Data transmission method for ocean acoustic tomography

• US 4,805,160 A
• Filed: 08/27/1987
• Issued: 02/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Marine Science and Technology Center
• Original Assignee: Japan Marine Science & Technology Center
• Inventors: Hara, Toshiaki, Nakano, Iwao, Ishii, Shin-ichi, Kai, Gentaroh
• Primary Examiner(s): Moskowitz, Nelson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lobo, Ian J.
• Application Number:
  US07/089,983
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 367/6, 367/76, 367/77, 367/79, 367/117, 367/134, 367/5, 367/3, 455/40, 455/12, 342/353
• US Class Current: 367/134
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/22 Transmitting seismic signals to recording or processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention enables tomography data in the sea to be collected and transmitted via an artificial satellite to a ground station. Accordingly, data on the Doppler phenomenon and shift of a sound wave is also obtainable based on the temperature and density of sea water and an ocean current. This makes it possible to obtain information about a wide sea area, such as the relationship between the KUROSHIO and the El nino which is now attracting attention in relation to fishery, agriculture and abnormal weather. Hence, the present invention will be of wide application.

Claims

1. An ocean acoustic tomography data transmission system, comprising:

a plurality of acoustic transducers arranged in a first file in the sea;

a plurality of tomography data transmitter-receivers arranged in the sea in a second file spaced from said first file, said receivers receiving acoustic signals from said acoustic transducers and transmitting said signals into tomography data electric signals;

a floating fixed buoy arranged in the sea remote from said second file and supporting thereon a mooring repeater including radio transmission means, a transmission cable suspended from said buoy and connected to said radio transmission means, and receiving signal conversion means provided on said transmission cable and receiving said tomography data electric signals from said transmitter-receivers to transmit them to said radio transmission means;

ocean observation satellite means; and

a ground station, said data signals being transmitted from said transmission means to said ground station by said ocean observation satellite means.

2. A transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said receiving signal conversion means includes FSK modulation means.

3. A data transmission method for ocean acoustic tomography, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of acoustic transducers arranged in a first file in the sea;

providing a plurality of tomography data transmitter-receivers arranged in the sea in a second file spaced from said first file and receiving acoustic signals from said transducers to transmit said signals into tomography data electric signals; and

providing a mooring repeater with radio transmission means on a floating fixed buoy arranged in the sea remote from said transmitter-receivers and receiving said data electric signals therefrom so as to transmit said data signals to a ground station via an ocean observation satellite.

4. A transmission method according to claim 3, wherein data transmission from said receiving signal conversion means to said radio transmission means is carried out by an inductive coupling transmission method.

5. A transmission method according to claim 3, wherein data transmission from said receiving signal conversion means to said radio transmission means is carried out by an underwater connector for contact with a cable connected to said radio transmission means.

6. A transmission method according to claim 3, wherein data transmission from said receiving signal conversion means to said radio transmission means is carried out by an optical fiber transmission method.

7. A transmission method according to claim 3, wherein said radio transmission means is a real time data transmission means and data transmission between said real time data transmission means and said observation satellite is performed using an electric wave of about 401 to 403 MHZ.