Systems and associated methods for producing a 3D sonar image

1. A sonar system comprising:

a housing mountable to a watercraft capable of traversing a body of water;

at least one transducer array positioned within the housing and aimed downwardly from the watercraft,

wherein the transducer array comprises a transmit/receive transducer element and a second transducer element,

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to transmit sonar pulses into the water;

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to receive first sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the first sonar returns into first sonar return data,

wherein the second transducer element is configured to receive second sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the second sonar returns into second sonar return data, and

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is positioned within the housing at a predetermined distance from the second transducer element; and

a sonar signal processor configured to:

process the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data to generate a set of 2D sonar data, wherein each sonar return of the set of 2D sonar data defines a distance value and an angle, wherein the angle associated with each sonar return is based on the predetermined distance between the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element, wherein the distance value associated with each sonar return corresponds to a distance between a position of the sonar return and the at least one transducer array; and

generate 3D mesh data based on the set of 2D sonar data, wherein the 3D mesh data is a basis for a 3D image of an underwater environment in a three dimensional coordinate system.

2. The sonar system of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display the 3D image of the underwater environment.

3. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transducer array comprises a downscan transducer array such that the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to transmit sonar pulses in a substantially perpendicular direction to a plane of a surface of the body of water.

4. The sonar system of claim 3 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element comprises a linear downscan transducer element configured to transmit the sonar pulses as a fan-shaped beam in at least a direction perpendicular to a direction of travel of the watercraft.

5. The sonar system of claim 4 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to transmit the fan-shaped beam substantially symmetrically across a centerline of the watercraft.

6. The sonar system of claim 4 , wherein the linear downscan transducer element is formed of a plurality of transducer elements electrically connected to act as the linear downscan transducer element.

7. The sonar system of claim 3 , wherein:

at least one of the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element is further configured to receive downscan sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the downscan sonar returns into downscan sonar return data;

the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the downscan sonar return data to generate downscan image data; and

wherein the sonar system further comprises a display configured to

display a downscan image of the underwater environment based on the downscan image data.

8. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to:

generate a plurality of sets of 2D sonar data as the watercraft traverses the body of water; and

generate the 3D mesh data based on the plurality of sets of 2D sonar data generated as the watercraft traverses the body of water.

9. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein each sonar return of the set of 2D sonar data further defines a signal return strength value.

10. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data to generate 2D sonar data by calculating a phase difference between the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data.

11. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance between the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element defines a first predetermined distance, wherein the transducer array further comprises a third transducer element, wherein the third transducer element is configured to receive third sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the third sonar returns into third sonar return data, wherein the third transducer element is positioned a second predetermined distance from the second transducer element, and wherein the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the first sonar return data, the second sonar return data, and the third sonar return data to generate the 3D mesh data based on at least the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance.

12. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer array is a downscan transducer array, wherein the sonar system further comprises:

at least one sidescan transducer array positioned within the housing and aimed downwardly and outwardly from a side of the watercraft,

wherein the sidescan transducer array comprises a first sidescan transducer element and a second sidescan transducer element,

wherein the first sidescan transducer element is configured to receive fourth sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the fourth sonar returns into fourth sonar return data,

wherein the second sidescan transducer element is configured to receive fifth sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the fifth sonar returns into fifth sonar return data, and

wherein the first sidescan transducer element is positioned within the housing at a predetermined distance from the second sidescan transducer element; and

the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the fourth sonar return data and the fifth sonar return data to generate the 3D mesh data based on at least the predetermined distance between the first sidescan transducer element and the second sidescan transducer element.

13. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance is designed based on a frequency of operation of the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element.

14. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer array defines an emitting surface that corresponds to an emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and an emitting surface of the second transducer element, wherein the emitting surface is straight such that the emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and the emitting surface of the second transducer element are configured to define a same angle with respect to a surface of the body of water.

15. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transducer array defines an emitting surface that corresponds to an emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and an emitting surface of the second transducer element, wherein the emitting surface is curved such that the emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and the emitting surface of the second transducer element are configured to define different angles with respect to a surface of the body of water.

16. The sonar system of claim 1 further comprising shielding positioned in the housing and configured to surround at least a portion of the transducer array.

17. The sonar system of claim 16 , wherein the shielding comprises absorption material that defines at least two mounting slots, wherein a first mounting slot is configured to surround three sides and two ends of the transmit/receive transducer element, wherein the second mounting slot is configured to surround three sides and two ends of the second transducer element.

18. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to emit a fan-shaped sonar beam having a relatively narrow beamwidth in a direction parallel to a fore-to-aft direction of the watercraft and a relatively wide beamwidth in a direction perpendicular to the fore-to-aft direction of the watercraft.

19. The sonar system of claim 1 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is formed of a plurality of transducer elements electrically connected to act as the transmit/receive transducer element.

20. The sonar system of claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to display the 3D image of the underwater environment based on the 3D mesh data and chart information in a split screen format.

21. A transducer assembly comprising:

a housing mountable to a watercraft capable of traversing a body of water; and

at least one transducer array positioned within the housing and aimed downwardly from the watercraft,

wherein the transducer array comprises a transmit/receive transducer element and a second transducer element,

wherein at least one of the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element is a transmit/receive transducer element configured to transmit sonar pulses into the water;

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to receive first sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the first sonar returns into first sonar return data,

wherein the second transducer element is configured to receive second sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the second sonar returns into second sonar return data, and

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is positioned within the housing at a predetermined distance from the second transducer element;

wherein first sonar return data and the second sonar return data are further configured to define a set of 2D sonar data, wherein each sonar return of the set of 2D sonar data defines a distance value and an angle, wherein the angle associated with each sonar return is based on the predetermined distance between the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element, wherein the distance value associated with each sonar return corresponds to a distance between a position of the sonar return and the at least one transducer array; and

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element are configured to transmit the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data, respectively, to a sonar signal processor to be processed by the sonar signal processor to generate the set of 2D sonar data and 3D mesh data based on the set of 2D sonar data, wherein the 3D mesh data is a basis for a 3D image of an underwater environment in a three dimensional coordinate system.

22. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the at least one transducer array comprises a downscan transducer array such that the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to transmit sonar pulses in a substantially perpendicular direction to a plane of a surface of the body of water.

23. The transducer assembly of claim 22 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element comprises a linear downscan transducer element configured to transmit the sonar pulses as a fan-shaped beam in at least a direction perpendicular to a direction of travel of the watercraft.

24. The transducer assembly of claim 23 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to transmit the fan-shaped beam substantially symmetrically across a centerline of the watercraft.

25. The transducer assembly of claim 23 , wherein the linear downscan transducer element is formed of a plurality of transducer elements electrically connected to act as the linear downscan transducer element.

26. The transducer assembly of claim 22 , wherein:

at least one of the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element is further configured to receive downscan sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the downscan sonar returns into downscan sonar return data;

the sonar signal processor is further configured to process the downscan sonar return data to generate downscan image data; and

wherein the transducer assembly further comprises a display configured to display a downscan image of the underwater environment based on the downscan image data.

27. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data are configured to be processed to generate a plurality of sets of 2D sonar data as the watercraft traverses the body of water; and to generate the 3D mesh data based on the plurality of sets of 2D sonar data generated as the watercraft traverses the body of water.

28. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data are further configured to be processed to generate 2D sonar data by calculating a phase difference between the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data.

29. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the predetermined distance between the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element defines a first predetermined distance, wherein the transducer array further comprises a third transducer element, wherein the third transducer element is configured to receive third sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element and convert sound energy of the third sonar returns into third sonar return data, wherein the third transducer element is positioned a second predetermined distance from the second transducer element, and wherein the first, second, and third transducer elements are configured to transmit the first sonar return data, the second sonar return data, and the third sonar return data to the sonar signal processor to generate the 3D mesh data based on at least the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance.

30. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the transducer array defines an emitting surface that corresponds to an emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and an emitting surface of the second transducer element, wherein the emitting surface is straight such that the emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and the emitting surface of the second transducer element are configured to define a same angle with respect to a surface of the body of water.

31. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the transducer array defines an emitting surface that corresponds to an emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and an emitting surface of the second transducer element, wherein the emitting surface is curved such that the emitting surface of the transmit/receive transducer element and the emitting surface of the second transducer element are configured to define different angles with respect to a surface of the body of water.

32. The transducer assembly of claim 21 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is formed of a plurality of transducer elements electrically connected to act as the transmit/receive transducer element.

33. A method for imaging an underwater environment comprising:

transmitting sonar pulses into a body of water using a transmit/receive transducer element comprising at least one of a transmit/receive transducer element and a second transducer element of a transducer array positioned within a housing mountable to a watercraft capable of traversing the body of water;

receiving, via the transmit/receive transducer element of the transducer array, first sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element,

wherein the transducer array is positioned within the housing and aimed downwardly from the watercraft, and wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to convert sound energy of the first sonar returns into first sonar return data;

receiving, via the second transducer element of the transducer array, second sonar returns from the sonar pulses produced by the transmit/receive transducer element,

wherein the second transducer element is configured to convert sound energy of the second sonar returns into second sonar return data, and

wherein the transmit/receive transducer element is positioned within the housing at a predetermined distance from the second transducer element; and

processing, via a sonar signal processor, the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data to generate a set of 2D sonar data, wherein each sonar return of the set of 2D sonar data defines a distance value and an angle, wherein the angle associated with each sonar return is based on the predetermined distance between the transmit/receive transducer element and the second transducer element, wherein the distance value associated with each sonar return corresponds to a distance between a position of the sonar return and the at least one transducer array; and

generating 3D mesh data based on the set of 2D sonar data, wherein the 3D mesh data is a basis for a 3D image of an underwater environment in a three dimensional coordinate system.

34. The method of claim 33 , further comprising displaying, via a display, the 3D image of the underwater environment.

35. The method of claim 33 , wherein the at least one transducer array comprises a downscan transducer array such that the transmit/receive transducer element is configured to transmit sonar pulses in a substantially perpendicular direction to a plane of a surface of the body of water.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein the transmit/receive transducer element comprises a linear downscan transducer element configured to transmit the sonar pulses as a fan-shaped beam in at least a direction perpendicular to a direction of travel of the watercraft.

37. The method of claim 33 , further comprising generating a plurality of sets of 2D sonar data as the watercraft traverses the body of water; and generating the 3D mesh data based on the plurality of sets of 2D sonar data generated as the watercraft traverses the body of water.

38. The method of claim 33 , further comprising processing the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data to generate 2D sonar data by calculating a phase difference between the first sonar return data and the second sonar return data.