JP2001272461A - Echo detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decide at a glance that a color characteristic function matching the kind of fish to be caught. SOLUTION: The echo detecting device which displays as a color sample a color corresponding to the level of a detection signal on a detection video display screen is equipped with a means which displays display intervals of the mentioned color corresponding to the level of the detection signal. Further, the device is equipped with a means which displays a scale along the color.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reverberation detecting apparatus for displaying a color corresponding to the strength of a detection signal as a color sample.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this specification, a fish finder will be described as an example of an echo detector. The fish finder obtains the latest information in the depth direction as a reflection signal of the detection pulse every time the detection pulse is transmitted, and converts the reflection signal into an A / A signal.
D-converted and stored in a memory as one detection signal.
At that time, the oldest one detection signal in the finite memory range is deleted, the previously obtained detection signal is scrolled sequentially, and the latest one detection signal is stored. By doing so, it is possible to display a detection signal in the past for a certain period of time, and it is possible to view the distribution of the school of fish in the water and the changing state of the seabed as a detection image.

[0003] Generally, eight colors are used for displaying a detected image, and the strength of a detected signal corresponds to each color. The order of the strength of the detection signal corresponding to the color is generally based on the color of the rainbow, and a red-based color represents a strong detection signal, and a blue-based color represents a weak detection signal. The order of the colors is very important for the user. FIG. 6 shows a display example of a conventional fish finder. In the conventional fish finder, color samples a1, a2,... A7 are displayed on the left side of the screen. In this color sample display, seven colors from a color a1 representing a strong detection signal to a color a7 representing a weak detection signal are displayed at equal color display intervals. Usually, the color representing the non-reflection signal among the eight colors is called a background color and is not included in the color sample. Since such a color sample display is associated with a rainbow of seven colors, it is also called a rainbow pattern.

The display surface of the display shown in FIG.
It is assumed that the pixel is composed of 240 pixels in the horizontal direction. Here, in the display of the color sample, the display of each color is assigned to every 40 pixels obtained by equally dividing 320 pixels in the vertical direction into eight. At this time, the color indicating the strongest detection signal is displayed at the top of the display, and the red color indicating the strong signal is displayed at the top,
As it goes to the lower part, a blue-based color representing a weak signal is displayed. The bottom is the background color.
Also, since only one pixel in the vertical direction has poor visibility, a color sample is displayed in a wide range using three or four pixels in the horizontal direction.

Here, a method of using the actual fish finder will be described. In an actual use situation, the user determines the strength of the detection signal while comparing the color of the color sample displayed on the left side of the screen with the color displayed in the detection image. b denotes the sea floor, which is represented in the detection image by a red-based color which is a strong detection signal. Also, c is plankton, which is represented in the detection image by a blue-based color that is a weak detection signal. Further, d is a school of fish, which is represented in the detection image by a green to yellow color as a medium detection signal. However, fish that make extremely dense groups like sardines have a strong detection signal and are expressed in colors similar to red, while conversely fish such as squid that contain a lot of water in the body have a weak detection signal and blue. Some fish species are expressed in colors close to.

When using a fish finder, the user does not detect all fish. The user knows that the fishing gear differs for each target fish, and that the fish that inhabit by the season, place and depth are different. In addition, the fish species to be caught are specified. Therefore, the role of the fish finder is to determine the weak detection signals such as plankton and squid in order to catch squid, for example. For this purpose, it is desirable to separate a weak detection signal portion into many colors and express it in a detection image. Specifically,
It is obvious that plankton and squid are not represented by the same blue-based color, but plankton is represented by a blue-based color and squid is represented by a green-yellow color. Conversely, in order to target sardines, it is necessary to identify sardines and those with strong detection signals such as the sea floor. For that purpose, it is desirable to separate a strong detection signal portion into many colors and express it in a detection image.

[0007] In order to obtain such a detection image, a fish finder has conventionally been provided with a color characteristic variable function.
This color characteristic variable function is a function of varying the distribution of the intensity of the detection signal for each color in the color of the detected image.
A description will be given of the conventional color characteristic changing function. FIG. 1 shows that the color characteristic variable function has a color characteristic curve A,
It is a figure explaining the difference of the characteristic as B and C. The user operates switches A40 and B4 on the operation panel shown in FIG.
1, C42 to depress the color characteristic curve A, B, C
, One of the arbitrary color characteristic curves is selected. When the switch A40 on the operation panel is pressed, the color characteristic curve A is selected. According to this, as can be seen from the characteristic curve A, the intensity of the detection signal shown on the horizontal axis is equally distributed to the color of the detection image shown on the vertical axis. Similarly, when the switch B41 on the operation panel is pressed, the color characteristic curve B is selected. According to this, as can be seen from the characteristic curve B, the intensity of the detection signal shown on the horizontal axis is not evenly distributed to the color of the detection image shown on the vertical axis, but there are many ranges where the detection signal intensity is weak. Distributed to colors. When the switch C42 on the operation panel is further pressed, the characteristic curve C is selected. In this case, as you can see from the figure,
The intensity of the detection signal shown on the horizontal axis is not evenly distributed to the colors of the detection image shown on the vertical axis, but the range of strong detection signal intensity is distributed to many colors. That is, by changing the color characteristics by using the color characteristic changing function, it is possible to view a detection image suitable for the fish to be caught.

[0008]

As described above, the conventional fish finder has a color characteristic changing function, but the rainbow pattern always has the same color display interval regardless of which color characteristic the user selects. It is displayed, and the distribution of the intensity of the detection signal for each color of the detection image cannot be understood at a glance.
Further, the description is given using a graph as shown in FIG. 1 in the instruction manual of the device or the like, but cannot be referred to during actual use. Accordingly, there is a problem that it is possible to determine at a glance that the color characteristic function selected according to the fish species to be caught is selected.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a reverberation detecting apparatus for displaying, as a color sample, a color corresponding to the intensity of a detection signal on a detection image display screen. Means is provided for displaying the interval in correspondence with the strength of the detection signal. Further, there is provided means for displaying a scale according to colors.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the color characteristic changing function is provided by switches A, B, and C on an operation panel.
Is selected. Then, on the display screen, a color sample whose color display interval changes according to the color characteristic selected by the color characteristic variable function is displayed, so that the distribution of the intensity of the detection signal for each color of the detection image can be understood at a glance. I have. Also, the scale is displayed along the color of the color sample.

[0011]

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a fish finder according to the present invention. 1 is a control unit including a CPU. A transmission / reception unit 2 transmits / receives a detection pulse signal under the control of the control unit. Reference numeral 3 denotes an LCD display for displaying detection information and auxiliary information. Reference numeral 4 denotes an operation panel unit, the details of which are shown in FIG.
Is shown in Reference numeral 5 denotes a transmitter / receiver that converts an electric signal of a detection pulse sent from the transmission / reception unit into an ultrasonic signal and converts a reflected ultrasonic signal into an electric signal.

The transmission / reception control unit 108 sets a detection pulse signal interval and a detection pulse signal width according to a control signal from the CPU, and supplies the detection pulse signal to the transmission / reception unit. A /
The D conversion unit 101 converts the reflected signal into a digital signal for each transmission, and stores the digital signal as a single detection signal in a buffer memory (not shown). Note that the A / D converter 101
The details of the conversion section are shown in FIG. 2, and are involved in the function of the color characteristic variable function according to the present invention. The details will be described later. The detection signal stored in the buffer memory is written to the detection video memory 102 by a control signal from the writing / scroll control unit 104 based on a scroll speed control signal from the CPU 110. In this writing, the detection signal stored in the buffer memory is written to the detection video memory 102 at each transmission, and the oldest detection signal is deleted from the detection video memory 102, and the display screen is scrolled.

Color display, water depth, depth scale, sounding cursor and sounding cursor are auxiliary displays other than the detection signal.
The display such as the sol depth value is displayed on the operation panel reading control unit 1.
07 based on the command of the operation panel read through
The calculation is performed by the PU 110, and the CPU 110 writes data such as characters and marks stored in the ROM / RAM 109 to the graphic video memory 105 via the write control unit 106.

Each of the video data written in the detected video memory 102 and the graphic video memory 105 is synthesized by the video synthesizing unit 103, and becomes a video in which a supplementary display including a color sample is superimposed on the detected video. Vessel 3
Is displayed on the screen.

FIG. 5 shows an operation panel of the fish finder according to the present invention.
0, B41, and C42, and these switches are used to select a color characteristic variable function. These switches are taken into the CPU 110 via the operation panel reading control unit 107. The CPU 110 reads a value corresponding to the color characteristic variable function selected from the set values of the comparison voltage stored in the ROM / RAM 109, and outputs a comparison voltage generator 200.
Write to. The comparison voltage generator 200 is connected to V
This is a D / A converter that generates a comparison voltage indicated by 1 to V7, and has seven outputs in this case.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of the A / D converter of the A / D converter 101. It is composed of seven comparators. A detection signal is commonly input to one of the inputs of the individual comparators, and the comparison voltage generator 20 is input to the other input.
The comparison voltages V1 to V7 generated at 0 are respectively input. FIG. 3 shows V1 generated by the comparison voltage generator 200.
7 shows the relationship between the color of the detected image and the detection signal based on the comparison voltages V to V7. If the detection signal is equal to or lower than V7, it is determined that there is no signal, and the color of the detection image becomes the background color. If the detection signal is between V6 and V7, it is determined to be a weak signal, and the color of the detected image is a blue-based color. Similarly, the color of the detected image gradually changes from green to yellow to red, such as between V5 and V6 and between V4 and V5. Further, a detection signal exceeding V1 is displayed in red. In other words, by changing each voltage value of the comparison voltages V1 to V7, the color display in the detection image of the detection signal changes.

Here, when the color characteristic variable function is selected by pressing down the switch A40 and selecting the characteristic curve A, the comparison voltages V1 to V7 are set to voltage values at equal intervals, so that the detection signal intensity is reduced. The colors of the detected image are evenly distributed over the entirety. When the characteristic curve B is selected by pressing the switch B41, the comparison voltages V1 to V3 are set at voltage values at wide intervals, and the comparison voltages V4 to V7 are set at voltage values at narrow intervals. For this reason, many colors of the detected image correspond to the signal portion where the detected signal strength is relatively weak. When the characteristic curve C is selected by depressing the switch C42, the comparison voltages V1 to V4 are set at voltage values at narrow intervals, and the comparison voltages V3 to V7 are set at voltage values at wide intervals. For this reason, many colors of the detected image correspond to the signal portion where the detected signal strength is relatively strong. Thus, the color characteristic variable function is realized.

The color sample is used as an auxiliary display other than the detection signal. The CPU 110 controls the writing control unit 106 to control the graphic image memory 105 in a predetermined address range in eight colors including the background color among the colors of the detected image. Is displayed by writing. FIG. 8 shows the graphic image memory 10.
FIG. This graphic image memory 105
Has an X address and a Y address corresponding to the number of pixels on the display screen. Further, one memory determined by the X address and the Y address has the number of bits required to display the color of one pixel. Data written to a predetermined address of the graphic video memory 105 is read out in synchronization with the display operation, combined with the detected video by the video combining unit 103, and sent to the display. Thereby, auxiliary display such as a color sample is performed on the display.

The writing of a color sample into the graphic video memory 105 will be described with reference to FIG. The area where the color sample is written is an area surrounded by the bold line 8a, and is composed of a plurality of vertical lines for easy display. here,
The display is made by four vertical lines. For simplicity,
This is performed as one vertical line. A color sample is displayed by dividing eight intervals between 8d and 8b into eight Y address sections separated by seven locations 8a1 to 8a7, and writing data corresponding to the color of the color sample in each section. Here, the interval between the comparison voltage values V1 to V7 generated by the comparison voltage generator 200 varies as described above depending on the selection of the color characteristic variable function. At this time, the seven sections 8a1 to 8a7 are determined in proportion to the interval between the comparison voltage values. Then, data corresponding to the color of the color sample is written in each section. Thereby, the display interval of each color of the color sample becomes the same as the selected characteristic curve of the color characteristic variable function.

FIG. 7 is a display example of a color sample based on the selected characteristic curve of the color characteristic variable function. In the display example 7a, each color of the color sample is uniformly displayed. In this case, the switch A40 is pressed and the characteristic curve A is set. Further, in the display example 7b, a lot of colors of the color sample are displayed below the color sample, that is, in a portion where the detection signal intensity is weak. In this case, the switch B41 is pressed to set the characteristic curve B. Further, in the display example 7c, a large number of colors of the color sample are displayed above the color sample, that is, in a portion where the detection signal strength is strong. In this case, the switch C42 is pressed to set the characteristic curve C.

In a display example 7d, a color sample scale 7e is added and displayed at regular intervals along the color sample. This scale 7e is a measure of the strength of the detection signal. In this example,
It can be seen at a glance that many colors of the color sample are displayed in a strong detection signal portion. As described above, the CPU 110 writes predetermined data in the graphic video memory 105 via the write control unit 106 as an auxiliary display other than the detection signal, as described above. Can be displayed.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to display, on a display screen, a color sample whose color display interval changes in accordance with the color characteristic selected by the color characteristic variable function and a detected image side by side. Thus, the distribution of the strength of the detection signal for each color of the detection image can be understood at a glance. For this reason, the color characteristic curve set by the user with the color characteristic variable function is immediately found. Therefore, it is possible to instantly select the optimum color characteristic for the fish to be caught. The fish finder has been described above as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the fish finder, but it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a device such as a sonar or a radar that displays the strength of a detection signal on a display.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a color relationship between a detection signal and a detection image according to a difference in a color characteristic curve.

FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of an A / D conversion conversion unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a color relationship between a detection signal and a detection image according to a difference in a comparison voltage value.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the fish finder of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an operation panel of the fish finder of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a display example of a general fish finder.

FIG. 7 is a color sample display example of the fish finder of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a graphic video memory;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control part 2 Transmission / reception part 3 LCD display 4 Operation panel 5 Transceiver 40 Color characteristic selection switch A 41 Color characteristic selection switch B 42 Color characteristic selection switch C

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5J070 AC03 AE20 AJ10 AJ13 AK14 AK39 BG02 BG15 BG23 BG34 5J083 AA02 AB01 AC29 AD06 AE04 AF15 BA01 EA27 EA34 EA36 EA46 EB02 EB04

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A reverberation detection apparatus for displaying a color corresponding to the strength of a detection signal on a detection video display screen as a color sample, comprising means for displaying a display interval of the color in correspondence with the strength of the detection signal. A reverberation detection device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The reverberation detecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a scale along the color. 3. A method for displaying a color corresponding to the strength of a detection signal as a color sample on a detection video display screen as a color sample, wherein the display interval of the color is displayed in correspondence with the strength of the detection signal. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a scale is displayed along the color.