Johnson Outdoors Inc.

Techsonic Industries, Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

David A Betts

Robert W Derrow

David J Howells

Sean M DeHart

Christopher James Bennett

Louis S Loving

David E Malphurs

John W Crayton

Timothy A Boston

Scott Allen Harrington

William Mark Gibson

Jesus Carmona-Valdes

Alvin Nunley, Iii

Christopher E Arney

David P Donnelly

Zachary Thomas Jordan

Brian Lee Chase

David McLeod

James W Adams

Douglas W Rasmussen

A sonar imaging system, that includes a control head with a user interface and a display unit for displaying a sonar-generated image, is provided. A sonar transducer assembly is coupled to the control head and configured to transmit sonar data to the control head. The sonar data is used to generate the sonar-generated image. The sonar transducer assembly includes a first side scan acoustic sonar element that transmits a sonar beam. The sonar transducer assembly further includes a plurality of sonar beam receiving elements. Each receiving element is arranged to receive a portion of the return beam from the first side scan acoustic sonar element. Each of the plurality of sonar beam receiving elements is configured to identify both a depth and a lateral distance of an underwater object relative to the position of the sonar transducer assembly.

Sonar imaging system with lateral target placement and multiple color display

A 360-degree sonar imaging system and method are provided. The system includes a sonar transducer assembly pod with tilted mechanically scanning sonar (MSS) transducers that is deployed into the water below the bottom of the boat. The system provides photo-like imaging of an area surrounding a boat which does not require the boat to be in motion. The pod is deployed by a variety of manual, (trolling motor, transom) or powered mechanical (bow, transom, or fairing block) deployment mechanisms to allow for deployment and retraction of the sonar transducer assembly. In particular embodiments, the MSS system communicates with a side-scan-sonar-imaging-equipped control head unit to display the images generated therefrom. Various speeds and sector scans are provided, as well as a locked side-scan sonar mode. Waypoint navigation and split screen views are also provided.

360 degree imaging sonar and method

A sector-scanning sonar imaging system with at least one sonar imaging element housed within a transducer housing coupled to a self-reciprocating mechanism, and a drive mechanism housed within a waterproof housing. The oscillating motion of the transducer housing produces a highly-detailed, photo like sector scan sonar image of the bottom and other objects surrounding the boat on which it is mounted. The drive mechanism housing may be rigidly attached to either a boat hull or to a trolling motor. The sonar imaging element housing may be removably attached to the drive mechanism, and shielded by an acoustically transparent shroud to protect the elements from damage. The sector-scanning sonar imaging system connects to a control head with display either directly, or through some other communications protocol, such as a wireless protocol.

Sector-scanning device

A flasher sonar device includes a flasher that produces light output pulses along a flasher ring display based upon sonar returns. A user interface selects between a normal mode and a zoom mode. When the normal mode is selected, a controller drives the flasher to display a normal range. When the zoom mode is selected, the controller divides the normal range into a first range and a second range, compresses the first range into a compressed range, enlarges the second range into an enlarged range, and drives the flasher to display the enlarged range interleaved with the compressed range.

Flasher sonar device with interleaved zoom

A sonar device includes a light source, a rotatable element, a motor for rotating the rotatable element, and a display. A light guide mounted on the rotatable element has an inlet end aligned with the light source and an outlet end aligned with the display. Light emitted from the light source enters the inlet end of the light guide, is directed from the inlet end to the outlet end in a beam, and is emitted out the outlet end of the light guide.

Flasher sonar device with light guide

A system for use with a boat to provide underwater sonar images, includes a left side scan sonar transducer for transmitting left side scan sonar pulses and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals, a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals, and signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data. The system further includes a user interface including user inputs and a display and a digital processor for providing signals to the display to show an underwater image based upon the side scan image data, wherein the digital processor, in response to a user command, performs an image enhancement algorithm to enhance the underwater image.

Side scan sonar imaging system with enhancement

A system for use with a boat to provide underwater sonar images includes a GPS receiver for providing GPS position data, a left side scan sonar transducer for transmitting left side scan sonar pulses and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals, and a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals. The system further includes signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data and a digital processor for causing a display to display an underwater image based upon the side scan image data, wherein the digital processor associates GPS position and side scan image data.

Side scan sonar imaging system with associated GPS data

A system for use with a boat to provide underwater sonar images includes a left side scan sonar transducer for transmitting left side scan sonar pulses and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals and a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals. The system further includes signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data and a digital processor for providing signals to a display based upon the side scan image data to produce a display image on the display showing boat location, a water column between the boat and bottom, and an underwater image comprising at least one of a left side underwater image and a right side underwater image.

Side scan sonar imaging system with boat position on display

A sonar imaging system for a watercraft is disclosed. The sonar imaging system comprises a transducer coupled to the watercraft and having at least one side scanning element and at least one bottom scanning element, an electronic control head unit coupled to the transducer and configured to display sonar images. The downward acoustic elements may be circular and the side scan acoustic elements may be rectangular. A software filter may be provided to remove noise generated by a spark plug or other operation of a motor for the watercraft.

Sonar imaging system for mounting to watercraft

A buoy to shore fish finding system has a buoyant station with a sonar transmitter, a sonar receiver, a sonar to electric signal transducer and a radio transmitter all controlled by a microprocessor. The system shore station has a radio receiver and signal display controlled by a shore station microprocessor. The buoyant station microprocessor is programmed to generate sync pulses and to transmit both the sync pulses and transduced sonar echo returns to the shore station while the shore station microprocessor is programmed to display only echo signals received after a sync pulse. The shore station is detachably secured to the arm of the fisherman or to his fishing rod.

Fish finding method and system

A buoy to shore fish finding system has a buoyant station having a sonar transmitter, a sonar receiver, a sonar to electric signal transducer and a radio transmitter all controlled by a microprocessor. A shore station has a radio receiver and signal display controlled by a shore station microprocessor. The buoyant station microprocessor is programmed to generate sync pulses and to transmit both the sync pulses and tranduced sonar echo returns to the shore station while the shore station microprocessor is programmed to display only echo signals received after a sync pulse.

A fishing system buoy has a watertight bulbous shell housing an electronic load and with a center of mass located within a lower half of the shell. The load includes sonar operatively coupled via a microprocessor with a radio transmitter that has an upright antenna located in an upper half of the shell. The shell has a keel with an eyelet for tethering a fishing line to the shell. The buoy functions both as a fishing bobber and communications relay station for obtaining and transmitting images of fish swimming beneath the bobber.

Buoy for fish finding method and system

An apparatus and method for scanning a body of water for fish and other underwater articles with a sonar depth finder of a type having a transducer that can transmit an acoustic wave and receive sonar returns on both a narrow acoustic wave beam mode and on a wide acoustic wave beam mode, in which the sonar depth finder repetitively determines the approximate depth of the body of water by repetitively transmitting in the wide beam mode and receiving and displaying the sonar returns from each transmission initially in the wide beam mode and then in the narrow beam mode, with the duration of receiving in the narrow acoustic wave beam mode being a function of the determined depth from a prior transmission.

Single-transmit, dual-receive sonar

In one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for measuring the height of liquid contained in a storage tank is disclosed. A tube is disposed inside the tank. A float is disposed inside the tube and is buoyed on the surface of the liquid. An ultrasonic transducer is disposed inside the tube. The ultrasonic transducer emits ultrasonic pulses toward the float, receives the reflected ultrasonic pulses, and responsively produces an echo signal. The float has a top portion and a bottom portion separated by a cylindrical portion. The bottom portion including an spherical surface which receives the ultrasonic pulses. The spherical surface has a predetermined radius which is a function of the inside diameter of the tube, the height of the cylindrical portion of the float and the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion of the float. A temperature sensor monitors the temperature of the liquid and produces a thermometric signal in response to the liquid temperature. A microprocessor receives the echo and thermometric signals, determines the speed of the ultrasonic pulse traveling in the liquid, and responsively determines the liquid height.

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Eufaula, AL, United States of America

David A Betts