Side scan sonar imaging system with enhancement
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method of providing enhanced underwater images with a boat mounted sonar system, the method comprising:
- transmitting left and right side scan sonar beams of pulses with left and right side scan sonar transducers, respectively, wherein the left and right side scan sonar transducers are positioned within a housing mounted to a boat, each transducer having a rectangular shape with a total length of up to about seven inches and a width of up to about 0.5 inches, wherein the left and right side scan sonar pulses are directed downward and laterally outward to the left and right sides of the boat, respectively, and wherein the left and right side scan sonar beams each have a narrow horizontal width and a wide vertical width;
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;
receiving a user command from a user interface;
applying an image enhancement algorithm to the side scan image data in response to the user command to produce enhanced side scan image data; and
displaying an enhanced underwater image based upon the enhanced side scan image data, wherein the enhanced underwater image provides details of underwater articles and contains shadows.
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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, a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals, and signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data. The system further includes a user interface including user inputs and a display and a digital processor for providing signals to the display to show an underwater image based upon the side scan image data, wherein the digital processor, in response to a user command, performs an image enhancement algorithm to enhance the underwater image.
170 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of providing enhanced underwater images with a boat mounted sonar system, the method comprising:
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transmitting left and right side scan sonar beams of pulses with left and right side scan sonar transducers, respectively, wherein the left and right side scan sonar transducers are positioned within a housing mounted to a boat, each transducer having a rectangular shape with a total length of up to about seven inches and a width of up to about 0.5 inches, wherein the left and right side scan sonar pulses are directed downward and laterally outward to the left and right sides of the boat, respectively, and wherein the left and right side scan sonar beams each have a narrow horizontal width and a wide vertical width; 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; receiving a user command from a user interface; applying an image enhancement algorithm to the side scan image data in response to the user command to produce enhanced side scan image data; and displaying an enhanced underwater image based upon the enhanced side scan image data, wherein the enhanced underwater image provides details of underwater articles and contains shadows. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A sonar system for use with a boat to provide enhanced underwater images, the system comprising:
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a left side scan sonar transducer positioned within a housing mounted to the boat for transmitting a left side scan sonar beam of pulses and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals, wherein the left side scan transducer has a total length of up to about seven inches and a total width of up to about 0.5 inches, and wherein the left side scan sonar pulses are directed downward and laterally outward to a left side of a boat, the left side scan sonar beam having a narrow horizontal width and a wide vertical width; a right side scan sonar transducer positioned within the housing for transmitting a right side scan sonar beam of pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals, wherein the right side scan sonar transducer has a total length of up to about seven inches and a total width of up to about 0.5 inches, 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 beam having a narrow horizontal width and a wide vertical width; signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data; a user interface including user inputs and a display; and a digital processor for providing signals to the display to show an enhanced underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and contains shadows, wherein the digital processor, in response to a user input, performs an image enhancement algorithm upon the side scan image data to produce the enhanced underwater image. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A sonar system for use with a boat to provide enhanced underwater images, the system comprising:
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a housing mounted to the boat; a left side scan sonar transducer positioned within the housing for transmitting a left side scan sonar beam of pulses and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals, wherein the left side scan transducer has a total length of about three inches to about seven inches and a total width of about 0.125 inches to about 0.5 inches, and wherein the left side scan sonar pulses are directed downward and laterally outward to a left side of a boat, the left side scan sonar beam having a narrow horizontal width and a wide vertical width; a right side scan sonar transducer positioned within the housing for transmitting a right side scan sonar beam of pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals, wherein the right side scan sonar transducer has a total length of about three inches to about seven inches and a total width of about 0.125 inches to about 0.5 inches, 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 beam having a narrow horizontal width and a wide vertical width, wherein the length of the housing is approximately the same length as the length of the left and right side scan transducers positioned therein; signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data; a user interface including user inputs and a display; and a digital processor for providing signals to the display to show an enhanced underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and contains shadows, wherein the digital processor, in response to a user input, performs an image enhancement algorithm upon the side scan image data to produce the enhanced underwater image. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification