# US 2016/0355247 A1 · Method and autonomous underwater vehicle able to maintain a planned arrangement

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- Number: US 2016/0355247 A1
- Document ID: US20160355247A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/117,858
- Filed: 2015-02-05
- Published: 2016-12-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-19
- Assignees: Cgg Services SAS
- Applicants: Cgg Services SA
- Inventors: Mohamed Saad IBN SEDDIK
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160355247A1

## CPC

- G05D 1/10: Simultaneous control of position or course in three dimensions (G05D1/12 takes precedence)
- B63G 8/14: Control of attitude or depth (of torpedoes F42B19/00)
- B63G 8/16: by direct use of propellers or jets
- G01V 1/3817: {Positioning of seismic devices}
- B63G 2008/004: {autonomously operating}
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B63G: OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (means of attack or defence in general, e.g. turrets F41H)
- G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective motion is defined by a heading and a thrust necessary to move the AUV toward the planned position.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more signals have individual signatures enabling the AUV to determine identity of each of the one or more AUVs emitting one of the one or more signals, a time of arrival corresponding to each of the one or more signals and an angle relative to a reference direction from which each of the one or more signals has arrived.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the estimating of the current position includes:
calculating each of one or more distances between the AUV and the one or more AUVs emitting the one or more signals, based on the time of arrival, respectively;
determining positions of each of the one or more AUVs relative to the AUV, using corresponding one of the distances and the angle, respectively;
calculating possible corrective motions based on the positions, respectively;
generating a box in a thrust versus heading space, the box covering representations of the possible corrective motions; and
selecting the corrective motion inside the box according to a predetermined rule.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
preserving an orientation of the AUV relative to the reference direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the planned formation arrangement is substantially horizontal, and the method further comprises:
maintaining a predetermined depth by the deployed AUVs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein
multiple among the AUVs are configured to detect the one or more signals, each of the multiple among the AUVs then automatically estimating a current position thereof and performing a respective corrective motion to adjust the current position thereof to better match a planned position thereof in the planned arrangement.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more among the deployed AUVs emit signals simultaneously at plural predetermined moments, the detecting of the one or more signals triggering the multiple among the AUVs to estimate the current position thereof relative to the one or more among the AUVs, and to perform the corrective motion.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the plural predetermined moments occur at a predetermined time interval.

### Claim 10

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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The AUV of claim 10, wherein the controller determines and sends to the motor, a heading and a thrust characterizing the corrective motion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The AUV of claim 10, wherein the one or more signals have individual signatures enabling the controller to determine identity of each of the one or more AUVs emitting one of the one or more signals, a time of arrival corresponding to each of the one or more signals and an angle relative to a reference direction from which each of the one or more signals has arrived.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The AUV of claim 12, wherein, to estimate the current position, the controller is configured:
to calculate distances between the AUV and each of the one or more AUVs emitting the one or more signals, using the time of arrival;
to determine positions of each of the one or more AUVs relative to the AUV, using corresponding one of the distances and the angle;
to calculate possible corrective motions based on the positions, respectively;
to generate a box in a thrust versus heading space, the box covering representations of the possible corrective motions; and
to select the corrective motion inside the box according to a predetermined rule.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The AUV of claim 12, further comprising at least one of:
a compass which allow tracking the reference direction; and
a timer synchronized with timers on the one or more AUVs emitting signals to measure traveling times of the one or more signals from the one or more AUVs to the AUV.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The AUV of claim 10, the AUV further comprising:
a depth maintaining mechanism configured to maintain a predetermined depth of the AUV.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The AUV of claim 10, the AUV further comprising:
a pinger configured to emit a signal at the predetermined time.

### Claim 17

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.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The controller of claim 17, wherein to automatically estimate the current position of the AUV relative to the one or more AUVs, the data processing unit is configured:
to calculate distances between the AUV and each of the one or more AUVs emitting the one or more signals, using the time of arrival;
to determine positions of each of the one or more AUVs relative to the AUV, using corresponding one of the distances and the angle;
to calculate possible corrective motions based on the positions, respectively;
to generate a box in a thrust versus heading space, the box covering representations of the possible corrective motions; and
to select the corrective motion inside the box according to a predetermined rule.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The controller of claim 17, wherein
the interface is further configured
to receive depth measurements from a depth measuring device,
to transmit the depth measurements to the data processing unit,
to receive depth adjusting commands received from the data processing unit, and
to transmit the depth adjusting commands to a depth adjusting mechanism of the AUV; and
the data processing unit is further configured to generate the depth adjusting commands based on the depth measurements.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The controller of claim 17, wherein
the interface is further configured to transmit a sound emitting command to a pinger attached to the AUV, triggering the pinger to emit a signal at the predetermined time.