Systems and methods for autonomous towing of an underwater sensor array

• US 9,778,388 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThayerMahan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ThayerMahan, Inc.
• Inventors: Connor, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kan, Yuri
• Application Number:
  US15/388,212
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3817 Positioning of seismic devices

Abstract

The methods and devices described herein provide a sensor array positioning system that may allow a user to program a series of sensor array locations, depths and orientations into a control center, which therein commands an unmanned surface or submarine vehicle which positions a sensor array. The devices comprise of an unmanned vehicle using less than about 20 Watts of power, a tow cables, a flexible sensor array comprising one or more sensors, one or more floats and one or more weights.

Claims

1. An unmanned system for towing a sensor array at a depth of at least 50 meters at a speed of at least 0.5 knots for an uninterrupted period of operation of more than 2 days, while operating within an average power consumption budget of less than 20 watts of power comprising:

a) an underwater assembly comprising a sensor array, a tow body, and a tow cable comprising a float and a weight, wherein the tow cable is attached to the tow body and the sensor array; and

b) an unmanned watercraft attached to the tow cable, wherein the unmanned watercraft is configured to tow the underwater assembly through water at the depth of at least 50 meters with sufficient force to overcome a drag of the underwater assembly while maintaining the speed of at least 0.5 knots;

wherein the unmanned watercraft transmits power to, and receives data from, the underwater assembly through the tow cable, and wherein the unmanned watercraft wirelessly receives instructions from, and communicates data to, a control station; and

wherein the unmanned system operates within the average power consumption budget of less than 20 watts of power for the uninterrupted period of operation of more than 2 days.

2. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the control station comprises a computer system comprising:

a) at least one processor;

b) a memory;

c) a cloud computer system; and

d) an operating system.

3. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned watercraft comprises a ship, a boat, an aerial drone, a hovercraft, a submarine, or any combination thereof.

4. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned watercraft comprises a digital signal processor comprising a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, or any combination thereof.

5. The unmanned system of claim 4, wherein the digital signal processor comprises a system for tampering prevention comprising encryption, cryptography, or any combination thereof.

6. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein a length of the tow cable is 100 feet to 1,000 feet.

7. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises:

a) an acoustic sensor;

or

b) a depth sensor comprising a water depth measuring device selected from a group consisting of;

a pressure sensor, a bathymeter, an echosounder, an ultrasound meter, and a laser distance meter.

8. The unmanned system of claim 7, wherein a length of the sensor array is 6 feet to 600 feet.

9. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the tow body has a mass of 1 pound to 100 pounds.

10. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the tow body has a drag coefficient of 0.1 to 2.3.

11. The unmanned system of claim 1, further comprising a tow cable direction sensor mounted to the unmanned watercraft.

12. The unmanned system of claim 1, provided that the unmanned system has an uninterrupted operation period of 3 days to 300 days.

13. The unmanned system of claim 1, provided that the unmanned watercraft uses less than 5 watts of power.

14. The unmanned system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned watercraft wirelessly receives navigational instructions from the control station by a process comprising:

a) a user programing a target parameter into the control station;

b) the control station calculating an operational instruction for the unmanned system;

c) the control station sending the operational instruction to the unmanned system;

d) the unmanned system receiving the operational instruction;

e) the unmanned system storing the operational instruction;

f) the unmanned system measuring a current position; and

g) the unmanned system modifying its position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the target parameter comprises:

a) a sensor array position;

b) a sensor array velocity;

c) a sensor array heading;

d) initiating sensor array measurement; and

e) ceasing sensor array measurement.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the operational instructions comprise:

a) an unmanned watercraft position;

b) an unmanned watercraft velocity;

c) an unmanned watercraft heading; and

d) a sensor array depth.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein a series of one or more target parameters can be programmed automatically by selecting a mode, wherein the mode comprises a pattern of target parameters, the modes comprising:

a) a transit mode;

b) an obstacle avoidance mode;

c) a debris disentanglement mode;

d) a trip wire mode; and

e) a searching mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transit mode comprises:

a) setting a sensor array velocity to a maximum value;

b) ceasing sensor array measurement;

or

c) any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the obstacle avoidance mode comprises:

a) setting a sensor array velocity to a minimum value;

b) setting a sensor array velocity to a maximum value;

c) ceasing sensor array measurement;

or

d) any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the debris disentanglement mode comprises:

a) setting a sensor array velocity to a minimum value;

b) setting a sensor array velocity to a maximum value;

c) setting a sensor array heading to one or more set values;

d) ceasing sensor array measurement;

or

e) any combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the trip wire mode comprises:

a) setting a sensor array position to a set value;

b) setting a sensor array velocity to a set value;

c) setting a sensor array heading to a set value;

d) initiating sensor array measurement;

or

e) any combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the searching mode comprises:

a) setting a sensor array position to a set value;

b) setting a sensor array velocity to a set value;

c) setting a sensor array heading to a set value;

d) initiating sensor array measurement;

or

e) any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the process of the unmanned system measuring the current position comprises:

a) measuring a location of the unmanned watercraft;

b) measuring a heading of the unmanned watercraft;

c) measuring a sensor array depth;

or

d) any combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the unmanned system communicating the current position to the control station.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the process of the unmanned system modifying its position comprises:

a) modifying a position of the unmanned watercraft;

b) modifying a velocity of the unmanned watercraft;

c) modifying a heading of the unmanned watercraft;

or

d) any combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising the unmanned system remeasuring its current position after a period of time.