Subarray matching beamformer apparatus and method
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsThomas Barnard, Manuel Fernandez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of beam forming an array (60), by computer processing a cross covariance (30), of the reference sub array seismic signal data signal (120), by having an unknown shape comprising receiving acoustic signals (120), via the aray (100), and computing the date (20) and segmenting the array into an initial segment of a known shape and at least a second segment (44), and beam forming the initial segment to provide a beam formed output (60), and using the beam formed output to obtain weights (24), for the second segment of the array.
Claims14
A method of beam forming an array of acoustic sensors having an unknown shape comprising:
- receiving acoustic signals via said array;
- segmenting the array into an initial segment of acoustic sensors, said initial segment having a known shape, and at least a second segment of acoustic sensors of said array, said initial segment having a length less than the length of the corresponding at least second sepment of said array;
- beam forming the initial segment to provide a beam formed output;
- and
- using said beam formed output to obtain weights for the at least second segment of the array.
(canceled)
A method of locating an object emitting acoustic signals comprising:
- receiving acoustic signals from the object via an array of acoustic elements;
- segmenting said array into a first portion of acoustic sensors, said first portion having a known linear shape, and at least a second portion of acoustic sensors of said aray, said first portion having a length less than the length of the corresponding at least second portion of said array;
- beam forming the first portion of the array;
- determining weights associated with said at least said second portion such that a beam formed output of at least said second portion approximates the beam formed output of the first portion;
- and
- applying said determined weights to said second portion of said array.
In an acoustic detection system comprising an array of hydrophones, a method of determining adaptive weights for a given subarray within said array of hydrophones comprising:
- partitioning said array into a sequence of subarrays, including a reference subarray comprising a substantially straight line segment of hydrophones, and at least one other subarray of hydrophones, said reference subarray having a length less than the length of the corresponding at least one other subarray;
- beam forming said reference subarray of hydrophones to obtain a weight vector associated with said reference subarray;
- and
- using said weight vector of said referenced subarray to form an adaptive weight vector associated with at least one of said sequence of other subarrays.
In an acoustic detection system comprising an array of acoustic sensors, a method of determining adaptive weights for said array, said method comprising:
- receiving acoustic signals via said array;
- partitioning said array into a first portion of acoustic sensors, said first portion having a known shape, and at least a second portion of acoustic sensors of said array, said first portion having a length less than the length of the corresponding at least second portion of said array;
- performing autocovariance processing of data samples indicative of said acoustic signals received at said first portion to obtain a first weight vector associated with said first portion;
- generating a cross-covariance matrix using data samples indicative of said acoustic signals received at said first portion and data samples indicative of said acoustic signals received at said at least second portion;
- generating an autocovariance matrix using said data samples received at said at least second portion;
- and
- determining an adaptive weight vector based on said first weight vector, said cross-covariance matrix and said autocovariance matrix.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.