Underwater acoustic deception system and underwater acoustic deception method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225310-B2
Application number	US-201816638572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2018
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

An underwater acoustic deception system deceives a sensor installed on a threat existing in or on water by acoustic effect in order to protect ships from the threat. The underwater acoustic deception system is provided with a control device, a laser oscillator and emission optical system. The control device determines a focusing position to focus a laser beam (50) in water in order to generate bubbles (70) at a desired position with a desired scale and emission parameters of the laser beam (50). The laser oscillator generates the laser beam (50) configured to focus in water and generate bubbles. The emission optical system emits the generated laser beam (50) to the focusing position. The underwater acoustic deception system deceives an arbitrary sensor existing in the water by acoustic effect of the bubbles (70) on the surroundings.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An underwater acoustic deception system, comprising:
a control device configured to determine a focusing position to focus a laser beam in water in order to generate bubbles at a desired position with a desired scale and emission parameters of the laser beam;
a laser oscillator configured to generate, under control of the control device, the laser beam configured to focus in the water and generate the bubbles;
emission optical system configured to emit, under control of the control device, the generated laser beam to the focusing position; and
a sonar configured to detect whether generation of the bubbles caused by the emitted laser beam has occurred or not,
wherein the underwater acoustic deception system is configured to deceive an arbitrary sensor existing in the water by acoustic effect of the bubbles on the surroundings, and
wherein the control device is further configured to carry out a feedback control of adjusting the emission parameters based on a result of detecting whether the generation has occurred or not.

2. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine the emission parameters and the focusing position so as to deceive the sensor by reflecting a pinger emitted by the sensor by the bubbles before the pinger reaches a protection target.

3. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine the emission parameters and the focusing position so as to deceive the sensor by a sound wave generated by deformation and bursting of the bubbles.

4. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine the emission parameters and the focusing position so as to deceive the sensor by varying surround water pressure by the bubbles.

5. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine the emission parameters and the focusing position based on a position of the sensor so as to disable the sensor.

6. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the laser oscillator comprises a pulsed laser oscillator configured to oscillate a pulsed laser beam.

7. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 , wherein the laser oscillator comprises a continuous wave laser oscillator configured to oscillate a continuous wave laser beam.

8. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 6 , wherein the laser oscillator further comprises a continuous wave laser oscillator configured to oscillate a continuous wave laser beam.

9. The underwater acoustic deception system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sonar is further configured to detect information of a range where the acoustic effect caused by the generated bubbles is effective; and
wherein the control device is further configured to carry out a feedback control of adjusting the focusing position based on the detected information.

10. An underwater acoustic deception method including:
determining a focusing position to focus a laser beam in water in order to generate bubbles at a desired position with a desired scale and emission parameters of the laser beam;
generating the laser beam configured to focus in the water and generate the bubbles;
emitting the generated laser beam to the focusing position; and
deceiving an arbitrary sensor existing in the water by acoustic effect of the bubbles on the surroundings;
detecting whether generation of the bubbles caused by the emitted laser beam has occurred or not; and
carrying out a feedback control of adjusting the emission parameters based on a result of detecting whether the generation has occurred or not.

11. The underwater acoustic deception method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the emission parameters and the focusing position is carried out so as to deceive the sensor by reflecting a pinger emitted by the sensor by the bubbles before the pinger reaches a protection target.

12. The underwater acoustic deception method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the emission parameters and the focusing position is carried out so as to deceive the sensor by a sound wave generated by deformation and bursting of the bubbles.

13. The underwater acoustic deception method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the emitting parameters and the focusing position so as to deceive the sensor by varying surround water pressure by the bubbles.

14. The underwater acoustic deception method according to claim 10 , wherein the determining the emission parameters and the focusing position based on a position of the sensor so as to disable the sensor.

15. The underwater acoustic deception method according to claim 10 , further including:
further detecting position information of a range where the acoustic effect caused by the generated bubbles is effective; and
further carrying out a feedback control of adjusting the focusing position based on a result of the detecting.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishikata Shingo
• Hamamoto Koichi
• Ochiai Atsushi

Classifications

• F41H3/00

  Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise (for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 {; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005}) · CPC title

• G01S7/537

  Counter-measures or counter-counter-measures, e.g. jamming, anti-jamming · CPC title

• G01S7/521 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title

• B63G2013/025

  using means for reducing radiation emission of electromagnetic waves, e.g. infrared, into air or water · CPC title

• B63G13/02

  Camouflage (for submarines B63G8/34) · CPC title