Deep sea fish school distribution detection device and system

Abstract

The invention discloses a deep sea fish school distribution detection device and system. The detection device comprises five fish-finding transducers (3), the fish-finding transducers are installed on the basis of a main frame (1), and the five fish-finding transducers are arranged in a front-back, left-right and lower direction arrangement mode; the detection system comprises the detection device and remote control equipment, the remote control equipment comprises a control terminal, and the control terminal can control the detection device. The five fish-finding transducers arranged in the detection device are arranged in a front-back, left-right and lower direction arrangement mode, so that long-distance three-dimensional monitoring can be carried out on five directions in all directions, and real-time information of fish schools in all directions and in a large range is obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a marine fishery resource monitoring technology, and in particular to a deep-sea fish distribution detection device and system. Background Art

[0002] In marine fisheries, real-time monitoring of the behavior and population dynamics of target organisms in the water, accurately locating fish distribution, and determining the density of biological clusters are crucial components of fishing operations. In-situ acoustic observation technology, leveraging active acoustic wave detection, enables non-invasive, real-time monitoring of the natural state of underwater organisms, continuously recording a series of dynamic changes in organisms under specific guidance.

[0003] This technology, based on the principle of acoustic detection, infers the acoustic characteristics of a target by receiving specific acoustic signals reflected by individual organisms or groups. Different organisms vary in species, size, posture, density, and other aspects, and their acoustic scattering characteristics will also vary.

[0004] In practical applications, in-situ acoustic observations can not only identify and classify target species, but can also be combined with information on the spatial distribution structure of organisms to provide in-depth analysis of their aggregation mechanisms and movement patterns, providing quantitative evidence for multiple aspects of fishery operations. Furthermore, combined with hydrological and environmental data, multidimensional monitoring models can be constructed to enhance the analysis and prediction of fishing behavior. The application of this technology has given traditional fisheries new "perception" capabilities, driving the development of fisheries towards intelligent, ecological, and data-driven decision-making.

[0005] Currently, there are many problems in the existing technology, as follows:

[0006] On the one hand, most of the existing equipment is shipborne, and the transducer is fixed to the bottom of the ship and cannot change its position. Therefore, it can only detect the water within a certain beam angle range directly below the hull, and cannot perform real-time detection and monitoring in all directions. Although some devices have the function of adjusting the direction of the transducer, its implementation method is a more traditional mechanical scanning method, which usually takes several seconds to tens of seconds to traverse all directions, making it difficult to achieve real-time and comprehensive sound field perception, especially when high-frequency and dynamic monitoring of the underwater environment is required. It cannot meet the needs. In addition, whether it is shipborne equipment, towed equipment, or equipment integrated on unmanned vehicles, existing equipment cannot be flexibly controlled by humans according to actual needs to conduct targeted detection at a specific water depth and location.

[0007] On the other hand, existing equipment, by combining vertical and horizontal fish finders, can perform certain three-dimensional modeling of underwater fish swarms and analyze characteristics such as swarm size, water depth, and movement patterns. However, the detection range of horizontal fish finders is limited, making it impossible to accurately detect fish swarms at greater distances. Furthermore, horizontal fish finders are primarily used to detect targets on the ocean surface. Therefore, the combination of vertical and horizontal fish finders can only obtain three-dimensional cluster information at close range from the ocean surface, and cannot obtain omnidirectional stereoscopic information over a wider range. Furthermore, because horizontal fish finders lack the ability to extract signals from individual fish within a swarm and conduct real-time tracking, the combination of the two cannot obtain information such as the target intensity of individual fish within the swarm. This type of information is particularly important in fishing operations, especially when precise fishing decisions and real-time dynamic monitoring are required.

[0008] Furthermore, existing acoustic detection systems generally rely on physical cable transmission to achieve communication between underwater transducers and higher-level control units. While this approach demonstrates a degree of stability and maturity in close-range, high-bandwidth scenarios, it also has numerous limitations. First, the installation and routing of cable systems is complex, typically requiring penetration through hatches or the configuration of specialized watertight connection structures. These systems are also susceptible to entanglement, corrosion, or mechanical damage during operation on the hull or platform, making maintenance and replacement difficult. Second, cable length limits restrict their deployment range, making it difficult to meet the requirements of multi-node distributed deployments. Furthermore, the overall system integration is low, resulting in insufficient scalability. Third, these systems are highly dependent on the onboard host platform and cannot operate independently from the vessel, making them unsuitable for remote or long-term observation missions. Furthermore, in complex underwater environments or under unusual sea conditions, the cable structure can interfere with signal quality, further impacting detection accuracy and data integrity. Most importantly, the underwater acoustic equipment that uses wired cables for data transmission in light-lured squid fishing operations is very likely to become entangled and knotted with the squid fishing line under the combined influence of ocean currents and wind and waves, seriously affecting the efficiency of fishing operations and the quality of data collection, and may even result in the cable being cut by the hook.

[0009] Furthermore, existing equipment can only transmit data to the collection terminal via cables for display and storage. It does not have data processing and analysis functions such as synchronous noise removal, echo integration and resource quantity calculation. This makes it impossible to respond quickly or make fishing decisions based on data analysis after real-time monitoring of the status of underwater resources.

[0010] In summary, the main problems solved by the present invention are:

[0011] 1) Existing detection equipment is unable to conduct all-directional and three-dimensional monitoring of fish schools at long distances and in deep waters, making it difficult to obtain accurate real-time clustering information of these fish schools.

[0012] In addition, the secondary problems to be solved by the present invention are:

[0013] 2) Existing detection equipment, whether shipborne, towed, or integrated into unmanned vehicles, is unable to penetrate specific water depths and locations to conduct targeted detection of a particular fish school;

[0014] 3) Existing detection equipment lacks the ability to extract signals from individual fish in a school and track them in real time, making it impossible to obtain information such as the target strength of individual fish in a school;

[0015] 4) Existing detection equipment uses cables to transmit data, which can easily become entangled with the squid fishing line, hindering squid fishing operations and obtaining high-quality underwater acoustic data;

[0016] 5) Existing equipment only transmits data to the collection terminal for display and storage, which is not conducive to staff making quick responses or making fishing decisions based on data analysis. Summary of the Invention

[0017] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a deep-sea fish distribution detection device and system, which can obtain real-time and accurate information on fish schools in an all-round and large range.

[0018] In order to achieve the above technical objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0019] A deep-sea fish distribution detection device comprises a main frame; the detection device also comprises five fish-finding transducers, and the fish-finding transducers are installed based on the main frame.

[0020] Furthermore, the five fish finding transducers are arranged in a front-back, left-right and bottom array.

[0021] Furthermore, a hanging ring is provided on the top of the main frame.

[0022] Furthermore, the detection device is provided with a positioning module; the detection device is provided with a gyroscope and a three-axis acceleration sensor for determining the underwater posture of the detection device and converting the actual orientation of the sound wave transmitting and receiving surface of the fish finding transducer; the detection device is provided with a pressure sensor for determining the actual depth of the detection device underwater.

[0023] Furthermore, the detection device is provided with a battery pack module; the battery pack module has a built-in intelligent battery management system for real-time monitoring of battery parameters, automatic balancing management and overcharge and over-discharge protection, and adopts a low-power optimization strategy to provide stable power for the safe operation of the entire detection device; the battery pack module is used to provide power for the operation of the entire detection device, and the battery pack module has the following characteristics: 1) Power supply system design: the entire detection device is powered by a high-performance battery pack, and the battery pack adopts advanced lithium battery technology with high energy density and long cycle life characteristics; the battery pack has a built-in intelligent battery management system, which monitors the voltage, current, and temperature parameters of the battery in real time, automatically performs balancing management and overcharge and over-discharge protection, and ensures the safe and stable operation of the battery; 2) Low-power optimization strategy: the entire detection device adopts low-power optimization measures at the hardware design and software algorithm levels; in hardware, low-power electronic components are selected, and a power time-sharing power supply strategy is adopted, and modules in non-working state automatically enter sleep mode; in software, by optimizing the algorithm complexity and data processing flow, unnecessary calculations and data transmission are reduced, the overall power consumption of the detection device is reduced, the battery life of the equipment is extended, and long-term stable operation is ensured in deep-sea environments.

[0024] A deep-sea fish distribution detection system, the detection system includes the detection device as described above; the detection system also includes a remote control device, the remote control device includes a control terminal, and the control terminal can control the detection device.

[0025] Furthermore, the remote control device is provided with an underwater acoustic communication transducer, and the detection device is provided with an underwater acoustic communication transducer, and wireless acoustic wave communication is achieved between the control terminal in the remote control device and the detection device through the underwater acoustic communication transducer.

[0026] Furthermore, the control terminal is provided with an echo integration algorithm, which can calculate the acoustic integral value of the fish school and then judge the size of the underwater fish school based on the acoustic integral value; the control terminal is provided with a single target detection algorithm, and the control terminal enables the single target detection algorithm, which can find a single target individual from the echo image and obtain target intensity data.

[0027] Furthermore, the control terminal is provided with an intelligent decision support algorithm, which can automatically generate optimal fishing path planning suggestions based on real-time monitored fish distribution data and preset fishing strategies, and evaluate fishing benefits in real time.

[0028] Furthermore, the detection system uses an underwater acoustic communication module to wirelessly transmit data, and combines adaptive filtering algorithms and efficient coding technology to transmit underwater target information to the ship-based operating console in real time with low latency and high fidelity.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the deep-sea fish distribution detection device and system of the present invention have the following main beneficial effects:

[0030] There are five fish-finding transducers in the detection device. These five fish-finding transducers are arranged in an array in the front, back, left, right and bottom directions. In this way, long-distance three-dimensional monitoring can be carried out in all five directions to obtain real-time and accurate information on fish schools in all directions and over a large range. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the deep-sea fish distribution detection device of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the orientation arrangement of five fish-finding transducers used in the detection device of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the working principle of the detection device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The specific embodiments of the present invention are further described below:

[0035] This embodiment provides a deep-sea fish distribution detection device, which can detect real-time and accurate information about fish schools in all directions and over a wide range.

[0036] See also Figure 1 The detection device of this embodiment has a main frame 1 as its main body. A lifting ring 11 is provided at the top of the main frame 1 to facilitate the use of a lifting device to lift the main frame 1, or in other words, to lift the entire detection device.

[0037] The detection device of this embodiment further includes an equipment compartment 2 and five fish-finding transducers 3 . The equipment compartment 2 and the fish-finding transducers 3 are both assembled and arranged on the inner side of the main frame 1 .

[0038] Specifically, the device compartment 2 is arranged at the center of the inner side of the main frame 1. The five fish finding transducers 3 are arranged at the inner lower part of the main frame 1, specifically at the lower part of the device compartment 2.

[0039] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The five fish finding transducers 3 are arranged around a central point (located below the equipment compartment 2), four of which are located around the central point, and the sound wave transmitting and receiving surfaces of the four fish finding transducers 3 are facing the four directions respectively. There is also another fish finding transducer 3 located below the central point, and the sound wave transmitting and receiving surface of the fish finding transducer 3 is vertically facing downward.

[0040] For the sake of convenience and accuracy, the arrangement of the five fish finding transducers 3 is defined as a "front-back, left-right, and bottom-facing array." That is, the five fish finding transducers 3 are arranged below the device compartment 2 in a front-back, left-right, and bottom-facing array.

[0041] See also Figure 3 The equipment compartment 2 is used to store numerous electrical devices, including: a central control module, a battery pack module, a relay, a gyroscope, a three-axis acceleration sensor, an underwater acoustic communication module, a positioning module, and an acoustic wave detection drive module.

[0042] The central control module is used to control the overall operation of the entire detection device. The central control module includes a processor and a CPU.

[0043] The processor is designed based on an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which is used to perform hardware-level optimization for real-time underwater acoustic signal processing tasks. It has ultra-high computing efficiency and can quickly complete complex operations such as noise removal and echo integration.

[0044] The CPU adopts a multi-core architecture, is responsible for overall control and data management, and has powerful multi-tasking capabilities, which is used to efficiently execute instruction processing, signal scheduling and system coordination tasks.

[0045] The battery module is used to provide power for the operation of the entire detection device. The battery module used in this embodiment has the following characteristics:

[0046] 1) Power System Design: The entire detection device is powered by a high-performance battery pack utilizing advanced lithium-ion battery technology, boasting high energy density and a long cycle life. The battery pack incorporates a built-in intelligent battery management system (BMS), which monitors battery voltage, current, temperature, and other parameters in real time. It automatically performs balancing management and provides overcharge and over-discharge protection, ensuring safe and stable battery operation.

[0047] 2) Low-power optimization strategy: The entire detection device utilizes low-power optimization measures at both the hardware design and software algorithm levels. In terms of hardware, low-power electronic components are selected, and a time-sharing power supply strategy is adopted, with modules that are not in operation automatically entering sleep mode. In terms of software, by optimizing algorithm complexity and data processing flows, unnecessary calculations and data transmission are reduced, thus lowering the overall power consumption of the detection device, extending the device's battery life, and ensuring long-term stable operation in deep-sea environments.

[0048] The relay is a high-speed solid-state relay that switches between the device's acoustic wave transmission and reception modes within microseconds, ensuring efficient signal conversion between different operating modes. An intelligent scheduling algorithm rationally allocates the transmission and reception time sequences for each channel, preventing cross-channel interference and improving the device's overall operating efficiency, enabling the detection device to operate stably in high-frequency detection mode.

[0049] The gyroscope is combined with a three-axis acceleration sensor to determine whether the underwater posture of the detection device is horizontal based on real-time underwater gyroscope and three-axis acceleration sensor data received by the control terminal on the mother ship.

[0050] It should be noted that the purpose of providing the gyroscope and the three-axis acceleration sensor is to determine the actual orientation of the sound wave transmitting and receiving surfaces of the five fish finding transducers 3 .

[0051] Specifically,

[0052] In actual operation, the posture of the detection device underwater is usually unstable, so it is impossible to determine the actual direction of the sound wave transmitting and receiving surfaces of the five fish detecting transducers 3.

[0053] After setting up the gyroscope and three-axis acceleration sensor, the underwater posture of the detection device can be determined based on the gyroscope and three-axis acceleration sensor data, and the actual orientation of the three sound wave transmitting and receiving surfaces of the five fish finding transducers can be calculated accordingly, thereby providing accurate data support for accurately detecting the direction of fish schools.

[0054] The underwater acoustic communication module is used to wirelessly transmit underwater acoustic data detected by the five fish-finding transducers 3 to a control terminal on the mother ship in real time. The control terminal's built-in data reading algorithm reads the data file and plots it, ultimately presenting a 360-degree echo image on the display screen. The control terminal's built-in single target detection algorithm locates a single target within the echo image and obtains its target intensity data.

[0055] It should be noted that the underwater acoustic communication module used in this embodiment has the following characteristics:

[0056] 1) Communication module design: The underwater acoustic communication module adopts advanced digital signal processing technology combined with adaptive filtering algorithm to effectively reduce background noise interference and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of signal transmission.

[0057] 2) Data Transmission Strategy: Data collected is transmitted in real time to a control terminal on the mother ship via the underwater acoustic communication module at a specific sampling rate using high-frequency, narrow-bandwidth wireless communication technology. Data transmission utilizes a combination of time-division multiplexing and forward error correction coding to ensure data integrity and accuracy. The data transmission rate of each channel can be dynamically adjusted based on the actual detection environment to accommodate data transmission requirements under varying water depths and current velocities.

[0058] 3) Multi-channel collaborative management: Transmitted data is divided into five channels, corresponding to five fish-finding transducers. Each channel is equipped with an independent data cache and pre-processing unit to perform preliminary compression and format conversion on the collected data, reducing the amount of data transmitted and improving transmission efficiency. Furthermore, an efficient synchronization mechanism ensures that the data from the five channels is precisely aligned and integrated at the receiving end.

[0059] The positioning module is used for global satellite positioning. It integrates GPS, Beidou, and inertial navigation systems. It automatically activates and records initial position information upon entry into the water. During underwater operation, it continuously updates position data based on the built-in inertial navigation system, providing accurate spatial reference coordinates for subsequent detection data. This positioning data is ultimately transmitted to the control terminal on the mother ship.

[0060] In addition, for each fish-finding transducer 3 , the acoustic wave detection driving module is provided in the equipment compartment 2 , and the acoustic wave detection driving module is used to drive the fish-finding transducer 3 to transmit and receive detection acoustic waves.

[0061] In this embodiment, the acoustic wave detection drive module is a single-beam transmission drive device, namely, core components such as transducers and transceivers that use the same acoustic wave frequency, beam angle, and other acoustic parameters. Synchronous triggering and data acquisition are achieved through a central control module, ensuring phase consistency between beams, avoiding cross-interference between multiple beams, and improving the purity and intelligibility of the detection signal.

[0062] The gyroscope and three-axis acceleration sensor capture the angular velocity changes of the detection device at a millisecond frequency and calculate the angular deflection in real time; the three-axis acceleration sensor synchronously monitors the linear acceleration and accurately determines the posture disturbance caused by the fluid impact or the self-motion of the detection device.

[0063] An attitude adjustment module is integrated in the central control module, and an attitude orientation algorithm program is set up inside. The attitude orientation algorithm program is a attitude recognition algorithm based on deep learning. It performs real-time analysis on the collected attitude data to obtain the underwater orientation information of the detection device, thereby helping the ship-borne three-dimensional display device to display the correct direction of the underwater distribution of the detected fish school based on this information.

[0064] It should be noted that three electrical interfaces are provided at the upper end of the equipment compartment body 2 , namely a fish finding transducer interface 21 , a pressure sensor interface 22 , and an underwater acoustic communication transducer interface 23 .

[0065] The fish finding transducer interface 21 is connected to the acoustic wave detection drive module inside the equipment compartment 2. The fish finding transducer interface 21 is used to connect five fish finding transducers 3, so that the "acoustic wave detection drive module inside the equipment compartment 2" is connected to the "five fish finding transducers 3".

[0066] The pressure sensor interface 22 is connected to the processor inside the equipment compartment 2. The pressure sensor interface 22 is used to connect an external independent pressure sensor, so that the "processor inside the equipment compartment 2" is connected to the "pressure sensor", and the received real-time underwater pressure condition data is converted into water depth information, which is transmitted together with the rest of the detected data in real time wirelessly through the underwater acoustic communication transducer to the control terminal on the mother ship for judging the depth of the detection device underwater.

[0067] The underwater acoustic communication transducer interface 23 is connected to the underwater acoustic communication module inside the equipment compartment 2. The underwater acoustic communication transducer interface 23 is used to connect an external independent underwater acoustic communication transducer, so that the "underwater acoustic communication module inside the equipment compartment 2" is connected to the "underwater acoustic communication transducer".

[0068] It should be noted that an underwater acoustic communication transducer is also provided for the control terminal on the mother ship. In this way, wireless acoustic communication can be achieved between the detection device and the control terminal through their respective underwater acoustic communication transducers and with the help of sound waves.

[0069] The detection device of this embodiment is based on a mother ship for sea operation, wherein the mother ship is a scientific research vessel or a fishing vessel.

[0070] The mother ship is equipped with corresponding remote control equipment for the detection device to control the detection device to perform underwater operations.

[0071] Specifically, the remote control device includes a control terminal and an underwater acoustic communication transducer.

[0072] The underwater acoustic communication transducer here is used in pairs with the underwater acoustic communication transducer of the detection device. The control terminal and the detection device are connected by wireless communication through the paired underwater acoustic communication transducers. The control terminal can issue control instructions to the detection device, and the detection device can feed back detection data to the control terminal.

[0073] The control terminal is provided with an echo integration algorithm program, which can calculate the acoustic integral value of the fish school, namely the Nautical Area Scattering Coefficient (NASC, unit m) 2 / nmi 2 ), the NASC value is usually proportional to the amount of resources; the size of the underwater fish school is then determined based on the NASC value, and the subsequent intelligent decision support algorithm can make fishing decisions based on the distribution of fish schools in five directions.

[0074] The control terminal processes the detection data fed back by the detection device, which has the following characteristics:

[0075] 1) Data format design: The data transmitted by each underwater acoustic channel adopts a unified custom format, which contains key information such as ping number, date, hour, minute, second, longitude, latitude, starting distance, ending distance, and echo intensity value of each unit in the beam to ensure data integrity and traceability.

[0076] 2) Data Fusion Algorithm: After receiving the data, the control terminal on the mother ship first uses a built-in time synchronization algorithm to accurately time-align the multi-channel data. Then, using spatial registration technology, the data from different beam directions is mapped into a unified 3D spatial coordinate system. A deep learning semantic segmentation algorithm automatically identifies and removes background noise and non-target signals, extracting effective fish echo signal features.

[0077] 3) Intelligent Identification and Estimation: This system combines the TS results of single targets obtained through real-time detection with the TS values ​​of various species stored in the control terminal, using machine learning algorithms to accurately identify and classify targets. Furthermore, it automatically calculates the acoustic resource density of detected species using advanced echo integration algorithms, providing precise quantitative data to support fishing decisions.

[0078] The control terminal on the mother ship receives the data and displays it in real time on a high-resolution display screen. The display interface uses intuitive 3D visualization technology to dynamically present information such as the fish school's location, size, and movement trajectory using icons of different colors and shapes. It also overlays auxiliary information such as the device's posture, water depth, and current velocity, providing operators with a comprehensive on-site monitoring display.

[0079] The control terminal incorporates a built-in intelligent decision-making support algorithm. Based on real-time fish distribution data and pre-set fishing strategies, it automatically generates optimal fishing path planning recommendations and provides real-time evaluation of fishing efficiency. In the event of emergencies or changes in the characteristics of target fish, the control terminal can promptly adjust fishing recommendations, providing accurate, real-time decision support for fishing operations and improving fishing efficiency and resource utilization.

[0080] The specific usage and operating principle of the detection device of this embodiment are as follows (taking the ocean light-lured squid fishing operation as an example):

[0081] In ocean light-lured squid fishing, it's often necessary to activate several fish-attracting lights, both above and below the surface, in advance to attract the squid using the lights. To understand the effectiveness of these lights, understand the size and distribution of squid clusters underwater, and determine the timing and depth of hook placement, the detection device of this embodiment is used to detect squid clusters. The specific steps are as follows:

[0082] S1: On the mother ship, the detection device is lowered into the water 200 meters deep using a ship-borne crane. The water depth is determined by the pressure sensor and the depth is adjusted in real time. During this period, the built-in battery pack is used to power the entire detection device to ensure long-term normal operation.

[0083] S2, based on the real-time underwater gyroscope and three-axis acceleration sensor data received by the control terminal on the mother ship, determines whether the detection device is horizontal underwater and calculates the actual orientation of the sound wave transmitting and receiving surfaces of the five fish finding transducers 3;

[0084] S3, which transmits the detected underwater acoustic data wirelessly and in real time to the control terminal on the mother ship via an underwater acoustic communication transducer. The control terminal uses a built-in data reading algorithm to read the data file and plot it, ultimately presenting a full-scale echo image on the display screen. A single target individual is found from the echo image and its target intensity data is obtained.

[0085] S4, according to the previous literature review or laboratory measurement, the conventional target intensity value of squid is obtained and built into the control terminal; the target intensity data observed in the field in step S3 is compared with the conventional target intensity value of squid to determine whether the observed species is a squid;

[0086] S5, find the squid cluster from the echo image and remove the background noise with the help of the noise removal algorithm built into the control terminal;

[0087] S6, using the built-in echo integration algorithm in the control terminal to calculate the acoustic integral value of the squid cluster, that is, the nautical area scattering coefficient (NASC, unit m 2 / nmi 2 ), the NASC value is usually proportional to the amount of resources;

[0088] S7, judges the size of underwater squid clusters based on the NASC value, and uses an intelligent decision support algorithm to make fishing decisions based on the distribution of squid in five directions.

[0089] It should be noted that the detection device of this embodiment is not limited to detecting squids, and other fish resources can also be detected. Detecting squids is just one of the applications.

[0090] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the main frame 1 and the equipment compartment body 2 are both made of high-strength, corrosion-resistant titanium alloy, thereby ensuring long-term stable operation of the entire detection device in a deep-sea high-pressure environment.

[0091] It should be noted that the combination of the detection device and the "remote control equipment (control terminal and underwater acoustic communication transducer) installed on the mother ship" actually constitutes a deep-sea fish distribution detection system, wherein the detection device is controlled by the remote control equipment, specifically, the control terminal.

[0092] The detection device and system of this embodiment are used to detect fish schools in ocean waters. Compared with existing detection equipment, it has the following advantages:

[0093] 1) The detection device of this embodiment is provided with five fish-finding transducers 3. These five fish-finding transducers 3 are arranged in a front-back, left-right, and bottom-facing array below the device housing 2. In this way, long-distance, three-dimensional monitoring can be performed in all five directions to obtain real-time information on fish schools in all directions and over a wide range. This solves the problem 1 raised in the background technology: "Existing detection equipment cannot perform omnidirectional, three-dimensional monitoring of fish schools at long distances and in deep waters, and it is difficult to obtain real-time clustering information of these fish schools."

[0094] 2) The detection device of this embodiment is lowered into the water using a suspended device, which allows for flexible and autonomous selection of the lowering depth, thereby enabling targeted detection activities at specific water layers and locations. This solves the second problem raised in the background technology: "Existing detection equipment, whether shipborne, towed, or integrated into unmanned vehicles, is unable to penetrate specific water depths and locations to conduct targeted detection activities for specific fish schools."

[0095] 3) The detection system of this embodiment can detect and obtain information about individual fish in a school of fish, track the movement of individual fish, and extract target intensity data for individual fish. This solves the problem 3 raised in the background art: "Existing detection equipment lacks the ability to extract signals and track individual fish in real time, and is unable to obtain information such as target intensity of individual fish in a cluster."

[0096] 4) The detection device of this embodiment communicates data with the control terminal on the mother ship wirelessly, rather than by wire. Therefore, there is no problem of "communication lines becoming entangled with the squid fishing line." This solves the problem 4 mentioned in the background technology: "Existing detection equipment uses cables to transmit data, which are easily entangled with the squid fishing line, hindering squid fishing operations and obtaining high-quality underwater acoustic data."

[0097] 5) In the detection system of this embodiment, the control terminal has a built-in intelligent decision support algorithm, which can automatically generate optimal fishing path planning suggestions based on the real-time monitored fish distribution data and preset fishing strategies, providing accurate and real-time decision support for fishery operations. This solves the problem 5 raised in the background technology: "Existing equipment only transmits data to the acquisition terminal for display and storage, which is not conducive to staff to respond quickly or make fishing decisions based on data analysis."

[0098] The initial conception of the present invention is introduced below:

[0099] A deep-sea five-dimensional beam real-time detection and transmission system for the three-dimensional distribution of fish schools is provided. This invention relates to the field of marine fishery monitoring and fishing technology, and specifically to an underwater biological monitoring technology based on in-situ acoustic observation. This technology can be used to monitor the behavior, group dynamics, distribution location, and density of target organisms in the water in real time, providing data support and decision-making basis for fishery operations.

[0100] In marine fisheries, real-time monitoring of the behavior and population dynamics of target organisms in the water, accurately locating fish distribution, and determining the density of biological clusters are crucial components of fishing operations. In-situ acoustic observation technology, leveraging active acoustic wave detection, enables non-invasive, real-time monitoring of the natural state of underwater organisms, continuously recording a series of dynamic changes in organisms under specific guidance.

[0101] This technology, based on the principle of acoustic detection, infers the acoustic characteristics of a target by receiving specific acoustic signals reflected by individual organisms or groups. Different organisms vary in species, size, posture, density, and other aspects, and their acoustic scattering characteristics will also vary.

[0102] In practical applications, in-situ acoustic observations can not only identify and classify target species, but can also be combined with information on the spatial distribution structure of organisms to provide in-depth analysis of their aggregation mechanisms and movement patterns, providing quantitative evidence for multiple aspects of fishery operations. Furthermore, combined with hydrological and environmental data, multidimensional monitoring models can be constructed to enhance the analysis and prediction of fishing behavior. The application of this technology has given traditional fisheries new "perception" capabilities, driving the development of fisheries towards intelligent, ecological, and data-driven decision-making.

[0103] The most similar existing technology to the present invention is primarily in the application of underwater acoustic detection equipment. Currently, single-beam fish finders, dual-beam fish finders, multi-beam fish finders, split-beam fish finders, and horizontal scanning sonars manufactured by companies such as Simrad of Norway, Furuno and Hondax of Japan, and Teledyne Marine and BioSonic of the United States are widely used in fishery resource surveys, underwater target detection, and ecological and environmental monitoring.

[0104] Structurally, these devices typically feature dedicated mounting holes or lifting fins on the bottom of ocean-going fishing vessels or oceanographic research vessels, allowing the transducer to be fixed to a specific location on the hull before the vessel is launched. During operation, the device emits sound waves, which propagate into the water at a specific beam angle. When they encounter underwater targets (such as schools of fish or plankton), they are scattered. The transducer receives the scattered echoes, which are then transmitted via coaxial cables or dedicated watertight connection cables to the onboard host computer. Ultimately, the underwater acoustic information is displayed on a screen as images or data for observation and analysis by the operator.

[0105] Disadvantages of existing technology:

[0106] On the one hand, most of the existing equipment is shipborne, and the transducer is fixed to the bottom of the ship and cannot change its position. Therefore, it can only detect the water within a certain beam angle range directly below the hull, and cannot perform real-time detection and monitoring in all directions. Although some devices have the function of adjusting the direction of the transducer, its implementation method is a more traditional mechanical scanning method, which usually takes several seconds to tens of seconds to traverse all directions, making it difficult to achieve real-time and comprehensive sound field perception, especially when high-frequency and dynamic monitoring of the underwater environment is required. It cannot meet the needs. In addition, whether it is shipborne equipment, towed equipment, or equipment integrated on unmanned vehicles, existing equipment cannot be flexibly controlled by humans according to actual needs to conduct targeted detection at a specific water depth and location.

[0107] On the other hand, existing equipment, by combining vertical and horizontal fish finders, can perform three-dimensional modeling of underwater fish schools and analyze characteristics such as their size, depth, and movement patterns. However, these devices generally lack the ability to track individual fish in real time and are unable to obtain information such as the target intensity of individual fish within a school. This information is particularly important in fisheries operations, especially when precise fishing decisions and real-time dynamic monitoring are required.

[0108] Furthermore, existing acoustic detection systems generally rely on physical cable transmission to achieve communication between underwater transducers and higher-level control units. While this approach demonstrates a degree of stability and maturity in close-range, high-bandwidth scenarios, it also has numerous limitations. First, the installation and routing of cable systems is complex, typically requiring penetration through hatches or the configuration of specialized watertight connection structures. These systems are also susceptible to entanglement, corrosion, or mechanical damage during operation on the hull or platform, making maintenance and replacement difficult. Second, cable length limits restrict their deployment range, making it difficult to meet the requirements of multi-node distributed deployments. Furthermore, the overall system integration is low, resulting in insufficient scalability. Third, these systems are highly dependent on the onboard host platform and cannot operate independently from the vessel, making them unsuitable for remote or long-term observation missions. Furthermore, in complex underwater environments or under unusual sea conditions, the cable structure can interfere with signal quality, further impacting detection accuracy and data integrity. Most importantly, the underwater acoustic equipment that uses wired cables for data transmission in light-lured squid fishing operations is very likely to become entangled and knotted with the squid fishing line under the combined influence of ocean currents and wind and waves, seriously affecting the efficiency of fishing operations and the quality of data collection, and may even result in the cable being cut by the hook.

[0109] Furthermore, existing equipment can only transmit data to the collection terminal via cables for display and storage. It does not have data processing and analysis functions such as synchronous noise removal, echo integration and resource quantity calculation. This makes it impossible to respond quickly or make fishing decisions based on data analysis after real-time monitoring of the status of underwater resources.

[0110] This invention aims to meet the need for real-time monitoring of the spatial distribution of target fish schools during intelligent optical fishing operations in marine fisheries. It proposes a five-dimensional beamforming device for stereoscopic fish detection and in-situ target intensity measurement. This device can intelligently identify and estimate underwater target species and fish density, and establish a three-dimensional spatial distribution monitoring system for fish schools, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies.

[0111] The five-dimensional beam fish school three-dimensional distribution detection system is implemented using the following technical solutions:

[0112] S1. System deployment and positioning

[0113] Structural Design: The detection equipment is lowered into the water to a specific depth using a ship-mounted crane connected via a hook. The equipment's external structure is constructed from high-strength, corrosion-resistant titanium alloy, ensuring long-term stable operation in the high-pressure environment of the deep sea.

[0114] Positioning System: A built-in high-precision positioning module integrates GPS, Beidou, and inertial navigation systems. It automatically activates and records initial position information upon entry into the water. During underwater operation, the built-in navigation system continuously updates position data, providing accurate spatial reference coordinates for subsequent detection data. Depth positioning is also performed using pressure sensors.

[0115] S2. Multi-beam cooperative detection mechanism

[0116] Beam architecture: Integrates five single-beam echo sounder devices, which are responsible for detecting the four directions of front, back, left, and right in the horizontal direction and the direction of bottom in the vertical direction, forming a five-dimensional beam all-round three-dimensional detection layout.

[0117] Acoustic Parameter Synchronization: All single-beam devices utilize core components such as transducers and transceivers that share the same acoustic frequency, beam angle, and other acoustic parameters. Synchronous triggering and data acquisition are achieved through a central control system, ensuring phase consistency between beams, avoiding cross-interference between multiple beams, and improving the purity and intelligibility of detection signals.

[0118] Dynamic beam allocation: With the help of intelligent algorithms, the detection power and sampling frequency of each beam are dynamically adjusted according to the distribution characteristics of fish schools in different sea areas, optimizing energy distribution, extending equipment life, and improving detection accuracy in target-dense areas.

[0119] S3. Real-time dynamic adjustment and stabilization mechanism

[0120] Attitude monitoring and feedback: Built-in high-precision gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer. The gyroscope captures the device's angular velocity changes at millisecond frequency and calculates the angular deflection in real time. The three-axis accelerometer simultaneously monitors linear acceleration to accurately determine the device's attitude disturbance caused by fluid impact or its own movement.

[0121] Intelligent Attitude Calculation: A deep learning-based attitude recognition algorithm analyzes collected attitude data in real time to predict potential attitude deviation trends. This acquired attitude data accurately displays the actual beam direction on the shipboard terminal, maintaining detection stability and minimizing attitude errors even in complex sea conditions.

[0122] S4. Underwater acoustic communication transmission optimization

[0123] Communication module design: The system has a built-in high-performance underwater acoustic communication module, which adopts advanced digital signal processing technology and combines adaptive filtering algorithm to effectively reduce background noise interference and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of signal transmission.

[0124] Data transmission strategy: The module transmits collected data in real time to an onboard receiver at a specific sampling rate using high-frequency, narrow-bandwidth wireless communication technology. This data transmission utilizes a combination of time-division multiplexing and forward error correction coding to ensure data integrity and accuracy. The data transmission rate for each channel can be dynamically adjusted based on the actual detection environment to accommodate data transmission requirements in varying water depths and current velocities.

[0125] Multi-channel collaborative management: Transmitted data is divided into five channels, corresponding to five transducers. Each channel is equipped with an independent data cache and pre-processing unit to perform preliminary compression and format conversion on the collected data, reducing the amount of data transmitted and improving transmission efficiency. Furthermore, an efficient synchronization mechanism ensures that the data from all five channels is precisely aligned and integrated at the receiving end.

[0126] S5. Data Format and Fusion Processing

[0127] Data format design: The data transmitted by each channel adopts a unified custom format, which includes key information such as ping number, date, hour, minute, second, longitude, latitude, starting distance, ending distance, and echo intensity value of each unit in the beam, ensuring data integrity and traceability.

[0128] Data Fusion Algorithm: After receiving the data, the onboard receiver first uses a built-in time synchronization algorithm to precisely time-align the multi-channel data. Then, using spatial registration technology, the data from different beam directions is mapped into a unified 3D coordinate system. A deep learning semantic segmentation algorithm automatically identifies and removes background noise and non-target signals, extracting effective fish echo signal features.

[0129] Intelligent Identification and Estimation: Combining the TS results of single targets obtained through real-time detection with the TS values ​​of various species built into the system, machine learning algorithms are used to accurately identify and classify targets. Furthermore, advanced echo integration algorithms are used to automatically calculate the acoustic resource density of detected species, providing precise quantitative data support for fishery harvesting decisions.

[0130] S6. Efficient signal processing and control

[0131] Processor collaborative architecture: The system has built-in high-performance processors and CPUs. The CPU adopts a multi-core architecture and is responsible for overall control and data management. It has powerful multi-tasking capabilities and can efficiently perform instruction processing, signal scheduling and system coordination tasks. The dedicated processor is based on application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design and is hardware-level optimized for real-time underwater acoustic signal processing tasks. It has ultra-high computing efficiency and can quickly complete complex operations such as noise removal and echo integration.

[0132] Fast Mode Switching: The system is equipped with high-speed solid-state relays that switch between acoustic wave transmission and reception modes in microseconds, ensuring efficient signal conversion between different operating modes. An intelligent scheduling algorithm rationally allocates transmission and reception time sequences across channels, preventing cross-channel interference and improving overall operational efficiency, enabling stable operation in high-frequency detection modes.

[0133] S7. Real-time display and decision support

[0134] Optimized display system: After receiving data, the onboard receiver displays it in real time on a high-resolution monitor. The display interface utilizes intuitive 3D visualization technology, dynamically displaying information such as the fish's location, size, and movement trajectory using icons of varying colors and shapes. This information is also overlaid with auxiliary information such as the device's position, water depth, and current velocity, providing operators with a comprehensive on-site monitoring experience.

[0135] Decision Support Module: The system's built-in intelligent decision support algorithm automatically generates optimal fishing path planning recommendations based on real-time fish distribution data and pre-set fishing strategies, and also evaluates fishing efficiency in real time. In the event of emergencies or changes in the characteristics of target fish schools, fishing recommendations can be adjusted promptly, providing accurate, real-time decision support for fishing operations, improving fishing efficiency and resource utilization.

[0136] S8. Energy management and battery life guarantee

[0137] Power Supply System Design: The system is powered by a high-performance battery pack utilizing advanced lithium-ion battery technology, boasting high energy density and long cycle life. The battery pack incorporates a built-in intelligent battery management system (BMS), which monitors battery voltage, current, temperature, and other parameters in real time. It automatically performs balancing management and provides overcharge and over-discharge protection, ensuring safe and stable battery operation.

[0138] Low-power optimization strategy: The entire system utilizes low-power optimization measures at both the hardware design and software algorithm levels. In hardware, low-power electronic components are selected, and a time-sharing power supply strategy is implemented, with modules inactive automatically entering sleep mode. In software, optimization of algorithm complexity and data processing reduces unnecessary computation and data transmission, lowering overall system power consumption and extending device life, ensuring long-term, stable operation in deep-sea environments.

[0139] In summary, this invention utilizes innovative technologies such as multi-beam collaborative detection, real-time dynamic posture acquisition, optimized underwater acoustic communication, and efficient data processing and intelligent identification to construct a deep-sea five-dimensional beamforming system for real-time detection and transmission of fish distribution in three dimensions. This system offers advantages such as omnidirectional three-dimensional detection, high-precision real-time monitoring, intelligent data processing and transmission, and long-term stable operation. It effectively overcomes the limitations of existing technologies, provides key technical support for intelligent light-induced fishing operations, and promotes the development of intelligent, efficient, and precise fishing.

[0140] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0141] 1. Flexible and Precise Monitoring Capabilities: The detection system of this invention is lowered underwater via a ship-mounted crane. The depth of the device can be quickly and conveniently adjusted based on the actual location of the fish school, enabling precise tracking and monitoring of target fish schools. Compared to traditional fixed-position ship-mounted detection equipment, this system can flexibly cover any vertical position within the water depth range of 0-200 meters. This significantly improves adaptability to fish schools at different depths, expands the monitoring range, and particularly enhances the high-precision detection capabilities of deep-sea fish schools, ensuring that no target fish distribution level is missed.

[0142] 2. Omnidirectional Monitoring and Detailed Information Acquisition: The system integrates single-beam echo sounders in five directions, creating a unique five-dimensional, omnidirectional detection layout. In light-induced fishing operations, this not only accurately captures the target intensity of individual fish, but also comprehensively captures key information such as the size, depth distribution, and resource density of fish clusters, improving information completeness. This provides richer and more accurate data support for fishing decisions, improving the accuracy of fishing decisions compared to existing technologies, and effectively enhancing the efficiency and resource utilization of fishing operations.

[0143] 3. High-Precision Attitude Monitoring and Stability Assurance: A high-precision gyroscope and triaxial accelerometer monitor the device's underwater position and orientation in real time. This advanced attitude monitoring mechanism ensures highly accurate target position information, effectively guaranteeing the reliability of monitoring data. This ensures stable and high-quality detection data, especially in complex sea conditions and currents.

[0144] 4. Real-time Data Transmission and Efficient Feedback: Using wireless data transmission via an underwater acoustic communication module, combined with adaptive filtering algorithms and efficient coding technology, underwater target information is transmitted to the ship-based control console in real time with low latency and high fidelity. This significantly improves the real-time nature of data transmission. This allows fishery operators to keep abreast of underwater dynamics, assisting in on-site fishing decisions and improving response speed, effectively enhancing the real-time and flexibility of fishery production.

[0145] 5. Powerful Data Processing and Intelligent Analysis: By configuring specific data file formats, combining high-performance processors and CPUs with multiple optimized data analysis algorithms, the system enables rapid and accurate processing of collected data. Upon receiving data, it rapidly completes complex processing steps such as noise removal, echo integration, and resource density calculation. This provides decision makers with accurate, real-time information on key factors such as resource density, enabling comprehensive and in-depth understanding of underwater resource conditions and enhancing the scientific nature and accuracy of fishery operations.

[0146] 6. Significant social, economic, and ecological benefits: The widespread application of this invention will help address the technical bottlenecks currently hindering my country's distant-water fisheries in the field of intelligent detection equipment, break the monopoly on foreign technology, and reduce reliance on imported equipment. It is expected to lower the acquisition costs of optical fishing vessel equipment. Furthermore, it will promote the intelligent and modern development of my country's optical fishing industry, enhance its competitiveness in the international market, and promote the upgrading and sustainable development of the fishery industry. This will have significant social and ecological benefits and provide strong support for the prosperity of my country's marine fishery economy.

[0147] In summary, the deep-sea five-dimensional beam fish school three-dimensional distribution real-time detection and transmission system of the present invention has shown significant advantages in technical performance, monitoring accuracy, data processing efficiency and applicability, effectively solving many defects of the existing technology, providing key technical support for the intelligent development of light-induced fisheries, and has broad application prospects and important promotion value.

[0148] The following is the implementation process of the present invention:

[0149] In ocean light-lured squid fishing, it's often necessary to activate several fish-attracting lights, both above and below the surface, in advance to attract the squid. To understand the effectiveness of these lights, understand the size and distribution of squid clusters underwater, and determine the timing and depth of hooking, the five-dimensional beam fish distribution detection equipment described in this invention can be used. The specific steps are as follows:

[0150] (1) Use a ship-mounted crane to place the equipment into a water depth of 0-200 meters and keep it stationary. During this period, the equipment is powered by a built-in battery pack to ensure long-term normal operation;

[0151] (2) Based on the real-time underwater gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer data received by the onboard receiver, the true underwater attitude information of the device is accurately obtained, and the actual orientation of the five transducer beam surfaces is understood;

[0152] (3) The underwater acoustic data detected by the five-dimensional beamformation is wirelessly transmitted to the onboard receiver in real time through the underwater acoustic communication module. The data file is read and plotted using the system's built-in data reading algorithm, and a full range of echo images are finally presented on the display terminal. A single target individual is found from the echo image, and its target intensity data is obtained.

[0153] (4) Based on previous literature review or laboratory measurements, the conventional target intensity value of squid is understood and built into the system. The target intensity data observed in the field in step (3) is compared with it to determine whether the observed species is a squid;

[0154] (5) Find the squid cluster from the echo image and remove the background noise with the help of the system's built-in noise removal algorithm;

[0155] (6) Use the built-in echo integration algorithm of the system to calculate the acoustic integral value of the cluster, namely the nautical area scattering coefficient (NASC, unit m) 2 / nmi 2 ), the level of NASC is usually proportional to the amount of resources;

[0156] (7) Determine the size of underwater squid clusters based on the NASC value, and make fishing decisions based on the distribution of squid in five directions.

[0157] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A deep-sea fish distribution detection device, the detection device comprising a main frame (1); Its characteristics are: The detection device further comprises five fish-finding transducers (3), and the fish-finding transducers (3) are installed based on the main frame (1).

2. The deep-sea fish distribution detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The five fish-finding transducers (3) are arranged in a front-back, left-right and bottom-facing array.

3. The deep-sea fish distribution detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A hanging ring (11) is provided on the top of the main frame (1).

4. The deep-sea fish distribution detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection device is provided with a positioning module; The detection device is provided with a gyroscope and a three-axis acceleration sensor for determining the underwater posture of the detection device and calculating the actual orientation of the sound wave transmitting and receiving surface of the fish detecting transducer (3); The detection device is provided with a pressure sensor, and the pressure sensor is used to determine the actual depth of the detection device underwater.

5. The deep-sea fish distribution detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection device is provided with a battery module; The battery pack module has a built-in intelligent battery management system for real-time monitoring of battery parameters, automatic balancing management and overcharge and over-discharge protection, and adopts a low-power optimization strategy to provide stable power for the safe operation of the entire detection device; The battery module is used to provide power for the operation of the entire detection device. The battery module has the following characteristics: 1) Power supply system design: The entire detection device is powered by a high-performance battery pack. The battery pack uses advanced lithium battery technology, featuring high energy density and long cycle life. The battery pack has a built-in intelligent battery management system that monitors the battery's voltage, current, and temperature parameters in real time, automatically performs balancing management, and provides overcharge and over-discharge protection to ensure safe and stable operation of the battery. 2) Low-power optimization strategy: The entire detection device adopts low-power optimization measures at the hardware design and software algorithm levels. In terms of hardware, low-power electronic components are selected, and a time-sharing power supply strategy is adopted. Modules in non-working states automatically enter sleep mode. In terms of software, by optimizing algorithm complexity and data processing flow, unnecessary calculations and data transmission are reduced, the overall power consumption of the detection device is reduced, the battery life of the equipment is extended, and long-term stable operation is ensured in deep-sea environments.

6. A deep-sea fish distribution detection system, characterized by: The detection system comprises the detection device according to claim 1; The detection system further comprises a remote control device, wherein the remote control device comprises a control terminal, and the control terminal is capable of controlling the detection device.

7. The deep-sea fish distribution detection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The remote control device is provided with an underwater acoustic communication transducer, and the detection device is provided with an underwater acoustic communication transducer. Wireless acoustic wave communication is achieved between the control terminal in the remote control device and the detection device through the underwater acoustic communication transducer.

8. The deep-sea fish distribution detection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control terminal is provided with an echo integration algorithm, which can calculate the acoustic integral value of the fish school and then determine the size of the underwater fish school based on the acoustic integral value; The control terminal is provided with a single target detection algorithm. When the control terminal starts the single target detection algorithm, it is possible to find a single target individual from the echo image and obtain target intensity data.

9. The deep-sea fish distribution detection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control terminal is provided with an intelligent decision support algorithm, which can automatically generate optimal fishing path planning suggestions and evaluate fishing benefits in real time based on real-time monitored fish distribution data and preset fishing strategies.

10. The deep-sea fish distribution detection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The detection system uses an underwater acoustic communication module to wirelessly transmit data, and combines adaptive filtering algorithms and efficient coding technology to transmit underwater target information to the ship-based operating console in real time with low latency and high fidelity.

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