Patent ID: 7710825
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: G01S

Abstract:
1. A system mounted to a boat to provide underwater sonar images, the system comprising: a left side scan sonar transducer for transmitting left side scan sonar pulses directed downward and laterally outward to a left side of the boat, the left side scan sonar pulses forming a beam having a narrow horizontal width in a direction of travel of the boat and a wide vertical width in a plane perpendicular to the direction of boat travel, and for receiving left side scan sonar return signals; a right side scan sonar transducer for transmitting right side scan sonar pulses directed downwardly and laterally outward to a right side of the boat, the right side scan sonar pulses forming a beam having a narrow horizontal width in the direction of travel of the boat and a wide vertical width in the plane perpendicular to the direction of boat travel, and for receiving right side scan sonar return signals; signal processing circuitry for processing the left and right side scan sonar return signals to produce side scan image data; a display; and a digital processor for providing signals to the display based upon the side scan image data to produce a display image on the display showing a grey-scale or color underwater image that provides details of underwater articles and bottom and contains shadowing comprising a) at least one of a left side underwater image and a right side underwater image, b) a boat location relative to the underwater image, and c) an indication of distance from the boat, wherein the indication is associated with the underwater image.