Presenting objects in a sonar image of an underwater environment

Abstract

A sonar system is provided including a display screen, a transducer assembly including at least one transducer that is configured to emit one or more sonar signals into an underwater environment and receive sonar return data reflected from one or more objects, and a sonar module configured to generate a 3D matrix based on the sonar return data including a plurality of sonar returns that are each defined by a 3D positional value, determine a group of the plurality of sonar returns associated with an object, assign a predetermined icon to the determined group, and generate and display 3D image of the sonar return data. The predetermined icon is positioned within the 3D image at a position that corresponds to the position of the determined group such that the position of the predetermined icon corresponds to the position of the object.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A sonar system comprising:
 a user interface comprising a display screen;   a transducer assembly including at least one transducer that is configured to emit one or more sonar signals into an underwater environment and receive sonar return data reflected from one or more objects in the underwater environment; and   a sonar module comprising a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to:
 generate a 3D matrix based on the sonar return data received from the underwater environment, wherein the 3D matrix comprises a plurality of sonar returns that are each defined by a 3D positional value; 
 determine a group of the plurality of sonar returns in the 3D matrix that are associated with an object in the underwater environment; 
 assign a predetermined icon to the determined group; 
 generate a 3D image of the sonar return data comprising the predetermined icon, wherein the predetermined icon is positioned within the 3D image at a position that corresponds to the position of the determined group such that the position of the predetermined icon corresponds to the position of the object in the underwater environment based on the 3D matrix; and 
 cause the 3D image to be displayed on the display screen. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sonar system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined icon is a representative depiction of the object. 
     
     
         3 . The sonar system of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined icon is a fish icon. 
     
     
         4 . The sonar system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined icon is a depiction of the object as rendered in 2D sonar. 
     
     
         5 . The sonar system of  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined icon is a fish arch. 
     
     
         6 . The sonar system of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined icon is scaled based on the size threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The sonar system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to assign the predetermined icon by:
 comparing a size of the determined group of the plurality of sonar returns with a predetermined size threshold; and   assigning a first predetermined icon in an instance in which the size of the determined group is greater than the predetermined size threshold or a second predetermined icon in an instance in which the size of the determined group is less than the predetermined size threshold, wherein the first predetermined icon is different than the second predetermined icon.   
     
     
         8 . The sonar system of  claim 7 , wherein the first predetermined icon is a fish arch, and wherein the second predetermined icon is a fish icon. 
     
     
         9 . The sonar system of  claim 1 , wherein the determined group is a first determined group, wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to:
 determine a second group of the plurality of sonar returns in the 3D matrix that are associated with a second object in the underwater environment;   compare a distance between the first determined group and the second determined group to a predetermined distance threshold,   wherein the predetermined icon is assigned to each of the first determined group and the second determined group in an instance in which the distance is greater than the predetermined distance threshold and the predetermined icon is assigned to both the first determined group and the second determined group in an instance in which the distance is less than the predetermined distance threshold.   
     
     
         10 . The sonar system of  claim 9 , wherein the predetermined icon includes an indication of a number of groups associated with the predetermined icon when assigned to a plurality of groups. 
     
     
         11 . The sonar system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to generate the 3D image to include both the predetermined icon and the sonar returns associated with the determined group. 
     
     
         12 . A sonar system comprising:
 a user interface comprising a display screen;   a transducer assembly including at least one sidescan transducer, wherein the at least one sidescan transducer is configured to emit one or more sonar signals into an underwater environment and receive sonar return data reflected from one or more objects in the underwater environment; and   a sonar module comprising a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to:   receive the sonar return data from the at least one sidescan transducer;   identify an object associated with the sonar return data;   assign a predetermined icon to the object;   generate a sonar image of the sonar return data comprising the predetermined icon, wherein the predetermined icon is positioned within the sonar image at a position that corresponds to the position of the object in the underwater environment; and   cause the sonar image to be displayed on the display screen.   
     
     
         13 . The sonar system of  claim 12 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to identify the object by performing object recognition on the sonar return data. 
     
     
         14 . The sonar system of  claim 13 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to identify the object by comparing the sonar return data to a sonar return energy threshold. 
     
     
         15 . The sonar system of  claim 12 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to identify the object by:
 generating an initial sonar image based on the sonar return data; and   determining the object based on feature detection preformed on the initial sonar image.   
     
     
         16 . The sonar image of  claim 15 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to generate the sonar image by overlaying the predetermined icon on the initial sonar image. 
     
     
         17 . The sonar system of  claim 12 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to assign the predetermined icon by:
 comparing a size of the identified object with a predetermined size threshold; and   assigning a first predetermined icon in an instance in which the size of the identified object is greater than the predetermined size threshold or a second predetermined icon in an instance in which the size of the identified object is less than the predetermined size threshold, wherein the first predetermined icon is different than the second predetermined icon.   
     
     
         18 . The sonar system of  claim 17 , wherein the first predetermined icon is a fish arch, and wherein the second predetermined icon is a fish icon. 
     
     
         19 . A marine electronics device comprising:
 a user interface comprising a display screen; and   a sonar module comprising a processor and memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to:
 receive sonar return data from at least one sidescan transducer, wherein the at least one sidescan transducer is configured to emit one or more sonar signals into an underwater environment and receive the sonar return data reflected from one or more objects in the underwater environment; 
 identify an object associated with the sonar return data; 
 assign a predetermined icon to the object; 
 generate a sonar image of the sonar return data comprising the predetermined icon, wherein the predetermined icon is positioned within the sonar image at a position that corresponds to the position of the object in the underwater environment; and 
 cause the sonar image to be displayed on the display screen. 
   
     
     
         20 . The sonar system of  claim 19 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the sonar module to assign the predetermined icon by:
 comparing a size of the identified object with a predetermined size threshold; and   assigning a first predetermined icon in an instance in which the size of the identified object is greater than the predetermined size threshold or a second predetermined icon in an instance in which the size of the identified object is less than the predetermined size threshold, wherein the first predetermined icon is different than the second predetermined icon.