JP2017015645A - Fish detector, program, and fish detecting method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fish detector capable of displaying a fish school desired by a user at a favorite position within a screen.SOLUTION: A fish detector includes: an echo sounder transducer for transmitting and receiving an ultrasonic wave; an image processing unit for generating an echo image based on an input signal received by the echo sounder transducer; an echo image holding unit for holding the echo image; a reception unit for receiving operation of a user; a detector for detecting a fish school based on a reception signal received by the echo sounder transducer; and a detection results holding unit for holding detection results of the detector. The image processing unit tracks the display operation to read an echo image in the past from the echo image holding unit, change the echo image to be output consecutively and overlap the detection results with the echo image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a fish finder that transmits ultrasonic waves in water and receives echoes to detect a fish school or the like.

  Conventionally, fish detectors such as Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 are known as examples of underwater detection devices.

  For example, the fish finder of Patent Document 1 has a configuration for displaying a histogram according to body length of detected fish. Moreover, the fish finder of patent document 2 accumulate | stores the past echo image for several screens in memory, and displays the present echo image and the echo image of the screen displayed in the past in one screen. It has a configuration.

Japanese Patent No. 3027258 Japanese Patent No. 2567641

  However, the fish finder of Patent Document 2 merely displays the past screen arbitrarily designated by key input (numerical value input), and displays the fish school desired by the user at a desired position in the screen. It is difficult to do. For example, if a user tries to see the screen of the timing displayed at the center of the screen for the school of fish displayed at the left end of the current screen, he / she does not know what value to enter and the target school of fish is It may disappear from the screen or be displayed at a position other than the center (for example, the right end).

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a fish finder that can display a school of fish desired by a user at a desired position in the screen and can superimpose and display a detection result of the school of fish in the screen. With the goal.

  The fish finder of the present invention includes a transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, an image processing unit for generating an echo image based on a reception signal received by the transducer, and an echo image holding unit for holding the echo image A receiving unit that accepts a display operation for changing an echo image held in the echo image holding unit, a detection unit that detects a school of fish based on a received signal received by the transducer, and a detection of the detection unit A detection result holding unit for holding the result. Then, following the display operation, the image processing unit reads past echo images from the echo image holding unit, continuously changes the output echo images, and converts the detection results into the echo images. It is characterized by overlapping.

  In this way, the fish finder continuously changes past echo images following the display operation, and superimposes and displays the fish school detection results on the echo images. For example, in order for the user to move the school of fish displayed at the left end of the current screen to the center side of the screen, the user tries to move the echo image continuously to the right side (for example, turning the rotary knob such as a rotary switch to the left). Rotating operation) moves the leftmost school of fish to the center of the screen. At this time, the fish school detection result is superimposed on the echo image. Therefore, the target fish school does not disappear from the screen and is not displayed at a position other than the center (for example, the right end), and the user can simultaneously confirm the detection result of the target fish school.

  Note that “continuously changing the echo image” means changing the echo image one pixel at a time among the display pixels of the display unit as a minimum unit. Of course, following the display operation, changing the pixels by a plurality of pixels (for example, two pixels) is equivalent to changing the pixels continuously.

  According to the present invention, the fish school desired by the user can be displayed at a favorite position in the screen, and the detection result of the fish school can be displayed superimposed on the screen.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a fish finder. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a signal processing unit 17. FIG. It is the figure which showed the received signal. It is a figure explaining the production | generation of an echo image. It is a figure which shows the echo image hold | maintained at the image memory 181, and the echo image which the image process part 18 reads. It is a figure which shows an example of a display screen. It is a figure which shows the echo image hold | maintained at the image memory 181, and the echo image which the image process part 18 reads. It is a figure which shows an example of a display screen. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the fish finder 1. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of 1 A of fish finder based on an application example. It is a figure which shows an example of a display screen.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the fish finder 1. The fish finder 1 includes an operation unit (corresponding to a reception unit of the present invention) 10, a transducer 11, a transmission / reception switching unit 12, a transmission circuit 13, a control unit 14, a reception circuit 15, an A / D converter 16, A signal processing unit 17, an image processing unit 18, and a display unit 19 are provided.

  The control unit 14 comprehensively controls the fish finder 1. The control unit 14 reads a program from a built-in memory (not shown) and performs predetermined processing. For example, the control unit 14 sets the transmission cycle, the detection range, and the like of the transmission circuit 13 in accordance with various operations (such as an instruction input for setting the detection range) from the operation unit 10. The control unit 14 also sets the sampling cycle of the A / D converter 16, instructs the signal processing unit 17 to execute various processes, and instructs the image processing unit 18 to execute various processes.

  The image processing unit 18 generates an echo image with the vertical axis on the screen as the depth direction and the horizontal axis as the time direction. The display unit 19 displays the echo image generated by the image processing unit 18.

  The transmission circuit 13 inputs a pulse-like signal to the transducer 11 that is a transmission / reception unit via the transmission / reception switching unit 12 including a trap circuit. The input timing and level of the signal, the pulse width, and the like are controlled by the control unit 14. The transmitter / receiver 11 is a vibrator attached to the ship bottom and the like, and outputs ultrasonic waves in water according to a pulsed signal input from the transmission circuit 13.

  The ultrasonic wave output from the transducer 11 is reflected on a target such as a school of fish or the seabed and received as an echo. The transducer 11 outputs a reception signal corresponding to the received echo intensity to the reception circuit 15 via the transmission / reception switching unit 12.

  The receiving circuit 15 amplifies the input received signal and outputs it to the A / D converter 16. The A / D converter 16 converts the received signal into a digital signal at a predetermined sampling period and outputs the digital signal to the signal processing unit 17.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the signal processing unit 17. The signal processing unit 17 includes a reception signal memory 170, a detection unit 171, and a detection result holding memory 172. The reception signal memory 170 holds the reception signal input from the A / D converter 16.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing received signals held in the received signal memory 170. In the received signal memory 170, received signal data obtained by one measurement (1 ping) is sequentially held in the depth direction with a predetermined resolution (every time elapses after transmission of ultrasonic waves). In this example, the received signal memory 170 holds a data string corresponding to a plurality of measurements. For example, in the latest (current) measurement, data with the smallest time difference from transmission to reception (the shallowest depth) is held as M (0,0), and M (0 in order according to the resolution in the depth direction. , 1) to M (0, n). Similarly, in the previous measurement, data with the shallowest depth is held as M (1, 0), and sequentially held as M (1, 1) to M (1, n) according to the resolution in the depth direction. The Similarly, in the last measurement, the data with the shallowest depth is held as M (2, 0), and sequentially stored as M (2, 1) to M (2, n) according to the resolution in the depth direction. The

  In the example shown in the figure, an example is shown in which the data string of the measurement for the previous three times is held this time, but the number of data strings to be held is sequentially increased according to the capacity of the reception signal memory 170. You only have to set it. When measurement is performed more than the number of data strings to be held, the oldest data string is discarded in order, and the latest data string is sequentially updated.

  Next, the image processing unit 18 performs processing for generating an echo image to be displayed on the display unit 19 from the received signal held in the received signal memory 170. That is, the image processing unit 18 converts each reception signal sequentially held in the reception signal memory 170 into an echo image corresponding to the depth in accordance with the elapsed time since the output of the ultrasonic wave, and the image processing unit The process which outputs to 18 is performed.

  FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an echo image generation process. First, the image processing unit 18 performs a process of converting each received signal read from the received signal memory 170 into the number of pixels (vertical screen resolution) of the display unit 19. This converted data becomes an echo image for one measurement (1 ping). For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, M (0,0) and M (0,1) are averaged among the received signals M (0,0) to M (0, n) related to the latest measurement. Into an echo image f (0, 0) of the pixel corresponding to the position with the shallowest depth.

  The image processing unit 18 sequentially averages a plurality of received signals to generate echo images f (0,0) to f (0, m) of each pixel. The echo image generated in this way becomes the latest echo image for one ping. Note that the conversion mode is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, weighting or the like may be performed according to the depth, or conversion may be performed by peak hold (maximum value extraction).

  The image processing unit 18 holds the echo image converted as described above in the image memory 181. The image memory 181 corresponds to the echo image holding unit of the present invention. The contents of the image memory 181 are updated for each measurement. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the image memory 181 holds echo images for a plurality of measurements. In this example, the echo images f (l, 0) to f (l, m) related to the latest measurement are the echo images f (0,0) to f (0, m) related to the latest measurement. . The image memory 181 stores an echo image (echo image f (l, 0) to f) related to the latest measurement from an echo image (echo image f (l, 0) to f (l, m)) related to the past measurement. Echo images up to (l, m)) are held.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the image processing unit 18 uses the echo image stored in the image memory 181 for one screen of the display unit 19 (the vertical and horizontal resolutions in the display unit 19). Is output to the display unit 19. As a result, echo images of a plurality of measurements are displayed on the display unit 19.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the display unit 19 displays an echo image in which ping is assigned to the horizontal axis and depth is assigned to the vertical axis. In the example of FIG. 6, an echo image 201 of a part of the fish school is displayed at the left end of the screen, and an echo image 200 of the fish school is displayed at the right center of the screen. In addition, an echo image of the sea floor is displayed at the bottom of the screen.

  Further, in the example of FIG. 6, the seabed depth (shown as 302 m in the figure) and the fish school information (histogram 203 in the figure) are displayed as a result of the seabed detection process.

  The seabed depth and the school of fish information are information output by the detection unit 171 in the signal processing unit 17. As shown in FIG. 2, the detection unit 171 reads the received signal from the received signal memory 170 and analyzes it, and performs processing such as fish school detection and seabed detection.

  The fish school detection process includes at least a fish length detection process. The fish body length is detected based on the size (number of samples), the average intensity, or the length in the depth direction (average length) of the fish school, for example, when a received signal equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold is regarded as a fish school. Moreover, the detection part 171 may detect a fish species. The fish type is determined by, for example, a matching degree (similarity) with an echo of a reference fish school.

  The detection of the seabed depth uses, for example, a method based on the timing at which a received signal equal to or greater than a certain threshold is received, or a method based on the timing at which the differential value is the highest.

  The detection unit 171 holds various information (detection results) thus detected in a detection result holding memory (corresponding to the detection result holding unit of the present invention) 172. At this time, the detection result is held in association with the information (for example, time) of the measured measurement timing of the received signal.

  In addition, the control unit 14 instructs the detection unit 171 to output a detection result corresponding to a region specified in the display screen of the display unit 19 (for example, the region 202 in FIG. 6). The position and size of the area 202 are designated by the user operating the operation unit 10. The control unit 14 outputs information indicating the timing (measurement timing) at which the echo image of the designated area 202 is acquired to the detection unit 171.

  The detection unit 171 reads a detection result having the same measurement timing from the detection result held in the detection result holding memory 172 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 14. The control unit 14 outputs the detection result input from the detection unit 171 to the image processing unit 18. The image processing unit 18 superimposes and outputs the detection result input from the control unit 14 on the echo image.

  Thereby, for example, a histogram 203 shown in FIG. 6 is displayed in the display screen of the display unit 19 as a detection result. However, the display mode of the detection result is not limited to the histogram 203, and for example, it may simply indicate the fish length number. When the user operates the operation unit 10 to change the fish length range displayed in the histogram 203, the image processing unit 18 changes the fish length range to be displayed. That is, the detection unit 171 holds detection results for a range wider than the range actually displayed in the histogram 203 in the detection result holding memory 172. When the user performs an operation of changing the fish length range, the image processing unit 18 extracts only the result information of the designated range, and superimposes it on the echo image and outputs it.

  When the user operates the operation unit 10 to display past echo images, the image processing unit 18 reads past echo images from the image memory 181 and continuously outputs the echo images to be output. And the detection result of the school of fish is superimposed on the echo image.

  For example, when the operation unit 10 includes a rotary knob, when the user performs an operation of rotating the rotary knob, the control unit 14 receives the operation as an operation for displaying a past echo image. The control unit 14 causes the image processing unit 18 to continuously change the displayed echo image following the display operation received via the operation unit 10.

  For example, on the display screen as shown in FIG. 6, in order for the user to bring the echo image 201 of the school of fish displayed at the left end to the center side of the screen, an operation to continuously move the echo image to the right side (for example, A case where the operation of rotating the rotary knob to the left is performed will be described.

  When the operation unit 10 receives an operation of rotating the rotary knob counterclockwise, the control unit 14 instructs the image processing unit 18 to read past echo images for a time corresponding to the rotation amount. As shown in FIG. 7, the image processing unit 18 reads past echo images for the time instructed from the image memory 181 and changes the output echo image. Thereby, the echo image displayed on the display unit 19 continuously changes according to the rotation of the rotary knob. That is, when the user rotates the rotary knob counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 8A, the echo image 201 of the fish school at the left end moves toward the center of the screen.

  In this way, the fish finder 1 follows the user's display operation and continuously changes past echo images to be displayed. At this time, the fish school detection result is superimposed on the echo image. Therefore, the echo image of the school of fish that the user wants to see does not disappear from the screen or is not displayed at the target position (for example, the center), and the user can check the detection result of the target school of fish at the same time. It becomes.

  Note that “continuously changing the echo image” means changing the echo image one pixel at a time among the display pixels of the display unit 19 as a minimum unit. Of course, changing by a plurality of pixels (for example, two pixels) is equivalent to changing continuously.

  In the example of FIG. 8A, even when the user rotates the rotary knob, the area 202 does not change from the position specified in the display screen. In the example of FIG. 8A, since no fish school is detected in the region 202, nothing is displayed in the histogram 203. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the user further rotates the rotary knob counterclockwise to move the fish echo image 201 to the inside of the area 202, the fish echo image The detection result 201 is read from the detection result holding memory 172. Accordingly, the histogram 203 displays information on the detection result of the fish school echo image 201.

  Next, the operation of the fish finder 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the fish finder 1 transmits and receives ultrasonic waves (s11). And the fish finder 1 processes a received signal (s12).

  The image processing unit 18 generates an echo image corresponding to the depth according to the elapsed time after outputting the ultrasonic wave (s13). The signal processing unit 17 performs fish school detection processing including fish body length detection processing.

  Thereafter, the image processing unit 18 holds the generated echo image in the image memory 181 (updates the contents of the image memory 181), and the signal processing unit 17 holds the detection result in the detection result holding memory 172 (s14). ).

  On the other hand, the fish finder 1 determines whether or not the user has operated the operation unit 10 to display past echo images by operating the operation unit 10 (s21). For example, when the operation unit 10 includes a rotary knob, when the user performs an operation of rotating the rotary knob, the control unit 14 receives the operation as an operation for displaying a past echo image. Further, when the operation unit 10 includes a cursor key, the operation unit 10 may accept an operation for displaying a past echo image when the left or right cursor key is pressed.

  When there is no operation for displaying a past echo image, the image processing unit 18 uses the echo image stored in the image memory 181 for one screen of the display unit 19 (the vertical and horizontal resolutions on the display unit 19). Min) is read out (s22).

  On the other hand, when the user operates the operation unit 10 to display a past echo image, the image processing unit 18 reads an echo image corresponding to the display operation from the image memory 181 (s23). At this time, the image memory 181 continuously changes the echo image to be displayed by changing the echo image read from the image memory 181 following the display operation (rotation of the rotary knob) received by the operation unit 10. Let Therefore, the echo image continuously changes according to the rotation amount of the rotary knob (s23). For example, when the user rotates the rotary knob counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 6, the echo image 201 of the leftmost school of fish continuously moves to the center of the screen until the state shown in FIG. . Thereby, the user can move to the target position (for example, the center) and display it while visually recognizing the echo image of the school of fish he wants to see. Furthermore, when the user rotates the rotary knob counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 8A, the echo image of the school of fish moves to the right side of the screen as shown in FIG. 8B. When the fish echo image 201 moves to the inside of the region 202, the detection result of the fish echo image 201 is read from the detection result holding memory 172.

  Next, FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a fish finder 1A according to an application example. The same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The fish finder 1 </ b> A further includes a position information detection unit 50.

  The position information detection unit 50 includes a GPS, for example. The control unit 14 receives position information (latitude and longitude information) from the position information detection unit 50 every time an ultrasonic wave is transmitted and received, and holds the position information in a position information memory (not shown) at each measurement timing. The position information is held together with information (for example, time) indicating the measurement timing.

  The image processing unit 18 reads the latest position information from the control unit 14 and displays it at a predetermined position in the screen of the display unit 19 as shown in FIG.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, the image processing unit 18 corresponds to the measurement timing (for example, the measurement timing at the right end of the region 202) at which the user acquires the echo image of the region 202 specified by the operation unit 10. Position information to be acquired may be acquired from the control unit 14 and displayed together with the detection result (histogram 203). Of course, the image processing unit 18 may display both the position information at the latest measurement timing and the position information corresponding to the measurement timing at which the echo image of the designated area 202 is acquired.

  Then, when the user operates the operation unit 10 to perform an operation of displaying a past echo image, the image processing unit 18 follows the display operation received via the operation unit 10 and controls the control unit 14. The position information acquired from the is changed. The image processing unit 18 acquires and displays position information corresponding to the measurement timing at which the echo image at the right end in the current screen on the display unit 19 is acquired, for example. Similarly, when displaying the position information corresponding to the measurement timing at which the echo image of the designated area 202 is acquired, the image processing unit 18 similarly acquires the corresponding position information from the control unit 14 and displays it.

  When the user operates the operation unit 10 to input position information, the image processing unit 18 reads an echo image corresponding to the input position information from the image memory 181 and displays it on the display unit 19. You may make it make it. Thereby, when the user knows the position of the fishing ground that has passed in the past, for example, the user can review the underwater situation when the fishing ground has passed.

  In addition, when the fish finder 1 is connected to the plotter via a communication function such as a LAN, the fish finder 1 may display an echo image at a position designated on the plotter to the user. In this case, the position information detection unit 50 may be separately provided in the plotter, and the plotter may acquire the position information, or the fish detector 1A and the plotter use the same position information detection unit 50. The position information may be shared. Thereby, the user can review the underwater situation when passing the fishing ground only by designating the position of the fishing ground that has passed in the past on the plotter.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A ... Fish detector 10 ... Operation part 11 ... Transmitter / receiver 12 ... Transmission / reception switching part 13 ... Transmission circuit 14 ... Control part 15 ... Reception circuit 16 ... A / D converter 17 ... Signal processing part 18 ... Image processing part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 ... Display part 50 ... Position information detection part 170 ... Reception signal memory 171 ... Detection part 172 ... Detection result holding memory 181 ... Image memory 200, 201 ... Echo image 202 ... Area 203 ... Histogram

Claims (8)

A transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasound,
An image processing unit that generates an echo image based on a received signal received by the transducer;
An echo image holding unit for holding the echo image;
A receiving unit for receiving a display operation for changing the echo image held in the echo image holding unit;
A detector for detecting a school of fish based on the received signal received by the transducer;
A detection result holding unit for holding a detection result of the detection unit,
The image processing unit follows the display operation, reads past echo images from the echo image holding unit, continuously changes the output echo images, and superimposes the detection results on the echo images. A fish finder characterized by that. The fish finder according to claim 1,
The fish detector according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects information including a fish body length of the fish school. In the fish finder according to claim 1 or 2,
A display unit for displaying the echo image,
The reception unit receives designation of a region for detecting the fish school in the echo image displayed on the display unit,
The fish detector according to claim 1, wherein the detection result superimposed on the echo image is a detection result corresponding to an area designated by the reception unit read from the detection result holding unit. The fish finder according to claim 3,
The fish finder is characterized in that the area is arranged at a designated position in the display screen of the display unit even when the display operation is continuously changed. In the fish finder according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A position information detecting unit for detecting position information;
The fish detector according to claim 1, wherein the echo image is stored in the echo image storage unit in association with the position information. The fish finder according to claim 5,
The reception unit receives a designation of a position,
The fish finder, wherein the image processing unit changes an echo image corresponding to a designated position. A transducer for transmitting and receiving ultrasound,
An image processing unit that generates an echo image based on a received signal received by the transducer;
An echo image holding unit for holding the echo image;
A receiving unit for receiving a display operation for changing the echo image held in the echo image holding unit;
A detector for detecting a school of fish based on the received signal received by the transducer;
A detection result holding unit for holding a detection result of the detection unit,
Following the display operation, the image processing unit reads past echo images from the echo image holding unit, continuously changes the output echo images, and superimposes the detection results on the echo images. A program characterized by causing processing to be executed. A transmission and reception step for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves;
An image processing step for generating an echo image based on the received signal received in the transmitting and receiving step;
An echo image holding step for holding the echo image;
An echo image holding step for holding the echo image;
A receiving step for receiving a display operation for changing the echo image held in the echo image holding step;
A detection step of detecting a school of fish based on the received signal received by the transducer;
A detection result holding step for holding a detection result of the fish school in the detection step;
With
In the image processing step, following the display operation, the past echo image held in the echo image holding step is read, the echo image to be output is continuously changed, and the detection result is converted into the echo image. A fish detection method characterized by superimposing.

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