JPH02216488A - Transmitting device for scanning sonar - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate fish school detection by providing a transmitter-receiver for a scanning sonar which is constituted of (m) vibrators in the circumference direction and (n) stages of vibrators in the height direction and also providing an angle of depression setting part for variably setting the angle of depression of a sound wave transmitting beam. CONSTITUTION:When the angle of depression of the sound wave transmitting beam is set by the angle of depression setting part, the composite phasing value which is constituted of a horizontal phasing value of each vibrator 3 in the transmitter-receiver 1 which is provided with (m) vibrators 3 in the circumference direction and (n) stages of vibrators 3 in the height direction and a vertical phasing value corresponding to the angle of depression which is set is outputted from a composite phasing value outputting means. And a driving signal whose phase quantity corresponds to each composite phasing value is generated and by driving the corresponding vibrator based on each driving signal, the sound wave transmitting beam which has a sharp beam pattern equal to a sound wave transmitting beam which has a directivity of an angle (t) from the perpendicular line is transmitted from the transmitter-receiver 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to the transmission of a scanning sonar equipped with means for rotating an ultrasonic transmission beam in the circumferential direction and means for varying the angle of depression of the transmission beam. The invention relates to a wave device.

(Prior art) 11th rf! As shown in FIG. 1, a scanning sonar transmitting device is well known that emits an ultrasonic transmitting beam 2 in the entire circumferential direction from a transmitter/receiver 1 disposed on the bottom of a ship or the like into the water. This type of transmitter is used in fish finders and submarine searchers, and measures are being taken to increase the transmission level of the transmitter beam 2 in order to improve its detection (search) performance.

Generally, as a measure to increase the transmission level of scanning sonar, the methods used include (1) sharpening the transmission beam to increase the directional gain;

(2) Increase the transmission output.

Two measures were taken. However, in order to sharpen the transmitted beam, for example, it is necessary to increase the transmitting area of the transducer at the same frequency, and the transducer 1
In addition, even if the transmission output is increased, the input of the excitation signal to the transducer cannot be increased beyond the allowable input, so the number of transducers must be increased, and in the end, the number of transducers must be increased. However, in recent years, ships have become faster, and the larger the transducer 1 is, the greater the navigational resistance will be, which will have a negative impact on the ship's speed.
The elevating device for protruding and storing the transducer from the bottom of the ship also becomes large, which creates new problems such as design constraints around the transducer 1 and an increase in price.

In order to avoid such an increase in the size of the transducer 1, the FI D
T (Rotamouth ng Directioal T
A wave transmitting device equipped with a transceiver (rans+*1ssioo) is provided. This improved device has a plurality of oscillators disposed in the circumferential direction of a cylindrical transducer 1 in the same manner as in the past, and as shown in FIG. The device is configured to transmit waves while rotating the beam pattern of The transmission level of the transmission beam 2 can be significantly increased.

(Problem M to be solved by the invention) However, in the conventional improved device, although it has become possible to increase the transmission level of the transmission beam, it is not possible to variably set the depression angle of the transmission beam over a wide range. I can't do it,
This was inconvenient for detecting schools of fish and exploring the ocean floor.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to improve the transmission level of an ultrasonic beam and to provide a scanning sonar that can arbitrarily set the angle of depression. The goal is to provide equipment.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, the present invention provides a scanning sonar transducer including m transducers in the circumferential direction and n stages of transducers in the height direction; a depression angle setting unit that variably sets the depression angle of the transmission beam; and a horizontal phasing value of each vibrator for aligning the horizontal phase of the transmission beam on a predetermined straight line, and a vertical phase of the transmission beam. composite phasing value output means for outputting a composite phasing value with the vertical phasing value of each vibrator for alignment on the slope line corresponding to the depression angle; a signal output from the composite phasing value output means; and a phase generation circuit that receives the signal and generates an excitation signal with a phase corresponding to the composite phasing value; The excitation signal generated by this phase generation circuit is sequentially switched and supplied to the corresponding oscillator, and the wave is transmitted from the oscillator. The present invention is a scanning sonar transmitting device comprising: beam rotation means for rotating the direction of irradiation of a transmitted beam along the circumference of a transducer;

(Function) In the present invention having the above configuration, ultrasonic beam transmission is performed as follows. First, the depression angle of the transmission beam is set by the depression angle setting section. Then, each transducer 3 in the transducer 1 shown in FIG.
A composite phasing value of the horizontal phasing value and the vertical phasing value corresponding to the set depression angle is output from the composite phasing value output means. Here, the horizontal phasing value is, as shown in FIG. It means the phase amount φ, h of the excitation signal (signal that excites the vibrator 3) for aligning the phase of the transmitted beam emitted from each vibrator 3 on the straight line Lm. To simplify the explanation, we will explain the case where 24 transducers 3 on the circumference of the transducer 1 and 8 stages of transducers 3 are arranged in the height direction. When using, for example, six oscillators 3 required to create a wave beam, if the phases of each oscillator 3 are matched on the straight line Lm as shown in Fig. 4, horizontal wave transmission can be achieved. A beam is obtained.

If the radius of the transducer is r, the center of each vibrator 3 and the straight line L
The distance t from h to h is Lm = r (1-cosθ,), and expressed as a phase amount, φ1h = 2πx L m / 'r
However, T = underwater sound speed (1500 m#) / transmission frequency Therefore, in the case shown in Fig. 4, to create a horizontal beam, φ11. φ21. It can be seen that it is sufficient to have φ3h and three phase data. Similarly, the vertical phasing value refers to the phase of the ultrasonic waves radiated from the vertical transducer 3 on the inclined line Lv when the transmission beam is radiated in the direction of the depression angle t°. Phase amount φav of the excitation signal to align with
The 0 composite phasing value output means (n = 1 to 8) outputs the sum (composite value) of the horizontal phasing value φ and the vertical phasing value φ corresponding to each vibrator 3. The 0 phase generation circuit which supplies the phase value φ+mhav to the phase generation circuit receives composite phasing values φ and h□ corresponding to each vibrator, and generates each composite phasing value φm.
By creating an excitation signal with a phase amount corresponding to b++v, and therefore exciting the corresponding vibrator based on each excitation signal, an inclined plane P inclined at t from the perpendicular line is created, as shown in FIG. The transmitter/receiver 1 can radiate a transmitting beam having a sharp beam pattern equivalent to the directivity of the transmitting beam having the depression angle t° radiated from the transmitter/receiver 1.

In the present invention, the excitation signal is not supplied directly to each vibrator 3, but is supplied to each vibrator 3 through beam rotation means. That is, the beam rotation means sequentially switches and supplies the excitation signal created by the phase generation circuit to each vibrator 3 within the transmission time. For example, at time tl in FIG. Of each vibrator 3 arranged in the circumferential direction of the row (Fig. 3), the seventh one has φ, □, and the eighth one has φ2□1,
The excitation signal was amplified and supplied with a phase amount of φIk□ to the 9th, φIbav to the 10th, φ209 to the 11th, and φ3hav to the 12th.
During the wave transmission time of t2 in Fig. 10, the phase amount is sequentially φ3ha from the 8th to the 13th by shifting the vibrator 3 by one.
vbφ2hav, φ1bav-φ1 b n V sφ
By amplifying and supplying excitation signals of 2hnv and φ3hmv, the transmitted beam rotates 15''' (360°/24 = 15') to the right along the circumference of the transducer 1. In this way, by switching 6 times from t to t6 in Fig. 10, the transmission beam in the range of 90° rotates.If the transducers 3 on the 0 circumference are connected in parallel every 90°, (as shown in Fig. 7) As the 6th transducer 3 and the 12th transducer 3 are connected) horizontal transmission beams are generated in four directions as shown in Figure 8, and by rotating each of them by 90'', A transmission beam with sharp directivity in the horizontal direction is emitted over the entire 360° circumference of the transducer 1 toward a desired angle of depression.

(Example) Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block configuration of a first embodiment according to the present invention.
, a composite phasing value output means 4 , a phase generation circuit 5 , a beam rotation means 22 , a transmission amplifier 6 , a transducer 1 , and an operation control section 7 . As shown in FIG. 3, this transducer 1 has m transducers 3 disposed in the circumferential direction and 0 stages in the height direction, but in this embodiment, two transducers 3 are disposed in the circumferential direction.
Four vibrators 3 are arranged in eight stages in the height direction. As shown in FIG. 7, each stage has 24 vibrators 3 in the circumferential direction (the 1st to 5th and 14th to 24th vibrators are not shown). ), one group consists of six consecutive pieces, and the entire circumference is divided into four groups. That is, the first to sixth transducers form one group, and similarly, the seventh to twelfth, thirteenth to eighteenth and first
Each vibrator group from the 9th to the 24th constitutes one group. Then, the same rank comrades in each group (for example, the 1st, 7th, 13th, and 1st
(such as the ninth one) are connected in parallel with each other. By the way, the vibrator 3 in FIG. 1 is shown as a representative of the vibrators in one group from the first to the sixth in each stage.

The depression angle setting section 16 includes a volume 8 and an A/D converter 9, and the composite phasing value output means 4 includes a ROM (Read Only McMoly) as a storage element.
10 (hereinafter referred to as ROM 10). The operation control section 7 includes a reference clock generation circuit 11, a frequency division circuit 12, and a timing control section 13.

The above-mentioned ROM (ROM>10) stores the previously described composite phasing values φ, . Convert 1 cycle (2π) to 8 bits (1
Byte = 360" / 256) ROM (ROM) 10 (') 4) a + 16y (
7) Data is 8 bits.

is stored as data. That is, in this embodiment, there are three pieces of data φ and b for horizontal phasing as shown in FIG. 4, so 2 bits are sufficient for addressing them. ROM (ROM,) 7 of 10
Assign addresses Ao and Al to horizontal phasing selection, transducer 1
The signals of 8 stages in the height direction are assigned to addresses A2 to A4. For example, to select the depression angle from 0° to 60° in 1° steps, select addresses A5 to AI.
Assign to O. The 8-bit data φ, I+, . . . v specified by these addresses are stored in a predetermined storage section. i.e. -, the depression angle is O°
When selecting a variable range of ~60” in l° steps,
Composite phasing value φ for all oscillators 3, 1. The total number of data required for v is 3X8X61=1461 types, and ROM (ROM
)10 addresses as AO~Al0(2”=2048
> will be used.

The volume 8 is used to select the angle of depression of the transmitted beam. For example, by turning a dial or the like, the resistance value of the volume 8 can be changed to set the angle of depression in 1° steps in the range of 0° to 60°. It is now possible to do so. This depression angle selection signal from the volume 8 is converted by an A/D converter 9, and this converted digital signal is converted into a ROM (R
The composite phasing value φs+hQV of each vibrator 3 corresponding to the selected depression angle is added to addresses A5 to AIO with OM>10.
is read out from the ROM (ROM) 10.

On the other hand, the reference clock generation circuit 11 generates a tarok signal and applies it to the frequency divider circuit 12. The 0 frequency divider circuit 12 divides the frequency of the clock signal into 1/256 and applies one of the countdown signals to the timing control section 13. ,Also,
The other side of the countdown signal is used as a read signal and the ROM<
ROM) Add to 10. By inputting this readout signal, the data of the composite phased values φ□, , v addressed by the digital selection signal of the A/D converter 9 are transferred to the phase generation diagram f? 85.

In this embodiment, the phase generating circuit 5 is composed of a plurality of presettable counters 14. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the horizontal phasing value is equal to the center line. It is symmetrical to the left and right, and it is sufficient to have three types of values φlb, φc, and φ3h, but the composite phasing value of the horizontal phasing value and the vertical phasing value is also centered on the center line.

Since the left and right counters are symmetrical, three types are sufficient, and therefore three presettable counters 14 are provided at each stage in the height direction.
is used. Then, the first presettable counter (PsCl-1) 14 of the first stage has a composite phasing value φ1.
hlv is read out, and the presettable counter (
PSCI-2) 14 reads out φ2h1, and furthermore, the presettable counter (i'5cl-3) 14
φ3hlv is read out. Similarly, the second stage presettable counters 1), 2nd (PSC2-2), and 3rd stage (PsC2)
-3) respectively have φIh2v, φ2h2v, φ
3b3v is read. In this way, the composite phased phases corresponding to each of the presettable counters 14 from the first stage to the eighth stage are read out. Then, each presettable counter 14 presets the read composite phasing value as a phase value.

In this embodiment, the count value 256 of the presettable counter 14 corresponds to 2π, so for example, when the composite phasing value is 90'', a value of 90/360X256=64 is preset. This preset is the 10th figure(
This is performed within the preset time of a) (within the on period of the preset signal). After completion of this presetting, each presettable counter 14 starts counting with the preset value as the initial value at the same time as the transmission pulse signal shown in FIG. 9(a) is generated.
Create an excitation signal that rises when the count up to 56, that is, Fig. 9(b) to Fig. 9-<d>
As shown in Figure 9, the excitation signal becomes a signal with a phase corresponding to the composite phasing value, and for example, the signal in Figure 9(C) is 90° in phase than the signal in Figure 9(b). It shows. In this case, H in FIG. 9 indicates hexadecimal. In this way, the phase of the excitation signal is controlled by the presettable counter 14.

The excitation signal output by the presettable counter 14 of each stage is applied to the selector circuit 15 of the corresponding stage. This selector circuit 15 sequentially switches the excitation signal applied from the presettable counter 14 within the transmission time from tl to t6 in FIG. 10 and supplies it to each corresponding vibrator 3. At the first time tl in FIG. 10, the stage selector circuit 15-1 selects the first presettable counter (PS).
CI-1) Transmits the excitation signal from 14 to the transmitting amplifier (TXI
-3) and the third (1-
3) and the fourth (1-4) transducer 3, and the excitation signal from the second presettable counter (PSCI-2>) is sent to the transmitting amplifier (TXI-2) and the same (TXI-2).
I-5) through the second (1-2) and fifth (1-
5), and further sends the excitation signal from the third presettable counter (PSCI) to the first presettable counter (PSCI) via the transmission amplifier (TXI-1) and
It is sent to the th (1-1) and 6th (1-6) transducers 3. Then, at the transmission time of t2 in FIG.
XI-5) through the fourth (1-4) and fifth (
1-5) to the transducer 3, and also sends the excitation signal from the second presettable counter (PSCI-2) to the third presettable counter (PSCI-2) via the transmitting amplifier (TXI-3) and the same (TXI-6). (1-3) and the 6th (16) transducer 3, and then the third presettable counter (PS
The excitation signal from the CI (CI) is sent to the first (1-1) and second (1-2) transducers 3 via the transmission amplifier (TXI-1) and the CI (TXI-2).

In this way, by shifting and distributing the excitation signal from the presettable counter 14 of each stage one transducer at a time interval from tl to t6 in FIG. 10, the ultrasonic waves emitted from the transducer l can be It becomes possible to rotate the transmission beam 2 by 15 degrees.

Specifically, the distribution of the excitation signal by each selector circuit 15 is as shown in FIG.
The transmission pulses shown in Figures 10(c) to 10(h) are divided into six, and based on these six divided transmission pulses, the transmission pulses shown in Figure 10 (
The selector control signals 1) to (k) in the same figure are generated, and the excitation signals output from each presettable counter are distributed using the selector control signals. The output of the composite phasing value from the ROM (ROM>10), the preset operation of the presettable counter 14, the output of the transmission pulse, the operation of the selector circuit 15, etc. are performed by the timing control signal of the timing control section 13. be exposed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the angle of depression of the transmitted beam 2 emitted from the transducer 1 can be arbitrarily set using the volume 8, which is extremely convenient for detecting schools of fish and searching the seabed. be.

Further, since the transmitted wave beam 2 can be rotated along the circumference of the transducer 1, it is possible to increase the transmission level of the transmitted wave beam 2.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. In the second embodiment for wood, the same components as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals.The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is as follows. The composite phasing value output means 4 is composed of a ROM 10, a data input section 23, a horizontal matching selector circuit 20, and an adder 21, and the ROM 10 stores only vertical phasing values for each depression angle. The vertical phasing value read from this ROM (ROM>10) and the horizontal phasing value given from the outside are added together to output a composite phasing value. , in FIG. 2, for example, the first data input section 17
is the horizontal phasing value φ1 of the fourth section. Similarly, the horizontal phasing value φ2h is input to the second data input section 18, and the horizontal phasing value φ3h is input to the third data input section 19. Then, these input data φlb + φ21t
, φ3h are applied to the horizontal matching selector circuit 20. The matching selector circuit 20 sequentially switches the horizontal phasing values φll+, φ2h, and φ3b corresponding to the vertical phasing values for each stage read from the ROM 10, and adds them to the adder 21. For example, The first data input section 1 corresponds to the output of the vertical phasing value φ1v of the first stage.
7 horizontal phasing value φlk+horizontal phasing value φc of the second data input section 18 and horizontal phasing value φ5 of the third data input section 19. are switched in order and output.

Next, three types of horizontal phasing values φl are similarly applied to the output of the vertical phasing values of each stage from the second stage to the eighth stage.

Same φ2h and same φ3. The output is performed while switching in sequence.

The adder 21 adds the vertical phasing value φIv (11 to 8) for the set depression angle of each stage read from the ROM 10 and each horizontal phasing value φlb, φ2h, and φ3h, and calculates the value for each stage. A composite phasing value φ5ihnv is determined and added to the presettable counter 14 of each stage within the preset time. Thereafter, the ultrasonic beam 2 with a high transmission level is emitted from the transducer 1 by the same operation as in the first embodiment.

In each of the above embodiments, the composite phasing value is digitally processed to generate an excitation signal, but this may be configured to be processed analogously. When processing, there is a problem that the circuit configuration becomes complicated because there is a large amount of processing data of composite phasing values, so the circuit configuration is simplified by digitally processing the data as in this embodiment. be able to.

(Effects of the Invention) Since the present invention has the configuration and operation described above, it is possible to increase the transmission level of the ultrasonic beam and to arbitrarily set the angle of depression. , it is possible to provide a highly convenient and high-performance scanning sonar transmitter for detecting schools of fish and exploring the seabed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a oscillator in a transducer. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the horizontal phasing value of each vibrator arranged in the circumferential direction, and Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the vertical phasing value of each vibrator arranged in the height direction. Fig. 6 is a state diagram of ultrasonic radiation due to the composite phasing value, Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram showing a part of the wiring of each stage transducer, Fig. 8 is a diagram of the rotational state of the ultrasonic beam, Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram for creating an excitation signal with a phase shift equal to the composite phasing value, Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram for creating a selector control signal, and Figure 11 is an illustration of the emission of an ultrasonic beam emitted from a transducer. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the rotation R of the ultrasonic beam in the conventional device. l... Transducer/receiver, 2... Transmission beam, 3... Vibrator, 4... Composite phasing value output means, 5... ...-phase generation circuit, 6...
...Transmission amplifier, 7...Operation control section, 8...
... Volume, 9 ... A/D converter, 10 ... ROM (memory element), 1
1...Reference clock generation circuit, 12...
...Frequency divider circuit, 13...-Timing control section, 14...Presettable counter, 15...Selector circuit, 17...
...first data input section, 18...second data input section, 19...third data input section,
20...Horizontal matching selector circuit, 21...
...adder, 22...beam rotation means,
23...Data input section. Fig. Fig. Fig. t# Fig. Ne Fig. Tei Fig.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A scanning sonar transducer consisting of m transducers in the circumferential direction and n stages of transducers in the height direction; the angle of depression of the transmitted beam transmitted from this transducer is a depression angle setting unit for variably setting; a horizontal phasing value of each vibrator for aligning the horizontal phase of the transmitted beam on a predetermined straight line; and a depression angle for setting the vertical phase of the transmitted beam; composite phasing value output means for outputting a composite phasing value with the vertical phasing value of each vibrator for alignment on the slope line corresponding to the oscillator; A phase generation circuit that generates an excitation signal with a phase corresponding to the phasing value; A phase generation circuit that sequentially switches and supplies the excitation signal generated by this phase generation circuit to the corresponding oscillator, and transmits the wave from the oscillator. A scanning sonar wave transmitting device comprising: beam rotation means for rotating the direction of beam irradiation along the circumference of a transducer. (2) The composite phasing value output means stores a composite phasing value of the horizontal phasing value and the vertical phasing value of each vibrator for each depression angle in a predetermined angle range, and stores the composite phasing value set by the depression angle setting section. 2. The scanning sonar wave transmitting device according to claim 1, further comprising a memory element that outputs a composite phasing value corresponding to an angle of depression. (3) The composite phasing value output means includes a storage element that stores the vertical phasing value of each vibrator for each depression angle in a predetermined angle range and outputs the vertical phasing value corresponding to the depression angle set by the depression angle setting section. ; a data input section for a horizontal phasing value; and an adder for adding the vertical phasing value output from the storage element and the horizontal phasing value input to the data input section to obtain a composite phasing value; The scanning sonar wave transmitting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: