Method and autonomous underwater vehicle able to maintain a planned arrangement
AssigneeCgg Services SAS
InventorMohamed Saad IBN SEDDIK
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Abstract
Methods and devices are configured to maintain a planned arrangement of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). An AUV performs a corrective motion to adjust its current position relative to other AUVs emitting signals, so that the AUV's corrected position matches a planned position of the AUV in the planned arrangement better than its current position. The corrective motion is determined based on the location of the AUVs whose emitted signals are detected by the AUV.
Claims20
A method for maintaining a planned arrangement of autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs, deployed in water, the method comprising:
- detecting, by an autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV, among the AUVs, one or more signals emitted at a predetermined moment by one or more among the AUVs, respectively;
- automatically estimating a current position of the AUV relative to the one or more AUVs, based on the detected one or more signals;
- and
- performing a corrective motion to adjust the current position to better match a planned position of the AUV in the planned arrangement,
- wherein any of the one or more AUVs emitting has potentially drifted to be away from a respective planned position in the planned arrangement, at the predetermined moment.
An autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV, usable in a planned arrangement of autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs, deployed in water, the AUV comprising:
- a body hosting a motor able to move the body horizontally;
- a vector receiver attached to the body and configured to detect one or more signals emitted at a predetermined time by one or more among the deployed AUVs;
- and
- a controller configured
- to automatically estimate a current position of the body relative to the planned arrangement, based on the detected one or more signals, and
- to control the motor to perform a corrective motion to adjust the current position to better match a planned position of the AUV in the planned arrangement,
- wherein any of the one or more among the deployed AUVs emitting the signals has potentially drifted being away from a respective planned position in the planned arrangement, at the predetermined time.
A controller configured to control a motor of an autonomous underwater vehicle, AUV, usable in a planned arrangement of autonomous underwater vehicles, AUVs, the controller comprising:
- an interface configured
- to receive data related to one or more signals emitted at a predetermined time by one or more among the deployed AUVs, the one or more signals being detected by a vector receiver attached to the AUV, and
- to transmit commands to a motor able to move the AUV horizontally;
- and
- a data processing unit configured
- to automatically estimate a current position of the AUV relative to the one or more AUVs, based on the data, and
- to generate the commands directing the motor to perform a corrective motion to adjust the current position to better match a planned position of the AUV in the planned arrangement,
- wherein any of the one or more among the deployed AUVs emitting the one or more signals, has potentially drifted being away from a respective planned position in the planned arrangement, at the predetermined time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.