COMMUNICATION WITH AN UNDERWATER VEHICLE

摘要

A method of communicating with an underwater vehicle comprising a propulsion system for propelling the vehicle through the water. A series of data sets are encoded and transmitted to the underwater vehicle in a series of signal bursts, and decoded at the underwater vehicle. The propulsion system is operated in a series of thrust pulses separated by drift periods such that the propulsion system operates at a relatively high rate during the thrust pulses and at a relatively low (or zero) rate during the drift periods. The drift periods are timed such that each signal burst arrives at the underwater vehicle during a drift period and not during a thrust pulse. The method may be performed with a single vehicle or a plurality of underwater vehicles. The encoded data signals are broadcast simultaneously to the underwater vehicles in the series of signal bursts.

主权项

1. A method of communicating with an underwater vehicle, the underwater vehicle comprising a propulsion system for propelling the vehicle through the water, the method comprising:
a. encoding a series of data sets to produce a series of encoded data signals; b. transmitting the encoded data signals to the underwater vehicle in a series of signal bursts; c. operating the propulsion system in a series of thrust pulses separated by drift periods such that the propulsion system operates at a relatively high rate during the thrust pulses and at a relatively low (or zero) rate during the drift periods; d. timing the drift periods of the propulsion system such that each signal burst arrives at the underwater vehicle during a drift period and not during a thrust pulse; and e. decoding the signal bursts at the underwater vehicle to obtain the series of data sets.