METHOD FOR REAL-TIME DETERMINATION OF DEPTH DURING BOTTOM TOPOGRAPHY SURVEY WITH SIDE-SCAN SONAR Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC G01S15/89 

FIELD: physics, acoustics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to hydroacoustics. The method for real-time determination of depth during bottom topography survey with side-scan sonar, with subsequent reconstruction thereof, includes measuring the delay time of in-phase signals of bottom reverberation received by two antennae, spaced apart on the vertical by several wavelengths of elastic vibrations, and resolving measurement uncertainty, calculating depth, wherein to achieve the technical result, the instantaneous frequency of the signal in a lower channel is recorded each time phases interfering signals match, measuring the delay time of the appearance of a signal in the upper channel with the same instantaneous frequency value; multiplying the measured value of delay time with the value of the operational frequency of the interferometer; determining the sequence numbering of the series of measurements of the delay in arrival of in-phase signals in the period of each probing in real time; calculating depths which correspond to each interference band; and subsequent reconstruction of the bottom topography based on the depth measurements includes estimating representativeness (significance) critical points of the topography by presenting a smooth continuous surface of the bottom topography using a Kronrod-Rib tree. The side-scan sonar includes a probing pulse generator 1, a receiving-transmitting upper antenna 2, a time t_n measuring circuit 3, a receiving-transmitting lower antenna 4, an interferometer 5, a time Δt_n measuring circuit 6, a selector 7, a frequency detector 8, a reference generator 9, a storage device 10, an amplitude comparing circuit 11, a frequency detector 12, a computer 13, an antenna switch 14, a display and recording device 15.

EFFECT: high accuracy of determining depth using side-scan sonar and subsequent reconstruction of the bottom topography based on the depth measurements.

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