JPH10239425A - Underwater sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To grasp the thickness of layer, state of distribution and water depth of a fish group in a short time regardless of the distance of a target such as fish group, and easily judge the kind of fish. SOLUTION: A depression angle instructing circuit 14 has an automatic depression angle change control means for successively changing the depression angle of an ultrasonic beam by a prescribed angle to a standard depression angle so as to reach the depression angle of a maximum change quantity, and successively changing it by a prescribed angle so as to be returned to the standard depression angle. The images by signals within a prescribed cut range of respective received signals of the standard depression angle and each changing depression angle are successively continuously displayed in time series as slave screen. From the display state of these slave screens, the state such as size, form, position and density of a fish group can be comparatively recognized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater detection device, and more particularly to an underwater detection device configured to set an angle of depression of an ultrasonic beam to be transmitted and received at a predetermined angle and to display an image based on received data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional general underwater detecting device, a beam (hereinafter, referred to as an ultrasonic beam) is emitted at a predetermined depression angle by an ultrasonic pulse, and a reception wave obtained by receiving a reflected wave or the like is obtained. According to the data, for example, an image of an omnidirectional target centered on the own ship is displayed. Since the display of this image is rewritten every time the ultrasonic beam is emitted, it cannot be compared with the previous image, and various information on the target, for example, information such as the thickness of the fish school layer and the fish species can be obtained. There was a problem that it could not be done.

Therefore, in recent years, the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam can be controlled, and the received data obtained by transmitting and receiving the ultrasonic beam a plurality of times is stored and displayed as an image, and a part of the image is partially cut out. Techniques for displaying these in a time series as child screens have been used.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of such an underwater detection device, and FIG. 5 is an example of an image display thereof. This underwater detection device includes a vibrator 21, a transmission unit 22, and a reception unit 23.
A transmitter / receiver 1 that emits an ultrasonic beam into water at a depression angle indicated by a depression angle control signal, receives a reflected wave or the like, converts the reflected wave into an electric signal, amplifies, detects, and outputs the signal. An A / D converter 2 for converting the output signal of the wave filter 1 into digital data, and a predetermined signal processing (for example, for the output data of the A / D converter 2 and the received data up to the previous time).
Signal processing circuit 3 for averaging two data and outputting as new received data, and an image memory for reading the received data from the signal processing circuit 3 at an address designated by a write address signal and reading from the address designated by the read address signal. 4 and read out the received data in the range corresponding to the cut-out range of the received data read out from the image memory 4 at a plurality of time points in time series to the address specified by the write address signal and read out from the address specified by the read address signal. A multi-image memory 8, a synthesizing circuit 5 for synthesizing the data read from the image memory 4 and the data read from the multi-image memory 8, and the data from the synthesizing circuit 5 shown in FIG.
, A write address generator 7 for generating a write address signal for the image memory 4, a range generator 9 for generating a write address signal for the multi-image memory 8, and a write address. A generator 10 and an AND circuit 11, a read address generator 12 for generating a read address signal for the image memory 4 and the multi-image memory 8, and a depression angle instruction circuit 14x for setting a depression angle of an ultrasonic beam and outputting a depression angle instruction signal And a depression angle control circuit 15 that generates a depression angle control signal in accordance with the depression angle instruction signal and supplies the generated signal to the transmitter / receiver 1, and a signal processing control circuit 13x that controls the number of times of transmission and reception and signal processing.

Next, the operation of the underwater detection device will be described. First, the depression angle instruction circuit 14x and the depression angle control circuit 1
An ultrasonic beam is emitted from the transmitter / receiver 1 into the water at a depression angle set and controlled by 5, and the transmitter / receiver 1 receives an ultrasonic signal including a reflected wave from a target such as a school of fish by the ultrasonic beam. Then, the signal is converted into an electric signal, amplified, detected, and supplied to the A / D converter 2. The A / D converter 2 converts the output signal of the transducer 1 into digital data and outputs the digital data to the signal processing circuit 3.

The signal processing circuit 3 performs signal processing such as averaging processing on the output data of the A / D converter 2 and the reception data up to the previous signal processed before transmission and reception, and outputs the result. An instruction as to how many times the received data should be averaged is issued from the signal processing control circuit 13x.

The data processed by the signal processing circuit 3 is stored in the image memory 4. At this time, the data of the polar coordinate display by the spiral scanning of the received signal is converted into the orthogonal coordinates corresponding to the TV raster scanning and stored. In accordance with the write address signal from the write address generator 7 which performs this conversion process, the data is stored.

The data read from the image memory 4 is supplied to the synthesizing circuit 5 and also to the multi-image memory 8. The multi-image memory 8 stores the event mark IM set by the range generator 9. The stopped data of the predetermined extraction range 62x is stored according to the write address signal from the write address generator 10. The multi-image memory 8 stores a plurality of data extracted at a plurality of predetermined points in time.

The synthesizing circuit 5 synthesizes data read from the image memory 4 and a plurality of data read from the multi-image memory 8 and supplies the synthesized data to the display 6x.
As shown in the figure, an image such as a target TG such as a school of fish centering on the own ship mark OSM is displayed on the main display section 61x by the data from the image memory 4 and is displayed on the child screen 64 by the data from the multi-image memory 8. For example, an image of a cutting range 62x at a range of 1000 and a depression angle of 20 degrees, a range of 800,
Images and the like in the cut-out range 62x at a depression angle of 25 degrees are displayed in chronological order in the vertical direction.

The depression angle in a certain range is set, for example, so as to obtain an image in which a target school of fish is best displayed or an image in a desired state. Further, in order to know the thickness of the layer of the school of fish and the like and the water depth at which it is distributed, at a distance relatively close to the school of fish, etc., the depression angle is set again by the depression angle instruction circuit 14x and transmission and reception are performed a plurality of times, and the main display of the display 6x is performed. Part 6
The operation of judging the state of the image of the fish school or the like displayed in 1x is performed for a plurality of depression angles, or the fish school or the like displayed on the main display unit 61x or the child screen 64 when the ship approaches the fish school. It was necessary to make a judgment based on the state of the image and the depression angle at that time.

[0011]

In the above-described conventional underwater detection device, the depression angle is set according to the state of the image of a target such as a school of fish displayed on the main display section 61 of the display 6x or the child screen 64. In order to know the thickness of the fish school and other layers and the water depth at which they are distributed,
An operation of setting a depression angle and performing transmission and reception a plurality of times while judging the state of an image of a fish school or the like displayed on the main display unit 61 of the display 6x is performed for a plurality of depression angles, It is necessary to make a judgment based on the state of the image of the fish school and the like displayed on the main display unit 61 and the child screen 64 and the depression angle at that time, and there is a problem that the time for this is very long.

Further, it is difficult to determine the thickness and distribution state of a layer such as a school of fish at a long distance, the depth of water, and so on, and it is extremely difficult to determine the fish species from such information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an underwater detecting device capable of quickly ascertaining the thickness and distribution state of a layer of a school of fish, water depth, etc., regardless of the distance, and facilitating discrimination of fish species. Is to provide.

[0014]

The present invention has the following means in order to achieve the above object. That is, the underwater detection device of the present invention sets the reference depression angle of the beam by the ultrasonic pulse to be transmitted and received, performs the transmission and reception of the beam by the ultrasonic pulse a predetermined number of times, and performs transmission and reception associated with this transmission and reception, and receives the reception. An underwater detection device that displays a predetermined image including a target by a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on a signal, wherein a depression angle of a beam by the ultrasonic pulse is sequentially reduced by a predetermined angle from the reference depression angle. Automatic depression angle change control means for changing the angle of depression to the maximum angle of depression, and sequentially changing the angle by the predetermined angle from the angle of depression of the maximum amount of change to return to the reference angle of depression. Means for transmitting and receiving a beam by the ultrasonic pulse a predetermined number of times at each depression angle by the means, and performing transmission / reception and signal processing associated with the transmission / reception of the beam. Corresponding transmission / reception control means is provided, and a plurality of images based on a signal in a predetermined cutout range of a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on each received signal at each depression angle by the reference depression angle and the automatic depression angle change control means are provided. A sub-screen display means corresponding to each depression angle which is continuously displayed in a time series as a sub-screen, and configured to perform a predetermined signal processing on each received signal of each depression angle by the reference depression angle and the automatic depression angle change control means. An image based on one depression angle signal of the obtained signals is displayed on the main display unit of the display, and a predetermined signal process is performed on the reference depression angle and the received signal of each depression angle by the automatic depression angle change control means. An image based on a signal in a predetermined cut-out range of the signal obtained by the application is displayed corresponding to a plurality of small-screen display units at predetermined positions on the display.

Further, the underwater detection device of the present invention is characterized in that a reference depression angle of a beam by an ultrasonic pulse transmitted / received by the transmitter / receiver and a depression angle of a maximum change amount are sequentially changed by a predetermined angle from the reference depression angle. A depression angle instruction circuit and depression angle control circuit for setting and controlling each depression angle when returning to the reference depression angle again, and an A / D converter for converting a reception signal from the transducer into a digital signal and outputting the digital signal And this A / D
A signal processing circuit for performing predetermined signal processing on the output signal of the converter and the signal processed before and after one transmission / reception and outputting the signal; an image memory for storing and outputting the output signal of the signal processing circuit; For each of the depression angles when the signal of the predetermined cutout range of the output signal is sequentially changed by the reference depression angle and the reference depression angle by a predetermined angle to reach the maximum change amount depression angle and then returns to the reference depression angle again. A multi-image memory for storing and outputting, an image based on an output signal of the image memory is displayed on a main display unit, and an image based on the output signal of the multi-image memory is sequentially chronologically displayed on a plurality of small screens corresponding to each depression angle. A synthesis circuit and a display to be displayed, and a transmission / reception wave for each of the reference depression angles and the changing depression angles,
A signal processing control circuit for controlling the number of times of transmission and reception and signal processing operation, a range generator for setting the cutout range, and an address generator for generating write and read addresses for the image memory and the multi-image memory; Is configured.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment of the present invention, the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam transmitted / received by the transducer is set and controlled in addition to the depression angle (basic depression angle) which is instructed and controlled similarly to the conventional underwater detection device. Automatic depression angle change that sequentially changes by a predetermined angle from this reference depression angle to reach the depression angle of the maximum change amount, and sequentially changes by the same angle from this depression amount of the maximum change amount to return to the basic depression angle. A control means is provided, and with the installation of the automatic depression angle change control means, transmission / reception at each changing depression angle, the number of times of transmission / reception and signal processing and transmission / reception control means for automatic depression angle change corresponding to the operation control are provided, The main display unit displays an image based on a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on the received signal of the basic depression angle in the same manner as in the related art. Basic depression angle and change Is an image of a predetermined cutout range of a signal of each depression respective received signal to a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing, so that time-series continuity indication that.

With such a configuration, regardless of the distance, the child screen of the display displays the basic depression angle and the distribution of the school of fish and the like at each depression angle that sequentially changes by a predetermined angle from this reference depression angle. It is possible to compare and recognize the state of size, shape, position, shading, etc., and to grasp the state of thickness distribution of fish schools and other layers, water depth, etc. in a short time, so that it is easy to distinguish fish species Will be able to

[0018]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a reference depression angle in this embodiment and a method of sequentially changing the reference depression angle by a predetermined angle to reach a maximum change depression angle and return to the reference depression angle again. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the depression angle of the controlled ultrasonic beam changes, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display screen of the display device of this embodiment.

The configuration of this embodiment is different from the configuration of the conventional underwater detector (hereinafter referred to as the conventional example) shown in FIG. 4 in that the depression angle instruction circuit 14x of the conventional example and the depression angle instruction circuit 14x In addition to the depression angle set by the instruction (reference depression angle), the reference depression angle is sequentially changed by a predetermined angle to reach the maximum change depression angle, and the reference angle is sequentially changed by the same angle from this maximum change depression angle. In order to return to the depression angle, an automatic depression angle change control means for controlling the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam transmitted and received by the transmitter / receiver 1 is provided as the depression angle instruction circuit 14, and the signal processing control circuit 13x of the conventional example is provided with the reference depression angle. In addition to the transmission / reception of the ultrasonic beam and the number and operation control of transmission / reception and signal processing accompanying the transmission / reception, the transmission / reception and transmission / reception of the ultrasonic beam at each depression angle by the automatic depression angle change control means Provided transmission and reception control means for automatic depression angle change corresponding to the signal processing control circuit 13 for the number of times and operation control of transmission and reception and signal processing involves, indicator 6x conventional example
Instead, an image based on the output signal of the image memory 4 obtained via the synthesizing circuit 5 is displayed on the main display unit 61, and a plurality of small-screen display units 63a to 63b provided below the main display unit 61 are displayed.
63d, a signal of a predetermined cut-out range 62 of a signal of the reference depression angle from the image memory 4 and a signal of each changing depression angle is received from the multi-image memory 8 via the synthesizing circuit 5, and an image based on these signals is chronologically obtained. Display 6 for continuous display
Is provided.

Next, the operation and operation method of this embodiment will be described. First, similarly to the conventional example, the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam is set to a predetermined angle (for example, 10 °),
Transmission and reception are performed a predetermined number of times, the received signal is subjected to signal processing, stored in the image memory 4 and displayed on the main display section 61 of the display 6.

At this time, if a target TG such as a school of fish is displayed on the image of the main display portion 61, the event mark I
Set M to the target TG and set the automatic depression angle change control operation mode. At this time, the change step of each depression angle and the depression angle of the maximum change amount can be arbitrarily set. For example, if the change step is 2 ° and the maximum change amount is 6 °, the reference depression angle is 10 °, 12 ° → 14 °. ° → 16 ° → 14 ° → 1
The depression angle automatically changes from 2 ° to 10 °, and transmission / reception and transmission / reception and signal processing are performed for each of these depression angles a predetermined number of times, and stored in the image memory 4. Also, a predetermined cutout range 6 centered on the event mark IM at each depression angle.
2 are stored in the multi-image memory 8.

The signals stored in the image memory 4 and the multi-image memory 8 are transmitted to the display 6 via the synthesizing circuit 5,
The signal from the image memory 4 displays an image centering on the own ship mark on the main display unit 61, and the signal from the multi-image memory 8 is transmitted to the plurality of small-screen display units 63a to 63d. Extraction range 62 corresponding to each depression angle
Are successively displayed in time series.

From the display state of the target TG in the image of each depression angle displayed on the child screen display units 63a to 63d, even if the target such as a school of fish is at a certain distance, the size, shape, The position, shading, etc. can be compared and recognized, and the thickness and distribution state of layers such as fish schools, water depth, etc. can be grasped. In addition, it is possible to easily determine the type of fish from the information.

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an underwater detecting device represented by a spiral scanning type scanning sonar, but is applied to an underwater detecting device such as a pencil beam type sonar such as a PPI type. The present invention can also be applied to the present invention.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the depression angle of the ultrasonic beam is sequentially changed by a predetermined angle with respect to the reference depression angle to reach the maximum change depression angle, and is sequentially changed by the predetermined angle. An automatic depression angle change control means for controlling to return to the reference depression angle is provided, and an image based on a signal of a predetermined cutout range of the received signal of each of the reference depression angle and each changing depression angle is sequentially and sequentially displayed in a time series as a small screen. Because of the configuration of these child screens, it is possible to immediately compare and recognize the state of the size, shape, position, shading, etc. of the distribution of fish schools, etc. regardless of the distance to the target such as fish schools from the display state of these child screens Thus, the thickness and distribution state of a fish school or the like, the state of water distribution, the water depth, and the like can be grasped in a short time, so that the effect of easily discriminating the fish species and the like can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view for explaining the depression angle control operation of the ultrasonic beam of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display screen of the display device of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional underwater detection device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an image displayed on a display screen of a display device of the underwater detection device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transceiver 2 A / D converter 3 Signal processing circuit 4 Image memory 5 Synthesis circuit 6, 6x display 7, 10 Write address generator 8 Multi-image memory 9 Range generator 11 AND circuit 12 Read address generator 13, 13x signal processing control circuit 14, 14x depression angle instruction circuit 15 depression angle control circuit 61, 61x main display section 62, 62x cutout range 63a to 63d small screen display section 64 small screen

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI G01S 15/96 G01S 15/96

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A standard depression angle of a beam by an ultrasonic pulse to be transmitted / received is set, and a predetermined number of times of transmission / reception of the beam by the ultrasonic pulse and transmission / reception accompanying this transmission / reception are performed.
An underwater detection device that displays a predetermined image including a target by a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on the received signal, wherein a depression angle of the beam by the ultrasonic pulse is
An automatic depression angle change that is sequentially changed by a predetermined angle from the reference depression angle to reach a depression angle of a maximum change amount, and is controlled so as to sequentially change the depression angle of the maximum change amount by the predetermined angle and return to the reference depression angle. Control means for transmitting and receiving a beam by the ultrasonic pulse a predetermined number of times at each depression angle by the automatic depression angle change control means and performing transmission and reception associated with the transmission and reception and signal transmission and reception corresponding to the automatic depression angle change Providing a control means, as a plurality of child screens, an image by a signal of a predetermined cutout range of a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on each received signal of each depression angle by the reference depression angle and the automatic depression angle change control means. An underwater detection device, comprising: a sub-screen display unit corresponding to each depression angle that continuously displays in chronological order. 2. An image based on a signal of one depression angle among signals obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on each of the reception signals of each of the depression angles by the reference depression angle and the automatic depression angle change control means. The display unit displays an image based on a signal in a predetermined cut-out range of a signal obtained by performing predetermined signal processing on a received signal of each depression angle by the reference depression angle and the automatic depression angle change control unit by the reference depression angle. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the underwater detection device is displayed corresponding to a plurality of small-screen display units at predetermined positions. 3. A reference depression angle of a beam by an ultrasonic pulse transmitted / received by the transducer, and sequentially changed by a predetermined angle from the reference depression angle, a depression angle of a maximum change amount is reached, and the reference depression angle is returned again. A depression angle instruction circuit and a depression angle control circuit for setting and controlling each depression angle, and an A / D converter for converting a reception signal from the transducer into a digital signal and outputting the digital signal.
A D-converter, a signal processing circuit for performing predetermined signal processing on the output signal of the A / D converter and the signal-processed signal before one transmission / reception, and outputting the signal, and storing an output signal of the signal processing circuit; An image memory to be output, and a signal in a predetermined cutout range of an output signal of the image memory is sequentially changed by a predetermined angle from the reference depression angle and the reference depression angle to reach a depression angle of the maximum change amount, and again the reference depression angle. A multi-image memory for storing and outputting for each depression angle at the time of returning to, a plurality of images corresponding to each depression angle, displaying an image based on an output signal of the image memory on a main display unit and displaying an image based on an output signal of the multi-image memory. And a signal processing unit for controlling the transmission / reception, the number of transmission / reception and the signal processing for each of the reference depression angle and each of the changing depression angles. And control circuitry, a range generator for setting the cut-out area, underwater detection system according to claim 1, further comprising an address generator for generating addresses for writing and reading of the image memory and a multi-image memory.