Ping control optimization method for multi-static active acoustic networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9217791-B1
Application number	US-201313874136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2011
Publication date	Dec 22, 2015
Grant date	Dec 22, 2015

Abstract

A method includes, until the end of an operational scenario time window, iteratively repeating the steps of selecting a ping optimization method based upon a mission mode, remaining scenario time, total remaining ping energy, and an acoustic performance metric, generating a set of acoustic pings using an acoustic ping source network including more than one acoustic ping sources selected according to the ping optimization method, processing detections from the generated set of acoustic pings, and updating performance metric predictions associated with optimization decision variables for the operational scenario time window. The method may provide intelligent ping control decisions for multi-static active acoustic networks.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
until the end of a known operational scenario time window, iteratively repeating the steps of
selecting a ping optimization method based upon a mission mode of operation, remaining scenario time in the operational scenario time window, total remaining ping energy, and an acoustic performance metric, wherein the mission mode of operation is one of target search, track-holding, and search and hold,
generating a set of acoustic pings using an acoustic ping source network comprising more than one acoustic ping sources selected according to the ping optimization method,
processing detections from the generated set of acoustic pings, and
updating performance metric predictions associated with optimization decision variables for the operational scenario time window.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the operational scenario time window is short, the selected ping optimization method involves maximizing the acoustic performance metric over the operational scenario time window without regards to energy and ping activity constraints.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein an objective function for the selected ping optimization method is solved according to max Σ pεP Σ jεJ c p j x p j , subject to Σ pεP x p j ≦e j , for all jεJ and Σ jεJ x p j ≦1, for all pεP, where x p j is binary for all jεJ and pεP, where c p j is a performance metric of acoustic ping source j at ping time p for jεJ and pεP, where x p j is a binary ping decision variable for j at p for jεJ and pεP, where J={1, 2, . . . , N S }, where N S is the number of acoustic ping sources, where P={1, 2, . . . , T}, and where T is the number of discretized ping times in the remaining scenario window.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein if a ping energy for at least one of the acoustic ping sources is limited, the selected ping optimization method involves maximizing the acoustic performance metric over the operational scenario time window while preventing over usage of the acoustic ping source having limited ping energy.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein an objective function for the selected ping optimization method is solved according to max Σ pεP Σ jεJ c p j x p j −Σ qεQ Σ jΣJ a q j y q j , subject to Σ pεP x p j ≦e j , for all jεJ, Σ jεJ x p j ≦1, for all pεP, and Σ pεΔq x p j −y q j ≦Δe q j , for all jεJ and qεQ, where x p j is binary for all jεJ and pεP, where a q j is a penalty coefficient for over utilization of source j in subinterval q for jεJ and qεQ, where y q j is a non-negative integer for all jεJ and qεQ, where c p j is a performance metric of acoustic ping source j at ping time p for jεJ and pεP, where x p j is a binary ping decision variable for j at p for jεJ and pεP, where J={1, 2, . . . , N S }, where N S is the number of acoustic ping sources, where P={1, 2, . . . , T}, where T is the number of discretized ping times in the remaining scenario window, where Q={1, 2, . . . , N Δ }, and where N Δ is the number of subintervals in the remaining scenario window.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of applying a penalty to the performance metric prediction if there is over usage of ping energy by the acoustic ping sources having limited energy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the total remaining ping energy is limited with respect to the operational scenario time window, the selected ping optimization method involves extending the lifetime of the ping source network while maintaining a minimum ping activity level for each of the acoustic ping sources.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein an objective function for the selected ping optimization method is solved according to max Σ pεP Σ jεJ c p j x p j −Σ rεR b r z r , subject to Σ pεP x p j ≦e j , for all jεJ, Σ jεJ x p j ≦1 for all pεP, and Σ pεδ Σ jεJ x p j +z r ≧m for all rεR, where x p j is binary for all jεJ and pεP, where b r is a penalty coefficient for under pinging in running time interval r, rεR, where z r is an under pinging integer decision variable in running time interval r, rεR, where c p j is a performance metric of acoustic ping source j at ping time p for jεJ and pεP, where x p j is a binary ping decision variable for j at p for jεJ and pεP, where J={1, 2, . . . , N S }, where N S is the number of acoustic ping sources, where P={1, 2, . . . , T}, and where T is the number of discretized ping times in the remaining scenario window.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of generating at least m pings over n discretized ping times to prevent long gaps between successive pings.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein based upon the occurrence of the ping energy being limited at certain ping sources and there not being enough total remaining ping energy for the planned operational scenario time window, the selected ping optimization method involves strategically distributing null pings over the operational scenario time window to last the duration of the operational scenario time window.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein an objective function for the selected ping optimization method is solved according to max Σ pεP Σ jεJ c p j x p j −Σ qεQ Σ jεJ a q j y q j −Σ rεR b r z r , subject to Σ pεP x p j ≦e j , for all jεJ, Σ jεJ x p j ≦1 for all pεP, Σ pεΔq x p j −y q j ≦Δe q j , for all jεJ and qεQ, and Σ pεδ Σ jεJ x p j +z r ≧m for all rεR, where x p j is binary for all jεJ and pεP, where y q j is a non-negative integer for all jεJ and qεQ, where b r is a penalty coefficient for under pinging in running time interval r, rεR, where z r is an under pinging integer decision variable in running time interval r, rεR, where c p j is a performance metric of acoustic ping source j at ping time p for jεJ and pεP, where x p j is a binary ping decision variable for j at p for jεJ and pεP, where a q j is a penalty coefficient for over utilization of source j in subinterval q for jεJ and qεQ, where J={1, 2, . . . , N S }, where N S is the number of acoustic ping sources, where P={1, 2, . . . , T}, where T is the number of discretized ping times in the remaining scenario window, where Q={1, 2, . . . , N Δ }, and where N Δ is the number of subintervals in the remaining scenario window.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a method, represented by computer readable programming code, encoded thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
until the end of a known operational scenario time window, iteratively repeating the steps of
selecting a ping optimization method based upon a mission mode of operation, remaining scenario time, in the operational scenario time window, total remaining ping energy, and an acoustic performance metric, wherein the mission mode of operation is one of target search, track-holding, and search and hold,
generating a set of acoustic pings using an acoustic ping source network comprising more than one acoustic ping sources selected according to the ping optimization method,
processing detections from the generated set of acoustic pings, and
updating performance metric predictions associated with optimization decision variables for the operational scenario time window.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein if the operational scenario time window is short, the selected ping optimization method involves maximizing the acoustic performance metric over the operational scenario time window.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein if a ping energy for at least one of the acoustic ping sources is limited,

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Wakayama Cherry Y

Classifications

• G01S15/66 Primary

  Sonar tracking systems · CPC title

• G01S15/02 Primary

  using reflection of acoustic waves (G01S15/66 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S15/003

  Bistatic sonar systems; Multistatic sonar systems · CPC title

• G01S7/524

  Transmitters · CPC title

• G01S15/876

  Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector (G01S15/872 takes precedence) · CPC title