Title:
IDENTIFICATION, DETECTION AND POSITIONING OF UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC REFLECTORS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2012/101423
Kind Code:
A2
Abstract:
A method of identifying and locating an acoustic reflector is described by interrogating underwater objects with a sonar and deploying one or more of the steps of a. identifying objects that apparently reflect the acoustic interrogation with a double echo, measuring the separation of the two echoes and comparing those measurements with anticipated measurements for underwater acoustic reflectors that may be present in the search area, and accepting or rejecting the reflected acoustic wave as potentially including the echo from the front of such an acoustic reflector and the echo from the shell at the rear of the reflector; b. measuring the target strength of the echoes in a double echo received from an object and rejecting the object as one of interest if the target strength in the first echo of a double echo exceeds that of the second echo; c. measuring the total target strength of an echo from an object, the object being rejected as being a potential underwater acoustic reflector of interest if the target strength is less than a predetermined minimum; d. measuring the acoustic width of an object and comparing that with the acoustic width of known acoustic reflectors, the object being rejected as being potentially an underwater acoustic reflector of interest if the acoustic width is not that of a known underwater acoustic reflector; e. measuring the frequency response of an object, the object being accepted or rejected as being potentially an acoustic reflector of interest if the frequency response corresponds to the known frequency response of such an underwater reflector; and f. measuring the phase response of an object, the object being accepted or rejected as potentially an underwater acoustic reflector of interest if the phase response corresponds to the known phase response of such an underwater acoustic reflector. The target is being rejected as being an acoustic reflector of interest if the measured characteristics do not match the known characteristics of a reflector of interest. The selected steps can be carried out sequentially, concurrently or a mixture of the two. The selected steps may be repeated carried out several times (typically at least three). The results of each repetition are compared before a potential target reflector is selected as being one of interest. The technique allows the location of underwater structures and pipelines to be mapped.
Inventors:
SYMES LISA JANE (GB)
TILTMAN CARL PETER (GB)
TILTMAN CARL PETER (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2012/050096
Publication Date:
August 02, 2012
Filing Date:
January 18, 2012
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SUBSEA ASSET LOCATION TECH LTD (GB)
SYMES LISA JANE (GB)
TILTMAN CARL PETER (GB)
SYMES LISA JANE (GB)
TILTMAN CARL PETER (GB)
International Classes:
G01V1/38
Domestic Patent References:
| WO2011012877A2 | 2011-02-03 |
Foreign References:
| GB2458810A | 2009-10-07 | |||
| GB2011051298W | 2011-07-11 | |||
| GB2011051299W | 2011-07-11 |
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
BECKHAM, Robert William (Lake RoadPortishead, Somerset BS20 7JA, GB)
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