Method and apparatus for determining and forming delayed waveforms for forming transmitting or receiving beams for a sonar system array of transmitting or receiving elements
First Claim
1. A method for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, comprising the steps of:
- (a) from a set of initial beamform factors, determining at least one dependent beamform factor of at least one optimum beam to be formed by the phased array system, (b) determining the maximum and minimum values of the dependent beamform factors, (c) generating a parent population of chromosomes wherein each chromosome includes a gene for and corresponding to each dependent beamform factor and represents a candidate beam formed by the phased array system for the initial beamform factors and the dependent beamform factors represented by the genes of the chromosome, by (1) generating a first parent population wherein the value of each gene corresponding to a dependent beamform factor has a value between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding dependent beamform factor and (2) generating a subsequent parent population by cloning of the chromosomes of a surviving population, (d) generating a child population from the parent population by exchanging statistically selected pairs of genes of the chromosomes of the parent population, (e) generating a mutated population from the child population by mutating statistically selected genes of the child population, (f) selecting the surviving population from the mutated population by comparing the chromosomes of the mutated population with a fitness criteria based upon an optimum beamform factor and selecting for the surviving population the chromosomes of the mutated population meeting the fitness criteria, and (g) comparing the chromosomes of the surviving population with a solution criteria and when at least one chromosome of the surviving population meets the solution criteria providing the genes of the chromosome of the surviving population having the best match to the fitness criteria as the dependent factors for forming a beam approximating the optimum beam.
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Abstract
Sonar method and system for determining and using beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar energy by a sonar phased array system. Optimum maximum and minimum dependent beamform factors are determined from initial beamform factors and an initial parent population of chromosomes is generated, each chromosome including a gene corresponding to a dependent beamform factor and representing an initial candidate beam. Subsequent parent populations are generated by chromosome cloning. A child population is generated from a parent population by exchanging statistically selected pairs of genes and generating a mutated population. A surviving population is selected from the mutated population by a chromosomes comparison. When the surviving population chromosomes meet the criteria, the best match genes of the surviving population are selected for forming a beam. The criteria may be a predetermined number of iterations or a predetermined tolerance difference.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, comprising the steps of:
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(a) from a set of initial beamform factors, determining at least one dependent beamform factor of at least one optimum beam to be formed by the phased array system, (b) determining the maximum and minimum values of the dependent beamform factors, (c) generating a parent population of chromosomes wherein each chromosome includes a gene for and corresponding to each dependent beamform factor and represents a candidate beam formed by the phased array system for the initial beamform factors and the dependent beamform factors represented by the genes of the chromosome, by (1) generating a first parent population wherein the value of each gene corresponding to a dependent beamform factor has a value between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding dependent beamform factor and (2) generating a subsequent parent population by cloning of the chromosomes of a surviving population, (d) generating a child population from the parent population by exchanging statistically selected pairs of genes of the chromosomes of the parent population, (e) generating a mutated population from the child population by mutating statistically selected genes of the child population, (f) selecting the surviving population from the mutated population by comparing the chromosomes of the mutated population with a fitness criteria based upon an optimum beamform factor and selecting for the surviving population the chromosomes of the mutated population meeting the fitness criteria, and (g) comparing the chromosomes of the surviving population with a solution criteria and when at least one chromosome of the surviving population meets the solution criteria providing the genes of the chromosome of the surviving population having the best match to the fitness criteria as the dependent factors for forming a beam approximating the optimum beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
the solution criteria is a predetermined number of iterations of the generation of a surviving population.
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3. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
the solution criteria is a predetermined tolerance of difference between a chromosome of a current surviving population having the best match to the fitness criteria and a chromosome of a preceding surviving population having the best match to the fitness criteria and the solution criteria is met when the difference between the chromosome having the best match to the fitness criteria of the current surviving population is within the predetermined tolerance of difference from the chromosome of the preceding surviving population.
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4. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
the fitness criteria is a predetermined tolerance of difference between a beam formed by the genes of a chromosome of a current surviving population and the optimum beam.
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5. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
each parent generation is generated in step (c) to have a constant number of chromosomes.
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6. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
the chromosomes of each surviving population are cloned to generate a new parent population so that the proportionate representation of each chromosome of a surviving population in a new parent population is proportionate to a measure of fitness of the chromosome of the surviving population with respect to the fitness criteria.
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7. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
the chromosome of a surviving population having a best measurement of fitness with respect to the fitness criteria will be represented in the parent population cloned from the surviving population.
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8. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
each chromosome of a child population is generated by statistical selection and exchange of genes of chromosomes of the parent population.
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9. The method of claim 1 for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
each mutated generation is generated by statistical selection and variation of the values of the genes of corresponding chromosomes of the child generation within predetermined limits.
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10. An apparatus for use in a sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, comprising:
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(a) a dependent beam factor processor for determining from a set of initial beamform factors at least one dependent beamform factor of at least one optimum beam to be formed by the phased array system, (b) a maximum/minimum value processor for determining the maximum and minimum values of the dependent beamform factors, (c) a parent population generator for generating a parent population of chromosomes wherein each chromosome includes a gene for and corresponding to each dependent beamform factor and represents a candidate beam formed by the phased array system for the initial beamform factors and the dependent beamform factors represented by the genes of the chromosome, by (1) generating a first parent population wherein the value of each gene corresponding to a dependent beamform factor has a value between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding dependent beamform factor and (2) generating a subsequent parent population by cloning of the chromosomes of a surviving population, (d) a child population generator for generating a child population from the parent population by exchanging statistically selected pairs of genes of the chromosomes of the parent population, (e) a mutated population generator for generating a mutated population from the child population by mutating statistically selected genes of the child population, (f) a surviving population generator for selecting the surviving population from the mutated population by comparing the chromosomes of the mutated population with a fitness criteria based upon an optimum beamform factor and selecting for the surviving population the chromosomes of the mutated population meeting the fitness criteria, and (g) a solution processor for comparing the chromosomes of the surviving population with a solution criteria and when at least one chromosome of the surviving population meets the solution criteria providing the genes of the chromosome of the surviving population having the best match to the fitness criteria as the dependent factors for forming a beam approximating the optimum beam.
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11. A sonar system for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, comprising:
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a beamform processor including a memory and a processor for executing a beamform process and generating from initial beamform factors first and second dependent beamform factors, a waveform processor connected to the signal channels and responsive to the first dependent beamform factors for applying the first dependent beamform factors to a corresponding second plurality of element group signals, an array switch connected between the signal channels and the array elements and responsive to the second dependent beamform factors for selectively connecting the signal channels to the array elements of the element groups, and a switch configuration table connected from the beamform generator and to the array switch for storing and providing to the array switch the second dependent beamform factors, wherein the beamform process executed by the beamform generator includes (a) determining from a set of initial beamform factors at least one dependent beamform factor of at least one optimum beam to be formed by the phased array system, (b) determining the maximum and minimum values of the dependent beamform factors, (c) generating a parent population of chromosomes wherein each chromosome includes a gene for and corresponding to each dependent beamform factor and represents a candidate beam formed by the phased array system for the initial beamform factors and the dependent beamform factors represented by the genes of the chromosome, by (1) generating a first parent population wherein the value of each gene corresponding to a dependent beamform factor has a value between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding dependent beamform factor and (2) generating a subsequent parent population by cloning of the chromosomes of a surviving population, (d) generating a child population from the parent population by exchanging statistically selected pairs of genes of the chromosomes of the parent population, (e) generating a mutated population from the child population by mutating statistically selected genes of the child population, (f) selecting the surviving population from the mutated population by comparing the chromosomes of the mutated population with a fitness criteria based upon an optimum beamform factor and selecting for the surviving population the chromosomes of the mutated population meeting the fitness criteria, and (g) comparing the chromosomes of the surviving population with a solution criteria and when at least one chromosome of the surviving population meets the solution criteria providing the genes of the chromosome of the surviving population having the best match to the fitness criteria as the first and second dependent factors for forming a beam approximating the optimum beam. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
the waveform processor is a signal generator and the corresponding second plurality of element group signals are signals to be emitted by the array elements of the corresponding element groups.
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13. The system of claim 11 for determining beamform factors for forming sonar beams approximating an optimum sonar beam for the directional transmission or reception of sonar sound energy by a phased array system including a first plurality of elements connectable to a second plurality of signal channels wherein the first plurality is greater than the second plurality, wherein:
the waveform processor is a signal processor and the corresponding second plurality of element group signals are signals received by the array elements of the corresponding element groups.
Specification