Real-time data acquisition

• US 6,115,681 A
• Filed: 12/17/1997
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Martel, Gerald R., Lopes, Joseph B., Foreman, Carl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/992,070
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/183, 370/498, 370/415
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/53 Means for transforming coordinates or for evaluating data, e.g. using computers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output

Abstract

A real-time data acquisition system for a remote, unmanned underwater vehe includes an array of sensors within the vehicle which gather data from the environment surrounding the vehicle. The sensor data is digitized and stored in an imbedded computer on the unmanned vehicle. To display the data, the imbedded computer transfers the digital data over a local area network connection to a second computer aboard a mother ship. The second computer converts the digital data back to analog data for display. The data can also be analyzed and processed depending on test requirements. To test the unmanned vehicle performance, the vehicle can be operated adjacent the mother ship with the local area network connection in place. In this mode, the imbedded computer transfers the digital data to the second computer as the data is being stored in the imbedded computer.

Claims

1. A real-time data acquisition system for obtaining real-time data from a sensor array aboard an unmanned vehicle, the system comprising:

an interface receiving data signals from the array, processing the data signals and outputting digital signals;

an internal computer aboard the vehicle receiving the digital signals, storing the digital signals as transmit packets and outputting the transmit packets;

a removable network connection receiving the transmit packets at a first end of the network connection and outputting the transmit packets at a second end of the network connection remote from the vehicle;

an external computer connected to the second end of the network connection, the external computer receiving the transmit packets, storing the transmit packets for processing by a user and outputting the transmit packets as display data; and

a display receiving the display data and displaying the display data for viewing by the user in a time frame corresponding to the real-time sensor data.

2. The real-time data acquisition system of claim 1 further comprising a recorder receiving the transmit packets from the internal computer, storing the transmit packets and outputting the transmit packets to the network connection when the network connection is attached to the recorder.

3. The real-time data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein the interface further comprises an analog to digital converter for converting analog data signals to digital data signals.

4. The real-time data acquisition system of claim 2 wherein the interface further comprises an analog to digital converter for converting analog data signals to digital data signals.

5. The real-time data acquisition system of claim 1 wherein the internal computer further comprises data files containing sensor parameters, the internal computer determining a data sampling rate for the sensor array from the sensor parameters.

6. The real-time data acquisition system of claim 2 wherein the network connection further comprises an intermediate connection connected between the network connection and the internal computer, the intermediate connection being further connected between the network connection and the recorder, the system sensing a presence and absence of the network connection, the system routing the real-time data to the network connection via the intermediate connection when the presence of the network connection is sensed, the system routing the real-time data to the recorder via the intermediate connection when the absence of the network connection is sensed.

7. A method of acquiring real-time data from an array of sensors aboard an unmanned vehicle and transmitting the real-time data to a site remote from the vehicle for display and processing of the data, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a memory pointer to an input buffer located within a computer aboard the vehicle;

inputting data from the array of sensors into a memory location specified by the memory pointer;

determining if the amount of data in the memory location corresponds to a predetermined transmit packet size;

testing for a network connection;

transmitting the data in the memory location to the remote site via a network connection when the amount of data corresponds to the predetermined transmit packet size and when the network connection is present and returning to the input data step;

transmitting the data in the memory location to a recorder aboard the unmanned vehicle when the amount of data corresponds to the predetermined transmit packet size and when the network connection is not present and returning to the input data step; and

returning to the input data step when the amount of data does not correspond to the predetermined transmit packet size.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the transmit data step further comprises:

setting the memory pointer to a next buffer; and

changing the input buffer to the next buffer.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the input data step further comprises:

reading a data file stored in the computer, the data file containing rates of sensor sampling intervals;

determining a READ DATA interrupt sequence timing from the sensor sampling interval rates; and

obtaining data from one of the sensors of the sensor array at a time interval corresponding to the READ DATA interrupt sequence timing.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the obtain data step further comprises the steps of:

determining if the time interval corresponds to the sampling interval for the one sensor;

reading the data from the one sensor and making the data available for input to the memory location when the time interval corresponds to the sampling rate; and

incrementing the sampling interval.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein, prior to the determine the time interval step, the obtain data step further comprises:

setting the sampling interval to a first sampling interval;

determining if the sample interval is a last sample interval; and

exiting the obtain data step when the sample interval is the last sample interval.

12. A real-time data acquisition system for obtaining real-time data from a sensor array aboard an unmanned vehicle, the system comprising:

an interface receiving data signals from the array, processing the data signals and outputting digital signals;

an internal computer aboard the vehicle receiving the digital signals, storing the digital signals as transmit packets and outputting the transmit packets;

a removable network connection receiving the transmit packets at a first end of the network connection and outputting the transmit packets at a second end of the network connection remote from the vehicle;

a recorder for receiving the transmit packets from the internal computer and storing the transmit packets for later transmission of the transmit packets to the network connection;

an intermediate connection, the system routing the real-time data to the network connection via the intermediate connection when the system senses the presence of the network connection, the system routing the real-time data to the recorder via the intermediate connection when the system senses the absence of the network connection.