WO2014008086A1

WO2014008086A1 - Sonar system using frequency bursts

Info

Publication number: WO2014008086A1
Application number: PCT/US2013/048129
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan Proctor
Original assignee: Navico Holding As
Priority date: 2012-07-06
Filing date: 2013-06-27
Publication date: 2014-01-09
Also published as: US20140010048A1; US9354312B2; US20150331104A1; US9244168B2

Abstract

A sonar system using frequency bursts. A sonar system for use with a vessel may include a sonar module having a transmitting element configured to generate a transmit signal, where the transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and where at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency. The sonar system may also include a transducer array in communication with the sonar module, where the transducer array is configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive one or more sonar return signals from an underwater environment.

Description

SONAR SYSTEM USING FREQUENCY BURSTS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application is a PCT filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial Number 61 /668,971 , filed July 6, 2012, titled MULTIPLE FREQUENCY TRANSMIT BURSTS; and US non-provisional patent application 13/754,519 filed January 30, 201 3 titled SONAR SYSTEM USING FREQUENCY BURSTS. Each of the aforementioned related patent applications is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] The following descriptions and examples do not constitute an admission as prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.

[0003] Sonar has been used to detect waterborne or underwater objects. For example, sonar devices may be used to determine depth and bottom topography, detect fish or other waterborne contacts, or locate wreckage. Devices such as transducer elements, or transducers, have been developed to produce sound at a particular frequency. These transducer elements may transmit the sound into and through the water, and they may also detect echo returns from sound that return to the transducer elements after reflecting off of an object.

[0004] Transducer elements may convert an electrical signal into sound energy and, conversely, may convert sound energy, detected via pressure changes, into an electrical signal. In operation, a transducer element may produce a sound pressure signal which emanates in a beam pattern such that a pressure wave is generated, where the pressure wave expands as it moves away from the source. Reflected sound may then return to the transducer element in the form of a sonar return signal, where the sonar return signal may be interpreted as a surface of an object. Such transducer elements may be directed in various directions from surface or submersible vessels to locate other vessels, or the transducer elements may be directed towards the seabed for navigation and/or target location. Display technology may also be utilized in the interpretation of sonar data representing the sonar return signals, such as through liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or other digital displays. In one example, transducer elements may be constructed using piezoelectric material.

[0005] To identify objects within water, a sonar system may use one or more transducer elements, where a transmitting element may be used to transmit electrical signals to the transducer elements in order to produce sound energy into and through the water. In one scenario, the sonar system may use a plurality of transmitting elements in order to transmit electrical signals of varying frequencies to the transducer elements. Sonar systems utilizing a plurality of transmitting elements may necessitate increased cost and/or additional space requirements when compared to sonar systems that use one transmitting element.

SUMMARY

[0006] Described herein are implementations of various technologies for a sonar system using frequency bursts. In one implementation, a sonar system for use with a vessel may include a sonar module having a transmitting element configured to generate a transmit signal, where the transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and where at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency. The sonar system may also include a transducer array in communication with the sonar module, where the transducer array is configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive one or more sonar return signals from an underwater environment.

[0007] In another implementation, a sonar system for use with a vessel may include a sonar module having a transmitting element configured to generate a transmit signal, where the transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and where at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency. The sonar system may also include a transducer array in communication with the sonar module, where the transducer array includes a linear transducer element configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more first sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a first sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a first side of the vessel. The transducer array may also include a circular transducer element connected in parallel with the linear transducer element and configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more second sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a second sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a second side of the vessel.

[0008] The above referenced summary section is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description section. The summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Implementations of various techniques will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the accompanying drawings illustrate only the various implementations described herein and are not meant to limit the scope of various techniques described herein.

[0010] Figure 1 illustrates a vessel having a first sonar system using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein.

[001 1 ] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a first sonar system using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. [0012] Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a transducer array disposed in a housing mounted to a vessel in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein.

[0013] Figure 4 illustrates a top view of a vessel having a second sonar system using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein.

[0014] Figure 5 illustrates a right view of a vessel having a second sonar system using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein.

[0015] Figure 6 illustrates a front view of a vessel having a second sonar system using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein.

[0016] Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of a second sonar system using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The discussion below is directed to certain specific implementations. It is to be understood that the discussion below is only for the purpose of enabling a person with ordinary skill in the art to make and use any subject matter defined now or later by the patent "claims" found in any issued patent herein.

[0018] It is specifically intended that the claimed invention not be limited to the implementations and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those implementations including portions of the implementations and combinations of elements of different implementations as come within the scope of the following claims. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation- specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. Nothing in this application is considered critical or essential to the claimed invention unless explicitly indicated as being "critical" or "essential."

[0019] Reference will now be made in detail to various implementations, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and figures. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

[0020] It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first object or step could be termed a second object or step, and, similarly, a second object or step could be termed a first object or step, without departing from the scope of the invention. The first object or step, and the second object or step, are both objects or steps, respectively, but they are not to be considered the same object or step.

[0021 ] The terminology used in the description of the present disclosure herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure. As used in the description of the present disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms "includes," "including," "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

[0022] As used herein, the term "if" may be construed to mean "when" or "upon" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if it is determined" or "if [a stated condition or event] is detected" may be construed to mean "upon determining" or "in response to determining" or "upon detecting [the stated condition or event]" or "in response to detecting [the stated condition or event]," depending on the context.

[0023] As used herein, the terms "up" and "down"; "upper" and "lower"; "upwardly" and downwardly"; "below" and "above"; and other similar terms indicating relative positions above or below a given point or element may be used in connection with some implementations of various technologies described herein. However, when applied to equipment and methods for use in wells that are deviated or horizontal, or when applied to equipment and methods that when arranged in a well are in a deviated or horizontal orientation, such terms may refer to a left to right, right to left, or other relationships as appropriate.

[0024] The following paragraphs provide a brief summary of various technologies and techniques directed at a sonar system using frequency bursts described herein.

[0025] A first sonar system may be coupled or mounted to a vessel and may be configured to identify objects in water to either side of and/or below the vessel. The first sonar system may include a transducer array coupled to a sonar module. The sonar module may be communicably coupled to the transducer array, where the sonar signal processor of the sonar module may be configured to process data received from the transducer array.

[0026] The sonar module may also include a left receiving element, a down receiving element, a transmitting element, a transmit/receive (T/R) switch, and a right receiving element. The transmitting element may be configured to send a transmit signal from the sonar signal processor to the transducer array. In addition, the left receiving element, the down receiving element, and the right receiving element may each be configured to receive respective sonar data from the transducer array. In one implementation, the left receiving element, the down receiving element, and the right receiving element may each be configured to filter its received sonar data based on a specified frequency.

[0027] The transducer array may include a plurality of transducer elements positioned within the one or more housings, including a left transducer element, a down transducer element, and a right transducer element. In one implementation, the down transducer element may receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, and, in response, produce one or more sonar beams through areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. For example, a left, down, and right face of the down transducer element may produce a sonar beam directed to an area of water proximate to and/or below a left, down, and right side of the vessel. The left, down, and right transducer element may be positioned on a left, down, and right side of the housing to receive sonar return signals from the area of water proximate to and/or below the left, down, and right side of the vessel. The left transducer element, the down transducer element, and the right transducer element may each be configured to also send respective sonar data to the sonar module, where the respective sonar data may be representative of respective sonar return signals.

[0028] The transmit signal may be a frequency burst signal, where each burst of the transmit signal may include a first portion of signal pulses having a first frequency and a second portion of signal pulses having a second frequency. The first frequency and second frequency may be different frequencies. In one implementation, the first portion of signal pulses may be of a shorter duration in time than the second portion. The first portion may be used to filter the down sonar data and the second portion may be used to filter the right and left sonar data. For example, the down receiving element may filter its down sonar data based on the first frequency, while the left receiving element may filter its left sonar data based on the second frequency and the right receiving element may filter its right sonar data based on the second frequency.

[0029] Similar to the first sonar system, the second sonar system may be coupled or mounted to the vessel and may be configured to identify objects in water to either side of and/or below the vessel. The second sonar system may include a transducer array coupled to a sonar module. The sonar module may be communicably coupled to the transducer array, where the sonar signal processor may be configured to process data received from the transducer array.

[0030] The sonar module may also include a receiving element, a transmitting element, and a T/R switch. The receiving element may be configured to receive sonar data from the transducer array. The receiving element may include a first filter and a second filter. The first filter and the second filter may each be configured to filter the sonar data based on one or more frequencies, where the first filter and the second filter may use different frequencies. In addition, the sonar signal processor may receive filtered sonar data from each of the first filter and the second filter of the receiving element.

[0031] The transducer array may include a plurality of transducer elements positioned within the one or more housings, including a circular transducer element and a linear transducer element. The circular transducer element and the linear transducer element may also be connected in parallel within a housing of the transducer array. In particular, the circular transducer element and the linear transducer element may each be coupled to a positive transducer wire and a negative transducer wire within the housing.

[0032] Further, the circular transducer element and the linear transducer element may each receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element via the positive transducer wire and the negative transducer wire, and, in response, produce one or more sonar beams through areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. The circular transducer element and the linear transducer element may each be configured to receive respective sonar return signals from respective areas of water proximate to and/or below the vessel. The circular transducer element and the linear transducer element may each be configured to send respective sonar data to the sonar module, where the respective sonar data may be representative of the respective sonar return signals.

[0033] The transmit signal of the second sonar system may be a frequency burst signal, similar to the transmit signal discussed above. For example, each burst of the transmit signal may include a first portion of signal pulses having a first frequency and a second portion of signal pulses having a second frequency, where the first frequency and second frequency are different. In one implementation, the first filter may filter its received sonar data based on the first frequency, such that the first filter produces filtered sonar data which relate to first sonar data received from the linear transducer element. Further, the second filter may filter its received sonar data based on the second frequency, such that the second filter produces filtered sonar data which relate to the second sonar data received from the circular transducer element. In the first sonar system and the second sonar system, only one transmitting element may be needed to send signals having more than one frequency to a transducer array, thereby minimizing cost and/or space requirements when compared to using more than one transmitting element.

[0034] Various implementations of a sonar system using frequency bursts described above will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 1 -7.

First Sonar System

Configuration

[0035] Figure 1 illustrates a vessel 100 having a first sonar system 1 10 using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. The first sonar system 1 10 may be coupled or mounted to the vessel 100 and may be configured to identify objects in water to either side of and/or below the vessel 1 00. The vessel 100 may be a surface water vehicle, a submersible water vehicle, or any other implementation known to those skilled in the art. [0036] The first sonar system 1 1 0 may include a transducer array 1 12 coupled to a sonar module 1 14. In one implementation, the transducer array 1 12 may be coupled to the sonar module 1 14 via a communication cable 1 16. The sonar module 1 14 may be configured to process data received from the transducer array 1 12 through the communication cable 1 16. The transducer array 1 1 2 may include a plurality of transducer elements configured to produce one or more sonar beams 120 which provide substantially continuous sonar coverage from one side of the vessel 100 to an opposite side of the vessel 100. As illustrated in Figure 1 , sonar beams 120 may include sonar beam 122, sonar beam 124, and sonar beam 126.

[0037] The transducer array 1 12 may receive one or more transmit signals from the sonar module 1 14, and, in response, produce one or more sound pressure signals which emanate as one or more sonar beams 1 20. In one implementation, the transmit signal may be an electrical signal used by the transducer array 1 1 2 to produce the sonar beams 120. Reflected sound may then return to the transducer array 1 12 in the form of one or more sonar return signals, where the sonar return signals may include details about an area of water proximate to the sides and/or the bottom of the vessel 100. In turn, the transducer array 1 12 may convert the sonar return signals into sonar data to be sent to the sonar module 1 14, where the sonar data may be one or more electrical signals which may be representative of the sonar return signals.

[0038] The transducer array 1 12 may include one or more linear transducer elements which produce one or more planar fan-shaped sonar beams, such as sonar beam 1 22, sonar beam 124, and sonar beam 126. The planar fan-shaped sonar beams may be relatively narrow in beamwidth in a direction parallel to a keel of the vessel 100 and relatively wide in beamwidth in a direction perpendicular to the keel of the vessel 1 00. In other implementations, the transducer array 1 1 2 may include one or more circular transducer elements which produce one or more conical sonar beams, with the conical sonar beams having an apex located at the one or more circular transducer elements. [0039] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of a first sonar system 200 using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. The first sonar system 200 may include various components, which may include means embodied in hardware and/or software configured to perform one or more corresponding functions. For example, in one implementation, components of the first sonar system 200 may include a display element 202, a user interface 206, a sonar module 208, and a transducer array 250. The first sonar system 200 may be similar to the first sonar system 1 10, the sonar module 208 may be similar to the sonar module 1 14, and the transducer array 250 may be similar to the transducer array 1 12. Further, the sonar module 208 may include a network hub 205 and a sonar signal processor 210.

[0040] The display element 202, the user interface 206, and/or the sonar module 208 may be configured to communicate with one another via a network 204 and/or the network hub 205. The network 204 may include Ethernet or any other network implementation known to those skilled in the art. In one implementation, the display element 202, the user interface 206, and/or the sonar module 208 may be configured to communicate with one another directly without the use of the network 204. The display element 202, the sonar module 208, and/or the user interface 206 may be located in one or more housings. The network hub 205 may include one or more interface ports to allow components, such as the display element 202 or the user interface 206, to communicate with the network 204. In one implementation, the network hub 205 may be configured to allow for plug-and-play communication with the display element 202 and/or the user interface 206.

[0041 ] The display element 202 may be configured to display images, where it may receive data from the sonar signal processor 210 and render the data into one or more windows on the display element 202. For example, the display element 202 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, a touch screen display, or any other implementation known to those skilled in the art. In one implementation, the display element 202 may include two or more displays. [0042] A user may interact with the first sonar system 200 through the user interface 206. The user interface 206 may include, for example, a keyboard, keypad, function keys, mouse, scrolling device, input/output ports, touch screen, or any other user interface known to those skilled in the art. In one implementation, the user interface 206 may be integrated into the display element 202.

[0043] The sonar module 208, the display element 202, and/or the user interface 206 may be placed or mounted in the vessel. In one implementation, the sonar module 208 may be a mobile device configured to be placed throughout the vessel. The sonar module 208 may be communicably coupled to the transducer array 250, where the sonar signal processor 210 may be configured to process data received from the transducer array 250. In one implementation, the transducer array 250 may be coupled to the sonar module 208 via a communication cable (not pictured).

[0044] The sonar signal processor 210 may be any device or circuitry operating in accordance with hardware and/or software which configures the device or circuitry to perform the corresponding functions of the sonar signal processor 21 0 as described herein. In some implementations, the sonar signal processor 21 0 may include a processor, a processing element, a coprocessor, a controller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a hardware accelerator, or any other implementation known to those skilled in the art, where the sonar signal processor 210 is configured to execute various programmed operations or instructions stored in a memory device. The sonar signal processor 210 may further include multiple compatible additional hardware and/or software items configured to: (i) implement signal processing or enhancement features to improve display characteristics, data, and/or images, (ii) collect or process additional data, such as time, temperature, global positioning system (GPS) information, and/or waypoint designations, or (iii) filter extraneous data to better analyze the collected data. The sonar signal processor 21 0 may further implement notices and alarms, such as those determined or adjusted by a user, to reflect depth, presence of fish, and/or proximity of other watercraft. Still further, the sonar signal processor 210, in combination with suitable memory, may store incoming data from the transducer array 250, screen images for future playback, transfer and/or alter images with additional processing to implement zoom or lateral movement, or correlate data such as fish or bottom features to a GPS position or temperature.

[0045] The sonar module 208 may also include a left receiving element 220, a down receiving element 230, a transmitting element 232, a transmit/receive (T/R) switch 234, and a right receiving element 240. The left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, the transmitting element 232, the T/R switch 234, and the right receiving element 240 may each be any device or circuitry operating in accordance with hardware and/or software which configures the device or circuitry to perform their respective functions as described herein.

[0046] The transmitting element 232 may be configured to send a transmit signal from the sonar signal processor 232 to the transducer array 250. The transmitting element 232 may be a transmitter, a transceiver, or any other implementation known to those skilled in the art. In addition, the left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, and the right receiving element 240 may each be configured to receive respective sonar data from the transducer array 250. The left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, and the right receiving element 240 may each be a receiver, a transceiver, or any other implementation known to those skilled in the art. In one implementation, the left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, and the right receiving element 240 may each be configured to filter its received sonar data based on a specified frequency.

[0047] In addition, the left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, and the right receiving element 240 may each be configured to send their respective filtered sonar data to the sonar signal processor 210. In one implementation, the filtered sonar data may be displayed using the display element 202 after being received from the sonar signal processor 210. In another implementation, the T/R switch 234 may be used to alternate between sending the transmit signal to the transducer array 250 or sending respective sonar data to the down receiving element 230. [0048] The transducer array 250 may be disposed in one or more housings that are positioned on, or placed proximate to, the vessel employing the sonar system 200. In one implementation, the transducer array 250 may be disposed in one or more housings that are flexibly mounted to a hull of the vessel. In another implementation, the transducer array 250 may be mounted onto another device or component attached to the hull, such as a trolling motor or other steerable device. In yet another implementation, the transducer array 250 and the sonar module 208 may be placed in the same housing.

[0049] The transducer array 250 may include a plurality of transducer elements, including a left transducer element 252, a down transducer element 254, and a right transducer element 256, some of which may be disposed within the one or more housings. The transducer elements may be substantially identical in terms of construction and/or geometrical dimensions, while also differing in terms of orientation and/or usage. For example, the left transducer element 252, the down transducer element 254, and the right transducer element 256 may each be a linear transducer element, such that each may be substantially rectangular in shape. In addition, the transducer elements may each be constructed using piezoelectric material. In one implementation, the transducer elements may be employed in a sidescan sonar configuration to identify objects in water below and to either side of the vessel. In other implementations, the transducer elements may include any combination of one or more circular transducer elements, one or more linear transducer elements, or any other transducer element known to those skilled in the art.

[0050] One implementation of the transducer array 250 including the left transducer element 252, the down transducer element 254, and the right transducer element 256 is described in more detail with respect to Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the transducer array 250 disposed in a housing 300 mounted to the vessel in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. [0051] In one implementation, the down transducer element 254 may receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element 232, and, in response, produce one or more sonar beams through areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. For example, a left face 302 of the down transducer element 254 may produce a sonar beam 322 directed to an area of water proximate to and/or below a left side of the vessel. A down face 304 of the down transducer element 254 may also produce a sonar beam 324 directed to a water column substantially below the vessel. Further, a right face 306 of the down transducer element 254 may produce a sonar beam 326 directed to an area of water proximate to and/or below a right side of the vessel. In addition, the left transducer element 252 and the right transducer element 256 may not produce sonar beams.

[0052] The down transducer element 254 may insonify areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel, whereby the sonar beams 322, 324, and 326 provide substantially continuous sonar coverage from one side of the vessel to an opposite side of the vessel. In one implementation, an acoustic shield may be applied to the down transducer element 254 such that the down transducer element 254 may produce the sonar beams 322, 324, and 326 in desired directions in the areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel.

[0053] The left transducer element 252, the down transducer element 254, and the right transducer element 256 may each be configured to receive respective sonar return signals from respective areas of water proximate to and/or below the vessel. For example, the left transducer element 252 may be positioned on a left side of the housing 300 to receive sonar return signals from the area of water proximate to and/or below the left side of the vessel. The right transducer element 256 may be positioned on a right side of the housing 300 to receive sonar return signals from the area of water proximate to and/or below the right side of the vessel. The down transducer element 254 may be positioned substantially between the left transducer element 252 and the right transducer element 256 in the housing 300 to receive sonar return signals from the water column substantially below the vessel. In one implementation, an acoustic shield may be applied to the transducer elements such that the transducer elements receive respective sonar return signals from respective desired areas of water.

[0054] The left transducer element 252, the down transducer element 254, and the right transducer element 256 may each be configured to also send respective sonar data to the sonar module 208, where the respective sonar data may be representative of respective sonar return signals. For example, the left transducer element 252 may convert its sonar return signals into left sonar data to be sent to the left receiving element 220. The down transducer element 254 may convert its sonar return signals into down sonar data to be sent to the down receiving element 230. The right transducer element 256 may convert its sonar return signals into right sonar data to be sent to the right receiving element 240. As mentioned previously, the left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, and the right receiving element 240 may each filter its received sonar data based on a respective specified frequency and send its filtered sonar data to the sonar signal processor 210. The filtered sonar data may then be displayed using the display element 202.

In Operation Using Frequency Bursts

[0055] In operation, the transmit signal of the first sonar system 200 may be a frequency burst signal that may be composed of a sequence of bursts. Each burst may be composed of signal pulses of two or more frequencies. For example, each burst may include a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency, where the first frequency and second frequency are different. In one implementation, the first portion may be of a different duration of time (e.g., shorter) than the second portion. The bursts may be implemented using any waveform known to those skilled in the art.

[0056] Referring back to Figure 2, in one implementation, the transmitting element 232 may be configured to send a transmit signal from the sonar signal processor 210 to the transducer array 250, where each burst of the transmit signal may include a first portion of signal pulses having a first frequency and a second portion of signal pulses having a second frequency. The down transducer element 254 may receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element 232, and, in response, produce one or more sonar beams via the left face 302, the down face 304, and the right face 306. The sonar beams may move through areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. The sonar beams may be produced based on the first frequency and the second frequency. For example, the sonar beams may propagate at both the first frequency and the second frequency.

[0057] Further, the respective sonar return signals received by the left transducer element 252, the down transducer element 254, and the right transducer element 256 may include details about areas of water proximate to and/or below the vessel, where the details may be derived using the sonar beams that were produced based on the first frequency and the second frequency. The left receiving element 220, the down receiving element 230, and the right receiving element 240 may then receive respective sonar data representative of the respective sonar return signals, where each receiving element may filter its respective sonar data based on either the first frequency and/or the second frequency.

[0058] In the implementation where the first portion of each burst of the transmit signal may be of a shorter duration of time than the second portion, the first portion may be used to filter the down sonar data and the second portion may be used to filter the right and left sonar data. For example, the down receiving element 230 may filter its down sonar data based on the first frequency. The left receiving element 220 may filter its left sonar data based on the second frequency. The right receiving element 240 may filter its right sonar data based on the second frequency. In one implementation, the first frequency may be about 790 kilohertz (kHz) and the second frequency may be about 820 kHz. In another implementation, the first frequency may be about 430 kHz and the second frequency may be about 480 kHz.

[0059] Filtering the left sonar data and the right sonar data for the longer second frequency may allow for an improved clarity in images of the areas of water proximate to and/or below the left and right sides of the vessel in the display element 202. In particular, the areas of water proximate to and/or below the left and right sides of the vessel may be at a significant distance from the vessel, and filtering the left sonar data and the right sonar data for the longer second frequency may allow for an improved signal-to-noise ratio. Filtering the down sonar data for the shorter first frequency may also allow for sufficient resolution in images of the water column substantially below the vessel in the display element 202.

[0060] The duration of time of the first portion and the duration of time of the second portion may be selected by those skilled in the art to maximize resolution of images and/or signal-to-noise ratio of sonar data. Furthermore, the use of the first frequency and the second frequency may allow the receiving elements to filter for an appropriate portion of transmit signal, thus reducing smearing and/or interference of the sonar data. In sum, using the transmit signal where each burst may include the first frequency and the second frequency may lead to improved image resolution and/or data interpretation of the first sonar system. In such a scenario, only one transmitting element may be required, thereby minimizing cost and/or space requirements when compared to using more than one transmitting element.

Second Sonar System

Configuration

[0061 ] Figure 4 illustrates a top view of a vessel 400 having a second sonar system 41 0 using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. The vessel 400 may be similar to the vessel 100. In addition, Figure 5 illustrates a right view of the vessel 400 having the second sonar system 410 and Figure 6 illustrates a front view of the vessel 400 having the second sonar system 410 in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. Similar to the first sonar system 1 10, the second sonar system 410 may be coupled or mounted to the vessel 400 and may be configured to identify objects in water to either side of and/or below the vessel 400.

[0062] The second sonar system 410 may include a transducer array 412 coupled to a sonar module 414. In one implementation, the transducer array 412 may be coupled to the sonar module 414 via a communication cable, such as a transducer cable 41 6. The sonar module 414 may be configured to process data received from the transducer array 412 via the transducer cable 41 6, where the transducer cable 416 is attached to a housing containing the transducer array 412. The transducer array 41 2 may include a plurality of transducer elements configured to produce one or more sonar beams 420 which provide substantially continuous sonar coverage from one side of the vessel 400 to an opposite side of the vessel 400. As illustrated in Figure 4, the sonar beams 420 may include a sonar beam 422 overlapping with a sonar beam 424.

[0063] Similar to the transducer array 1 12, the transducer array 412 may receive one or more transmit signals from the sonar module 414, produce the one or more sonar beams 420 in response, receive sonar return signals which include details about an area of water proximate to the sides and/or the bottom of the vessel 400, and convert the sonar return signals into sonar data to be sent to the sonar module 414. In one implementation, the transducer array 412 may include a linear transducer element which produces a planar fan-shaped sonar beam, such as the sonar beam 422. Further, the transducer array 412 may also include a circular transducer element which produces a conical sonar beam, such as the sonar beam 422.

[0064] Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of the second sonar system 41 0 using frequency bursts in accordance with implementations of various techniques described herein. The second sonar system 410 may include various components, which may include means embodied in hardware and/or software configured to perform one or more corresponding functions. For example, in one implementation, components of the second sonar system 410 may include a display element 402, a user interface 406, the sonar module 414, and the transducer array 412.

[0065] The sonar module 414 may include a network hub 405 and a sonar signal processor 41 1 . The display element 402, the user interface 406, the network hub 405, and the sonar signal processor 41 1 may be similar to corresponding components discussed with respect to Figure 2. [0066] The sonar module 414, the display element 402, and/or the user interface 406 may be placed or mounted in the vessel. In one implementation, the sonar module 414 may be a mobile device configured to be placed throughout the vessel. The sonar module 414 may be communicably coupled to the transducer array 412, where the sonar signal processor 41 1 may be configured to process data received from the transducer array 412. As illustrated, the transducer array 412 may be coupled to the sonar module 414 via the transducer cable 41 6.

[0067] The sonar module 414 may also include a receiving element 421 , a transmitting element 430, and a T/R switch 440. The transmitting element 430 and the T/R switch 440 may be similar to the transmitting element 232 and the T/R switch 234, respectively. The receiving element 421 may be configured to receive sonar data from the transducer array 412. The receiving element 421 may be a receiver, a transceiver, or any other implementation known to those skilled in the art. In addition, the receiving element 421 may be any device or circuitry operating in accordance with hardware and/or software which configures the device or circuitry to perform its respective functions as described herein.

[0068] In one implementation, the receiving element 421 may include a first filter 423 and a second filter 425. The first filter 423 and the second filter 425 may each be configured to filter the sonar data based on one or more frequencies, where the first filter 423 and the second filter 425 may use different frequencies. In one implementation, the receiving element 421 may demultiplex the sonar data into the first filter 423 and the second filter 425, such as through frequency-division demultiplexing.

[0069] In addition, the sonar signal processor 41 1 may receive filtered sonar data from each of the first filter 423 and the second filter 425 of the receiving element 421 . In one implementation, the filtered sonar data may be displayed using the display element 402 after being received from the sonar signal processor 41 1 . In another implementation, the T/R switch 440 may be used to alternate between sending a transmit signal to the transducer array 41 2 or sending sonar data to the receiving element 421 from the transducer array 412. In yet another implementation, the first filter 423 and the second filter 425 may be implemented using separate receiving elements. The first filter 423 and/or the second filter 425 may also be implemented digitally.

[0070] Similar to the transducer array 250, the transducer array 412 may be disposed in one or more housings that are positioned on, or placed proximate to, the vessel employing the sonar system 41 0. In one implementation, the transducer array 412 and the sonar module 414 may be placed in the same housing.

[0071] The transducer array 41 2 may include a plurality of transducer elements positioned within the one or more housings, including a circular transducer element 452 and a linear transducer element 454. The circular transducer element 452 may be substantially cylindrical in shape. In addition, the linear transducer element 454 may be substantially rectangular in shape. In other implementations, the transducer array 412 may include any combination of transducer elements known to those skilled in the art.

[0072] The circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may also be connected in parallel within a housing of the transducer array 412. In particular, the circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may each be coupled to a positive transducer wire 462 and a negative transducer wire 464 within the housing. The positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464 may pass through the transducer cable 416 to the sonar module 414. In one implementation, the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464 may be used to send the transmit signal and sonar data between the sonar module 414 and the transducer array 412. In particular, the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464 may be used to communicate between the T/R switch 440 and the circular transducer element 452 and/or the linear transducer element 454.

[0073] Further, the circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may each receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element 430 via the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464, and, in response, produce one or more sonar beams through areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. For example, the circular transducer element 452 may produce a conical sonar beam, with the conical sonar beam having an apex located at the circular transducer element 452. A beamwidth of the conical sonar beam may be substantially the same regardless of the side from which it is viewed.

[0074] In addition, the linear transducer element 454 may produce a planar fan- shaped sonar beam similar, where the planar fan-shaped sonar beam may be relatively narrow in beamwidth in a direction parallel to a keel of the vessel and relatively wide in beamwidth in a direction perpendicular to the keel of the vessel. In one implementation, the beamwidth of the planar fan-shaped sonar beam may be narrower than the conical sonar beam when viewed from a side of the vessel, but the beamwidth of the planar fan-shaped sonar beam may be wider when viewed from a front and/or back of the vessel.

[0075] In one implementation, the sonar beams produced by the transducer array 412 may provide substantially continuous sonar coverage from one side of the vessel to an opposite side of the vessel. The sonar beams produced by the transducer array 412 may also at least partially overlap in coverage. In one implementation, an acoustic shield may be applied to the circular transducer element 452 and/or the linear transducer element 454 to produce the sonar beams in desired directions in the areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. For example, sonar beams produced by the circular transducer element 452 and/or the linear transducer element 454 may be directed in a substantially downward direction from the vessel.

[0076] The circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may each be configured to receive respective sonar return signals from respective areas of water proximate to and/or below the vessel. For example, the circular transducer element 452 may receive sonar return signals from an area of water below a down side of the vessel in response to its conical sonar beam. In addition, the linear transducer element 454 may receive sonar return signals from an area of water below a down side of the vessel in response to its planar fan-shaped sonar beam. In one implementation, an acoustic shield may be applied to the transducer elements such that the transducer elements receive respective sonar return signals from desired areas of water.

[0077] The circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may each be configured to send respective sonar data to the sonar module 414, where the respective sonar data may be representative of the respective sonar return signals. For example, the linear transducer element 454 may convert its sonar return signals into first sonar data to be sent to the receiving element 421 via the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464. In addition, the circular transducer element 452 may convert its sonar return signals into second sonar data to be sent to the receiving element 421 via the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464. As mentioned previously, the receiving element 421 may filter the first sonar data and the second sonar data using the first filter 423 and the second filter 425. The filtered first sonar data and the filtered second sonar data may then be sent to the sonar signal processor 41 1 . The filtered first sonar data and the filtered second sonar data may also be displayed using the display element 402.

In Operation Using Frequency Bursts

[0078] In operation, the transmit signal of the second sonar system 410 may be a frequency burst signal, similar to the transmit signal discussed with respect to Figures 1 -3. For example, each burst of the transmit signal may include a first portion of signal pulses having a first frequency and a second portion of signal pulses having a second frequency, where the first frequency and second frequency are different. In one implementation, the first portion of signal pulses may be of a different duration of time (e.g., shorter) than the second portion.

[0079] Referring back to Figure 7, in one implementation, the transmitting element 430 may be configured to send the transmit signal from the sonar signal processor 41 1 to the transducer array 412. The circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may each receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element 430 in parallel via the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464, and, in response, produce one or more sonar beams through areas of water proximate to the sides of and/or below the vessel. In such an implementation, the sonar beams may be produced based on the first frequency and the second frequency. For example, the sonar beams may propagate at both the first frequency and the second frequency.

[0080] Further, the respective sonar return signals received by the circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may include details about areas of water proximate to and/or below the vessel, where the details may be derived using the sonar beams that were produced based on the first frequency and the second frequency. The circular transducer element 452 and the linear transducer element 454 may then each send respective sonar data to the receiving element 421 in parallel via the positive transducer wire 462 and the negative transducer wire 464, such that the first filter 423 and the second filter 425 may filter the respective sonar data based on either the first frequency and/or the second frequency.

[0081 ] In one implementation, the first frequency of each burst may be set to a desired resonant frequency for the linear transducer element 454. For example, the first frequency may be set to about 790 kHz or about 430 kHz. In addition, the second frequency of each burst may be set to a desired resonant frequency for the circular transducer element 452. For example, the second frequency may be set to about 50 kHz, about 83 kHz, or about 200 kHz.

[0082] In one implementation, the first filter 423 may filter its received sonar data based on the first frequency, such that the first filter 423 produces filtered sonar data which relate to the first sonar data received from the linear transducer element 454. Further, the second filter 425 may filter its received sonar data based on the second frequency, such that the second filter 425 produces filtered sonar data which relate to the second sonar data received from the circular transducer element 452. [0083] In sum, using a transmit signal where each burst may include a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency may allow a sonar system to operate using multiple resonant frequencies for its transducer elements. In such a scenario, only one transmitting element may be required, thereby minimizing cost and/or space requirements when compared to using more than one transmitting element.

[0084] While the foregoing is directed to implementations of various techniques described herein, other and further implementations may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, which may be determined by the claims that follow. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

What Is Claimed Is:

1 . A sonar system for use with a vessel, comprising:

a sonar module having a transmitting element configured to generate a transmit signal, wherein the transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and wherein at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency; and

a transducer array in communication with the sonar module, wherein the transducer array is configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive one or more sonar return signals from an underwater environment.

2. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer array comprises:

a first transducer element configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce the sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a first sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a first side of the vessel;

a second transducer element configured to receive a second sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a second side of the vessel; and

a third transducer element configured to receive a third sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a third side of the vessel.

3. The sonar system of claim 2, wherein the first transducer element, the second transducer element, and the third transducer element each comprise a linear transducer element.

4. The sonar system of claim 2, wherein the first transducer element produces the sonar beams via a down face, a left face, and a right face of the first transducer element.

5. The sonar system of claim 2, wherein the first side of the vessel is a down side of the vessel, the second side of the vessel is a right side of the vessel, and the third side of the vessel is a left side of the vessel.

6. The sonar system of claim 2, wherein the first transducer element is configured to convert the first sonar return signal to a first sonar data and send the first sonar data to a first receiving element disposed in the sonar module, wherein the second transducer element is configured to convert the second sonar return signal to a second sonar data and send the second sonar data to a second receiving element disposed in the sonar module, and wherein the third transducer element is configured to convert the third sonar return signal to a third sonar data and send the third sonar data to a third receiving element disposed in the sonar module.

7. The sonar system of claim 6, wherein the first receiving element is configured to filter the first sonar data based on the first frequency, wherein the second receiving element is configured to filter the second sonar data based on the second frequency, wherein the third receiving element is configured to filter the third sonar data based on the second frequency.

8. The sonar system of claim 7, wherein the sonar module comprises a sonar signal processor configured to process the filtered first sonar data, the filtered second sonar data, and the filtered third sonar data.

9. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the sonar beams produced by the first transducer element provide substantially continuous sonar coverage from one side of the vessel to an opposite side of the vessel.

10. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion is of a shorter duration of time than the second portion.

1 1 . The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency is selected to be about 790 kilohertz (kHz) or about 430 kHz.

12. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the second frequency is selected to be about 820 kilohertz (kHz), about 480 kHz, about 50 kHz, about 83 kHz, or about 200 kHz.

13. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer array comprises:

a first transducer element configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more first sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a first sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a first side of the vessel; and

a second transducer element configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more second sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a second sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a second side of the vessel.

14. The sonar system of claim 13, wherein the first transducer element and the second transducer element are connected in parallel, wherein the first transducer element and the second transducer element are each coupled to a positive transducer wire and to a negative transducer wire of a transducer cable.

15. The sonar system of claim 13, wherein the first transducer element comprises a linear transducer element producing fan-shaped sonar beams and the second transducer element comprises a circular transducer element producing conical sonar beams.

16. The sonar system of claim 13, wherein the first sonar beams and the second sonar beams at least partially overlap.

17. The sonar system of claim 1 3, wherein the area of water proximate the first side of the vessel and the area of water proximate the second side of the vessel each correspond to an area of water below a down side of the vessel.

18. The sonar system of claim 13, wherein the sonar module further comprises: a receiving element configured to receive sonar data from the first transducer element and the second transducer element, and wherein the receiving element is configured to filter the sonar data based on the first frequency and the second frequency; and

a sonar signal processor configured to process the filtered first sonar data and the filtered second sonar data.

19. A sonar system for use with a vessel, comprising:

a transducer array in communication with the sonar module, wherein the transducer array comprises:

a linear transducer element configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more first sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a first sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a first side of the vessel; and

a circular transducer element connected in parallel with the linear transducer element and configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more second sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive a second sonar return signal from an area of water proximate a second side of the vessel.

20. The sonar system of claim 1 9, wherein the linear transducer element and the circular transducer element are each coupled to a positive transducer wire and to a negative transducer wire of a transducer cable.

21 . The sonar system of claim 19, wherein the area of water proximate the first side of the vessel and the area of water proximate the second side of the vessel each correspond to an area of water below a down side of the vessel.