Multiple autonomous underwater vehicle systems and methods
AssigneeSeaTrepid DeepSea LLC
InventorsRobert Douglas Christ, David Earl Selby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are operated by a host platform by configuring the AUVs with intermediate nodes (such as unmanned surface vehicles (USVs)) so as to allow the host platform to manage multiple AUVs. The intermediate nodes act as a relay for communications between the host platform and the AUVs allowing the host platform to scale to higher numbers of vehicles thus simultaneously operating the entire fleet of AUVs. The AUVs may provide underwater mapping data. The host platform may be stationary. The host platform may communicate with the intermediate nodes by satellite.
Claims33
A system for exploration of an underwater region, the system comprising:
- a host platform;
- multiple intermediate nodes;
- and multiple autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs, wherein
- the host platform and the intermediate nodes communicate via a first communications protocol, and wherein
- the intermediate nodes and the AUVs communicate via a second communications protocol, distinct from said first communications protocol, and wherein said host platform communicates with said AUVs via said intermediate nodes, and wherein
- aspects of said exploration comprise at least some of the AUVs using sonar to actively scan portions of said underwater region independent of the intermediate nodes and the host platform,
- wherein a sonar for a particular AUV detects reflected sound waves originating at or emitted from the particular AUV.
A method for exploration of an underwater region, the method comprising:
- (A) providing (i) a host platform, (ii) multiple intermediate nodes, and (iii) multiple autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs;
- and
- (B) the AUVs independently and actively scanning portions of said underwater region, wherein the scanning by an AUV uses at least one sensor mechanism that actively transmits and operates independently of the host platform, the intermediate nodes, and of other AUVs, and
- wherein a particular sensor mechanism of the at least one sensor mechanism associated with an AUV senses information based on or using active transmission from the AUV, and
- wherein at least some of the AUVs perform aspects of the exploration independent of the host platform and the intermediate nodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.