signals in said memory means, and for retrieving stored target signals from said memory means for display; and display means responsive to retrieved target signals for displaying said retrieved target signals, said display means being selectably operative to scroll said retrieved target signals forward or backward on a display screen. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses; addressable memory means for storing target data; display means for displaying target data retrieved from said memory means on a display in a first format corresponding to a first depth scale not exceeding a predetermined depth setting;
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p1 means for selecting a predetermined portion of target data displayed by said display means in a depth range between a first predetermined depth and a second predetermined depth;means for generating a selectively positionable cursor on said display means, said cursor corresponding to said depth range, target data corresponding to depths within said depth range being selected for display by said selecting means; and means for replacing on said display means at least some data previously displayed in said first format with said predetermined portion of said target data retrieved from said memory means and reformatted to a second format different from said first format and corresponding to said depth range, whereby a selectable portion of sonar returns displayed on said display corresponding to a particular range of depths can be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An echo ranging sonar apparatus, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses; addressable memory means for storing said target data; display means for displaying stored target data retrieved from said memory means in one of a plurality of depth scales; bottom locking means responsive to target data stored in said memory means for distinguishing the bottom of a body of water from other target data and for locking to the bottom of the body of water, display adjusting means responsive to said bottom locking means for adjusting said display means to keep the bottom from going off the display; zoom means for selecting a predetermined portion of target data displayed by said display means; and means for generating a zoom cursor onn said display means for associating indicia on said display means with a depth, said display adjusting means being operative to change the width of said zoom cursor for different depth scales,
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17. In an apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder including sonar pulse generating means and transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses, an improved information display, comprising:
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addressable memory means for storing said target data; bottom detecting means responsive to target data stored in said memory means for distinguishing the bottom of a body of water from other targets and for providing bottom data corresponding to target data representative of the bottom of the body of water; and display means for displaying target data retrieved from said memory means with indicating indicia on a display area, said display means being responsive to said bottom data to fill said display area corresponding to depths greater than the detected bottom of the body of water with said indicating indicia, whereby areas on said display area beneath the bottom are solidly filled in to indicate to an operator the bottom of the body of water. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses; addressable memory means for storing said target data; display means for displaying target data retrieved from said memory means; scale changing means responsive to format said target data retrieved from said memory means corresponding to sonar returns up to a first predetermined depth in a first format corresponding to a first predetermined depth scale and responsive to a scale change signal to format target data retrieved from said memory means corresponding to sonar returns up to a second predetermined depth in a second format corresponding to a second predetermined depth scale; and display updating means associated with said display means for replacing target data displayed on said display means in said first format with target data in said second format in response to said scale changing means changing from said first format to said second format, whereby changing the scale on the display causes at least some information displayed on said display means in said first format to be reformatted and replaced with information in said second format. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar signal returns; addressable memory means for storing said target data corresponding to a predetermined number of sonar singal returns; display means for displaying target data retrieved from said memory means, said display means simultaneously displaying a plurality of retrieved sonar signal returns less than said predetermined number stored in said memory means; and scrolling means selectably operative for causing said display means to successively shift a displayed plurality of sonar signal returns in one direction as new sonar signal returns are received or alternatively to successively shift a displayed plurality of sonar signal returns in the opposite direction. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. In an apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder including sonar pulse generating means and transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses, an improved information display, comprising:
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addressable memory means for storing said target data; bottom detecting means responsive to target data stored in said memory means for detecting the bottom of a body of water and for providing bottom data corresponding to target data representative of the bottom of the body of water; display means for displaying target data retrieved from said memory means with indicating indicia on a display area, said display means being responsive to said bottom data to fill said display area corresponding to depths greater than the detected bottom of the body of water with said indicating indicia, said display means being operative to display target data retrieved from said memory means in a first format corresponding to a first predetermined depth scale; and scale changing means operative to display said target data on said display means in a second format corresponding to a second predetermined depth scale. whereby areas on said display area beneath the bottom are solidly filled in to indicate to an operator the bottom of the body of water, and whereby changing the scale of said display means causes all information displayed on said display means in said first format to be reformatted to said second predetermined depth scale. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. An apparatus for displaying information in an echo ranging depth sounder, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses; addressable memory means for storing said target data, said memory means storing target data for a first predetermined number of sonar returns; display means for displaying target data retrieved from said memory means on a display in a first format corresponding to a first depth scale not exceeding a predetermined depth setting, said display means displaying target data for a second predetermined number of sonar returns less than said first predetermined number; means for selecting a predetermined portin of target data displayed by said display means in a depth range between a first predetermined depth and a second predetermined depth; and means for replacing on said display means at least some data previously displayed in said first format with said predetermined portin of said target data retrieved from said memory means and reformatted to a second format different from said first format and corresponding to said depth range, whereby a selectable portion of sonar returns displayed on said display corresponding to a particular range of depths can be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. An echo ranging sonar apparatus, comprising:
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sonar pulse generating means; transducer means responsive to reflected sonar pulses for acquiring target data representative of reflected sonar pulses; addressable memory means for storing said target data; display means for displaying stored target retrieved from said memory means in one of a plurality of depth scales, said display means being operative to display stored target data in a first format corresponding to a first depth scale; bottom locking means responsive to target data stored in said memory means for distinguishing the bottom of a body of water from other target data and for locking to the bottom of the body of water; and means associated with said display means for replacing at least some previously displayed stored target data on said display means with stored target data in a second format corresponding to a second depth scale.
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Specification