Depth display using sonar data

• US 9,720,084 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Horner, Ronald, Griffin, Albert, Proctor, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Xiao, Ke
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIU, GORDON G
• Application Number:
  US14/798,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20160011310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 345419
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 13/008 measuring depth of open water
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/58 for providing variable ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6218 providing two-dimensional coordinated display of distance and direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6263 in which different colours are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6272 producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/6281 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen, multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30181 Earth observation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/143 involving probabilistic approaches, e.g. Markov random field [MRF] modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/00 Scenes; Scene-specific elements control of digital cameras H04N23/60

Abstract

Various implementations directed to a depth display using sonar data are provided. In one implementation, a marine electronics device may include a sonar signal processor and a memory having a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to receive sonar data from a transducer array disposed on a vessel, where the sonar data corresponds to a marine environment proximate to the vessel. The memory may also have program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to generate point cloud data based on the received sonar data. The memory may further have program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to generate a depth display based on the point cloud data, where the depth display includes a depth line representing an underwater floor of the marine environment.

Claims

1. A marine electronics device, comprising:

a display element;

a sonar signal processor;

a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to;

receive sonar data from a transducer array disposed on a vessel, wherein the transducer array includes a plurality of transducer elements spaced apart at one or more known distances and configured to receive respective sonar signals for conversion into the sonar data, and wherein the sonar data corresponds to a marine environment proximate to the vessel;

generate point cloud data based on the received sonar data;

generate a depth display based on the point cloud data, wherein the depth display includes a depth line representing an underwater floor of the marine environment, wherein the depth line is generated using the point cloud data; and

display, on the display element, the depth display, wherein the depth display includes the depth line.

2. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to:

analyze the received sonar data to determine one or more locations of one or more objects of the marine environment using interferometry; and

generate the point cloud data based on the one or more determined locations.

3. The marine electronics device of claim 2, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to analyze the received sonar data, further comprise program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to:

determine an angle of arrival, an amplitude, and a range for respective sonar return signals of the sonar data; and

determine the one or more locations based on the angle of arrival, the amplitude, and the range of the respective sonar return signals.

4. The marine electronics device of claim 2, wherein the point cloud data comprises respective x-y coordinates of the one or more determined locations for an x-y plot of the marine environment.

5. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the depth display comprises a visualization of depths of one or more objects of the marine environment.

6. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein:

the depth display comprises an x-y plot having one or more locations of one or more objects of the marine environment plotted with respect to the vessel;

the point cloud data comprises respective x-y coordinates of the one or more determined locations; and

the depth line comprises a line in the x-y plot representing the depths of the surface of the underwater floor in the marine environment.

7. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to generate the depth line using image processing, wherein the program instructions cause the processor to:

create one or more clusters of the point cloud data;

identify the largest cluster of the one or more clusters;

identify one or more remaining clusters of the one or more clusters that are within a minimum Cartesian distance of the largest cluster; and

connect the largest cluster to the one or more remaining clusters using the depth line.

8. The marine electronics device of claim 7, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to create the one or more clusters, further comprise program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to:

assign a first point of the point cloud data to the one or more clusters if the first point represents a sonar return signal having an amplitude greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold; and

assign the first point to a particular cluster if the particular cluster includes at least a second point within a predetermined Cartesian distance of the first point.

9. The marine electronics device of claim 7, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to create the one or more clusters, further comprise program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to:

connect respective outlines of the largest cluster and the one or more remaining clusters.

10. The marine electronics device of claim 7, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to:

iteratively connect connected clusters of the one or more clusters to unconnected clusters of the one or more clusters using the depth line.

11. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the depth display includes the depth line in place of connected clusters of the point cloud data.

12. The marine electronics device of claim 11, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to:

display the depth line in conjunction with a portion of the point cloud data, wherein the portion of the point cloud data includes at least one of;

points unassigned to a cluster and points of unconnected clusters.

13. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to generate the depth display, further comprise program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to:

generate the depth display in real time or substantially near real time.

14. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to:

fill in the depth display below the depth line with one or more colors.

15. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the depth display comprises:

a vertical axis representing a scale of depths in the marine environment, wherein a maximum depth value of the vertical axis is set based on a depth of the underwater floor beneath the vessel; and

a horizontal axis representing a range of distances of the marine environment in front of the vessel, wherein a maximum distance value is set based on a multiple of the maximum depth value.

16. The marine electronics device of claim 1, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to:

store the depth display in the memory; and

scroll through the stored depth display based on a user input.

17. A sonar system disposed on a vessel, comprising:

a transducer array comprising a plurality of transducer elements spaced apart at one or more known distances, the transducer array being configured to receive sonar return signals from the plurality of transducer elements and to convert the sonar return signals into sonar data; and

a marine electronics device, comprising;

a display element;

a sonar signal processor;

a memory comprising a plurality of program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, cause the processor to;

receive sonar data from the transducer array, wherein the sonar data corresponds to a marine environment proximate to the vessel;

generate point cloud data based on the received sonar data;

generate a depth display based on the point cloud data, wherein the depth display includes a depth line representing an underwater floor of the marine environment, wherein the depth line is generated using the point cloud data; and

display, on the display element, the depth display, wherein the depth display includes the depth line.

18. The sonar system disposed on the vessel of claim 17, wherein the program instructions which, when executed by the sonar signal processor, further cause the processor to:

create one or more clusters of the point cloud data;

identify the largest cluster of the one or more clusters;

identify one or more remaining clusters of the one or more clusters that are within a minimum Cartesian distance of the largest cluster; and

connect the largest cluster to the one or more remaining clusters using the depth line.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive sonar data from the transducer array, wherein the transducer array includes a plurality of transducer elements spaced apart at one or more known distances and configured to receive respective sonar return signals for conversion into the sonar data, and wherein the sonar data corresponds to a marine environment proximate to the vessel;

generate point cloud data based on the received sonar data;

generate a depth display based on the point cloud data, wherein the depth display includes a depth line representing an underwater floor of the marine environment, wherein the depth line is generated using the point cloud data; and

display the depth display, wherein the depth display includes the depth line.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, further cause the computer to:

create one or more clusters of the point cloud data;

identify the largest cluster of the one or more clusters;

identify one or more remaining clusters of the one or more clusters that are within a minimum Cartesian distance of the largest cluster; and

connect the largest cluster to the one or more remaining clusters using the depth line.