Downscan imaging sonar
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A sonar transducer assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of transducer elements, each one of the plurality of transducer elements having a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a sonar beam having a beamwidth in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the transducer element that is significantly less than a beamwidth of the sonar beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer element,wherein the plurality of transducer elements are positioned such that the longitudinal lengths of the plurality of transducer elements are substantially parallel to each other, andwherein the plurality of transducer elements include at least;
a first linear transducer element positioned within a housing and configured to project sonar pulses from a first side of the housing in a direction substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the housing,a second linear transducer element positioned within the housing and spaced laterally from the first linear transducer element, wherein the second linear transducer element lies substantially in a plane with the first linear transducer element and is configured to project sonar pulses from a second side of the housing that is generally opposite of the first side, and is also in a direction substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the housing, anda third linear transducer element positioned within the housing and configured to project sonar pulses in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the first and second linear transducer elements.
7 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A downscan imaging sonar utilizes a linear transducer element to provide improved images of the sea floor and other objects in the water column beneath a vessel. A transducer array may include a plurality of transducer elements and each one of the plurality of transducer elements may include a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a sonar beam having a beamwidth in a direction parallel to longitudinal length of the transducer elements that is significantly less than a beamwidth of the sonar beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer elements. The plurality of transducer elements may be positioned such that longitudinal lengths of at least two of the plurality of transducer elements are parallel to each other. The plurality of transducer elements may also include at least a first linear transducer element, a second linear transducer element and a third linear transducer element.
-
Citations
57 Claims
-
1. A sonar transducer assembly, comprising:
-
a plurality of transducer elements, each one of the plurality of transducer elements having a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a sonar beam having a beamwidth in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the transducer element that is significantly less than a beamwidth of the sonar beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer element, wherein the plurality of transducer elements are positioned such that the longitudinal lengths of the plurality of transducer elements are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the plurality of transducer elements include at least; a first linear transducer element positioned within a housing and configured to project sonar pulses from a first side of the housing in a direction substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the housing, a second linear transducer element positioned within the housing and spaced laterally from the first linear transducer element, wherein the second linear transducer element lies substantially in a plane with the first linear transducer element and is configured to project sonar pulses from a second side of the housing that is generally opposite of the first side, and is also in a direction substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the housing, and a third linear transducer element positioned within the housing and configured to project sonar pulses in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the first and second linear transducer elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A sonar system comprising:
-
a sonar transducer assembly, including; a plurality of transducer elements, each one of the plurality of transducer elements having a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a sonar beam having a beamwidth in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the transducer element that is significantly less than a beamwidth of the sonar beam in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer element, wherein the plurality of transducer elements are positioned such that the longitudinal lengths of the plurality of transducer elements are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the plurality of transducer elements include at least; a first linear transducer element positioned within a housing and configured to project sonar pulses from a first side of the housing in a direction substantially perpendicular to a centerline of the housing, a second linear transducer element positioned within the housing and spaced laterally from the first linear transducer element, wherein the second linear transducer element lies substantially in a plane with the first linear transducer element and is configured to project sonar pulses from a second side of the housing that is generally opposite of the first side, and is also in a direction substantially perpendicular to the centerline of the housing, and a third linear transducer element positioned within the housing and configured to project sonar pulses in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the first and second linear transducer elements; and a sonar module configured to enable operable communication with the transducer assembly, the sonar module including; a sonar signal processor to process sonar return signals received via the transducer assembly, and a transceiver configured to provide communication between the transducer assembly and the sonar signal processor. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
-
-
57. A sonar transducer assembly for imaging an underwater environment beneath a watercraft traveling on a surface of a body of water, the sonar transducer assembly comprising:
-
a housing mountable to the watercraft;
a linear downscan transducer element positioned within the housing, the linear downscan transducer element having a substantially rectangular shape configured to produce a fan-shaped sonar beam having a relatively narrow beamwidth in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the linear downscan transducer element and a relatively wide beamwidth in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer element, the linear downscan transducer element being positioned with the longitudinal length thereof extending in a fore-to-aft direction of the housing,wherein the linear downscan transducer element is positioned within the housing to project fan-shaped sonar beams in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane corresponding to the surface of the body of water, said sonar beams being repeatedly emitted so as to sequentially insonify different fan-shaped regions of the underwater environment as the watercraft travels; a first linear sidescan transducer element and a second linear sidescan transducer element positioned within the housing, each of the first and second linear sidescan transducer elements having a substantially rectangular shape, extending in the fore-to-aft direction of the housing, and each configured to produce a fan-shaped sonar beam having a relatively narrow beamwidth in a direction parallel to a longitudinal length of the linear downscan transducer element and a relatively wide beamwidth in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the transducer element, and being oriented in the housing so as to insonify respective fan-shaped regions differing from the fan-shaped regions insonified by the linear downscan transducer element.
-
Specification