Beamformed Sonar Data Compression via Multi-Range Voxel Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods of compressing beamformed sonar data discard valuable information by only transmitting a single range value per beam, ignoring potential data from other ranges within the same beam, which limits the detection of multiple objects and obstructed signals.
Innovation Solution
A novel compression method that compares data from neighboring voxels and beams to retain and transmit values from multiple ranges per beam, allowing for the detection of multiple objects and reducing data transmission requirements by grouping and encoding fewer bits for voxel groups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If prior art compression methods transmit only a single range value per beam, then data transmission volume is reduced, but valuable information about multiple objects and obstructed signals is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments beamformed data by organizing it into multiple beams with associated voxels, where each beam represents a specific angular sector. This segmentation allows selective transmission of multiple range values from different voxels within the same beam, preserving information about multiple objects while managing data volume through structured organization of the sonar data space
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges data from multiple voxels that share common beam and range characteristics by grouping them together for transmission. Instead of transmitting every individual voxel data point, the method combines information from neighboring voxels and beams, transmitting representative values that capture the essential information about multiple objects while reducing overall data transmission requirements
2Reliability
If only one range value per beam is transmitted, then data transmission is simplified, but detection of multiple objects at different ranges is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary processing to organize beamformed data into a structured format with defined beams and voxels before compression. By pre-organizing the data with metadata about beam assignments and range values, the system enables subsequent compression steps to efficiently select and transmit multiple relevant range values per beam without requiring complex real-time processing during data transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic compression approach where the number of range values transmitted per beam is not fixed but adapts based on the actual data content. The method dynamically determines which voxels contain meaningful information about objects and selectively transmits their range values, allowing the compression ratio and information content to vary according to the sonar scene complexity
3Reliability
If multiple ranges per beam are transmitted, then detection of obstructed signals improves, but data volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different spatial regions (voxels) within the sonar data with different transmission priorities. Instead of uniformly transmitting data from all voxels, the method identifies and prioritizes transmission of voxels that contain information about potentially obstructed signals based on their local characteristics, such as intensity anomalies or positional relationships with other detected objects
Data Source
AI summary
Beamformed sonar data is compressed before communicating the data to a storage step or to a further processing step. At lease some of the beams of the compressed beamformed data have values for at least two different ranges.