Vessel-towed multiple sensor systems and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768299-B2
Application number	US-201815944756-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2018
Priority date	Mar 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

An embodiment can include a vessel-towed system that includes a first towing/communication interface system, e.g., a first tow cable with a fiber optic system, and spaced apart buoys for supporting the first tow cable. A first mobile structure including a first control system and first type of emitter, e.g., an attraction system, is connected to the first tow cable. A second mobile structure is provided that can include an underwater towed emitter such as an audio emulation system. The first and second emitters can be configured emit a first and second plurality of emissions for inducing a receiving entity response. The second mobile structure is coupled with the first mobile structure with a second tow cable that comprises another fiber optic cable. An automated response or manual control systems can be provided on the towing vessel and the first mobile structure adapted to operate the first and second emitters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising
providing first floating structure, a second floating structure, and a first underwater structure, wherein said first structure comprises a vessel configured to float on a body of water, a propulsion means, a communication means, a power production and storage means, a first control means, and a remotely operated input and output interface operable to communicate with a local input and output interface, said second floating structure configured with a first emitter and said first underwater structure configured with a sonar system;
providing an input and output interface operable in said first floating structure to communicate with said second floating structure and said first underwater structure;
providing a first a tow and communication cable system to respectively couple the first floating structure with said second floating structure as well as a second tow and communication cable system to couple the second floating structure with said first underwater structure, the first and said tow and communication cable systems each comprising a fiber optic cable, said first tow and communication system further coupled with a plurality of spaced apart support buoys;
wherein said first control means further comprises a control section configured to execute a plurality of control processes configured to execute:
a first control process comprising a patrol pattern navigation and continuous monitoring for aircraft;
a second control process comprising crashes or biological creature detection control process;
a third control process comprising a flight recorder search and operator notification control process;
a fourth control process comprising a crash sound search initiation and operator notification control process;
a fifth control process comprising a manual search for crash or biological creature detection and collision prevention or avoidance control process;
a sixth control process comprising a biological creature sound detection and collision prevention or avoidance control process;
a seventh control process comprising an airborne aircraft detection and operator notification control process;

wherein said third control process comprises:
executing a first process step comprising listening for one or more flight recorder pings for a predetermined detection time period, wherein if at least one said flight recover pings are detected by a sonar system during the predetermined detection time period, then executing a second process step comprising detecting at least one additional flight recorder pings and determining a point of origin of the flight recorder pings based on triangulation of detected said flight recorder pings, wherein if the one or more flight recorder pings are not detected in the predetermined time period then determining if to continue or not based on a predetermined condition or a message from an operator then returning to executing said first control process;
notifying the operator of the detected flight recorder pings and moving the vessel towards the point of origin;
determining if to continue or not based on a predetermined condition or a continue flight recorder search process message from an operator;
if the predetermined condition is not met or the continue flight recorder search process message is not received, then returning to the first control process;
if the predetermined condition is met or the continue flight recorder search process message is received, then repeating the third control process.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a winch system coupled to the input and output interface system;
wherein the control section is further configured to execute an eighth control process comprising a winch reeling process.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a signal cutoff switch, wherein said input and output interface and said winch system are connected to a signal cutout switch.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
wherein the control section is further configured to execute an ninth control process comprising a winch isolation process.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a multiplexer, wherein the local input and output interface and said winch system are connected to a multiplexer.

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Lanham Robert S
• Stocke William

Classifications

• G01S13/862

  Combination of radar systems with sonar systems · CPC title

• B63B43/18 Primary

  preventing collision {or grounding}; reducing collision damage {(reducing pollution by collision B63B25/082)} · CPC title

• B63H25/38

  Rudders · CPC title

• B63C11/48

  Means for searching for underwater objects (means for indicating the location of sunken objects B63C7/26; locating by use of the reflection or reradiation of radio or other waves G01S {; mountings of acoustic transducers in underwater equipment G10K11/006}) · CPC title

• B63H25/04

  automatic, e.g. reacting to compass · CPC title