Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S15/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. sonar systems
  • G01S15/74—Systems using reradiation of acoustic waves, e.g. IFF, i.e. identification of friend or foe
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S3/00—Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not having a directional significance, are being received
  • G01S3/80—Direction-finders for determining the direction from which infrasonic, sonic, ultrasonic, or electromagnetic waves, or particle emission, not having a directional significance, are being received using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves
  • G01S3/802—Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction
  • G01S3/808—Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction using transducers spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
  • G01S3/8083—Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction using transducers spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems determining direction of source
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S5/00—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
  • G01S5/18—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
  • G01S5/28—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S5/00—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations
  • G01S5/18—Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
  • G01S5/30—Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S19/00—Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
  • G01S19/38—Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system
  • G01S19/39—Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system the satellite radio beacon positioning system transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
  • G01S19/42—Determining position

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device and a system for the global acoustic positioning of underwater devices.
• GPS Global Positioning System
• the GPS comprises a space part comprising a constellation of satellites placed in orbit around the Earth and emitting electromagnetic signals, a part of control on the ground, composed of stations following and controlling these satellites, and a user part, military or civil. From the electromagnetic signals emitted, the absolute position of any receiver, placed at or near the earth's surface can be determined with an accuracy of the order of 10 to 15 meters for civil use. The receiver uses for this the data transmitted by four satellites placed in different orbits and therefore at different distances.
• the first three satellites allow a rough determination of the position including errors due to the offset between the clock of each of the satellites and that of the user, the fourth gives the actual instant of transmission of the signals.
• GPS has now established itself as the real-time navigation system to equip boats and vehicles due to the low cost of its receiver and its ease of use day and night.
• radio waves emitted by satellites do not propagate in marine environments where they are very quickly absorbed.
• GPS positioning of underwater receivers by GPS is not possible, other navigation and underwater positioning systems have emerged. These technologies mainly have in common the implementation of acoustic waves.
• a long baseline system which uses at least three acoustic beacons arranged at the bottom of the sea.
• the underwater receiver receives the acoustic signals coming from said beacons and determines its position by the principle of triangulation. Knowing the speed of sound propagation in the sea, the measurement of travel time of the signal emitted by each of the buoys gives the relative distance of said device with respect to each of the buoys.
• this system remains complex due to the difficulty and cost of installing beacons on the seabed. YOUNGBERG JW describes in US Patent 5,119,341 a method for extending GPS to underwater applications and in particular, for providing a navigation system to autonomous submarines.
• This system implements wandering buoys which determine their position like any other GPS user, transmit it through transducers to underwater vehicles seeking to determine their position.
• this system requires the implementation of at least three stray buoys so that the underwater vehicle can determine its position by triangulation while taking into account the possibility that signals coming from a buoy are not detected.
• these buoys do not allow precise positioning because the determination of the dynamic position of the underwater vehicle does not integrate external factors (sea state, wind, etc.) which can influence the position of each of the buoys. and what could translate from roll, pitch, heading and heave sensors.
• Acoustic underwater positioning systems are also known which use an ultra-short baseline system (USBL) to position underwater vehicles or targets, fixed or mobile, having a transponder.
• USBL ultra-short baseline system
• This system only involves a single transponder and a single acoustic antenna, of reduced surface area and comprising receiving elements.
• An acoustic or electrical interrogation is sent to the transponder which in return sends an acoustic response.
• This acoustic response is received by the receiving elements of the antenna, thus enabling the position of the transponder to be determined.
• the distance is calculated on the basis of the time elapsed between the emission of the interrogation signal and the reception of the acoustic response signal and the directions are deduced from the measurement of the phase differences in the reception of the response signal by the different elements. receptors.
• the acoustic antenna fixed or deployable, requires the use in parallel of an attitude sensor and a GPS to correct the movements of the antenna in area.
• the acoustic antenna is therefore difficult to transport and requires the mobilization of a ship.
• the respective positions, on board the ship, of the GPS antenna, of the attitude center and of the acoustic antenna of the USBL system with respect to the center of mass of the ship are such as corrections on the dynamic position. of the acoustic antenna are necessary considering the leverage effects between the acoustic antenna and the GPS antenna on the one hand, and the acoustic antenna and the attitude station on the other. In particular, these can be very important.
• a first object of the present invention is to propose a device and a method for global acoustic positioning, simple in their design and in their implementation, economical, without necessary calibration of said device, with very great underwater range, autonomous, highly integrated and easily transportable at the user's discretion and capable of supporting several targets simultaneously simultaneously, for determining the position of underwater devices equipped with a transponder.
• Another object of the present invention is the production of a global acoustic positioning system ("GAPS") allowing in a given maritime area to underwater devices to know their exact position.
• GAPS global acoustic positioning system
• the invention relates to a device for the global acoustic positioning of underwater devices comprising positioning means for geographically referencing said device and a transceiver of acoustic positioning signals.
• said acoustic signal transceiver is an ultra-short baseline system (USBL) which generates n first position measurements, where n is the number of underwater devices measured simultaneously, n being greater than or equal to 1,
• USBL ultra-short baseline system
• attitude measurement is meant a measurement of the orientation of said device in an inertial reference system, mathematically described by variables which are the heading, the roll and the pitch.
• the present invention also relates to the following characteristics which must be considered in isolation or in all their technically possible combinations:
• - n is equal to 6
• the means for restoring the movements of the device include an attitude unit
• the means for restoring the movements of the device include an inertial navigation center,
• the refresh frequency of the signals delivered by said means for restoring the movements of the device is greater than or equal to 10 Hz
• the device comprises a buoy
• the buoy comprises self-propelling means
• the device comprises mooring means
• the device comprises a transmitter / receiver of radioelectric signals
• the device comprises a transmitter / receiver of wired signals
• the device comprises means for supplying autonomous energy, the positioning means for geographically referencing said device comprise a GPS.
• the invention also relates to a global acoustic positioning system for underwater devices.
• said system comprises a set of acoustic positioning devices as described above. Each of these positioning devices is placed at a point in a network of points defined by the repetition of the same elementary mesh cutting out a sea area to be covered.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a global acoustic positioning device, according to an embodiment of the invention
• - Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a global acoustic positioning system, according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 2a) shows said system with its protective envelope
• FIG. 2b) schematically represents a section along the axis A - A of said system;
• the object of the invention is to determine with very high precision the dynamic position and the heading of underwater devices 1.
• underwater device 1 means any device 1 equipped with at least one transponder 2 capable of communicating with the global acoustic positioning device (GAPS) of the invention and advantageously of a receiver to receive its real position as determined by the positioning device, said device being able to navigate underwater to abyssal depths of 6000 m for example.
• GAPS global acoustic positioning device
• Examples of such devices are manned, remote-controlled or autonomous underwater vehicles, portable and individual beacons, etc.
• the global acoustic positioning device for underwater devices includes positioning means for geographically referencing its position ( Figure 1). These means may for example comprise a GPS receiver receiving radioelectric signals emitted by several satellites 3 of a GPS system, said receiver comprising a receiving antenna 4 and a built-in computer 5 determining precisely the absolute position of said device or a transceiver receiving signals transmitted from a land site or a ship equipped with a GPS, said signals giving a relative position of the device.
• the device comprises an ultra-short baseline system (USBL) 6.
• This acoustic transceiver 6 for positioning signals generates n first position measurements, where n is the number of underwater devices 1 measured simultaneously by said device. positioning with n greater than or equal to 1.
• the device is capable of simultaneously determining the position of at least two underwater devices 1.
• six underwater devices 1 can be jointly processed in real time by the acoustic positioning device.
• the USBL 6 type acoustic signal transceiver comprises a reduced diameter antenna, typically 300 mm, comprising four reception hydrophones 7 arranged, for example orthogonally to one another, on the periphery of the antenna and a transmission transducer 8 placed in the center of the antenna.
• the emission transducer emits acoustic interrogations at regular time intervals, typically at a frequency of the order of 16 kHz for a range of 6000 m and up to 40 kHz for a range, lower, of 1000 m.
• the transponder 2 When an underwater device 1 enters the transducer coverage area, the transponder 2 with which it is equipped in return emits an acoustic response if the latter 2 is placed in active location mode. This acoustic response is received by the receiving hydrophones 7 of the antenna, thus making it possible to determine the position of the transponder 2.
• Electronic means comprising a transmission support card 9 control the USBL system 6.
• the overall acoustic positioning device also comprises means for restoring the movements of the device 10 delivering signals comprising at least one attitude measurement of said device in an inertial reference system ( Figures 1 and 2 b).
• These restitution means 10 comprise either an attitude center or an inertial navigation center.
• said central includes for example 3 fiber optic gyroscopes, 3 accelerometers and calculation cards which advantageously allow the calculation of the position and the maintenance of this position of the device during a masking of the constellation of GPS satellites.
• the refresh frequency of the signals delivered by said means for restoring the movements of the device 10 is greater than or equal to 10 Hz.
• the processing means 11 On reception of said signals, the processing means 11 synchronize the acquisitions of the set of measurements.
• the acoustic signals are for example delivered by a Tx Rx card.
• the processing means 11 in real time determine, upon receipt of all of these measurements, the actual position of the underwater appliance (s) 1 present in the coverage area or their relative position in the absence of absolute positioning means .
• These processing means 11 take into account the variations in the speed of propagation of the sound between the position of the device and that of the transponder 2 of the underwater apparatus 1, said variations being due to variations in the salinity, the temperature of water and pressure.
• the device comprises means for transmitting the actual position of the underwater appliance (s) 1 in and / or out of the water.
• these means comprise a transmitter / receiver of radioelectric signals.
• they comprise a wired signal transmitter / receiver 12.
• the acoustic positioning device can be implemented in different ways. It can be a box fixed on a platform or a buoy for example. This buoy can be drifting or have self-propelling means. In the latter case, the buoy can be guided or programmed to come to position itself in a precise geographical point for example. This buoy may also have mooring means and energy supply means 13 for making said buoy autonomous.
• the respective positions of the means for restoring the movements of the device 10 and of the transceiver 6 of acoustic signals with respect to the center of mass of said device are such that the lever arm effect between said restoring means 10 and said transmitter -Receiver 6 is zero for the determination of the real position of the underwater device 1.
• the lever arm is not negligible, it is calibrated during the manufacture of the positioning device and it does not is not necessary to take this into account later.
• the invention also relates to a global acoustic positioning system for underwater devices 1.
• This system comprises a set of acoustic positioning devices as described above. Each of these positioning devices is placed at a given point in a sea area to be covered. These points are defined by the repetition of the same elementary mesh thus dividing the sea area into a network of points. Said network of points is therefore defined as a regular arrangement of points in the plane of the surface of the sea area. Each point being connected to another in a direction given by the length of the elementary mesh and in a direction perpendicular to that here, by the width of said elementary mesh.
• FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention with a drifting buoy of global acoustic positioning.
• Figure 2 a) shows said buoy without its floats with its protective cover 14, made of stainless steel for example.
• Figure 2 b) schematically shows a section along the axis A - A of said buoy.
• This buoy comprises an antenna 4 and a GPS receiver 5, means for restoring the movements of the device 10, an acoustic signal transmitter-receiver 6 which is a USBL system.
• This system comprises four reception hydrophones 7 and a transmission transducer 8 placed at the center of the USBL system 6.
• Electronic means comprising a transmission support card 9 ensuring the control of the USBL 6 system.
• the typical dimensions of this buoy are a total height H of 400 mm, a USBL antenna diameter of 300mm, a cover diameter of 240 mm and a height h of the protective casing of 280 mm.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Measurement Of Velocity Or Position Using Acoustic Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
• Position Fixing By Use Of Radio Waves (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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• 2003
  • 2003-02-19 FR FR0350028A patent/FR2851340B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2004
  • 2004-02-18 US US10/546,243 patent/US20060178829A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-02-18 EP EP04712091A patent/EP1613979A2/de not_active Ceased
  • 2004-02-18 WO PCT/FR2004/050065 patent/WO2004074861A2/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2005
  • 2005-09-07 NO NO20054165A patent/NO20054165D0/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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