Passive acoustic aquatic animal finder apparatus and method

• US 5,099,455 A
• Filed: 07/02/1990
• Issued: 03/24/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seaway Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Jorge M. Parra
• Inventors: Parra, Jorge M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US07/545,954
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 367/118, 367/120, 367/127, 367/136
• US Class Current: 367/120
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/14 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/802 Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/86 with means for eliminating undesired waves, e.g. disturbing noises
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection

Abstract

Aquatic animal finder apparatus and method include one or more passive transducers for converting sounds, including bio-soundwaves from a living aquatic animal source traveling in a body of water, to electrical signals, the transducer is caused to scan about a selected axis, the electrical signals are filtered to eliminate all man-made signals of a periodic character and pass bio-sound electrical signals. A discriminator is connected to the filter and programmed to pass a predetermined pattern of the bio-soundwave electrical signals constituting a sonic profile, signature or imprint of a selected aquatic animal. The direction of a selected aquatic animal is detected and presented to the user and range, depth and direction of movement of the selected aquatic animal are determined solely from the biosound signals received from the aquatic animal.

Claims

1. Aquatic animal finder apparatus comprising:

1) passive transducer means for converting sounds, including bio-soundwaves from a living source traveling in a body of water, to electrical signals, said body of water having a top surface and a bottom surface,

2) means for causing said transducer to scan about a selected axis,

3) filter means connected to receive said electrical signals from said transducer means and eliminate from said electrical signals all man-made signals of a periodic character and pass bio-sound electrical signals,

4) discriminator means connected to said filter means, said discriminator being programmed to pass a predetermined pattern of bio-soundwave electrical signals constituting a sonic profile of a selected aquatic animal,

5) means for determining the direction of a selected aquatic animal.

2. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 1 including range means for determining the range to said selected aquatic animal.

3. The aquatic animal finder apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said range means including means for detecting the difference in time of arrival of 1) bio-sound from said living source first reflected off of said bottom surface to said transducer means (B signal), and 2) bio-sound from said living source which has been first reflected from said bottom surface of said body of water and the top surface of said body of water to said transducer means (BS signal).

4. The aquatic animal finder apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said range means includes a multiple bar display having a number of bars in linear row of bars and display driver means for connection to said discriminator for causing the number of, said bars to illuminate according to the amplitude of biosound signals.

5. The aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said passive transducer has an aiming axis and the bars of said multiple bar display and said linear row are aligned with said aiming axis so that the number of said bars which are illuminated and the angular orientation of said multiple bar display indicate direction and range to said aquatic animal.

6. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 1 including depth finder means for determining the depth of said selected fish including means for detecting the difference in time of arrival at said transducer of said B signal and (3) bio-sound from said living source which has been reflected from said top surface of said body of water to said bottom surface and to said transducer means (SB signal).

7. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said passive transducer means includes means for positioning said transducer a predetermined distance below the surface of said body of water.

8. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said transducer means includes a plurality of active transducer segments disposed in a predetermined angular pattern about a central selected axis, and said means for causing said transducer to scan about a selected axis includes means for electronically sampling the electrical signals from said plurality of active transducers in a predetermined sequence.

9. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said predetermined angular pattern includes each of the following quadrants, 0-90 degrees, 90-180 degrees, 180-270 degrees and 270-360 degrees, relative to a central substantially vertical axis.

10. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said predetermined angular pattern includes 0-45 degrees, 45-90 degrees, 90-135 degrees, 135-180 degrees, 180-225 degrees, 225-270 degrees, 270-315 degrees, 315-0 degrees about said central vertical axis.

12. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 8 including means connected to said discrimination means for terminating said electronic scan at the transducers of said plurality of transducers receiving the largest amplitude of biosound signals and means for indicating the angular relationship of said transducers of said plurality of transducers receiving the largest biosound signals to said selected axis.

13. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of said discriminators, each discriminator being programmed for a particular species of fish, respectively, and an indicator means rendered active for each species of fish detected, respectively.

14. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said means for electronically sampling includes a microprocessor connected to receive said biosound signals and detect the maximum amplitude of a plurality of biosound signals.

11. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim wherein said predetermined sequence is sequential in said quadrants.

15. A method of finding aquatic animals comprising:

at a listening point, converting bio-soundwaves from a living source traveling in a body of water to electrical signals, said body of water having a top surface and a bottom surface,

filtering said electrical signals to eliminate from said electrical signals all man-made signals of a periodic character and pass bio-sound electrical signals,

discriminating bio-sound signals after said filtering to pass a predetermined pattern of bio-soundwave electrical signals constituting a sonic profile of a selected fish sound,

determining the direction of predetermined pattern of bio-soundwaves relative to said listening point, and

determining the range to said selected fish sound, including detecting the difference in times of arrival of

     1) bio-sound from said living source first reflected off of said bottom surface to said listening point (B signal), and

     2) bio-sound from said living source which has been first reflected from said bottom surface of said body of water and the top surface of said body of water to said listening point (BS signal).

16. The method as defined in claim 15 including determining the depth of said living source by detecting the difference in time of arrival of 1) bio-sound from said living source first reflected off of said bottom surfaces to said listening point (B signal), and 2) bio-sound from said living source reflected off said surface and then said bottom surface to said listening point (SB signal).

17. Aquatic animal finder apparatus comprising:

1) passive transducer means for converting sounds, including bio-soundwaves from a living aquatic animal source, traveling in a body of water, to electrical signals, said body of water having a top surface and a bottom surface,

2) means for causing said transducer means to scan a 360 degree circle about said passive transducer,

3) filter means connected to receive said electrical signals from said transducer means and eliminate from said electrical signals all man-made signals of a periodic character and pass bio-sound electrical signals,

4) discriminator means connected to said filter means, said discriminator being programmed to pass a predetermined pattern of bio-soundwave electrical signals constituting a sonic profile of a selected aquatic animal sound,

5) means for determining the direction of a selected aquatic animal sound, and

6) range means for determining and indicating the range to said selected aquatic animal solely from said selected aquatic animal sound.

33. The aquatic animal finder defined in claim 17 wherein said discriminator includes a phase lock loop.

34. The aquatic animal finder defined in claim 33 including means for adjusting said phase lock loop.

18. Aquatic animal finder apparatus comprising:

1) passive transducer means for converting sounds, including bio-soundwaves from a living aquatic animal source traveling in a body of water, to electrical signals, said body of water having a top surface and a bottom surface,

2) means for causing said transducer to scan about a selected axis,

3) direction means for determining and indicating the direction of a selected aquatic animal, and

4) range means for determining and indicating the range to said aquatic animal solely from said electrical signals.

22. The aquatic animal finder defined in claim 18 wherein said range means includes means for detecting the difference in time of arrival of bio-sound from said aquatic animal first reflected off of said bottom surface to said transducer means (B signal), and 2) bio-sound from said aquatic animal which has been first reflected from said bottom surface of said body of water and the top surface of said body of water to said transducer means (BS signal).

23. The aquatic animal finder apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein said range means includes a multiple bar display having a number of bars in a linear row and display driver means for connection to said discriminator for causing the number of said bars to illuminate according to the amplitude of bio-sound signals.

24. The aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said passive transducer has an aiming axis and the bars of said multiple bar display having a number of bars and said linear row are aligned with said aiming axis so that the number of said bars which are illuminated and the angular orientation of said multiple bar display indicate direction and range to said aquatic animal.

25. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 18 including depth finder means for determining the depth of said selected fish including means for detecting the difference in time of arrival at said transducer of said B signal and (3) bio-sound from said living source which has been reflected from said top surface of said body of water to said bottom surface and to said transducer means (SB signal).

26. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said passive transducer means includes means for positioning said transducer a predetermined distance below the surface of said body of water.

27. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said transducer means includes a plurality of active transducer segments disposed in a predetermined angular pattern about a central selected axis, and said means for causing said transducer to scan about a selected axis includes means for electronically sampling the electrical signals from said plurality of active transducers in a predetermined sequence.

28. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 27 including means for terminating said electronic scan at the ones of said plurality of transducers receiving the largest amplitude of bio-sound signals and means for indicating the angular relationship of said one of said plurality of transducers to said selected axis.

29. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 18 including a plurality of discriminators connected to receive said electrical signals, each discriminator being programmed for a particular species of fish, respectively, and an indicator means rendered active for each species of fish detected, respectively.

30. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein said means for electronically sampling includes a microprocessor connected to receive said bio-sound signals and detect the maximum amplitude of a plurality of bio-sound signals.

19. Aquatic animal finder apparatus comprising:

1) passive transducer means for converting sounds, including bio-soundwaves from a living aquatic animal source, traveling in a body of water, to electrical signals, said body of water having a top surface and a bottom surface,

2) means for causing said transducer means to scan a 360 degree circle about said passive transducer, and

3) range means for determining and indicating the range to a selected aquatic animal solely from said electrical signals.

31. The aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 19 including 4) means for determining the direction of movement of said living aquatic animal solely from said bio-soundwaves.

32. The aquatic animal finder apparatus defined in claim 19 including means for determining the direction of movement of said living aquatic animal solely from said bio-soundwaves and tracking movement of said living aquatic animal after finding of same.

20. Aquatic animal finder apparatus comprising:

1) passive transducer means for converting sounds, including bio-soundwaves from a living aquatic animal source, traveling in a body of water, to electrical signals, said body of water having a top surface and a bottom surface,

2) means for causing said transducer means to scan a 360 degree circle about said passive transducer,

3) means for determining and indicating the direction of a selected aquatic animal sound,

4) range means for determining and indicating the range to said selected aquatic animal solely from said electrical signal, and

5) depth means for determining and indicating the depth of said selected aquatic animal solely from said electrical signals.

21. Aquatic animal finder apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein each of said idscriminator has a phase lock loop and means for adjusting the set frequency of each said phase lock loop.