METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING TIME OF PROPAGATION OF ACOUSTIC SIGNAL BETWEEN UNDERWATER OBJECTS Russian patent published in 2021 - IPC G01S15/00 

FIELD: communication.

SUBSTANCE: area of application: invention relates to the field of hydroacoustic communication, control and navigation and can be used to determine the time of propagation of an acoustic signal between objects separated by an aqueous medium, conducting information exchange of command control signals by the "request-response" system. Substance: the time of propagation of an acoustic signal between underwater objects is determined based on the measurement of the time interval between the transmission of control command signals from the first object wherein the time of propagation is determined to the second object and the reception on the first object of signals of acknowledgement of the reception and execution of the corresponding commands on the second object. The time interval from the moment of the control command signal arriving to the second object to the moment of transmission of the acknowledgement signal from said object is an a priori unknown variable. Sequences of numbered code combinations of block correction codes detecting errors are used as control command signals (A signals) and acknowledgement signals (B signals). A possibility of monitoring the quality of transmission of control command signals in the forward and reverse directions at the first object is additionally implemented in the system for information exchange between objects.

EFFECT: ensured transmission of a signal from the second object not upon receiving the control command signal, but after execution thereof, and elimination of the influence of a priori uncertainty in the estimation of the delay between the arrival of a signal to the second object and the transmission of a response signal from said object to the first object on determining the time of propagation of an acoustic signal between objects.

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