Method and device for managing the acoustic performances of a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9411063-B2
Application number	US-201213720413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2012
Priority date	Dec 19, 2011
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for managing the acoustic performances of a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas. The network of acoustic nodes is adapted to determine inter-node distances allowing to locate the acoustic linear antennas. The method includes: obtaining a determined layout of the network of acoustic nodes; obtaining at least one marine environment property relating to an area of performance of a survey with the network of acoustic nodes; and quantifying the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, using a sound propagation model, the at least one marine environment property and the determined layout.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for improving acoustic performances of a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas, the network of acoustic nodes being adapted to determine inter-node distances allowing to locate the acoustic linear antennas, wherein the method comprises acts of:
obtaining a determined layout of the network of acoustic nodes;
obtaining at least one marine environment property relating to an area of performance of a survey with the network of acoustic nodes;
quantifying the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, using a sound propagation model, the at least one marine environment property and the determined layout; and
improving the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, as a function of at least one result of the act of quantifying, said act of improving the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes comprising at least one of the following acts:
modifying the determined layout, as a function of at least one result of the act of qualifying; or
adjusting at least one parameter of the network of acoustic nodes, without modifying the determined layout, as a function of at least one result of the act of qualifying.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determined layout is defined at least by determined horizontal distances between the acoustic nodes and a determined immersion depth of each acoustic node.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the act of quantifying the acoustic performances comprises, for at least one given couple of nodes comprising a sender node and a receiver node, acts of:
estimating the propagation properties of an acoustic signal through an underwater acoustic channel between the sender node and the receiver node of the given couple of nodes, using said sound propagation model and knowing:
the immersion depths of the sender node and the receiver node,
a horizontal distance between the sender node and the receiver node, and
the at least one marine environment property, comprising at least an estimate of the sound speed profile of the underwater acoustic channel;

associating an acoustic performance value to the given couple of nodes, as a function of at least one the result of the act of estimating the propagation properties.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one result of the act of estimating the propagation properties belongs to the group comprising:
a first piece of information relating to a kind of at least one path existing between the sender node and the receiver node of the given couple of nodes;
a second piece of information relating to a magnitude of at least one path existing between the sender node and the receiver node of the given couple of nodes; and
a third piece of information relating to a multipath correlation distortion rate.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the act of improving the acoustic performances takes into account the acoustic performance value associated to the at least one given couple of nodes.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one marine environment property belongs to the group comprising:
sound speed profiles, depending on depth;
bathymetric characteristics;
sub-bottom properties.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the act of obtaining at least one marine environment property is carried out using at least one method belonging to the group consisting of:
methods of consulting at least one database;
methods of direct measuring, using a measurement device and/or an acoustic method; or
methods of indirect measuring, using an inversion process.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the act of modifying the determined layout is executed before the survey.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter of the network of acoustic nodes belongs to the group consisting of:
emitted levels of acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic nodes;
properties of acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic nodes;
time and/or frequency sharing methods implemented by the acoustic nodes, having an impact on acoustic cycle durations; and
signal processing methods implemented by the acoustic nodes to process received acoustic signals.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the act of adjusting at least one parameter of the network of acoustic nodes is executed during the survey.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable carrier medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer or a processor, causes the computer or the processor to carry out a method for improving acoustic performances of a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas, the network of acoustic nodes being adapted to determine inter-node distances allowing to locate the acoustic linear antennas, the method comprising acts of:
obtaining a determined layout of the network of acoustic nodes;
obtaining at least one marine environment property relating to an area of performance of a survey with the network of acoustic nodes;
quantifying with the computer or the processor the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, using a sound propagation model, the at least one marine environment property and the determined layout; and
improving the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, as a function of at least one result of the act quantifying, said act of improving the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes comprising at least one of the following acts:
modifying the determined layout, as a function of at least one result of the act of quantifying; or
adjusting at least one parameter of the network of acoustic nodes, without modifying the determined layout, as a function of at least one result of the act of quantifying.

12. A device for improving acoustic performances of a network of acoustic nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas, the network of acoustic nodes being adapted to determine inter-node distances allowing to locate the acoustic linear antennas, wherein the device comprises:
means for obtaining a determined layout of the network of acoustic nodes;
means for obtaining at least one marine environment property relating to an area of performance of a survey with the network of acoustic nodes; and
means for quantifying the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, using a sound propagation model, the at least one marine environment property and the determined layout; and
means for improving the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes, as a function of at least one result of the act of quantifying, said means for improving the acoustic performances of the network of acoustic nodes comprising at least one of the following means:
means for modifying the determined layout, as a function of at least one result of the act of quantifying; or
means for adjusting at least one parameter of the network of acoustic nodes, without modifying the determined layout, as a function of at least one result of the act of quantifying.

Assignees

• Sercel Rech Const Elect

Inventors

• L'Her Christophe
• Vallez Simon

Classifications

• G01V1/38 Primary

  specially adapted for water-covered areas (G01V1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01S11/14

  using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves · CPC title

• G01V1/3835 Primary

  measuring position, e.g. by GPS or acoustically · CPC title