Side scan sonar imaging system with boat position on display

• US 7,710,825 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.
• Inventors: Betts, David A., Derrow, Robert W., Howells, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lobo; Ian J
• Application Number:
  US12/319,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 367/88, 367/107, 367/111
• US Class Current: 367/107
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/107 using frequency agility of carrier wave
• 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

Abstract

A system for use with a boat to provide underwater sonar images includes a left side scan sonar transducer for transmitting left side scan sonar pulses and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals and a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals. The system further includes signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data and a digital processor for providing signals to a display based upon the side scan image data to produce a display image on the display showing boat location, a water column between the boat and bottom, and an underwater image comprising at least one of a left side underwater image and a right side underwater image.

Claims

1. A system mounted to a boat to provide underwater sonar images, the system comprising:

a left side scan sonar transducer for transmitting left side scan sonar pulses directed downward and laterally outward to a left side of the boat, the left side scan sonar pulses forming a beam having a narrow horizontal width in a direction of travel of the boat and a wide vertical width in a plane perpendicular to the direction of boat travel, and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals;

a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses directed downwardly and laterally outward to a right side of the boat, the right side scan sonar pulses forming a beam having a narrow horizontal width in the direction of travel of the boat and a wide vertical width in the plane perpendicular to the direction of boat travel, and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals;

signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data;

a display; and

a digital processor for providing signals to the display based upon the side scan image data to produce a display image on the display showing a grey-scale or color underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and bottom and contains shadowing comprising a) at least one of a left side underwater image and a right side underwater image, b) a boat location relative to the underwater image, and c) an indication of distance from the boat, wherein the indication is associated with the underwater image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to a zoom input, the digital processor causes the display to produce a zoom display image of a user selected portion of the underwater image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the underwater image comprises both the left and right side underwater images.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a water column between the boat and bottom is shown in the display image between the left side underwater image and the right side underwater image.

5. The system of claim 1, and further comprising:

a down beam sonar transducer for producing sonar pulses, and for receiving down beam sonar return signals.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the digital processor provides signals to the display to cause the display image to include a numerical representation of current depth of a water column between the boat and the bottom based upon the down beam sonar return signals.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the signal processing circuitry produces down beam sonar data based upon the down beam sonar return signals, and wherein the digital processor provides signals to the display based upon the down beam sonar data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the display image includes a portion based upon the down beam sonar data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the boat location is shown in the display image by an icon.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the icon indicates position and direction of travel of the boat.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication of lateral distance indicates lateral distance from the boat to an outer edge of the underwater image.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the left and right side scan sonar transducers is operable at a first frequency to provide sonar return signals from substantially an entire water column between each transducer and bottom, and a second frequency to provide sonar return signals for displaying a higher resolution image of a portion of the water column on the display.

13. A system for providing navigational information, water depth information, and underwater sonar images, the system comprising:

a GPS receiver for providing GPS position data;

a sonar transducer assembly mounted to a boat, the sonar transducer assembly including a left side scan sonar transducer, a right side scan sonar transducer, and a down beam sonar transducer;

signal processing circuitry for processing sonar return signals from the left side scan sonar transducer, the right side scan sonar transducer, and the down beam sonar transducer;

a user interface including user inputs and a display; and

a digital processor for controlling the display based upon the processed sonar return signals and the GPS position data to display information in a plurality of modes selectable with the user inputs, wherein the plurality of modes include;

a mode in which the digital processor causes the display to display a grey-scale or color underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and bottom and contains shadowing based upon sonar return signals received by one of the left and right side scan sonar transducers;

a mode in which the digital processor causes the display to simultaneously show a grey-scale or color underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and bottom and contains shadowing based upon sonar return signals received by both of the left side scan sonar transducer and the right side scan sonar transducer;

a mode in which the digital processor causes the display to show information based upon the GPS position data; and

a mode in which the digital processor causes the display to simultaneously show a grey-scale or color underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and bottom and contains shadowing based upon sonar return signals received by one or both of the left side scan transducer and the right side scan transducer, and information based upon GPS position data;

wherein the digital processor causes the display to show an indication of distance from the boat, wherein the indication is associated with the grey-scale or color underwater image.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital processor causes the display to show a position of the boat relative to the grey-scale or color underwater image.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the digital processor causes the display to enlarge a user selected portion of the grey-scale or color underwater image in response to a user input.

16. A method of providing underwater sonar images, the method comprising:

transmitting left and right side scan sonar pulses with left and right side scan sonar transducers, respectively;

receiving left and right side scan sonar return signals with the left and right side scan sonar transducers, respectively;

generating side scan image data from the left and right side scan sonar return signals;

displaying a grey-scale or color underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and bottom and contains shadowing based upon the side scan image data; and

displaying a scale associated with the grey-scale or color underwater image indicating lateral distance from a boat,

wherein the left and right side scan sonar transducers are mounted to the boat, and wherein the left side scan sonar pulses are directed downward and laterally outward to a left side of the boat, the left side scan sonar pulses having a narrow horizontal width in a direction of travel of the boat and a wide vertical width in a plane perpendicular to the direction of boat travel, and wherein the right side scan sonar pulses are directed downward and laterally outward to a right side of the boat, the right side scan sonar pulses having a narrow horizontal width in the direction of travel of the boat and a wide vertical width in the plane perpendicular to the direction of boat travel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a position of the boat relative to the underwater image is represented by an icon on the display.

18. The method of claim 16, and further comprising:

transmitting down beam sonar pulses with a down beam sonar transducer mounted to the boat;

receiving down beam sonar return signals with the down beam sonar transducer; and

generating and displaying an indication of depth of a water column below the boat based upon down beam sonar return signals.