Impact detection devices and methods

1. A system for a watercraft traversing a body of water, the system comprising:

a housing configured to be mounted to the watercraft and be positioned within an underwater environment relative to the watercraft, the housing comprising:

at least one transducer element configured to:

transmit sound waves into the underwater environment of the body of water,

receive sonar return signals from the body of water, and

convert the sonar return signals into sonar return data; and

at least one impact detection device configured to receive impact data corresponding to an impact on the housing; and

a marine electronic device configured to be mounted to the watercraft, the marine electronic device comprising:

a user interface comprising a display;

a marine electronic device processor; and

a memory including computer program code configured to, with the marine electronic device processor, cause the marine electronic device to:

receive sonar return data from the at least one transducer element;

generate one or more sonar images based on the sonar return data;

receive impact data from the at least one impact detection device;

determine, based on the impact data, an occurrence of an impact on the housing including the at least one transducer element;

determine a location associated with the occurrence of the impact;

generate, in response to determining the occurrence of the impact, one or more notifications indicating the occurrence of the impact; and

cause indication of the location to be displayed on a navigational chart on the display of the user interface of the marine electronic device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more notifications comprises an alert, light, buzzer, alarm, text, or a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more notifications comprises a quantitative indication of the impact.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the marine electronic device to compare the impact data to a predetermined threshold and generate the one or more notifications in an instance in which the impact data meets or exceeds the predetermined threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the marine electronic device to determine the occurrence of the impact in an instance in which the impact exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the impact detection device comprises an accelerometer.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the accelerometer comprises a piezoelectric accelerometer, piezoresistive accelerometer, piezopolymer accelerometer, ultrasonic accelerometer, capacitive accelerometer, thermal accelerometer, or convective accelerometer.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the accelerometer comprises a piezoelectric ceramic or a piezoelectric crystal device.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the accelerometer comprises a single axis accelerometer, a multi-axis accelerometer, or a rotational accelerometer.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the impact data comprises an output voltage or an electric charge, pulse, or signal.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the housing is mounted to a boat or trolling motor.

12. A system comprising:

a housing for mounting to a watercraft so as to be positioned within an underwater environment relative to the watercraft, the housing comprising:

at least one transducer which comprises at least one piezoelectric element and is configured to:

transmit sound waves into a body of water,

receive sonar return signals from the body of water,

vibrate in response to receipt of sonar return signals or an impact on the housing, and

convert the vibrations into vibration data; and

a marine electronic device for mounting to the watercraft, the marine electronic device comprising:

a user interface comprising a display;

a marine electronic device processor; and

a memory including computer program code configured to, with the marine electronic device processor, cause the marine electronic device to:

receive vibration data from the at least one transducer;

generate one or more sonar images corresponding to the body of water relative to the watercraft and based on the vibration data from the piezoelectric element;

determine, based on the vibration data from the piezoelectric element, an occurrence of an impact on the housing including the at least one transducer, wherein the vibration data used for determination of the occurrence of the impact and for generation of the one or more sonar images is from the same piezoelectric element;

determine a location associated with the occurrence of the impact;

generate, in response to determining the occurrence of the impact, one or more notifications indicating the occurrence of the impact; and

cause an indication of the location to be displayed on a navigational chart on the display of the user interface of the marine electronic device.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the electronic device filters out any vibration data which corresponds to an impact on the housing prior to generation of the one or more sonar images.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more notifications comprises an alert, light, buzzer, alarm, text, or a combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory and the computer program code are further configured to cause the marine electronic device to compare the vibration data to a predetermined threshold and generate the one or more notifications in an instance in which the vibration data meets or exceeds the predetermined threshold.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the vibration data is generated in response to sonar return signals and an impact on the housing.

17. A method for identifying object strikes to a sonar transducer system of a housing mounted to a watercraft and positioned within an underwater environment relative to the watercraft, wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by a processor, impact data from at least one impact detection device which is located adjacent the sonar transducer system, wherein the at least one impact detection device is configured to receive impact data corresponding to an impact on the housing;

determining, based on the impact data, an occurrence of an impact on the housing including the at least one transducer element by comparing the impact data to a predetermined threshold;

determining a location associated with the occurrence of the impact;

generating, in response to determining the occurrence of the impact, one or more notifications indicating the occurrence of the impact; and

causing an indication of the location to be displayed on a navigational chart on a display of a user interface of a marine electronic device mounted to the watercraft.