Underwater acoustic positioning system
US8509030B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 22, 2009 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 7, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01S15/74
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A positioning system has at least one underwater apparatus, which includes an acoustic receiver and a computer. The system includes a base station placed in the sea environment, the base station transmitting an acoustic signal received by the acoustic receiver, wherein the acoustic receiver includes a hydrophone, the base station includes at least two acoustic transmitters forming an antenna, the distances between the acoustic transmitters of the antenna being known and the transmitters being synchronized therebetween. According to the invention, the computer includes an element for calculating differences in arrival time and differences in phases of acoustic signals coming from the base station transmitters, and an element for calculating the possible geometric loci of the position of the apparatus relative to the base station and to the orientation thereof, and the position of the underwater apparatus is predetermined from these possible geometric loci.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.