Homing system and method for an autonomous underwater vehicle

• US 8,600,592 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Original Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Inventors: Heard, Garry J., Lucas, Carmen E., Pelavas, Nicos, Clark, Derek A., Ebbeson, Gordon R., Fleming, Richard A. G., Schattschneider, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US13/532,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20130231802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 367/133, 367/149, 367/5, 367/6, 367/131, 342/357.45, 342/357.58, 701/21, 318/589
• US Class Current: 701/21
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/725 Marker, boundary, call-sign or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0692 specially adapted for under-water vehicles

Abstract

A submarine homing system includes an acoustic emitter configured to emit an acoustic signal comprising at least two narrow-band tones, each narrow-band tone having a respective predetermined center frequency. An acoustic receiver is configured to receive the acoustic signal from the acoustic emitter, and produce one or more receiver signals. A processor is operatively connected to the acoustic receiver. The processor is configured to process the receiver signals to calculate a direction between the acoustic receiver and the acoustic emitter.

Claims

1. A submarine homing system comprising:

an acoustic emitter configured to emit an acoustic signal comprising at least two narrow-band tones, each narrow-band tone having a respective predetermined center frequency; and

an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) comprising;

an acoustic receiver configured to receive the acoustic signal from the acoustic emitter, and produce one or more receiver signals;

a processor operatively connected to the acoustic receiver, the processor being configured to process the receiver signals to calculate a direction between the acoustic receiver and the acoustic emitter; and

a control system responsive to the processor to cause the AUV to follow a desired path relative to the calculated direction between the acoustic receiver and the acoustic emitter.

2. The submarine homing system of claim 1 wherein the respective predetermined center frequency of each narrow-band tone is less than 2000 Hz.

3. The submarine homing system of claim 1 wherein the respective predetermined center frequency of a first one of the narrow-band tones is selected to avoid interference with the respective predetermined center frequency of a second one of the narrow-band tones.

4. The submarine homing system of claim 1 wherein the at least two narrow-band tones of the acoustic signal are emitted simultaneously.

5. The submarine homing system of claim 1 wherein the at least two narrow-band tones of the acoustic signal are emitted sequentially.

6. The submarine homing system of claim 5 wherein the at least two narrow-band tones of the acoustic signal are emitted in a predetermined sequence having a selected repetition period.

7. The submarine homing system of claim 6 wherein the predetermined sequence encodes information.

8. The submarine homing system of claim 7 wherein the information comprises any one or more of:

a status indication, an identifier, and a command.

9. A method of submarine homing, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting an acoustic signal comprising at least two narrow-band tones, each narrow-band tone having a respective predetermined center frequency; and

in an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV);

receiving the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic emitter, and producing one or more receiver signals;

processing the receiver signals to calculate a direction between the acoustic receiver and the acoustic emitter; and

a control system causing the AUV to follow a desired path relative to the calculated direction between the acoustic receiver and the acoustic emitter.

10. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising emitting the respective predetermined center frequency of each narrow-band tone at less than 2000 Hz.

11. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising selecting the respective predetermined center frequency of a first one of the narrow-band tones to avoid interference with the respective predetermined center frequency of a second one of the narrow-band tones.

12. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising emitting the at least two narrow-band tones of the acoustic signal simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising emitting the at least two narrow-band tones of the acoustic signal sequentially.

14. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising emitting and repeating the at least two narrow-band tones of the acoustic signal in a predetermined sequence and having a selected repetition period.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising encoding information in the predetermined sequence of information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the information comprises any one or more of a status indication, an identifier, and a command.