JP2001289950A - Underwater detector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make the relationship between display colors flexible with respect to a signal level in a table ROM in an underwater detector. SOLUTION: This underwater detector where an ultrasonic wave is transmitted art a specific time interval in the just direction of one's own ship, and every time when receiving an echo equivalent to one transmission, each color or shade data corresponding to the receiving level are read from the table ROM 10 to be displayed on one end of a monitor by a vertical direction one line, and the past display is shifted one line by one line to the other end side according to this display, has a table RMA 11 separately from the table ROM 10 so that display data desired by a user can be optionally registered on this table RAM.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater detecting device, such as a scanning sonar or a fish finder, which detects and displays an underwater condition in a downward direction of a ship.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A fish finder will be described below as an example. The fish finder transmits ultrasonic waves at fixed time intervals directly below the transducer mounted on the bottom of the ship, and each time an echo of one transmission is received, it is monitored by color according to the reception level. Is displayed on the right end in one vertical line, and with this display, the previous display is shifted to the left by one line.

After the received signal is amplified to a predetermined level, it is converted (8 bits) into 256 levels from 0 to 255 according to the signal level. Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the 256 kinds of level signals are converted into eight levels (3 bits), and one display color is set for each of the eight kinds of level signals. In FIG. 1B, the width of the signal level of each display color is the same.

[0004] Since the above echoes include strong echoes from the sea floor, if there is an intermediate level echo from a large school of fish such as sardine, it is difficult to distinguish the echoes from the sea bottom and the school of fish. Also, if the echo contains noise such as running noise, the entire screen is contaminated with noise, making the screen difficult to see.

In the former case, as shown in FIG. 1A, the signal width of the red display color indicating the strongest level is narrowed and the intermediate level is indicated so that the strong level signal from the sea floor can be reduced and displayed. The intermediate display level is emphasized by widening the signal color of the orange display color. In the case where low-level noise is included as in the latter case, as shown in FIG. 1C, the signal width of the display color "blue" is narrowed to suppress the noise display. I have.

[0006]

The relationship between the signal level and the color data as shown in FIG. 1 is stored in advance in a table ROM as a data table so that the user can select a desired data table. I have. However, although another data table may be preferable depending on the conditions at the time of the exploration, the user cannot arbitrarily set such an underwater detection device such as a conventional scanning sonar or fish finder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and has as its object to provide an underwater detection device in which a user can set an arbitrary data table by himself / herself.

[0008]

An example in which the present invention is applied to a fish finder will be described below. According to the present invention, ultrasonic waves are transmitted at a fixed time interval directly below the own ship, and every time an echo for one transmission is received, data of colors or shades corresponding to the reception level is read from a table ROM. In a fish finder that displays one line in the vertical direction at one end of the monitor and shifts the previous display one line at a time to the other end with this display, the relationship between the received signal level and the display color of each shade or color And a table RAM capable of registering the contents set by the setting means as table data.

[0009]

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, which is mounted on a ship bottom or the like. Reference numeral 2 denotes a trap circuit that supplies a transmission signal from the transmission unit 3 to the transmission / reception unit 1 and supplies a reception signal from the transmission / reception unit 1 to the reception unit 4. The received signal amplified to a predetermined gain in the receiving unit 4 is converted from analog to 8-bit digital by the A / D converter 5 and then written to the buffer memory 9. 1
Reference numeral 0 denotes the above-described table ROM, which includes a plurality of emphasized data tables capable of highlighting and displaying a desired level in addition to the standard data table.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a table RAM for storing color data.
It is. In the table ROM 10, the signal level width for each display color is set in advance, whereas in the table RAM 11, the signal level width for the display color can be arbitrarily set by the user using the operation panel 14. I have.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a CPU which responds to a signal from the buffer memory 9 by using one of a data table or a table RAM 11 in a table ROM 10.
The color data is converted with reference to one of the data tables. A ROM 13 stores a processing program to be executed by the CPU 12. An operation panel 14 is connected to the CPU 12 via the input unit 15, and performs selection of the data table and the like.

The color data output from the CPU 12 is converted into image data for display by a controller 16 and stored in a VRAM (video RAM) 17, and the image data is converted into an analog signal by a D / A converter 18. After being returned, it is displayed on the monitor 19.

Next, the setting of the data table in the table RAM 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the setting key of the data table is turned on from the operation panel 14, the process proceeds to step S1, and a dialog (X in FIG. 2) as shown in FIG.
Is displayed, and a display color selection screen is displayed. Here, one of the eight display colors is inverted by the “↑” or “↓” key. FIG. 3A shows a state where "strongest color" is designated. Although the signal level width “3” is currently set for this “strongest color”, 1 is set in step S2.
Input with the ten keys in the range of ~ 14 and turn on the setting key.

In order to prevent the signal level width for each display color from being set extremely, automatic correction is performed so that the sum of the signal level widths for the eight colors is not more than a certain value.
For example, the signal level width of “strongest color” is increased from 3 to 5,
If the sum of the signal level widths is equal to or more than a certain value, step S
In 3, the signal level width is automatically reduced by 2 in any of the other display colors.

In this case, in this embodiment, the subtraction target is the display color having the maximum signal level width,
Or when the signal level width is reduced,
Although the signal level width is increased for the display color having the minimum signal level width, the signal level width may be corrected according to various methods.

Subsequently, in order to select a display color, a desired signal level width is set by sequentially designating another display color with the “↑” or “↓” key.
It is temporarily registered in the RAM in the PU 12.

Every time the setting is changed, the image is immediately reflected, and the search result is displayed based on the new setting data.

FIG. 4A shows "color-5" and "color-4".
FIG. 4B shows a setting example in which an intermediate level signal is emphasized and displayed by setting the signal level width large in FIG. 4B. In FIG. 4B, the signal level width is set large in “color-2” to “background color”. This shows a setting example in which weak signals are emphasized and displayed.

The data table registered in the table RAM 11 can be read out in the same procedure as selecting a desired data table from the table ROM 10. still,
In this embodiment, the display color is a color, but a monochrome display is a shaded display.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, a table RAM is provided separately from the conventional table ROM, and the relationship between the display color and the signal level can be freely set by the user. Signal enhancement / reduction,
Because you can freely set the emphasis / reduction of the middle level or emphasize the weak signal to reduce the strong signal,
Measurement can be performed in an optimal state suitable for the exploration conditions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 Table ROM used in fish finder
Content diagram of

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a setting screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transceiver 2 Trap circuit 3 Transmitter 4 Receiver 5 A / D converter 6 Bit converter 7 Latch circuit 10 Table ROM 11 Table RAM 12 CPU 14 Operation panel 19 Monitor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ultrasonic signal is transmitted in a downward direction of the ship, and every time an echo signal caused by the ultrasonic signal is received, data of a color or shade is read from a table ROM according to the reception level. An underwater detection device for displaying on a monitor by means of a setting means for setting a relationship of a display color for each shade or color with respect to a received signal level, and a table RAM capable of registering setting contents by the setting means as table data. Underwater detector. 2. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the underwater detection device has a function of immediately reflecting the contents set by the setting means on the display on a monitor. 3. A signal level width for one display color is changed in order to make the sum of signal level widths for each display color equal to or less than a certain value. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the underwater detection device corrects the following.