US 11,885,918 B2
Sonar system with dynamic power steering
Aaron R. Coleman, Broken Arrow, OK (US); and Brian T. Maguire, Bixby, OK (US)
Assigned to Garmin International, Inc., Olathe, KS (US)
Filed by Garmin International, Inc., Olathe, KS (US)
Filed on Sep. 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/480,863.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/093,370, filed on Oct. 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0120882 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. G01S 7/521 (2006.01); G01S 15/89 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/521 (2013.01) [G01S 15/89 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sonar array system comprising:
a plurality of sonar arrays, each sonar array configured to receive transmit electronic signals and transmit corresponding sonar beams into a body of water in a forward direction and a downward direction, each sonar array including a plurality of groups of sonar transducer elements, each group including a first sonar transducer element electrically connected to the first sonar transducer elements of the other groups and a second sonar transducer element electrically connected to the second sonar transducer elements of the other groups; and
a sonar signal processor configured to communicate a plurality of transmit electronic signals to the sonar arrays, the transmit electronic signals including:
a first transmit electronic signal to be received by the first sonar transducer element of each group and including a periodic waveform having a first phase, and
a second transmit electronic signal to be received by the second sonar transducer element of each group and including a periodic waveform having a second phase,
wherein a distribution of power between the sonar beams transmitted in the forward direction and the sonar beams transmitted in the downward direction varies according to a difference in the first phase and the second phase.