Moving window sonar display system

Claim 2

A moving window sonar display system comprising a broad beam projective transducer and transmitter means for transmitting a sonar pulse to sonify an area, a plurality (NB) of line-focus receiving transducers focused on adjacent strips of said area, an amplifier and detector means for and electrically connected to each of said receiving transducers, an electronic sampling switch connected to each of said amplifier and detector means and adapted to sequentially sample the output of each of said means RE times between successive sonar pulses, a magnetic storage meAns having at least one track and at least one write head associated with said track and electrically connected to said sampling switch, said storage means adapted to rotate 360* + OR phi between successive sonar pulses and to store the output from said switch as groups of NB signals at nonadjacent locations between successive pulses and NB signals of equal RE from previous and subsequent pulses at adjacent locations thereon, said storage means also including a read head associated with said track electrically connected to a cathode ray display means for transferring said stored signals from said storage means to said display.

Claim 3

A sonar system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electronic sampling switch comprises a multiplexer and said system includes a video amplifier means wherein said multiplexer is connected to said write head through said video amplifier means.

Claim 4

A sonar system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnetic storage means comprises a magnetic disc having first and second tracks, said first track being adapted to receive the output signals from said sampling switch and said second track being adapted to permanently store a synchronization signal.

Claim 5

A sonar system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sampling switch comprises a bucket brigade storage circuit and a trigger generator, said storage circuit having NB channels and each of said channels including RE storage elements, each of said channels being electrically connected to an associated amplifier and detector means and each of said storage elements being electrically connected to said trigger generator, and said trigger generator being adapted to supply an electrical pulse to said elements RE times between each successive sonar pulse, the output of said storage circuit being electrically connected to said write head.

Claim 6

A sonar system as set forth in claim 1 including NB sampler switches wherein each of said amplifier/detector means is connected to an associated sampler switch and wherein said magnetic storage means includes at least NB tracks, NB read heads and NB write heads, each of said amplifier switches being electrically connected to an associated write head for storing the signals associated with said channel on said associated track; and including a second electronic sampling switch connected to each of said read heads and adapted for sequentially sampling the signals read from each of said tracks RE times, said sampling switch being electrically connected to said display means.

Claim 7

A moving window sonar display system comprising a broad beam projecting transducer and associated transmitting means for transmitting successive sonar pulses to sonify an area; NB line-focusing receiving transducers focused on adjacent strips of said sonified area; NB associated amplifier and detector means electrically connected to each of said receiving transducers; a multiplexer electrically connected to the output of each of said amplifier and detector means for sequentially sampling the output of each detector means RE times between successive sonar pulse, each of said sampled signals defining a range element; a magnetic storage disc having at least first and second tracks, said first track having at least RE + or - 1) X (no. of sonar pulses to be displayed) storage locations, and including at least one write head and at least one read associated with said first track, said write head being electrically connected to said multiplexer, said storage disc being adapted to rotate 360* + or - phi between succesive sonar pulses to store output signals as NB groups at (RE + or - 1) nonadjacent locations during one rotation and to store successive pulse signals of equal range at adjacent locations in sequence order of the pulse; said second disc track adapted to permanently store a synchronization signal thereon; said read head beIng electrically connected to a cathode ray display means for transferring all of said stored signals from said disc in a 360* + or - phi rotation to provide a moving window display thereon, and a sync-head associated with said second track for reading signals therefrom and electrically connected to said transmitter means, said multiplexer and said display means for synchronization of said system.

Claim 8

A moving window sonar display system comprising a broad beam projecting transducer and associated transmitting means for transmitting successive sonar pulses to sonify an area; NB line-focusing receiving transducers focused on adjacent strips of said sonified area; NB associated amplifier and detector means electrically connected to each of said receiving transducers; a multiplexer electrically connected to the output of each of said amplifier and detector means for sequentially sampling the output of each detector means RE times between successive sonar pulse, each of said sampled signals defining a range element; a magnetic storage disc having at least first and second tracks, said first track having at least RE + or - 1) X (no. of sonar pulses to be displayed) storage locations, and including at least one write head and at least one read associated with said first track, said write head being electrically connected to said multiplexer, said storage disc being adapted to rotate 360* + or - phi between succesive sonar pulses to store output signals as NB groups at (RE + or - 1) nonadjacent locations during one rotation and to store successive pulse signals of equal range at adjacent locations in sequence order of the pulse; said second disc track adapted to permanently store a synchronization signal thereon; said read head beIng electrically connected to a cathode ray display means for transferring all of said stored signals from said disc in a 360* + or - phi rotation to provide a moving window display thereon, and a sync-head associated with said second track for reading signals therefrom and electrically connected to said transmitter means, said multiplexer and said display means for synchronization of said system.

Claim 9

A sonar system as set forth in claim 6 including a frequency divider circuit electrically connected to receive the output from said sync-head and electrically connected to said multiplexer and said transmitter means; a frequency multiplier circuit electrically connected to receive the output signal from said sync-head and multiply it NB times, said multiplier circuit being electrically connected to said multiplexer; and a time varied gain circuit electrically connected to said frequency divider circuit and to each of said amplifier detector means.

Claim 10

A sonar system as set forth in claim 7 including a selective erase generator and erase head associated with said first track, said generator being electrically connected to said frequency divider circuit and said erase head.

Claim 11

A moving window sonar display system comprising a broad beam projecting transducer and associated transmitting means for transmitting successive sonar pulses to sonify an area; NB line-focusing receiving transducers focused on adjacent strips of said sonified area; NB associated amplifier and detector circuits electrically connected to said transducers; a storage circuit and trigger generator, said storage circuit having NB channels and each of said channels having RE storage elements, each of said channels being electrically connected to and associated amplifier and detector circuit and each of said storage elements being connected to said trigger generator, said trigger generator being adapted to supply an electrical pulse to said elements RE times between successive sonar pulses, each of said channels being connected to an output; a magnetic storage disc having at least first and second tracks, said first track having at least (RE + or - 1) X (no. of sonar pulses to be displayed) storage locations, and at least one write head and at least one read head associated with said first track, said write head being electrically connected to the output of said storage circuit, said storage disc being adapted to rotate 360* + or - phi between each successive sonar pulse to store signals as NB groups at RE + or - 1 nonadjacent locations during one 360* + or - phi rotation and to store successive pulse signals of equal RE at adjacent locations in sequence order of the pulse, said second track being adapted to permanently store a synchronization signal thereon and having an associated sync-head, said read head being electrically connected to a cathode ray display means; a frequency divider circuit electrically connected to said sync-head and to said display means, said transmitter means and said trigger generator for providing selective frequencies thereto.

Claim 12

A moving window sonar display system comprising a broad beam projecting transducer and associated transmitting means for transmitting successive sonar pulses to sonify an area; NB line-focusing receiving transducers focused on adjacent strips of said sonified area; NB associated amplifier and detector circuits electrically connected to said transducers; a storage circuit and trigger generator, said storage circuit having NB channels and each of said channels having RE storage elements, each of said channels being electrically connected to and associated amplifier and detector circuit and each of said storage elements being connected to said trigger generator, said trigger generator being adapted to supply an electrical pulse to said elements RE times between successive sonar pulses, each of said channels being connected to an output; a magnetic storage disc having at least first and second tracks, said first track having at least (RE + or - 1) X (no. of sonar pulses to be displayed) storage locations, and at least one write head and at least one read head associated with said first track, said write head being electrically connected to the output of said storage circuit, said storage disc being adapted to rotate 360* + or - phi between each successive sonar pulse to store signals as NB groups at RE + or - 1 nonadjacent locations during one 360* + or - phi rotation and to store successive pulse signals of equal RE at adjacent locations in sequence order of the pulse, said second track being adapted to permanently store a synchronization signal thereon and having an associated sync-head, said read head being electrically connected to a cathode ray display means; a frequency divider circuit electrically connected to said sync-head and to said display means, said transmitter means and said trigger generator for providing selective frequencies thereto.