Systems and method for unmanned undersea sensor position, orientation, and depth keeping

• US 9,791,862 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThayerMahan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ThayerMahan, Inc.
• Inventors: Connor, Michael Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/387,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/008 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/62 characterised by moving of more than one vessel rigid interconnections between pontoons B63B35/38
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/66 Equipment specially adapted for towing underwater objects or vessels, e.g. fairings for tow-cables paravanes for dragging fishing nets A01K73/02; salvaging underwater vessels or objects B63C7/00; towed underwater vessels B63G8/42
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 35/00 Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/201 Constructional details of seismic cables, e.g. streamers integrated optoseismic systems G01V1/226; line connectors in general H01R, transducer mountings in general G10K11/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/3843 Deployment of seismic devices, e.g. of streamers equipment for marine deployment in general B63B
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2001/207 Buoyancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0055 with safety arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0206 specially adapted to water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/048 specially adapted for water vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0875 specially adapted to water vehicles

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 two or more unmanned surface or submarine vehicles which positions one or more sensor arrays. The devices consist of at least two unmanned vehicles, two or more tow cables, a flexible sensor array comprising one or more sensors, and one or more buoyancy engines. The unmanned vehicles may consist of a master vehicle and one or more slave vehicles, wherein the master vehicle commands the one or more slave vehicles.

Claims

1. A sensor array positioning system comprising:

a) a sensor array having a first end and a second end;

b) two or more unmanned watercrafts;

c) at least two tow cables, each having a proximal end and a distal end; and

d) a control station which directs the watercrafts;

provided that the system has an uninterrupted operation period of about 2 days to about 300 days.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more watercrafts are connected by the sensor array, a primary tow cable, and a secondary tow cable.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the proximal end of the primary tow cable is attached to a first watercraft, wherein the distal end of the primary tow cable is attached to the first end of the sensor array, wherein the distal end of the secondary tow cable is attached to the second end of the sensor array, and wherein the proximal end of the secondary tow cable is attached to a subsequent watercraft.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the watercrafts connected by the sensor array, the primary tow cable, and the secondary tow cable form an open chain, a closed loop, or a reticulum.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control station is a computer system comprising:

a) a processor;

b) a memory;

c) a cloud computer system; and

d) an operating system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the watercrafts comprise a master watercraft and one or more slave watercrafts, wherein the control system communicates with the master watercraft, which commands one or more slave watercrafts.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the watercrafts comprise a ship, a boat, an aerial drone, a hovercraft, a submarine, or any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantity of watercrafts is about 2 to about 10,000.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one watercraft contains a digital signal processor, and wherein the digital signal processor contains a system for tampering prevention.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the length of the tow cable is at least about 50 feet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the tow cable is about 0.5 millimeters to about 9 millimeters.

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

a) an acoustic sensor;

b) an electromagnetic sensor;

or

c) a depth sensor.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the length of the sensor array is about 6 feet to about 600 feet.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a buoyancy engine, wherein the buoyancy engine is attached to at least one of:

the sensor array and one of the at least two tow cables.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the quantity of buoyancy engines is about 2 to about 300.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the watercrafts comprise a tow cable direction sensor.

17. The system of claim 1, configured to position the sensor array at a depth of about 1 foot to about 1,000 feet.

18. A method of localizing a submerged sensor array comprising:

a) a user programming a target parameter into a control station;

b) the control station calculating an operational instruction;

c) the control station sending the operational instruction to a sensor array positioning system;

d) the sensor array positioning system receiving the operational instruction;

e) the sensor array positioning system storing the operational instruction;

f) the sensor array positioning system measuring a current position, arrangement, and sensor array depth;

g) the sensor array positioning system modifying the current position and arrangement without a pilot; and

h) the sensor array positioning system modifying the sensor array depth;

wherein a master watercraft is commanded by a control station, and wherein the master watercraft directs a slave watercraft.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the target parameter comprises:

a) a sensor array position;

b) a sensor array velocity;

c) a sensor array heading;

d) a sensor array depth;

e) a separation distance between two adjacent watercrafts;

f) initiating sensor array measurement;

or

g) ceasing sensor array measurement.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the operational instruction comprises:

a) a watercraft position;

b) a watercraft velocity;

c) a watercraft heading;

or

d) a buoyancy engine buoyancy.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein a series of one or more target parameters is programmed automatically by selecting a mode from a plurality of modes comprising patterns of target parameters for:

a) transit;

b) obstacle avoidance;

c) debris disentanglement;

d) surveillance; and

e) search.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of the sensor array positioning system measuring a current position, arrangement, and sensor array depth further comprises:

a) measuring a position of the master watercraft or the slave watercraft;

b) measuring a heading of the master watercraft or the slave watercraft;

c) measuring a tow cable direction;

or

d) any combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of the sensor array positioning system modifying the current position and arrangement comprises:

a) modifying a position of the master watercraft or the slave watercraft;

b) modifying a velocity of the master watercraft or the slave watercraft;

c) modifying a heading of the master watercraft or the slave watercraft;

d) modifying a buoyancy of one or more buoyancy engines;

or

e) any combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising the sensor array positioning system remeasuring its current position after a period of time.