Feature location and display apparatus
First Claim
1. Underwater direction detecting apparatus comprising:
- first transducer means comprising a first pair of transducers spaced apart relatively closely along a line, said first transducer means being responsive to received sound energy to produce first signals indicative of the direction of travel of said sound energy unambiguously but with relatively low angular accuracy;
second transducer means comprising a second pair of transducers spaced apart relatively widely along said line, said second transducer means being responsive to received sound energy to produce second signals indicative of said direction with relatively high angular accuracy but ambiguity;
a processor for deriving from said first and said second signals further signals defining said direction substantially unambiguously with relatively high angular accuracy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Echo sounding apparatus mounted on a boat (52) comprises a transducer unit (1) connected to a display device (2) which contains a control and processing circuit (53) via a cable (3). Sound pulses reflected from features below the keel and in front of the bow of the boat (52) are processed to generate first and second location signals. The first location signal defines an unambiguous feature position with low angular accuracy. The second location signal defines possible feature positions with high angular accuracy. The first and second location signals are combined to define an unambiguous feature position with high angular accuracy. The results are displayed in a vertical cross section of features and water in the correct positions relative to a scale picture (10) of the boat (52).
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. Underwater direction detecting apparatus comprising:
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first transducer means comprising a first pair of transducers spaced apart relatively closely along a line, said first transducer means being responsive to received sound energy to produce first signals indicative of the direction of travel of said sound energy unambiguously but with relatively low angular accuracy; second transducer means comprising a second pair of transducers spaced apart relatively widely along said line, said second transducer means being responsive to received sound energy to produce second signals indicative of said direction with relatively high angular accuracy but ambiguity; a processor for deriving from said first and said second signals further signals defining said direction substantially unambiguously with relatively high angular accuracy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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7. Underwater echo sounding apparatus, comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting sound energy pulses; transducer means for receiving said sound energy pulses after reflection from features whose direction is to be detected, said transducer means comprising (i) first transducer means having a first pair of transducers spaced apart relatively closely along a line, said first transducer means being responsive to received sound energy to produce first signals indicative of the direction of said features unambiguously but with relatively low angular accuracy, and (ii) second transducer means having a second pair of transducers spaced apart relatively widely along said line, said second transducer means being responsive to received sound energy to produce second signals indicative of said direction with relatively high angular accuracy but ambiguity; and a processor for (i) deriving from said first and said second signals further signals defining said direction substantially unambiguously with relatively high angular accuracy, and (ii) detecting the time delay between transmission of said sound energy pulses and receipt thereof by said transducer means and determining therefrom the range of said features. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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17. A method of determining the direction of travel of a received underwater sound signal comprising:
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detecting the relative phases of said sound signal at a first pair of positions spaced relatively closely along a line and deriving therefrom a first indication of said direction which is unambiguous over a defined range of directions and of relatively low resolution; detecting the relative phases of said sound signal at a second pair of positions spaced relatively widely along said line and deriving therefrom a second indication of said direction which is of relatively high resolution but ambiguous; and deriving from said first and said second indications further indications of said direction which are of relatively high resolution and substantially unambiguous over the defined range of directions. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification