Sonar auto depth range

• US 9,829,573 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navico Incorporated (Brunswick Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navico Holding A.S. (Brunswick Corporation)
• Inventors: Laster, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Tryder, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/803,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20170023669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• 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 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• 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: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Various implementations described herein are directed to a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform various actions. The actions may include receiving sonar data from a sonar transducer, identifying a subset of the received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, and identifying a deepest level from the subset. The actions may further include determining a depth range that includes the deepest level, and rendering an image of the subset based on the depth range.

Claims

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

receive first sonar data from at least one sonar transducer of a vessel, wherein the first sonar data corresponds to a first position of the vessel on a body of water;

identify a first subset of received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, wherein the first subset of the received sonar data includes a first subset of historical sonar data and the first sonar data;

identify a first deepest depth level from the first subset of the received sonar data;

determine a first depth range based on the first deepest depth level, wherein the first depth range includes the first deepest depth level;

render a first image of the first subset of the received sonar data on the screen based on the first depth range, wherein the first image includes sonar data from the first subset of the received sonar data that is within the first depth range,

receive second sonar data from the at least one sonar transducer of the vessel, wherein the second sonar data corresponds to a second position of the vessel on the body of water;

identify a second subset of the received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, wherein the second subset of the received sonar data includes a second subset of the historical sonar data and the second sonar data, wherein the second subset of the historical sonar data includes the first sonar data;

identify a second deepest depth level from the second subset of the received sonar data, wherein the second deepest depth level is different than the first deepest depth level;

determine a second depth range based on the second deepest depth level, wherein the second depth range includes the second deepest depth level, wherein the second depth range is different than the first depth range; and

render a second image of the second subset of the received sonar data on the screen based on the second depth range, wherein the second image includes sonar data from the second subset of the received sonar data that is within the second depth range.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first depth range and second depth range are each selected from one of the following ranges:

0 to 5 feet, 0 to 8 feet, 0 to 10 feet, 0 to 15 feet, 0 to 20 feet, 0 to 35 feet, 0 to 40 feet, 0 to 60 feet, 0 to 80 feet, and 0 to 100 feet, and wherein the first depth range selected is the smallest range that includes the first deepest depth level and the second depth range selected is the smallest range that includes the second deepest depth level.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to display the first deepest depth level or the second deepest depth level as a numerical value on the screen.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to display an upper end of the first depth range or second depth range as a numerical value on the screen.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to log the first depth range associated with the first subset of the received sonar data and the second depth range associated with the second subset of the received sonar data.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to upload the first subset of the received sonar data and the first depth range and the second subset of the received sonar data and second depth range to at least one database via a network.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer executable instructions further cause the computer to:

determine if the first deepest depth level is within a threshold from an average depth of the first subset of the received sonar data; and

in an instance in which the first deepest depth level is outside of the threshold;

identify, a third deepest depth level from the first subset of the received sonar data, wherein the third deepest depth level is within the threshold from the average depth of the first subset of the received sonar data; and

determine the first depth range based on the third deepest depth level, wherein the first depth range includes the third deepest depth level.

8. A method of displaying sonar data on a screen, comprising:

receiving, from at least one sonar transducer of a vessel, first sonar data, wherein the first sonar data corresponds to a first position of the vessel on a body of water;

identifying, using one or more processors, a first subset of received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, wherein the first subset of the received sonar data includes a first subset of historical sonar data and the first sonar data;

identifying a first deepest depth level from the first subset of the received sonar data;

determining a first depth range based on the first deepest depth level, wherein the first depth range includes the first deepest depth level;

rendering, on the screen, a first image of the first subset of the received sonar data based on the first depth range, wherein the first image includes sonar data from the first subset of the received sonar data that is within the first depth range;

receiving, from the at least one sonar transducer of the vessel, second sonar data, wherein the second sonar data corresponds to a second position of the vessel on the body of water;

identifying, using the one or more processors, a second subset of the received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, wherein the second subset of the received sonar data includes a second subset of the historical sonar data and the second sonar data, wherein the second subset of the historical sonar data includes the first sonar data;

identifying a second deepest depth level from the second subset of the received sonar data, wherein the second deepest depth level is different than the first deepest depth level;

determining a second depth range based on the second deepest depth level, wherein the second depth range includes the second deepest depth level, wherein the second depth range is different than the first depth range; and

rendering, on the screen, a second image of the second subset of the received sonar data based on the second depth range, wherein the second image includes sonar data from the second subset of the received sonar data that is within the second depth range.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first depth range and the second depth range are each selected from one of the following ranges:

0 to 5 meters, 0 to 8 meters, 0 to 10 meters, 0 to 15 meters, 0 to 20 meters, 0 to 35 meters, 0 to 40 meters, 0 to 60 meters, 0 to 80 meters, and 0 to 100 meters, wherein the first depth range is the smallest range that includes the first deepest depth level and the second depth range selected is the smallest range that includes the second deepest depth level.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying at least one of the first deepest depth level or the second deepest depth level as a numerical value on the screen.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying an upper end of at least one of the first depth range or the second depth range as a numerical value on the screen.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising logging the first depth range associated with the first subset of the received sonar data and the second depth range associated with the second subset of the received sonar data.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising uploading the first subset of the received sonar data and the first depth range and the second subset of the received sonar data and the second depth range to at least one database via a network.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the screen is the display of a marine electronics device.

15. An apparatus for displaying marine electronic navigation data, comprising:

one or more processors;

a screen configured to display marine data; and

memory having a plurality of executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive first sonar data from at least one sonar transducer of a vessel, wherein the first sonar data corresponds to a first position of the vessel on a body of water;

identify a first subset of received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, wherein the first subset of the received sonar data includes a first subset of historical sonar data and the first sonar data;

identify from the first subset of the received sonar data a first deepest depth level to be displayed on the screen;

determine a first depth range based on the first deepest depth level, wherein the first depth range includes the first deepest depth level;

render a first image of the first subset of the received sonar data based on the first depth range, wherein the first image includes sonar data from the first subset of the received sonar data that is within the first depth range,

receive second sonar data from the at least one sonar transducer of the vessel, wherein the second sonar data corresponds to a second position of the vessel on the body of water;

identify a second subset of the received sonar data to be displayed on the screen, wherein the second subset of the received sonar data includes a second subset of the historical sonar data and the second sonar data, wherein the second subset of the historical sonar data includes the first sonar data;

identify a second deepest depth level from the second subset of the received sonar data, wherein the second deepest depth level is different than the first deepest depth level;

determine a second depth range based on the second deepest depth level, wherein the second depth range includes the second deepest depth level, wherein the second depth range is different than the first depth range; and

render a second image of the second subset of the received sonar data on the screen based on the second depth range, wherein the second image includes sonar data from the second subset of the received sonar data that is within the second depth range.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first depth range and the second depth range is selected from one of the following ranges:

0 to 5 feet, 0 to 8 feet, 0 to 10 feet, 0 to 15 feet, 0 to 20 feet, 0 to 35 feet, 0 to 40 feet, 0 to 60 feet, 0 to 80 feet, and 0 to 100 feet, wherein the first depth range is the smallest range that includes the first deepest depth level and the second depth range is the smallest range that includes the second deepest depth level.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to display an upper end of the first depth range or second depth range as a numerical value on the screen.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to log the first depth range associated with the first subset of data or the second depth range associated with the second subset of data.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to upload the first subset of the received sonar data and the first depth range or the second subset of the received sonar data and the second depth range to at least one database via a network.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine if the first deepest depth level is within a threshold from an average depth of the first subset of the received sonar data; and

in an instance in which the first deepest depth level is outside of the threshold;

identify, a third deepest depth level from the first subset of the received sonar data, wherein the third deepest depth level is within the threshold from the average depth of the first subset of the received sonar data; and

determine the first depth range based on the third deepest depth level, wherein the first depth range includes the third deepest depth level.