JP2001159677A - Underwater detecting device and sounding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively and clearly display a lot of information on a limited space on a small sized display device. SOLUTION: A screen 41a historically displaying depth information of a bottom of the water obtained from an echo signal on a display screen of a display device 9 or a screen 41b displaying fish detection information obtained from the echo signal are displayed with both screens 41a, 41b arranged, or each of the both screens is displayed by switching them.

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 and a sounding device for measuring the depth of the seabed and detecting a school of fish using ultrasonic waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A sounding device that emits an ultrasonic signal from a transmitter / receiver provided on a hull into water and measures the depth of the seabed based on a received echo signal has been conventionally used. In such a conventional sounding device, measured data is recorded on recording paper and output.

[0003] However, the conventional sounding device requires paper as a recording medium, which is a consumable item, which is expensive, and is inconvenient in terms of handling such as replacement and storage of the recording paper. Further, in such a recording paper type sounding device, a mechanism for performing recording on the recording paper is provided. However, since this mechanism includes a movable portion such as a gear and a belt, the reliability is poor. There is also.

In view of this, instead of the above-described recording paper type, a method of displaying measured data on a display such as a liquid crystal display is considered. According to this, the recording paper becomes unnecessary, the data can be stored electronically, and since no movable mechanism is required, the reliability is improved and the drawbacks of the conventional device can be overcome.

[0005]

However, since the display mounted on a ship is generally small and the display screen space is limited, as much information as possible is required to display the sounding result on the screen. Is required to be displayed efficiently and easily. An object of the present invention is to meet such a demand.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a first screen on which a history of water bottom depth information obtained from an echo signal is displayed on a display, and a fish shoal obtained from the echo signal. And a second screen on which information is displayed.

[0007] In this manner, since a screen of the bottom depth information and a screen of the fish finder information are displayed on one display, a device having both functions of a sounding device and a fish finder can be realized. The display can be used for both. Also, instead of displaying bottom depth information and fish finder information together in the same screen (this display format is also used in conventional fish finder), bottom depth information and fish finder information are independent of each other. Since the screen is displayed as a detailed screen, more accurate and detailed information can be displayed in an easy-to-view form.

In the present invention, the first screen and the second screen may be displayed side by side on a display, or one of them may be displayed by switching the screen.

Further, in the present invention, in order to configure a device having both functions of sounding and fish finder, in order to simplify the circuit, the water depth is determined by using a two-frequency ultrasonic detection signal used for fish finder. It is preferable to configure to measure.

Further, according to the present invention, when the water depth information over a certain period in the past is historically displayed on the screen displaying the water depth information, the screen is scrolled to 1/1 of the entire display area.
It is preferable that the display content is updated in units of n areas in order to perform easy-to-view display. In this case, the display screen of the water bottom depth information is divided into two, one of the display screens displays the water bottom depth information over a certain period in the past, and the other screen displays the latest water bottom depth information including the current measured depth. By scrolling one of the display screens, the display contents of the screen can be updated in 1 / n area units.

In the present invention, the frequency of the ultrasonic wave is changed in accordance with the depth of the water bottom in order to measure the depth from a shallow field to a deep field in a wide range, and to display the measurement result clearly in any case. It is preferable to automatically switch between high frequency and low frequency.

Further, in the present invention, in order to easily predict the change of the water bottom on the screen, the change of the water bottom depth up to the present is calculated based on the past water depth data, and the result is marked on the screen. It is preferable to display with.

Further, in the present invention, when a draft value is set on the screen, the water depth scale is shifted upward without moving the oscillation line, in order to secure a large display area for the draft correction and to make it easy to see. preferable.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the underwater detection device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1
Is a transducer mounted on the hull for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and comprises a high frequency transducer 1a and a low frequency transducer 1b. A switching unit 2 switches the operation of the transmitter / receiver 1 between a transmitting side and a receiving side and between a high frequency side and a low frequency side.
A transmission circuit for supplying a transmission signal to the transmitter / receiver 1 via the transmitting / receiving unit 4 is a switching unit 2 for receiving an echo signal from the seabed received by the transmitter / receiver 1.
And 5 are A / D converters for converting an analog signal received by the receiving circuit 4 into a digital signal. The switching unit 2, the transmission circuit 3, the reception circuit 4, and the A / D converter 5 constitute a transmission / reception block 15.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a CPU for calculating fish school information based on the output from the A / D converter 5, and 7 denotes a ROM in which a program of the CPU 6 is stored and an RA in which various data are stored.
M is a memory including M, 8 is a display of fish school information on a display 9
Display control unit for displaying the
The U6, the memory 7, and the display control unit 8 constitute a fish finder control block 16.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a CPU for calculating water bottom depth information based on the output from the A / D converter 5, and reference numeral 11 denotes a memory including a ROM storing a program of the CPU 10 and a RAM storing various data. , 12 are display control units for displaying the water bottom depth information on the display 9, and these CPU 10, memory 11, display control unit 12
The sounding control block 17 is constituted by this.

The display 9 comprises a liquid crystal display.
The fish school information obtained by the PU 6 and the water bottom depth information obtained by the CPU 10 are displayed. Details of this will be described later. Reference numeral 13 denotes an operation unit provided with keys for performing various settings and the like, and 14 denotes an external storage device for extracting and storing data of water bottom depth information obtained by the CPU 10.

Next, a schematic operation of the underwater detection device having the above-described configuration will be described. When a transmission command is given from the CPU 6 to the transmission circuit 3, a transmission signal is output from the transmission circuit 3,
The transmission / reception unit 1 is switched via the switching unit 2 switched to the transmission side.
, An ultrasonic signal is emitted toward the sea. Here, a high frequency ultrasonic wave of, for example, 200 KHz is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1a, and a low frequency ultrasonic wave of, for example, 50KHz is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1b. Switching of these frequencies is performed by the switching unit 2.

Ultrasonic waves emitted from the transducer 1 are reflected at the place where the school of fish exists or on the sea floor, and the echo signal is received by the transducer 1. This echo signal is received by the receiving circuit 4 via the switching unit 2 switched to the receiving side,
The signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter
Given to. The CPU 6 identifies a school of fish based on the echo signal, calculates fish school detection information, and stores the result in the memory 7. The display control unit 8 outputs the data read from the memory 7 to the display 9, and the display 9 displays fish school information.

On the other hand, the output of the A / D converter 5 is
The CPU 10 calculates the water depth to the seabed based on the echo signal, and stores the result in the memory 11. The display control unit 12 outputs the water depth data read from the memory 11 to the display 9, and the display 9 displays the water bottom depth information.

Further, the external storage device 14 takes in the water depth data obtained by the CPU 10 and stores it. The external storage device 14 is composed of, for example, a card reader / writer, into which a memory card (not shown) is inserted, and water depth data for the past 24 hours is recorded on the memory card. Alternatively, the external storage device 14 may be constituted by a personal computer. In this case, the downloaded water depth data for the past 24 hours is recorded in the storage device of the personal computer.

As described above, the underwater detecting device of FIG. 1 has both functions of a fish finder and a sounding device. And since the ultrasonic detection signal of two frequencies of 200 KHz and 50 KHz used for fish school detection is also used for the measurement of the water depth,
The transmitter / receiver 1 and the transmission / reception block 15 can be shared, and the circuit is simplified.

When displaying a school of fish on the display 9,
Since it is required to display the fish school in detail by increasing the amount of information, the number of detection pulse signals emitted from the transducer 1 increases. For example, the number of pulses when displaying the water depth scale in the 20 m range is 1000 pulses / min or more, and in the case of the 200 m range, it is 100 pulses / min or more.

On the other hand, when the depth of the water bottom is displayed, the undulation of the water bottom does not change so much in a short time, so that the number of times of detection pulse signals may be reduced. For example, when displaying in the 20 m range, the number of pulses is 36.
Pulse / min or more and 12 in case of 200m range
It becomes pulse / min or more. Actually, the water bottom depth information is displayed based on some of the detection pulse signals emitted for fish school detection and their echo signals. Therefore, the water bottom depth information can be displayed by peak-holding the echo signal for displaying the school of fish or performing averaging processing. When the fish school information is displayed, the water bottom may not be displayed due to the switching of the range. However, when the water bottom depth information is displayed, the water bottom must be displayed.

FIG. 2 shows a display unit 20 of the underwater detection device.
An example is shown. The display unit 20 includes a display 9.
The operation unit 13 is provided in line with. Display 9 is T
It is composed of an FT (Thin Film Transistor) color liquid crystal display, and has a small display area of, for example, 133 × 97 mm.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the display screen 41 of the display 9. 3, two independent screens 41a and 41b are displayed on the display screen 41 side by side. Screen 4
1a is a screen on which the water bottom depth information obtained by the sounding control block 17 of FIG. 1 is displayed, and the screen 41b is a screen on which the fish detection information obtained by the fish detection control block 16 of FIG. 1 is displayed.

On the screen 41a, reference numeral 42 denotes a water depth scale provided at intervals of 50 meters, reference numeral 43 denotes a seafloor line displayed based on the measured water depth value, and the seafloor line 43 is used as a history based on data for a predetermined period. Displayed continuously. In other words, the seafloor line 43 at the position of the right end 46 of the screen 41a is the latest seafloor line currently measured, and the seafloor line for at least the past 15 minutes is displayed as going from this position to the left. Reference numeral 44 denotes a current water depth value, and the water depth value 81.3 m of the sea bottom line 43 in the above 46 is displayed. Also, 4
Reference numeral 5 denotes a warning depth line serving as a reference for issuing a warning. The alarm depth line 45 can be set arbitrarily.
Here, it is set to 15 m, and an alarm is issued when the water depth is less than this. Reference numeral 47 denotes a display unit for displaying the set alarm water depth value.

On the screen 41b, reference numeral 48 denotes a water depth scale provided at intervals of 25 meters, reference numeral 49 denotes a sea bottom line, and reference numeral 50 denotes an image of a fish school displayed based on an echo signal, which is displayed by a conventional fish finder. The display contents are the same as those on the screen. An oscillation line 51 indicates the position of the transducer 1 mounted on the hull.

As described above, the screen 41a for displaying the depth of the bottom of the water and the screen 41b for displaying the fish detection information are displayed side by side on the display unit 9 so that the limited display screen 4 is provided.
A large amount of information can be displayed in one, and efficient display can be performed. In FIG. 3, the screen 41a and the screen 4 are displayed on the display screen 41.
1b is displayed for each half, for example, the screen 41a of the water bottom depth information is displayed on 1/5 of the display screen 41, and the screen 41b of the fish finder information is displayed on the remaining 4/5. The ratio can be arbitrarily selected.

The display screen 41a of the water bottom depth information is
Since the latest image is always displayed at the position of the right end 46, it is necessary to send and update the image at regular intervals. The time interval of this image feed is set to, for example, 15 minutes in the normal mode. Further, by setting the mode to the fast-forward mode, high-speed transmission can be performed at a speed corresponding to the range.
For example, 10 seconds in 10m range, 15 seconds in 20m, 60
m, 1 minute, 100 m, 1.5 minutes, 200 m, 2 minutes, etc. However, even in this case, the measured value every second is displayed on the water depth value display 44. The same applies to the display screen of the water bottom depth information in the following embodiments.

On the other hand, in the operation unit 13 of FIG. 2, 21 is a draft key for setting a draft value, 22 is an alarm key for setting the above-mentioned alarm water depth line 45,
23 is an illumination adjustment key for adjusting the panel illumination of the operation unit 13, 24 is a brightness adjustment key for adjusting the screen brightness of the display 9, 25 is an auto key for switching between automatic / manual such as range and sensitivity, and 26 Is a color key for adjusting the color tone of the display 9, 27 is a minus key for scrolling the display of the water depth history displayed on the display 9 in the reverse direction (left direction) or subtracting the set value, Reference numeral 28 denotes a plus key for scrolling the display of the water depth history displayed on the display 9 in the forward direction (rightward) or adding a set value.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a range switch for switching the display range of the display 9, reference numeral 30 denotes a gain switch for adjusting sensitivity, reference numeral 31 denotes a mode switch for switching modes, and reference numeral 32 denotes a power switch of the display unit 20. The mode of the mode switch 31 includes a NAV mode for displaying a basic screen, and a DB for displaying a screen based on draft correction.
S (Depth Below Surface) mode, HISTORY mode that displays past water depth history in a graph format, LOGBOOK mode that displays past water depth history in a table format that correlates time and water depth value, ship position and ship speed, OSDATA mode for displaying water depth, HELP mode for displaying descriptions of operations and functions, M for selecting menus for various functions
ENU mode and the like.

FIG. 3 shows two display screens 41a and 41b.
Are displayed side by side at the same time, but one of them can be displayed by switching the display screens 41a and 41b. FIG. 4 shows a circuit for that purpose, and the same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 4, the display control unit 8
A changeover switch 18 is provided between the display control unit 12 and the display 9. The changeover switch 18 may be provided at an appropriate position of the display unit 20. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG.

In FIG. 4, when the changeover switch 18 is set to the side "a", the display 9 is connected to the fish finder control block 16 and the display 9 displays a fish finder information screen as shown in FIG. 41b is displayed. This screen 41b
Are the same as those on the screen 41b of FIG. 3, and therefore, the same portions are denoted by the same reference characters and description thereof is omitted. However, in FIG. 5, since the fish detection information can be displayed on the entire screen, the display area is naturally wider than that in FIG. 3, so that more fish information can be displayed.

In FIG. 4, when the changeover switch 18 is switched to the b-side, the display 9 is connected to the sounding control block 17 and the display 9 has the water bottom depth information as shown in FIG. Screen 41a is displayed. Since this screen 41a is also the same as the screen 41a of FIG. 3, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Also, in this case, since the water bottom depth information can be displayed on the entire screen, the display area is widened and the water depth history for a longer time can be displayed.

As described above, the screen 41a of the water bottom depth information
And the screen 41b of the fish finder information, and by displaying one of them on the display unit 9, necessary information can be selected and displayed in detail, and a large amount of information can be efficiently displayed on a limited screen. It can be displayed well.

By the way, in FIG.
When 1 is set to the HISTORY mode, a screen as shown in FIG. 7A is displayed. In the HISTORY mode, the display screen 41a is divided into two, and a screen 61 in which the bottom depth information over the past 24 hours is displayed as a history and a bottom depth information for the latest 5 minutes including the current measured depth (47.5 m in this example) are displayed. A screen 62 for displaying the history is displayed. 43
Reference numerals a and 43b denote submarine lines, and only the outline of the submarine line 43a on the screen 61 is displayed. On the other hand, the submarine line 43b of the screen 62 is displayed in such a manner that the geological portion is painted in red, for example. 42 is a water depth scale,
44 is the current water depth value.

The screen 61 can be scrolled in the left-right direction, so that changes in the sea floor line 43a in the past 24 hours can be tracked. That is, when the plus key 28 in FIG.
Direction) and press the minus key 27,
The screen 61 is scrolled backward.

In this case, the screen 6 is changed by scrolling.
In updating 1, it takes a very long time to update the data one by one. On the other hand, when one page of the screen 61 is updated, the update time can be shortened, but the data before the update disappears from the screen 61, so that the connection of the data is difficult to understand, and the change history of the submarine line 43a cannot be accurately grasped. There is a problem.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the display contents are updated by scrolling in units of １ ／ of the entire display area. That is, in FIG. 7A, when the width of the entire display area of the screen 61 is set to w, pressing the plus key 28 once causes the screen 61 to display the arrow A
Scrolled in the direction, w / 2 in the right half of the screen 61
As shown in FIG. 7B, the display area 63 having a width of
Move to the left half of the screen 61. Then, a new submarine line 64 is displayed in the right half of the screen 61. The same applies to scrolling in the direction opposite to the arrow A using the minus key 27. When the key 27 is pressed once, the left half of the screen 61 moves to the right half and updating is performed. Reference numeral 66 denotes a time display, and the more recent the time is, the closer to the arrow A side.

As described above, by updating the screen 61 by ２, half of the screen before the update is displayed on the screen after the update, so that the connection of the data can be easily understood, and the change of the submarine line 43a can be easily understood. History can be easily grasped. In addition, the update speed can be increased as compared with the case of updating one data at a time. In this example, the display area is updated in 1/2 units, but the present invention is not limited to this. In general, the update can be performed in 1 / n units, and can be updated in arbitrary units such as 1/3 or 1/4. it can.

The above-described scrolling method can also be employed in a water depth display screen in which a fish school screen and a water depth screen are displayed side by side as shown in FIG. FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in this case, and the same parts as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Screen 41 on which bottom depth information is displayed
As in FIG. 7, a is updated every time the plus key 28 or the minus key 27 is pressed once, in units of 1 / n of the entire display area. Further, the scroll method is not limited to the screen of the fish school and the screen of the water depth as shown in FIG. 3 which are displayed side by side, and may be applied to the case where the water depth display screen 41a as shown in FIG. Is possible.

FIG. 9 shows still another embodiment of the scroll system. Here, the two screens 41 in FIG.
a, 41b, the display screen 41a of the water bottom depth information is
As in FIG. 7, the screen is divided into two, and three screens 411,
412 and 41b are displayed. Screen 4
11 shows the bottom depth information of the past 24 hours, and the screen 412 displays the bottom depth information of the latest 5 minutes including the current measurement depth (81.3 m in this example). The display contents of the screen 411 are updated in the unit of 1 / n of the entire display area by scrolling in the same manner as described above.

As described above, even if the display area is narrowed by dividing the display screen 41 into two or three, the display content is updated in 1 / n units of the display area. Because we can maintain connection of data,
The screen becomes easy to see.

Next, switching of the frequency of the ultrasonic signal will be described. In a conventional sounding device, sounding is performed using either a high-frequency or low-frequency transducer. However, since a high frequency has a short wavelength and a large amount of attenuation, it is difficult to reach a deep place in the water, and it is impossible to measure a deep field. On the other hand, the low frequency has a long wavelength and a small amount of attenuation, and therefore reaches a deep place in the water. On the other hand, it cannot measure a shallow field accurately. In addition, when a low frequency is used, a so-called bubble break phenomenon, in which ultrasonic wave propagation is hindered by bubbles on the water surface generated after the ship passes, is likely to occur, and accurate sounding may not be performed.

In order to solve such a problem, in the present embodiment, as described above, the transmitter / receiver 1 of FIG. 1 is constituted by the transmitter / receiver 1a for high frequency and the transmitter / receiver 1b for low frequency.
In a shallow place where the water depth is less than 30 m, for example, a high frequency (200 KHz) ultrasonic signal is emitted from the transducer 1 a, and in a deep place where the water depth is 30 m or more, a low frequency (50 KHz) ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the transducer 1 b. The frequency of the ultrasound is automatically switched according to the depth so that it is fired. This switching is performed by the switching unit 2. The range for which sounding can be performed is, for example, 2 m to 200 m.

As described above, the depth of a shallow field is measured at a high frequency using two frequencies, and the depth of a deep field is measured at a low frequency. For deep fields, it is possible to measure deeper at lower frequencies. Therefore, in any case, the measurement result is clearly displayed on the display screen 41.

FIG. 10 shows a water depth information display screen 41a of the display unit 9 when the frequency is switched as described above. FIG. 10A shows a screen when the depth measurement is performed at a high frequency (200 KHz). ) Is a screen when sounding at a low frequency (50 KHz). In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In addition, 65 is a frequency display. FIG. 10A shows a screen in a shallow place, and the range of the water depth scale 42 is in units of 10 m. FIG. 10B is a screen of a deep field, and the range of the water depth scale 42 is in units of 50 m. When the frequency is switched from the high frequency to the low frequency, the screen 41a is also switched from (a) to (b), but when the auto mode is set by operating the auto key 25 (FIG. 2),
To ensure that the seabed line 43 is always displayed on the screen 41a,
The range of the water depth scale 42 is automatically switched. On the other hand, when the mode is set to the manual mode, the range of the water depth scale 42 is switched by the range switch 29.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart in the case where the shallow field and the deep field are measured by the above-described frequency switching. First, an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1 to measure the depth of the water bottom (step S1). The frequency of the ultrasonic wave at this time is a high frequency. It should be noted that whether to use a high frequency or a low frequency as the ultrasonic wave transmitted from the transducer 1 is determined by MEN.
It can be selected on the U mode screen (not shown).

Next, it is determined whether or not the measured depth is 30 m or more (step S2). This value of 30 m can be changed to an arbitrary value by setting. 30
If it is not more than m (NO in step S2), since it is a shallow field, high-frequency (200 KHz) ultrasonic waves are transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1a and sounding is performed (step S3), and the result is shown in FIG. Is displayed on the display 9 (step S5). If the depth is 30 m or more (step S2 YES), since the field is a deep field, a low frequency (50 KHz) ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1b to measure the depth (step S4), and the result is shown in FIG. It is displayed on the display 9 as shown in (b) (step S5). Then, it is determined whether or not the measurement is completed (step S6). If the measurement is not completed (step S6 NO), the process returns to step S1 to repeat the above-described operation, and if the measurement is completed (step S6).
6YES), end the operation.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing another embodiment in which shallow and deep fields are measured by frequency switching. In the present embodiment, sounding is performed with priority given to high frequency, and when measurement using high frequency becomes impossible, the frequency is automatically switched to low frequency. First, a high frequency (200 KHz) is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1a to measure the depth of the water bottom (Step S11). The echo signal is received by the receiving circuit 4
Is determined (step S12). If an echo signal is received (step S12 YES), measurement data based on the echo signal is displayed on the display 9 as shown in FIG. 10A (step S14). Then, it is determined whether or not the measurement has been completed (step S15). If the measurement has not been completed (step S15 NO), the process returns to step S12 to continue the high frequency sounding.

When the high frequency echo signal is no longer received (NO in step S12), a low frequency (50 KHz) is transmitted from the transmitter / receiver 1b to measure the depth of the water bottom (step S13). It is displayed on the display 9 as shown in b) (step S14). And
It is determined whether or not the measurement is completed (Step S15). If the measurement is not completed (Step S15 NO), Step 1 is performed.
Returning to step 2, the sounding with the low frequency is continued, and if the measurement is completed (step S15 YES), the operation is ended.

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment in which a mark 70 indicating the inclination of the water bottom is displayed on the display screen 41a in addition to the water bottom depth information. Whether or not to display the mark 70 can be selected on the screen of the MENU mode. 13, the same parts as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The mark 70 is composed of a semicircle 71 and an arrow 72 displayed therein, and the degree of inclination of the arrow 72 from the horizontal indicates the tendency of the average inclination of the water floor within a certain period of time in the past. In the case of FIG. 13A, the inclination of the arrow 72 is small because the inclination of the water bottom is gentle on average, but in FIG. 13B, the inclination of the arrow 72 is large because the inclination of the water bottom is steep on average. Has become.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a display pattern of the mark 70. FIG. 14 (a) shows that the average inclination angle θ of the water bottom is −90 ° ≦.
When θ <−60 °, (b) is −60 ° ≦ θ <−30 °
In the case of (c), (d) when -30 ° ≦ θ <-1 °
Is −1 ° ≦ θ ≦ 1 °, (e) is −1 ° <θ ≦ 30
°, (f) is 30 ° <θ ≦ 60 °, (g)
Represents the display when 60 ° <θ ≦ 90 °.

The average inclination angle θ of the water bottom is obtained by calculating the change of the water bottom depth up to the present based on the past water depth data. FIG. 15 illustrates this principle. FIG.
5, t1, t2,..., Tn are timings of ultrasonic detection pulses emitted from the transmitter / receiver 1 during the past T minutes (for example, 1 minute), and the water depth at each point in time measured by the ultrasonic detection pulses. To D1, D2,... Dn, respectively.
And Here, assuming that the minute speed of the ship is v, the distance L that the ship has moved during T minutes is L = v × T. On the other hand, the average value D of the water depth measured during T minutes is D = (D1 + D2... + Dn) /
n, and the average value D ′ of the water depth measured in the same manner at the time before T minutes is D ′ = (D1 ′ + D2 ′... + Dn ′)
/ N, the difference between the current average water depth D and the average water depth D ′ before T minutes is ΔD = DD ′. Therefore, the average inclination angle θ of the water bottom for T minutes can be obtained from the following equation. θ = tan ⁻¹ ΔD / L = tan ⁻¹ ΔD / (v × T) The value of the average inclination angle θ determines the pattern of the mark 70 in FIG. Note that the value of T can be determined by parameters such as the boat speed and rudder effect (the time from turning the rudder until the ship actually turns).

In the above example, the difference between the current average water depth D and the average water depth D 'before T minutes was obtained. The water depth value Dn may be used. In the above example, whether the mark 70 is displayed or not is determined by ME.
The selection is made on the NU mode screen. Alternatively, when the measured water depth falls below a certain value, the mark 7 is automatically displayed.
0 may be displayed. Further, as the mark 70, various types of marks and figures can be used, and the mark 70 is not limited to the above example.

As described above, by displaying the mark 70 indicating the inclination of the water bottom in addition to the water bottom depth information on the display screen 41a, a change in the water bottom can be easily predicted on the screen. In other words, it is difficult to determine whether the bottom of the seabed is shallow or deep on the average in the case of a rugged bottom only by displaying the seafloor line 43, and also in a place where the inclination of the bottom is gentle. Is difficult,
According to the present embodiment, since the average change in water depth is graphically displayed with the mark 70 based on the past sounding data, the change in the water bottom can be easily predicted. Also,
The slight inclination of the water bottom can also be grasped by the mark 70. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent accidents such as grounding.

Next, the screen display when the draft correction is performed will be described. The draft correction is a necessary correction because the mounting position of the transducer 1 is below the actual water surface. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the principle of draft correction. The transducer 1 is attached to the lower surface of the hull 80, and the hull 80 is submerged by Z2 below the water surface 82. Therefore, the water depth measured by the ultrasonic waves 83 emitted from the transducer 1 is the water depth value Z1 from the ship bottom to the water bottom, and is not the actual water depth value Z. Therefore, when displaying the actual water depth value Z in the above-described DBS mode, it is necessary to add the draft value Z2 to the measured water depth value Z1. This correction is a draft correction.

When such a draft correction is performed by the conventional apparatus, the oscillation line shifts downward on the display screen, and the data display area becomes narrow. This will be described with reference to FIG. 16. FIG. 16A shows a screen when the draft value is 0, and the oscillation line 51 is at the 0 position on the water depth scale 42. In this case, water bottom depth information is displayed on the entire area of the screen 41a. On the other hand, FIG.
(B) is a screen when the draft value is set to 5 m,
The oscillation line 51 shifts by X to a position 5 m on the water depth scale 42. Along with this, the display area Y of the water bottom depth information
Becomes narrower. And the higher the draft value,
The oscillation line 51 shifts downward, and the display area Y becomes narrower.

Incidentally, the international standard IMO (Intern
a Maritime Organization standard)
In the case of the 0 m range, it is mandatory to display a screen at 5 mm or more per 1 m of water depth. In other words, it is required to secure 5 mm × 20 = 100 mm as the vertical dimension of the display area Y. However, since the screen 41a is a small screen as described above and has a limited size,
As described above, the oscillation line 51 shifts downward and the display area Y
Becomes narrower, the IMO standard cannot be satisfied. In particular, in the case of a shallow range, the shift amount of the oscillation line 51 is large, so that the display area Y is greatly reduced, and a part of the submarine line 43 is cut off from the screen, so that it is difficult to see. On the other hand, since nothing is displayed above the oscillation line 51, this portion is a useless area as a result.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the draft value is set, the oscillation line does not move and the water depth scale shifts upward, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem. FIG. 17 shows a screen in this case.
(A) is a screen when the draft value is 0, and the oscillation line 51 is shown.
Is at the 0 position on the water depth scale 42. This screen is shown in Figure 1.
This is the same as the screen of FIG. 6A, and the water bottom depth information is displayed on the entire area of the screen 41a. On the other hand, FIG. 17B shows a screen when the draft value is set to 5 m.
17A does not change as compared with FIG. 17A, and instead, the water depth scale 42 is shifted upward by 5 m. Therefore, the display area Y does not become narrow, and FIG.
The same display area as in (a) is secured.

To perform the draft correction, the mode switch 31 in FIG. 2 is set to the DBS mode, and the draft key 21 is operated. When the draft key 21 is pressed, a draft value setting screen (not shown) is displayed. On this screen, the draft value is initially set, and the set value is updated by pressing the plus key 28 or the minus key 27, and the draft value is set on the screen. The draft value can also be set on the fish school display screen 41b.

As described above, by shifting the water depth scale upward, the size of the display area Y does not change, and the IMO standard can be satisfied. In addition, no useless area is generated on the screen, and the display area Y does not change even in the case of a shallow range. Therefore, information can be efficiently displayed on the small display screen 41a.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the underwater detection device according to the present invention, which is a modification of the embodiment of FIG. In FIG. 19, the same parts as those in FIG. In FIG. 19, the fish finder control block 16 and the sounding control block 17 in FIG. That is, the function of the CPU 10 in the sounding control block 17 is shared by the CPU 6 and the function of the memory 11 is
The function of the display control unit 12 is also shared by the display control unit 8. By doing so, the circuit can be simplified.

The operation of FIG. 19 is basically the same as that of FIG. That is, a transmission signal is output from the transmission circuit 3 based on a transmission command from the CPU 6, and an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transducer 1. The echo signal reflected and returned from the school of fish and the sea floor is received by the transmitter / receiver 1 and received by the receiving circuit 4 and the A / D.
It is provided to the CPU 6 via the conversion unit 5. CPU 6
In addition to calculating the fish finder information based on the echo signal, the echo signal is peak-held or averaged to calculate the water depth to the sea floor, and each calculation result is stored in the memory 7. The display control unit 8 outputs the data read from the memory 7 to the display unit 9, and the fish detection information and the bottom depth information are displayed side by side on the display unit 9 as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the underwater detecting device according to the present invention, which is a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the same components as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. 20, similarly to FIG. 19, the fish finder control block 16 and the sounding control block 17 in FIG. That is, the function of the CPU 10 in the sounding control block 17 is shared by the CPU 6 and the memory 1
The function 1 is also used for the memory 7, and the function of the display control unit 12 is also used for the display control unit 8. By doing so, the circuit can be simplified.

The operation of FIG. 20 is basically the same as that of FIG. That is, a transmission signal is output from the transmission circuit 3 based on a transmission command from the CPU 6, and an ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the transducer 1. The echo signal reflected and returned from the school of fish and the sea floor is received by the transmitter / receiver 1 and received by the receiving circuit 4 and the A / D.
It is provided to the CPU 6 via the conversion unit 5. CPU 6
In addition to calculating the fish finder information based on the echo signal, the echo signal is peak-held or averaged to calculate the water depth to the sea floor, and each calculation result is stored in the memory 7.

When the changeover switch 18 is set to the “a” side, the display control unit 8 reads out the fish school detection information from the memory 7 and outputs it to the display unit 9. The display unit 9 displays the fish school detection information in FIG. It is displayed on one screen 41 as shown. When the changeover switch 18 is switched to the b-side, the display control unit 8 reads out the water bottom depth information from the memory 7 and outputs it to the display 9. The display 9 shows the water bottom depth information in FIG. As shown in FIG.

Since the external storage device 14 shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 19 and 20 stores the water depth data for the past 24 hours as described above, the stored data is read out when necessary. Can be displayed on the screen 41a. In this reading, an arbitrary time zone can be designated and only the data during that time zone can be extracted. This operation is performed by setting the mode switch 31 in FIG. 2 to the LOGBOOK mode and specifying a time zone in a table in which the displayed time and the water depth value are associated.

In the above embodiment, an underwater detection device having both functions of a fish finder and a sounding device has been described as an example. However, the embodiments shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 10 to FIG. 15 and FIG. It can be applied to a sounding device alone. As the circuit configuration in this case, the same configuration as that of FIG. 19 can be used, and the CPU 6, the memory 7, and the display control unit 8 of the fish finder / sounding control block 84 are all replaced with ones corresponding only to sounding. Can be realized by Further, the display unit 20 can also be configured with the same one as in FIG.

In the above embodiment, the display 9
Is shown with a liquid crystal display, but a CRT or EL display or the like may be used instead.

[0072]

According to the present invention, a large amount of underwater detection information can be efficiently and easily displayed in a limited display screen space. It becomes possible to grasp accurately and quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an underwater detection device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a display unit of the underwater detection device.

FIG. 3 is an example of a display screen.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the underwater detection device.

FIG. 5 is an example of a fish school display screen.

FIG. 6 is an example of a water bottom depth display screen.

FIG. 7 is an example of a display screen updated by scrolling.

FIG. 8 is another example of a display screen updated by scrolling.

FIG. 9 is another example of a display screen updated by scrolling.

FIG. 10 is an example of a water bottom depth display screen when a frequency is switched.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart in a case where a shallow field and a deep field are measured by frequency switching.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing another embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an example of a screen displaying a symbol indicating a tendency of inclination of a water bottom.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a display pattern of symbols.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a principle of obtaining a change in water bottom depth.

FIG. 16 is an example of a display screen for explaining a problem caused by the draft correction.

FIG. 17 is an example of a draft correction display screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the principle of draft correction.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the underwater detection device.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the underwater detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transducer 9 Display 20 Display unit 41 Display screen 41a Display screen of water bottom depth information 41b Display screen of fish detection information 42, 48 Water depth scale 43, 49 Sea bottom line 44 Water depth value display 50 Fish school 51 Oscillation line 63 Display area 70 mark

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Obuchi 9-52, Ashihara-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Itsuo Makino 9-52, Ashihara-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, Hyogo Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. F-term in the formula company (reference) 5J083 AA02 AB01 AB06 AD06 AE04 AE06 BB12 EA33 EA37

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An underwater detection device which emits an ultrasonic signal underwater from a transducer provided on a hull and displays information on the underwater on a display based on a received echo signal, wherein the display comprises an echo signal. An underwater detection device, which displays a first screen on which water bottom depth information obtained from the display is displayed in history and a second screen on which fish detection information obtained from an echo signal is displayed. 2. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second screens are displayed side by side on a display. 3. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second screens are switched to display either one of them. 4. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the water depth is measured using a two-frequency ultrasonic detection signal used for fish school detection. 5. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the first screen updates the display content in units of 1 / n of the entire display area by scrolling the bottom depth information over a predetermined period in the past. apparatus. 6. The first screen is divided into two parts. One display screen displays bottom depth information over a certain period in the past, and the other screen displays recent bottom depth information including a current measured depth. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the display content of the one display screen is updated in a unit of 1 / n of the entire display area of the screen by scrolling. 7. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the ultrasonic wave is automatically switched between a high frequency and a low frequency according to the depth of the water bottom. 8. The underwater detection device according to claim 1, wherein a change in the water bottom depth up to the present is calculated based on past water depth data, and the result is displayed as a mark on the first screen. 9. A draft value can be set on the first or second screen, and when the draft value is set, the oscillation line does not move and the water depth scale shifts upward. The underwater detection device according to claim 1. 10. A sounding device which emits an ultrasonic signal underwater from a transmitter / receiver provided on a hull, and displays a history of water bottom depth obtained from a received echo signal on a screen of a display device, wherein the display device comprises: Wherein the screen is updated in units of 1 / n of the entire display area by scrolling. 11. A sounding device which emits an ultrasonic signal underwater from a transmitter / receiver provided on a hull, and displays a history of water bottom depth obtained from a received echo signal on a screen of a display, comprising: A sounding device characterized in that the frequency is automatically switched between a high frequency and a low frequency according to the depth of the water bottom. 12. A sounding device which emits an ultrasonic signal underwater from a transmitter / receiver provided on a hull, and displays a history of water bottom depth obtained from a received echo signal on a screen of a display, comprising: A bathymetry apparatus which calculates a change in water bottom depth up to the present based on data and displays the result as a mark on the screen. 13. A sounding device which emits an ultrasonic signal underwater from a transmitter / receiver provided on a hull and displays history of water depth information obtained from a received echo signal on a display screen. A depth value can be set on the screen, and when the draft value is set, the water depth scale shifts upward without moving the oscillation line.