JPS61126490A - Underwater detecting and displaying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect an underwater state over a wide range by providing a circuit which processes an ultrasonic wave signal from an underwater detected body by side-looking sonars and a scanning sonar and then displays images of both sonars. CONSTITUTION:An ultrasonic wave transmitter receiver fitted to the bottom of a ship is used and side-looking sonars 3 and 4 which perform underwater detection in the starboard and port directions and the scanning sonar 1 which performs underwater detection right under the bottom of the ship are provided. Further, a display device which processes the ultrasonic signal from the underwater detected body and displays its image is provided, and both sonars generate transmitted and received beams thetaL and thetaS at right angles to the bow to widths phiL and phiS. The 1st sonars 3 and 4 perform scanning operation in the starboard and port directions with phiLXthetaL transmitted beams and the 2nd sonar 1 makes a scan with phiSXthetaS transmitted beams and M phiSXDELTAthetaS received beams which are divided into M in a direction thetaS. Consequently, the depth of the sea and horizontal distance are displayed by the 1st sonars 3 and 4 and the resolution is improved by the 2nd sonar 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an underwater detection display device using side-looking sonar and scanning sonar.

(Prior art) Side-looking sonar (hereinafter referred to as first sonar) and scanning sonar (hereinafter referred to as second sonar) are:
Both are equipped with an ultrasonic transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and these are installed on the bottom a of the ship. The first sonar has detection ranges (a) and (c) from the bottom of the ship to the port and starboard directions, respectively, as shown in Figure 1. It has the advantage of being able to display the fine undulations of the ocean floor from a distance using shading, making it easy to see the quality of the ocean floor, and providing excellent resolution in the direction of ship travel. The disadvantage is that the depth and horizontal distance of objects are not well known.

On the other hand, sonar 2 has a detection range d directly below the ship's bottom a, as shown in Figure 2, and has the advantage of being able to clearly determine the depth and horizontal distance of the detected object near the bottom of the ship. The resolution is poor at far distances where the distance is small, and as a result, fine undulations cannot be seen, and depth and horizontal distance are inaccurate.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) Therefore, if only one of the first sonar and the second sonar is installed, even if it is possible to display underwater conditions by taking advantage of the above-mentioned advantages of each sonar, the above-mentioned disadvantages will cause the identification. It may be difficult or impossible to indicate the underwater status of a location.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable detection and display of underwater conditions over a wide range.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve such an object, the present invention includes a side-looking sonar and a scanning sonar, both of which are attached to the bottom of the ship, and the side-looking sonar is installed on the bottom of the ship. The scanning sonar is composed of a transducer for detecting underwater in the port and starboard directions, and the scanning sonar is composed of a transducer for detecting underwater in the direction directly below the bottom of the ship. Circuit means is provided for processing the signals and displaying images from both sonar in a combined or superimposed manner on the same screen, and the depth and horizontal distance of the seabed in the image from the side-looking sonar are displayed on the screen of the display. By combining both sonars, underwater conditions can be displayed over a wide range.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an example shown in the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, both sonars are φL and φS in the bow direction, respectively, and θ in the direction perpendicular to the bow direction.
A transmitting/receiving beam of L and θS is formed. In the first sonar, there is one φL×θL transmitting and receiving beam on each of the port and starboard sides, but in the second sonar, there is one φS×θS transmitting beam and a φS beam divided into M in the θS direction.
xΔθS. Here, θS
=M×ΔθS, and the received beams are numbered from 0 to (M −′1′) from port to starboard as shown in FIG. These M receiving beams are phase-combined by a phase combining circuit, which will be described later.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a display (color CRT) screen by the underwater detection display device of the present invention. The left half of this screen displays a video screen from the first sonar, and the right half displays a contour map screen from the second sonar. The vertical direction (X direction) on the left half of the display screen indicates the time direction for displaying the passage of time. As a result, an image based on the latest transmission is displayed at the top of the transducer display screen of the first sonar, and an older image is displayed at the bottom.

On the other hand, in the lateral direction (X direction), the image from the first sonar is the straight-line distance R meters from the own ship in the port and starboard directions, with the 0 point as the reference, and the constant depth map screen from the second sonar is Indicates the horizontal distance H meters from own ship in the port and starboard directions, respectively, based on the 0 point. 0 to (
N-1) of the starboard side contour map by the second sonar, N~
At (2N-1), an image of the port side contour map from the second sonar is displayed, and at 2N to (3N-1), the image of the
Also on the port side by sonar, 3N~(4N-1)
Each sonar image of the starboard side is displayed. As a result, the total number of pixels on the display screen is VX4N.

In the display example of FIG. 3, the display range DpL of the first sonar screen is 300 meters, and the display range Dps of the contour map screen is 280 meters. Fixed markers of 0, 150, and 300 meters are displayed on the first sonar screen, and fixed markers of 8, 140, and 280 meters are displayed on the contour map screen. The four broken line variable markers indicate a position at a straight line distance of 235 meters from the own ship, and the broken line is a straight line on the first sonar screen, but is a curved line on the contour drawing. By displaying this variable marker, the relative relationship between the two screens becomes clear. Of course, the relative relationship can also be made clear by displaying a fixed marker relative to the fixed marker (15,300 meters) on the first sonar screen on the contour drawing surface, but this is omitted here.

Figure 4 shows an overhead view of both transducers relative to the ship's bottom a. The first sonar SLS is S L S L for port side and 5L for starboard side.
S2, and a second sonar SO8 is located in the center. In the Nth sonar, one vibrator is lined up in the bow direction, and in the second sonar, five vibrators are lined up in the bow direction in a direction perpendicular to the bow direction. The underwater detection range of both transducers when attached to the bottom a of the ship is in a direction perpendicular to the bow direction below the ship, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram of the device of the present invention.

In the following description of each block diagram, only variable markers will be used as markers. Furthermore, although the value of the variable marker may be displayed on the display, it is assumed that it is displayed on a separate numerical display. A raster scan (orthogonal coordinate) color display is used as the display. Color displays include CRT, liquid crystal, plasma, and the like. Of course,
It may be a black and white display. In Figure 5, 1 is the second
It is a transducer for the sonar, and 3.4 is each transducer for port and starboard of the first sonar. 5, 30.31 is a receiving amplifier, 6 is a phase synthesis circuit, 7.47 is an A/D converter, 8
．． 48 is a signal memory, 9, 11, 16° 42. 46, 4
9.54 is a switch, 10 is a display memory, 12 is an AND circuit, 13.52 is a flip-flop, +4.40.
72 is a ROM, 15.17.38, 57.59 are comparators, 18.20 is a latch, 21 is a color conversion ROM, 22,2
3.24 is a D/A converter, 25 is a CRT (display), 2
B, 29.32 is a transmitting amplifier, 33 to 37, 39,
51, 65.66 is a counter, 43, 44.45, 50
, 56.58 is an adder, 60 is an OR circuit, 61.62 is a monostable multivibrator, 63 is an inverter, 64 is a delay circuit, 67 is a clock pulse generator, 68 is an X deflection coil, 69 is an X deflection coil, 70 is an X deflection amplifier, 7
1 is an X deflection amplifier. The ROM 173 is a variable marker value display, 74 is a display range setter, and 75 is a variable marker setter.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram for generating the signals indicated by symbols a to j (f is omitted) in FIG. In Figure 6,
101 is CPU, 102 is RAM 1103 is ROM 51
04 is an input device, 106 to 110 are latches, +11
1 is a decoder, and 112 is a display range setter.

Next, the operation of such a circuit configuration will be explained.

Before explaining the operation of this circuit configuration, each symbol to be described later will be explained with reference to FIG. In Figure 7, 08m
indicates the angle from directly below the m-th beam (+ on the port side). This θ5I11 is expressed by the following formula. θs
m-Δθs[(M-1)/2-m], where M
is an odd number, and the (M-1)/2nd beam is directed directly downward. rIll indicates the r-direction position in the signal memory 8 of the ocean floor that existed within the m-th beam. Rm
indicates the straight-line distance (unit: meters) from the own ship to the seabed within the m-th beam. RIIl−Δrx
It is rm. Hm and Dm are the horizontal distance and depth of the seabed from the own ship within the first beam. Hm
The port side is 10, and the unit is meters. Hm=RIII
X stnθsm, D m= RmX cosθs
It is m. xm indicates the writing position in the X direction of the display memory IO on the sea floor that existed in the m-th beam. xm
= Hm/D p8+N.

The transmitting amplifiers 28, 29.32 emit ultrasonic pulse signals of predetermined power, pulse width, and frequency into the water through the transducers 1, 3.4 of each sonar based on the trigger pulse h output by the decoder 111. . The detection signal reflected from the underwater object is transmitted to each transducer 1.3.
After being received by the receiving amplifier group 5 in the second sonar and the receiving amplifiers 30 and 31 in the first sonar, the received signal is amplified by the receiving amplifier group 5 in the second sonar. The trigger pulse h manually input to the receiving amplifier group 5 and the receiving amplifiers 30 and 31 is used for TVG to correct attenuation due to distance of the detection signal. The receiving amplifiers 30 and 31 on the first sonar side further detect and output the amplified signal. The receiving amplifier group 5 on the second sonar side is composed of L (-, I.times.K) receiving amplifiers, which is the same number as the transducers of the transducer 1. The phase synthesis circuit 6 performs phase synthesis on the L detection signals, creates M detection beams, and detects and outputs the detection signal in the direction indicated by the count value of the θ counter 34. Examples of phase synthesis methods include those using a delay line, those that multiply sine waves having different phases, and those that use FFT (Fast Fourier Transform).

The signal memory 8 is for the second sonar, and the signal memory 48
is for the first sonar. The signal memory 8 stores the detection signals of the second sonar for (1) transmissions, and the signal memory 48 stores the detection signals of the first sonar for the I screen display, that is, the number of transmissions. As a result, each storage element of the signal memory 48 corresponds to each pixel of the display screen, but the signal memory 8 is completely unrelated to the pixels of the display screen.

The detection signals of the second sonar are stored in the signal memory 8 as DpL and D.
Up to rmax(m) is stored for each Δr(m), regardless of ps. rmaX is a straight line distance from the ship that is sufficient to allow even the O or M-1 beam in FIG. 2 to reach the sea floor in the ocean area where the device of the present invention is used. Here, rmax=PXΔr. P is a positive integer. Therefore, the capacity of each signal memory 8°48 is A
When the number of output bits of the /D converter 7.47 is α, the capacity of the signal memory 8 is α×MXP, and the capacity of the signal memory 48 is α×MXP.
is α×vX2N. In addition, signal memory 8.4
8 uses RAM.

The signal memory 48 includes a receiving amplifier 30 . Receiving amplifier 31. The detection signal passed through the switch 46 and the A/D converter 47 is written. The X-direction addresses of the signal memory 48 are from 0 to (
V-1), and the X-direction addresses are 0 to (2N-1). For each transmission, a signal for one line is written in the X direction in the same way as a color fish finder, and the signal received by the transducer 4 is written on the starboard side from 0 to (N-1), that is, from N to (2N-1). 1), the port side, that is, the signal received by the transducer 3 is written.

Binary counter 37, switch 42 and switch 4
6 is used to alternately write port and starboard signals into the signal memory 48. The switch 46 switches the detection signal, and the switch 42 switches the X-direction address.

In the signal memory 48, it is sufficient to write one port and starboard signal each while the count value of the r counter 36 changes by one.
When the count value of the binary counter 37 is 0, the binary counter 37
The output is "I7", the starboard signal is also 1, and the count value is 1.
In this case, the output becomes "I" and the port side signals are respectively written. Note that the r counter 36 is a Q-ary up counter, and the comparator 38 outputs a pulse signal with a time interval equal to that of the ultrasonic wave reciprocating in DpL/2N meters (Q>N). Further, the y counter 51 is a binary down counter.

The signal memory 8 includes an r counter 33 and a θ counter 3.
The detection signal passed through the A/D converter 7 is written to the address indicated by the count value 4. The r direction address of the signal memory 8 is 0~
(P-1), and the addresses in the θ direction are 0 to (M-1). Note that the r counter 33 is a P-ary up counter, the θ counter 34 is an M-ary up counter, and the counter 35 counts the output pulses of the clock pulse generator (CP) 67 and counts the output pulses exceeding Δr/M meters. It outputs pulses with a time interval equal to the round trip of the sound wave.

The detection signal is a trigger pulse h output by the decoder 111.
As a result, ultrasonic waves are output from the transducers 1 and 3.4, the count value of the y counter 51 decreases by 1, and the count value of the y counter 51 decreases by 1.
The count values 4, 36, and 37 are reset to 0, the flip-flop (F/F) 52 is set, and writing to the signal memory 8.48 is started. flip flop 5
2 is set, the switch 9.54 turns ON, and the up counter starts counting from 0, and the switch 9.49 connects the address of the signal memory 8.48 and the write position, Furthermore, the signal memory 8.48 enters the write state. At this time, the pulses of the clock pulse generator 67 are input to the R/W terminal of the signal memory 48 and the control terminal of the switch 49, so the signal memory 48 is not always in the writing state and the signal to the display 25 is input. It alternates with the signal read state.

Writing is performed in this way, but when the count value of the r counter 33 reaches (P-1), the r counter 33
outputs a carry pulse with the next input pulse and resets the flip-flop 52, so writing of signals to the signal memories 8 and 48 is stopped. This carry pulse will be referred to as the "signal capture completion signal" from now on.

FIG. 8 shows the sequence of operations performed by the device of the present invention and whether each memory is in a write state or a read state. In FIG. 8, h is a trigger pulse, W indicates writing, and R indicates reading. Further, in FIG. 8, the overall operating state of the present invention is such that signal acquisition, creation of a contour map, and signal acquisition are performed alternately. In this case, the completion of signal capture is indicated by the signal capture completion signal.

The case of writing the contour map to the display memory will be described with reference to FIG. 8. Writing of the signal to the signal memory 8.48 is stopped by the second pulse of the digit of the r counter 33. This is because the flip-flop 52 has been reset, so the R/W terminal of the signal memory 8.48 is rLJ
, switch 9.49 is "OFF", counter 33,3
This is because counting is stopped at 4, 36, and 37. When the signal writing is stopped, that is, when the signal acquisition is completed, a contour map is written into the display memory 10 based on the contents stored in the signal memory 8. More precisely, one line of the contour map is written in the X direction.

The contour map is written mainly using the circuit shown in FIG. 6, which has a computer configuration. CPU101, RAMI
O2, ROMI 03. Input device 104, output device +
Consists of 05. Here, the output device 105 is the latch 1
06 to 110 and a decoder 12. CPU10
I performs calculations, judgments, data transfers, etc. using a program stored in the ROM 103. The ROM 103 stores the detection signal input from the input device 104, and the CPU 1
01 calculation and storage of judgment results, etc.

ROM 103 stores programs and constant values. The data output of the signal memory 8 and the output of the display range setting device 112 are connected to the human power device 4 .

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart in the CPU 10I for creating a contour map. The display memory IO stores a seabed depth of 0 meters for the contour map and a straight line distance R meters for the straight line distance marker. Its capacity is β×VX2N, where β is the total number of bits of D and R, and is the same as the signal memory 48 except for the difference between α and β, and a RAM is used as the display memory IO.

Next, it will be explained using a flowchart.　　.

Step (2): When the detection signal capture completion signal output from the r counter 33 is input to the CPU 101, the computer starts its operation.

Step ■: Write D and R based on the current transmission.The count value of the y counter 51 is not indicated, so the stored contents from X=O to (2N-1) in the y-direction address of the display memory IO are erased. do. In other words, write 0. For the writing method, refer to the next step (2).

Step (2): Extract P detection signals from the signal memory 8 for each beam in order from the 0th beam.

At this time, the θ direction address of the signal memory 8 is stored in the latch 107, and the r direction address is stored in the latch 106.
The detection signal at that address is input from the signal memory 8 to cputot through the input device +04.

Step (2): Among the P signals, for example, the position where the maximum detection signal exists is set as the seabed position.

Step (2): The display memory IO is written when the output pulse of the clock pulse generator 67 is rHJ, and read when it is rLJ. And writing is done by CPU
By l0I, the X direction writing position is set to latch 110, D
is set in the latch 10B and R is set in the latch 109, the flip-flop 13 is set by the CPU I0I, and the flip-flop I3 is set by the first output pulse of the monostable multivibrator (MS) 61. In addition, at this time, the X direction address is
It is output by the counter 51. FIG. 10 shows a timing chart of such an operation.

Step (2) When the knee transmission R and inversion writing are completed, the decoder 111 outputs a trigger pulse h.

Next, a case will be described in which the detection signal, contour map, and marker are output to the display. Clock pulse generator 67
The output pulse period is equal to the time to display one pixel on the display, and the pulse duty is 50%.

The signals stored in the signal memory 48 and the display memory IO are read out one by one each time the pulse of the clock pulse generator 67 becomes L, regardless of whether the signal is being captured or the contour map is being written. , is displayed on the display 25. The read address is the X counter 66
and the count value of the X counter 65. Since the counts of the X counter 66 and the X counter 65 correspond to each pixel of the display shown in FIG. 3, the X counter 66 is a 4N-ary up counter, and the X counter 65 is a V-ary up counter. The comparator 17 outputs rLJ when the count value of the X counter 66 is (2N-1) or less, and outputs "■1" when it is 2N or more, and switches between the first sonar screen and the contour map. Used for display. adder 50
is a circuit for displaying the signal at the latest detection signal address in the X direction of the signal memory 48 and the display memory 10 indicated by the count value of the X counter 51 at the two ends of the screen. The adder 45 subtracts 2N from the counted value of the X counter 66, and when the counted value of the X counter 45 is 2N to (4N-1), the adder 45 adds the signal in the This is a circuit for reading. The output of the display memory 10 is inputted to the ROM+4, and a value determined in advance according to the input value, for example, as shown in FIG. 1+ is outputted. Figure 11 is RO
The structure of the storage area of M14 is shown in FIG. 11. If you follow this figure, contour lines every 5 meters are displayed in 11 different colors.

Comparators 57, 59. Adders 56, 58. The OR circuit 60 and the variable marker setter 75 are circuits for displaying two variable markers on the first sonar screen.

The variable marker setter 75 outputs a value Pr between 0 and (N-1).

The comparator 15 is a circuit for displaying two variable markers on the depth map screen, and the comparator 15 includes a ROM 72.
and the output R of the display memory IO are input. ROM7
2 outputs the value of PvxDI)L/H from Pv and DpL. When this value and R match, a variable marker is displayed. Note that the four variable markers are displayed in a different color from the detection signal and the contour map. The variable Mayoka value display 73 is a numerical display such as an LED or a liquid crystal.
Display the value output by .

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a circuit of another embodiment, and parts corresponding to those in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals. In the embodiment described above, the images of the first sonar and the second sonar were displayed separately in different areas, but in the embodiment of FIG. 12, the images of both sonar are displayed superimposed. Therefore, the scale of the image of the first sonar is made to match the scale of the image of the contour map of the second sonar. Therefore, the part surrounded by the chain line ■ in Figure 5 is the 12th
In the figure, the portion surrounded by a chain line ■ is shown, and the circuit corresponding to FIG. 6 is configured as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 14 shows the display state on the display by the circuit configurations of FIGS. 12 and 13. In FIG. 14, images of the starboard side are displayed on the right half of the screen, and images of the port side are displayed on the left half of the screen, and a constant depth map is displayed corresponding to each image and superimposed thereon. In Fig. 14, the longitudinal direction (time direction) is the X direction, the lateral direction (distance direction) is the X direction, and θ~(N/2-1) in the
2 to (N-1), the port side image is displayed, and the total number of pixels is N2.

In FIG. 12, the display memory 10 stores the depth of the seabed for the contour map and the horizontal distance H for the horizontal distance marker. Note that, unlike the above, the value of Xm is Xm−±(Rn+
/DpL)+N/2. (+ for port side, - for starboard side) Its capacity is the total number of bits of D and 1 (β)
Then, βXNXN. Further, the capacity of the signal memory 48 is αXNXN.

At the chain line H, the variable marker setter 7 sets the horizontal distance Ph
Outputs v output. The Phv and the output of the display memory IO are input to the comparator 15, and when these two values match, a variable marker is displayed.

Note that the two variable markers are displayed in a different color from the detection signal and the contour map.

(Effects) As described below, according to the present invention, underwater can be detected over a wide range using the first sonar and the second sonar, which is very convenient.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining the state of each beam of side-looking sonar and scanning sonar, respectively.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the screen display state on the display device according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an overhead view of both of the sonars, FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram of this embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a circuit for processing signals from the output section of the circuit and generating signals given to each human power section; FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between horizontal distance H and depth by a sonar beam; 8 and 10 are timing charts of signals to explain the operation of each part, FIG. 9 is a flowchart also to explain the operation, FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of the storage area of ROMI 4, and FIG. 12 is a diagram of other implementations. FIG. 13 is a circuit block diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 for the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 for the embodiment shown in FIG. 12. It is. I is the scanning sonar (first sonar) transducer, 3
, 4 is a side-looking sonar (second sonar) transducer, and 25 is a display.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A side-looking sonar, a scanning sonar, a display that displays the output from both sonar, and a display that processes the ultrasonic signals from the underwater detection object and displays images from both sonar on the screen of the display. The side-looking sonar is comprised of a transducer for detecting underwater in the port and starboard directions of the ship, and the scanning sonar is installed on the bottom of the ship. What is claimed is: 1. An underwater detection display device comprising a transducer for detecting underwater directly below the seabed, and displaying on the screen the depth and horizontal distance of the seabed in the image of the side-looking sonar. (2) The underwater detection display device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit means divides a screen on the display device to separately display outputs from both the sonar devices. (3) The underwater detection display device according to claim 1, wherein the circuit means displays the outputs from both sonars in a superimposed manner on the display.