Fish finder

• US 8,164,983 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Johnson
• Original Assignee: David Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIHULIC, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US12/399,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20100226209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 367/106, 367/107, 367/103, 367/88, 367/11, 367/7, 367/124, 367/111
• US Class Current: 367/106
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S15/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52003 Techniques for enhancing spatial resolution of targets G01S7/52046 takes precedence

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for focused ultrasonic acoustic imaging of objects within a body of water. Echo soundings are collected, produced by an ultrasonic transmitter and detected by an ultrasonic receiver. Spatial location information of the transmitter and receiver is collected and associated with each echo sounding. A focused signal spatial location is selected at a desired output location. One or more of the collected soundings are selected. An echo signal from each selected sounding is selected. The signal selection is determined by a calculation of which signal from the selected sounding scattered from an object at the selected focused signal spatial location. A focused echo signal is formed by combining the selected signals for the selected focused signal location. The focused signals are graphed, based on their respective selected focused signal spatial locations, producing a focused image.

Claims

1. A method for ultrasonic acoustic imaging of objects within a body of water, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting a plurality of echo soundings into a computer-readable medium using conversion circuitry, the soundings produced by an ultrasonic transmitter and detected by an ultrasonic receiver, wherein each echo sounding comprises a plurality of echo signals, the echo signals corresponding to an apparent vertical depth, thereby forming an unfocused image;

collecting into a computer-readable medium spatial location information of the transmitter and receiver using a location device and control circuitry, wherein said collected spatial location information is associated with each collected echo sounding; and

forming a focused image by executing programming code on a programmable computing device, further comprising the steps of;

selecting a focused signal spatial location wherein the selected focused signal spatial location is defined relative to said collected spatial location information associated with the echo soundings;

selecting one or more echo soundings from said plurality of echo soundings;

selecting an echo signal from each selected echo sounding, whereby the echo signal selection is determined by a calculation of which echo signal from the selected echo sounding corresponds to a focused signal occurring at the selected focused signal spatial location, wherein said calculation is based on the selected focused signal spatial location and on the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

combining the selected echo signals, whereby a focused echo signal is formed; and

graphing unto a computer display device the focused echo signal based on the selected focused signal spatial location, whereby a focused image is produced.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

Transmitting a complex wave-shape ultra-sonic acoustic wave into the water.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

Transmitting a wide-bandwidth ultra-sonic acoustic wave into the water.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of forming a focused image further comprises the steps of:

Recording a series of times, locations, speeds, altitudes, and headings from a location device;

Applying smoothing corrections to the recorded series, whereby calculated locations of the location device are produced;

Determining the location of the transmitter and receiver for each collected echo sounding from the calculated locations of the location device, whereby a determined location is produced; and

Wherein said calculation of which echo signal from the selected echo sounding is further based upon said determined location.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

Preconditioning the echo soundings.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises the step of:

Compensating the signal strength of echo signals of the echo sounding for wave front spreading.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises the step of:

Waveform shaping the echo signals of the echo sounding.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises the steps of:

Estimating the relative wave elevation associated with the collected echo sounding; and

Adjusting the collected spatial location information of the collected echo sounding, based on the estimated relative wave elevation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting an echo signal from each selected echo sounding further comprises the steps of:

calculating a first distance (Zs) between the selected focused signal spatial location and the spatial location of the transmitter, wherein said spatial location of the transmitter is extracted from the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

calculating a second distance (Zr) between the selected focused signal spatial location and the spatial location of the receiver, wherein said spatial location of the receiver is extracted from the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

calculating a derived vertical depth (DVD) based on the formula;

DVD=½

*(Zs+Zr); and

Determining the echo signal on the selected echo sounding having an apparent vertical depth corresponding to said calculated derived vertical depth.

10. A system for ultrasonic acoustic imaging of objects within a body of water, the system comprising:

Means for collecting a plurality of echo soundings, the soundings produced by an ultrasonic transmitter and detected by an ultrasonic receiver, wherein each echo sounding comprises a plurality of echo signals, the echo signals corresponding to an apparent vertical depth, thereby forming an unfocused image;

Means for collecting spatial location information of the transmitter and receiver, wherein said collected spatial location information is associated with each collected echo sounding; and

Means for forming a focused image, further comprising;

Means for selecting a focused signal spatial location wherein the selected focused signal spatial location is defined relative to said collected spatial location information associated with the echo soundings;

Means for selecting one or more echo soundings from said plurality of echo soundings;

Means for selecting an echo signal from each selected echo sounding, whereby the echo signal selection is determined by a calculation of which echo signal from the selected echo sounding corresponds to a focused signal occurring at the selected focused signal spatial location, wherein said calculation is based on the selected focused signal spatial location and on the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

Means for combining the selected echo signals, whereby a focused echo signal is formed; and

Means for graphing the focused echo signal based on the selected focused signal spatial location, whereby a focused image is produced.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

Means for transmitting a complex wave-shape ultra-sonic acoustic wave into the water.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

Means for transmitting a wide-bandwidth ultra-sonic acoustic wave into the water.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said means for forming a focused image further comprises:

Means for recording a series of times, locations, speeds, altitudes, and headings from a location device;

Means for applying smoothing corrections to the recorded series, whereby calculated locations of the location device are produced;

Means for determining the location of the transmitter and receiver for each collected echo sounding from the calculated locations of the location device, whereby a determined location is produced; and

Wherein said calculation of which echo signal from the selected echo sounding is further based upon said determined location.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

Means for preconditioning the echo soundings.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises:

Means for compensating the signal strength of echo signals of the echo sounding for wave front spreading.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises:

Means for waveform shaping the echo signals of the echo sounding.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises:

Means for estimating the relative wave elevation associated with the collected echo sounding; and

Means for adjusting the collected spatial location information of the collected echo sounding, based on the estimated relative wave elevation.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein said means for selecting an echo signal from each selected echo sounding further comprises:

Means for calculating a first distance (Zs) between the selected focused signal spatial location and the spatial location of the transmitter, wherein said spatial location of the transmitter is extracted from the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

Means for calculating a second distance (Zr) between the selected focused signal spatial location and the spatial location of the receiver, wherein said spatial location of the receiver is extracted from the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

Means for calculating a derived vertical depth (DVD) based on the formula;

DVD=½

*(Zs+Zr); and

Means for determining the echo signal of the selected echo sounding having an apparent vertical depth corresponding to said calculated derived vertical depth.

19. A nontransient computer-readable medium for use with an apparatus for ultrasonic acoustic imaging of objects within a body of water, the nontransient computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions for collecting a plurality of echo soundings, the soundings produced by an ultrasonic transmitter and detected by an ultrasonic receiver, wherein each echo sounding comprises a plurality of echo signals, the echo signals corresponding to an apparent vertical depth, thereby forming an unfocused image;

instructions for collecting spatial location information of the transmitter and receiver, wherein said collected spatial location information is associated with each collected echo sounding; and

instructions for forming a focused image, further comprising;

instructions for selecting a focused signal spatial location wherein the selected focused signal spatial location is defined relative to said collected spatial location information associated with the echo soundings;

instructions for selecting one or more echo soundings from said plurality of echo soundings;

instructions for selecting an echo signal from each selected echo sounding, whereby the echo signal selection is determined by a calculation of which echo signal from the selected echo sounding corresponds to a focused signal occurring at the selected focused signal spatial location, wherein said calculation is based on the selected focused signal spatial location and on the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

instructions for combining the selected echo signals, whereby a focused echo signal is formed; and

instructions for graphing the focused echo signal based on the selected focused signal spatial location, whereby a focused image is produced.

20. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising:

instructions for transmitting a complex wave-shape ultra-sonic acoustic wave into the water.

21. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising:

instructions for transmitting a wide-bandwidth ultra-sonic acoustic wave into the water.

22. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said instructions for forming a focused image further comprises:

instructions for recording a series of times, locations, speeds, altitudes, and headings from a location device;

instructions for applying smoothing corrections to the recorded series, whereby calculated locations of the location device are produced;

instructions for determining the location of the transmitter and receiver for each collected echo sounding from the calculated locations of the location device, whereby a determined location is produced; and

wherein said calculation of which echo signal from the selected echo sounding is further based upon said determined location.

23. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising:

instructions for preconditioning the echo soundings.

24. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein said instructions for preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises:

instructions for compensating the signal strength of echo signals of the echo sounding for wave front spreading.

25. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein said instructions for preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises:

instructions for waveform shaping the echo signals of the echo sounding.

26. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein said instructions for preconditioning the echo soundings further comprises:

instructions for estimating the relative wave elevation associated with the collected echo sounding; and

instructions for adjusting the collected spatial location information of the collected echo sounding, based on the estimated relative wave elevation.

27. The nontransient computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said instructions for selecting an echo signal from each selected echo sounding further comprises:

instructions for calculating a first distance (Zs) between the selected focused signal spatial location and the spatial location of the transmitter, wherein said spatial location of the transmitter is extracted from the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

instructions for calculating a second distance (Zr) between the selected focused signal spatial location and the spatial location of the receiver, wherein said spatial location of the receiver is extracted from the collected spatial information associated with the selected echo sounding;

instructions for calculating a derived vertical depth (DVD) based on the formula;

DVD=½

*(Zs+Zr); and

instructions for determining the echo signal on the selected echo sounding having an apparent vertical depth corresponding to said calculated derived vertical depth.