Submarine cable positioning method, device, computer equipment and computer program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of submarine cable monitoring technology, and in particular to a submarine cable positioning method, device, computer equipment and storage medium, including controlling multiple acoustic wave signal generators to send test signals respectively, and recording the sending time of the test signals to obtain first time data; the test signal is an acoustic wave signal of a preset frequency; monitoring the sensor optical fiber built into the submarine cable; determining the submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable; recording the time when the waveform of the preset frequency is monitored at the submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data; determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators. The sensor optical fiber is set inside the submarine cable, and there is no need to add auxiliary positioning equipment to the submarine cable body. It can be distributed along the submarine cable, and the equipment and labor installation costs are low. In combination with the submarine cable positioning method provided by the present disclosure, the precise positioning of the submarine cable installation position can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of submarine cable monitoring, and in particular to a submarine cable positioning method, device, computer equipment and computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Submarine cables play a crucial role in offshore power transmission, widely used for island power supply, independent grid connection, offshore wind farm power output, offshore oil platform power supply, and power transmission across rivers and straits. After laying, submarine cables are often affected by factors such as the course of the laying vessel, geological changes, and ocean currents. This can cause the actual installation position of the cable to deviate from the designed position, failing to meet high-precision requirements. Therefore, achieving high-precision positioning and monitoring of submarine cables has become a challenge. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a submarine cable positioning method, device, computer equipment and computer program product to solve the problem of how to achieve high-precision positioning and monitoring of submarine cables.

[0004] A submarine cable positioning method includes controlling multiple acoustic wave signal generators to respectively transmit test signals, and recording the transmission time of the test signals to obtain first time data; wherein the test signal is an acoustic wave signal of a preset frequency; monitoring a sensing optical fiber built into a submarine cable; determining a submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable; recording the time when a waveform of the preset frequency is monitored at the submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data; and determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data, and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators.

[0005] In one embodiment, determining the submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable includes recording a distribution curve of the acoustic wave signal along the submarine cable distance when the first waveform of the preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber; and determining the optical fiber distance point that meets the preset conditions in the distribution curve as the submarine cable positioning point.

[0006] In one embodiment, determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators includes calculating the time difference data from the sending of the test signal by the acoustic wave signal generator to the monitoring of the waveform of the preset frequency on the sensing optical fiber based on the first time data and the second time data; calculating the distance data of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic wave signal generators based on the propagation speed of the test signal and the time difference data; and determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators and the distance data.

[0007] In one embodiment, at least three of the acoustic wave signal generators are controlled to send test signals respectively.

[0008] In one embodiment, after determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators, the method further includes changing the positions of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators, re-controlling the multiple acoustic wave signal generators to send the test signals respectively, obtaining multiple sets of different position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning points, and locating the path of the submarine cable.

[0009] A submarine cable positioning device comprises a plurality of acoustic wave signal generators for sending a test signal according to a control signal and recording the sending time of the test signal to obtain first time data; wherein the test signal is an acoustic wave signal of a preset frequency; an optical fiber monitoring host connected to a sensing optical fiber built into a submarine cable, for monitoring the sensing optical fiber, and for recording the time when a waveform of the preset frequency is detected at a submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data; a submarine cable positioning platform respectively connected to the optical fiber monitoring host and the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators, for outputting a control signal, for determining a submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable, and for determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators.

[0010] In one embodiment, the optical fiber monitoring host includes a waveform monitoring unit for monitoring the sensing optical fiber; a waveform recording unit connected to the waveform monitoring unit for recording the distribution curve of the acoustic wave signal along the submarine cable distance when the first waveform of the preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber; a waveform analysis unit connected to the waveform recording unit for determining the optical fiber distance point that meets the preset conditions in the distribution curve as the submarine cable positioning point.

[0011] In one embodiment, the submarine cable positioning platform includes a data acquisition unit for acquiring the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators; a positioning point determination unit, connected to the data acquisition unit, for determining the submarine cable positioning point according to the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber; a data analysis unit, connected to the data acquisition unit, for calculating the time difference data from the sending of the test signal by the acoustic wave signal generator to the monitoring of the waveform of the preset frequency on the sensing optical fiber according to the first time data and the second time data, and for calculating the distance data of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic wave signal generators according to the propagation speed of the test signal and the time difference data, and for determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point according to the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators and the distance data.

[0012] A computer device includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor implements the steps of the submarine cable positioning method described in any one of the above embodiments when executing the computer program.

[0013] A computer program product comprises a computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer program implements the steps of the submarine cable positioning method described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0014] The above-mentioned submarine cable positioning method controls multiple acoustic signal generators to send test signals and records the sending time of the test signals. The test signal is an acoustic signal of a preset frequency. The built-in sensing optical fiber of the submarine cable is monitored to determine the submarine cable positioning point and record the time when the waveform of the preset frequency is monitored at the submarine cable positioning point. According to the recorded time data, the distance of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic signal generators can be calculated by an algorithm, and the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point can be accurately obtained according to the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic signal generators. The sensing optical fiber is arranged inside the submarine cable, and there is no need to add auxiliary positioning equipment to the submarine cable body. It can be distributed along the submarine cable, and the equipment and labor installation costs are low. The sensing optical fiber is a passive device and is less affected by environmental factors such as electromagnetic interference. Therefore, it does not require regular maintenance and can also monitor the entire cable path. In combination with the submarine cable positioning method provided by the present invention, the precise positioning of the submarine cable installation position can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the implementation methods of this specification or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the implementation methods or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some implementation methods recorded in this specification. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative labor.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a method flow of a submarine cable positioning method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a method for determining a submarine cable positioning point in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a method for determining the position coordinates of a submarine cable positioning point in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of three acoustic wave signal generators in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a theoretical method for determining the position coordinates of a submarine cable positioning point in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a submarine cable positioning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of a submarine cable positioning system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a computer device in one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure.

[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms used in this specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0026] The existing submarine cable positioning technology mainly includes the following methods:

[0027] 1. Side-scan sonar detection method. When the sonar signal hits the seabed, it reflects back to the sonar. By converting the acoustic signal into an electrical signal and transmitting it to a recording unit, the system records the intensity of the backscattered echo from the seabed. Based on the echo intensity, a sonar image with varying grayscales is generated, creating a topographic map of the seabed. The cable path is then detected based on this topographic map. However, this detection method has high requirements for the sea surface environment during operation and cannot accurately detect submarine cables that are not exposed on the seabed and have no traces of buried cables.

[0028] 2. Marine magnetometer detection method. Due to the significant physical differences between submarine cables and the surrounding medium in the sea area where they are laid, and the strong enough magnetic anomalies generated by the cable's structure and the current signal transmission process to clearly distinguish them from the magnetic background, marine magnetometers can be used to locate submarine cables. However, this detection method is significantly affected by metal waste on the seabed, and in deep waters, if the magnetometer towfish cannot sink within the cable's magnetic anomaly, accurate detection cannot be achieved.

[0029] 3. Geophone secondary positioning detection method. Geophones are installed on the submarine cable and laid simultaneously with the cable. The initial placement is recorded by the navigation system. After the cable is laid, acoustic secondary positioning and first-arrival secondary positioning are performed to calculate the cable position and complete the cable path positioning. However, this method requires secondary positioning after the entire cable is laid, and first-arrival positioning requires instruments to record seismic data, making the processing process relatively cumbersome.

[0030] 4. Acoustic beacon and buoy detection method. Acoustic beacons are installed on submarine cables, and buoys form a buoy measurement array on the water surface. The relative positions of the acoustic beacons and buoys are calculated through information exchange between the acoustic beacons and buoys. Finally, the absolute position of the acoustic beacon is calculated based on the absolute position of the buoy, thus determining the absolute position of the submarine cable. However, the auxiliary positioning equipment needs to be numbered and paired to determine the corresponding position of the submarine cable during subsequent operation and maintenance, which increases the equipment and labor installation costs.

[0031] As can be seen, current submarine cable positioning methods generally require the addition of auxiliary positioning equipment to the cable itself, resulting in complex operational processes and high equipment and labor costs. Furthermore, these auxiliary positioning devices typically require power to operate, necessitating regular maintenance. As point-based devices, these devices cannot accurately locate the cable installation location. Furthermore, some detection equipment has high environmental requirements and is susceptible to interference.

[0032] In order to solve the problem that high-precision positioning and monitoring of submarine cables cannot be achieved, the present disclosure provides a submarine cable positioning method, which uses distributed optical fiber sensing technology to perform high-precision positioning of submarine cables.

[0033] Figure 1 1 is a flow chart of a method for locating a submarine cable in one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the method for locating a submarine cable may include the following steps S100 to S500.

[0034] Step S100: controlling multiple sound wave signal generators to respectively send test signals, and recording the sending time of the test signals to obtain first time data; wherein the test signal is a sound wave signal of a preset frequency.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an apparatus for implementing a method for locating a submarine cable may include a plurality of acoustic signal generators, an optical fiber monitoring host, a submarine cable positioning platform, and a sensor optical fiber built into the submarine cable. The sensor optical fiber may be a single-mode optical fiber built into the submarine cable. The submarine cable positioning platform controls the plurality of acoustic signal generators to send test signals respectively, wherein the test signal may be an acoustic signal of a preset frequency. When the submarine cable positioning platform controls the plurality of acoustic signal generators to send test signals, a certain time interval may be provided between the time when each two acoustic signal generators send test signals, so as to distinguish which acoustic signal generator sent the test signal detected at the sensor optical fiber. When each acoustic signal generator sends a test signal, it records the time when the signal is sent as the first time data. The first time data includes the start time when each acoustic signal generator sends the test signal.

[0036] In some other embodiments, multiple acoustic signal generators may be configured to send test signals simultaneously, and each acoustic signal generator may be configured to send acoustic signals of different frequencies to distinguish between the multiple acoustic signal generators. Alternatively, multiple acoustic signal generators may be configured to send test signals at different intervals, and each acoustic signal generator may be configured to send acoustic signals of different frequencies to distinguish between the multiple acoustic signal generators. The specific frequencies of the acoustic signals sent by the multiple acoustic signal generators and the intervals between the acoustic signal generators sending the signals may be set by the submarine cable positioning platform. In actual applications, the values ​​of the above parameters may be adjusted according to test requirements.

[0037] Step S200: monitoring the sensor optical fiber built into the submarine cable.

[0038] The fiber optic monitoring host is connected to the sensing fiber built into the submarine cable to monitor the sensing fiber in real time. The fiber optic monitoring host collects waveforms on the sensing fiber and performs real-time analysis on the waveforms on the sensing fiber.

[0039] Step S300: Determine a submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable.

[0040] Due to the long physical dimensions of the submarine cable, there may be a large difference between the coordinates of the head and tail positions of the submarine cable, making it difficult to locate the distribution coordinates of the entire submarine cable at one time. Therefore, when the test requirement is to determine the location of a certain point or area on the submarine cable, only one or more points on the submarine cable can be located; when the test requirement is to find the path of the entire submarine cable, one or more points on the submarine cable can be located first. After changing the test position and repeating it multiple times, the entire submarine cable can be located.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the submarine cable positioning points focused on in this monitoring may be determined according to a predetermined submarine cable positioning point selection method.

[0042] For example, when a waveform of a preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, the point with the highest signal strength in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber at this time can be defined as the submarine cable positioning point. During this positioning operation, the signal received at the submarine cable positioning point is monitored to obtain the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point. By changing the position of the sound signal generator, the position with the strongest signal strength when the first waveform of the preset frequency appears is redefined as a new submarine cable positioning point. Repeating the above operation multiple times can achieve the overall path finding and positioning of the submarine cable. It is also possible to pre-set some detection points before the positioning test, each of which serves as the submarine cable positioning point. During the positioning test, each detection point is positioned in turn according to the pre-set test sequence, thereby achieving the overall segmented detection of the submarine cable.

[0043] The above-mentioned method for selecting the submarine cable positioning point is only a partial exemplary implementation method for determining the submarine cable positioning point in the present disclosure, and it should not be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent.

[0044] Step S400: Record the time when a waveform of a preset frequency is monitored at a submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data.

[0045] After the submarine cable positioning point is determined, the signal received at the location of the submarine cable positioning point is monitored, and the time when the waveform of each preset frequency appears at the submarine cable positioning point is recorded to obtain second time data.

[0046] Step S500: determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point according to the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of a plurality of acoustic wave signal generators.

[0047] Based on the first time data and the second time data, the distance of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic signal generators can be calculated. Simultaneously, based on the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic signal generators and the distances of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic signal generators, the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point can be accurately obtained through an algorithm.

[0048] In the submarine cable positioning method provided by the present disclosure, the sensing optical fiber is laid inside the submarine cable. The sensing optical fiber can be distributed along the submarine cable without adding auxiliary positioning equipment to the submarine cable body. Unlike positioning equipment, the sensing optical fiber does not require additional installation and coding pairing. Moreover, the sensing optical fiber is a passive device that is less affected by environmental factors such as electromagnetic interference, so it does not require regular maintenance, and the equipment and labor installation costs are low. The sensing optical fiber is a distributed positioning device that only needs to be used in conjunction with an acoustic signal generator to detect the submarine cable path. It uses less equipment and is simple to operate. In conjunction with the submarine cable positioning method provided by the present disclosure, it is possible to accurately locate the installation position of the submarine cable and obtain the complete cable path.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of a method for determining a submarine cable positioning point in one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, when a waveform of a preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, determining the submarine cable positioning point may include the following steps S310 to S320.

[0050] Step S310: When a waveform of a first preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, a distribution curve of the acoustic wave signal along the distance from the submarine cable is recorded.

[0051] Step S320: determining the optical fiber distance point that meets the preset conditions in the distribution curve as the submarine cable positioning point.

[0052] During positioning tests, multiple acoustic signal generators emit test signals at preset frequencies. These generators are typically located at varying distances from the submarine cable, and the submarine cable is also distributed differently along its length. Therefore, the test signals from different acoustic signal generators have varying intensities when propagated to different locations on the submarine cable. To accurately locate the submarine cable, the location on the submarine cable where the first waveform of the preset frequency is received with the highest signal strength is defined as the submarine cable positioning point.

[0053] The fiber optic monitoring host monitors the signals received by the sensor fiber embedded in the submarine cable in real time. When the preset frequency waveform corresponding to the test signal from the acoustic signal generator is first detected in the monitoring waveform of the sensor fiber, the distribution curve of the acoustic signal received by the sensor fiber along the submarine cable and the time t1 when the specific waveform was detected are recorded. The fiber optic monitoring host can upload this recorded data to the submarine cable positioning platform for further processing.

[0054] The submarine cable positioning platform analyzes the waveform sent by the acoustic signal generator, detected for the first time by the fiber optic monitoring host, and identifies a point that meets preset conditions as the submarine cable positioning point. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the point that meets the preset conditions refers to the point with the highest signal strength. In actual applications, the preset conditions for selecting a submarine cable positioning point can also be set based on other positioning test requirements, such as determining whether the distance to a predetermined test point is within a predetermined distance.

[0055] The submarine cable positioning platform locates the fiber distance point x where the signal strength of the preset frequency waveform is the strongest in the first detection, and identifies the fiber distance point x as the submarine cable positioning point. In subsequent operations, the signal received at the submarine cable positioning point is monitored, and the time (t2, t3, etc.) when the preset frequency waveform appears at the submarine cable positioning point is recorded to obtain second time data. That is, the second time data may include t1, t2, t3, etc.

[0056] By breaking down the entire submarine cable into segments consisting of multiple cable locating points, the task of routing and locating the entire submarine cable can be broken down into the task of locating each of these points. Depending on the accuracy required for positioning in the actual application, the number of cable locating points can be increased or decreased to adjust the accuracy of routing and locating the entire submarine cable.

[0057] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of a method for determining the position coordinates of a submarine cable positioning point in one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of multiple acoustic signal generators may include the following steps S510 to S530.

[0058] Step S510: Calculate the time difference data from when the acoustic signal generator sends the test signal to when the waveform of the preset frequency is monitored on the sensing optical fiber based on the first time data and the second time data.

[0059] The first time data includes the transmission time of the test signals from the multiple acoustic signal generators. The second time data includes the time when the sensing fiber detects signals at multiple preset frequencies, that is, the reception time of the test signals. Therefore, time difference data can be calculated based on the first and second time data. These time difference data are the time differences Δt1, Δt2, Δt3, etc. between the transmission and reception of the test signals, i.e., the propagation time of the test signals in the liquid.

[0060] Step S520: Calculate the distance data of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic wave signal generators based on the propagation speed and time difference data of the test signal.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the propagation speed of the test signal may be the propagation speed of an acoustic signal in a liquid. When the above positioning method is applied to positioning an underground cable, the propagation speed of the test signal may also be the propagation speed of an acoustic signal in a solid. Based on the propagation speed of the test signal in the liquid and the time difference data (i.e., the propagation time of the test signal in the liquid), the distance data between the submarine cable positioning point and the multiple acoustic signal generators can be calculated.

[0062] Step S530: Determine the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the position coordinates and distance data of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators.

[0063] When the position coordinates of multiple acoustic wave signal generators are determined, and the distances between the submarine cable positioning point and the multiple acoustic wave signal generators are also determined, the precise geographic location coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point can be obtained by a corresponding algorithm. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a GPS system can be used to obtain the precise position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators. In some other embodiments, the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators can be pre-selected, and then the multiple acoustic wave signal generators can be accurately arranged at the pre-selected positions, so that the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators can be determined.

[0064] In one embodiment, at least three acoustic wave signal generators are controlled to send test signals. According to the positioning principle of GPS, the coordinates of the measured point can be determined based on at least three determined coordinates and the distance between the measured point and the three determined coordinates. Therefore, in this embodiment, at least three acoustic wave signal generators are provided. At least three acoustic wave signal generators are controlled to send test signals to monitor a certain submarine cable positioning point in the submarine cable. The time difference between the test signal being sent and being received is obtained, thereby determining the distance between the submarine cable positioning point and each acoustic wave signal generator. Based on the distance between the submarine cable positioning point and each acoustic wave signal generator and the position coordinates of each acoustic wave signal generator, the precise position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point can be obtained.

[0065] In one embodiment, at least three acoustic wave signal generators are controlled to send test signals, and the three acoustic wave signal generators are as follows: Figure 4 As shown, it is distributed in an "L" shape. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the relative positions of three acoustic wave signal generators in one embodiment of the present disclosure. The line connecting the center points of acoustic wave signal generator 1 and acoustic wave signal generator 2 is perpendicular to the line connecting the center points of acoustic wave signal generator 2 and acoustic wave signal generator 3. Furthermore, the distance between the center points of acoustic wave signal generator 1 and acoustic wave signal generator 2 is equal to the distance between the center points of acoustic wave signal generator 2 and acoustic wave signal generator 3.

[0066] In order to better illustrate the method steps for determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point in this embodiment, an embodiment in which three acoustic wave signal generators are distributed in an "L" shape is used as an example for illustration, but this should not be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. According to the GPS system, the precise coordinates of the three acoustic wave signal generators can be obtained. The precise coordinates of the three acoustic wave signal generators are P1 (X1, Y1, Z1), P2 (X2, Y2, Z2), and P3 (X3, Y3, Z3), and P1, P2, and P3 are on the same horizontal plane. Assume that the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point with unknown coordinates are A (x, y, z)

[0067] Based on the speed of sound waves in seawater (V) and the time difference Δt1 between when acoustic signal generator P1 starts transmitting and when the cable anchor detects the test signal, the distance between cable anchor point A (x, y, z) and acoustic signal generator P1 can be calculated as d1 = V * Δt1. Since only the distance d1 between cable anchor point A and acoustic signal generator P1 is known, it's clear that point A can be anywhere on the sphere with P1 as the center and d1 as the radius.

[0068] Similarly, we can obtain d2=V*Δt2, and point A can be anywhere on the sphere with P2 as the center and d2 as the radius; similarly, we can obtain d3=V*Δt3, and point A can be anywhere on the sphere with P3 as the center and d3 as the radius.

[0069] See Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a theoretical method for determining the coordinates of a submarine cable anchor point in one embodiment of the present disclosure. A spatial coordinate system can be established, with the horizontal plane containing P1, P2, and P3 as the x-axis, with P1 located at the origin. The data obtained in the above steps can be used to formulate the following set of equations:

[0070] (x-X1)2+(y-Y1)2+(z-Z1)2=d12;

[0071] (x-X2)2+(y-Y2)2+(z-Z2)2=d22;

[0072] (x-X3)2+(y-Y3)2+(z-Z3)2=d32;

[0073] By solving the above set of equations, two solutions can be obtained. According to the relative direction of the submarine cable and the three acoustic signal generators, the solution in the other direction can be eliminated, thereby obtaining the precise GPS coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point A (x, y, z).

[0074] In one embodiment, three or more acoustic wave signal generators can be controlled to send test signals. By controlling the three or more acoustic wave signal generators to send test signals, a submarine cable location point in the submarine cable is monitored, and the time difference between the test signal being sent and received is obtained, thereby determining the distances between the submarine cable location point and the three or more acoustic wave signal generators. Based on the distances between the submarine cable location point and the three or more acoustic wave signal generators and the position coordinates of the three or more acoustic wave signal generators, the position coordinates of the submarine cable location point are obtained. Using three or more test data sets, the accuracy of the position coordinates of the submarine cable location point can be further improved.

[0075] In one embodiment, the number of acoustic wave signal generators can be a multiple of 3, 3N. 3N acoustic wave signal generators (N is an integer greater than 0) that are a multiple of 3 are controlled to emit test signals to monitor N submarine cable positioning points in the submarine cable. Every 3 acoustic wave signal generators form a detection group, which performs a positioning test on 1 submarine cable positioning point. The time difference between the test signal being emitted and being received is obtained to determine the distance between each submarine cable positioning point and its corresponding 3 acoustic wave signal generators. According to the distance between each submarine cable positioning point and its corresponding 3 acoustic wave signal generators and the position coordinates of the 3 acoustic wave signal generators corresponding to it, the position coordinates of each submarine cable positioning point are obtained. By increasing the number of submarine cable positioning points, the accuracy of submarine cable routing and positioning is enhanced.

[0076] In one embodiment, after determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable locating point based on the first time data, the second time data, and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators, the method further includes changing the positions of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators, re-controlling the multiple acoustic wave signal generators to respectively transmit test signals, obtaining multiple sets of different submarine cable locating point position coordinates, and locating the path of the submarine cable. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, changing the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators can be achieved by fixing the multiple acoustic wave signal generators on a mobile device.

[0077] For example, multiple acoustic signal generators are fixed to the bottom of a ship's hull, causing them to emit test signals toward the seabed. The ship is then moved and steps S100 to S500 are repeated to obtain the coordinates of multiple sets of submarine cable locating points. Using these coordinates, a distribution map of the submarine cable can be mapped, effectively locating the cable's path. The number and accuracy of the acquired submarine cable locating point coordinates can be adjusted based on the actual test accuracy requirements by adjusting parameters such as the ship's movement distance and frequency, and the number of acoustic signal generators.

[0078] In one embodiment, before conducting the submarine cable positioning test, the method further includes performing high-precision time synchronization on multiple acoustic wave signal generators and the optical fiber monitoring host to reduce the time error between the first time data recorded by the multiple acoustic wave signal generators and the second time data recorded by the optical fiber monitoring host, thereby improving the accuracy of the positioning result. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, high-precision time synchronization between multiple acoustic wave generators and the optical fiber monitoring host can be achieved through a GPS system. High-precision time synchronization between multiple acoustic wave generators and the optical fiber monitoring host can also be achieved through wireless communication, manual calibration, etc.

[0079] It should be understood that although Figure 1-Figure 3 The steps in the flowchart are shown in sequence as indicated by the arrows, but these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified in this document, there is no strict order restriction for the execution of these steps, and these steps can be executed in other orders. In addition, Figure 1-Figure 3 At least part of the steps may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily performed at the same time, but can be performed at different times. The order of execution of these steps or stages is not necessarily one by one, but can be performed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least part of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0080] Based on the description of the above-mentioned submarine cable positioning method embodiment, the present disclosure also provides a submarine cable positioning device. The device may include a system (including a distributed system), software (application), module, component, server, client, etc. using the method described in the embodiment of this specification and combined with the necessary implementation hardware. Based on the same innovative concept, the device in one or more embodiments provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is as described in the following embodiments. Since the implementation scheme and method of the device to solve the problem are similar, the implementation of the specific device in the embodiment of this specification can refer to the implementation of the aforementioned method, and the repetitions will not be repeated. As used below, the term "unit" or "module" can be a combination of software and / or hardware that implements a predetermined function. Although the device described in the following embodiments is preferably implemented in software, the implementation of hardware, or a combination of software and hardware, is also possible and conceived.

[0081] Figure 6 This is a structural schematic diagram of a submarine cable locating device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the submarine cable locating device may include multiple acoustic wave signal generators 100, an optical fiber monitoring host 200 and a submarine cable locating platform 300.

[0082] The plurality of acoustic wave signal generators 100 can be used to send a test signal according to a control signal and record the sending time of the test signal to obtain first time data, wherein the test signal is an acoustic wave signal of a preset frequency.

[0083] The optical fiber monitoring host 200 is connected to the sensing optical fiber built into the submarine cable and can be used to monitor the sensing optical fiber. It can also be used to record the time when a waveform of a preset frequency is detected at a submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data. The optical fiber monitoring host 200 and the sensing optical fiber built into the submarine cable can be mechanically connected.

[0084] The submarine cable positioning platform 300 is connected to the optical fiber monitoring host 200 and multiple acoustic wave signal generators 100 respectively, and can be used to output control signals to the multiple acoustic wave signal generators to control the multiple acoustic wave signal generators 100 to respectively send test signals. The submarine cable positioning platform 300 can be used to determine the submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable, and can also be used to determine the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the submarine cable positioning platform 300 can be connected to the optical fiber monitoring host 200 by means of optical fiber communication, and the submarine cable positioning platform 300 can be connected to the multiple acoustic wave signal generators 100 by means of wireless communication.

[0085] In one embodiment, the optical fiber monitoring host 200 may include a waveform monitoring unit, a waveform recording unit, and a waveform analysis unit.

[0086] The waveform monitoring unit can be used to monitor the sensing fiber. The waveform recording unit, connected to the waveform monitoring unit, can be used to record the distribution curve of the acoustic wave signal along the submarine cable distance when the first waveform of a preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing fiber. The waveform analysis unit, connected to the waveform recording unit, can be used to determine the fiber distance point in the distribution curve that meets the preset conditions as the submarine cable positioning point.

[0087] In one embodiment, the submarine cable positioning platform 300 may include a data acquisition unit, a positioning point determination unit, and a data analysis unit.

[0088] The data acquisition unit can be used to obtain the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of multiple acoustic wave signal generators.

[0089] The positioning point determination unit is connected to the data acquisition unit and can be used to determine the submarine cable positioning point according to the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber.

[0090] The data analysis unit is connected to the data acquisition unit and can be used to calculate the time difference data from the sending of the test signal by the acoustic signal generator to the monitoring of the waveform of the preset frequency on the sensing optical fiber based on the first time data and the second time data. It is also used to calculate the distance data of the submarine cable positioning point relative to multiple acoustic signal generators based on the propagation speed of the test signal and the time difference data. It is also used to determine the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the position coordinates and distance data of the multiple acoustic signal generators.

[0091] In one embodiment, the submarine cable positioning device includes at least three acoustic wave signal generators 100 .

[0092] In one embodiment, the submarine cable locating device may further include a mobile device. The mobile device may be a vessel, drone, or other device used to move the acoustic wave signal generator 100. Multiple acoustic wave signal generators 100 may be fixed to the mobile device, which can be used to move the acoustic wave signal generators to achieve the purpose of changing the positions of the multiple acoustic wave signal generators.

[0093] Each module in the submarine cable locating device can be implemented in whole or in part through software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Each module can be embedded in or independent of a processor in a computer device in hardware form, or stored in a computer device memory in software form, so that the processor can call and execute the corresponding operations of each module.

[0094] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0095] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the above-mentioned methods, devices, etc. in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same / similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to in detail. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. For related parts, refer to the descriptions of other method embodiments.

[0096] Figure 7 This is a structural diagram of a submarine cable positioning system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 Submarine cable positioning system S00 includes a processing component S20, which further includes one or more processors and a memory resource represented by memory S22 for storing instructions executable by processing component S20, such as an application. The application stored in memory S22 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. Furthermore, processing component S20 is configured to execute the instructions to perform the above-described method.

[0097] The submarine cable locating system S00 may further include a power supply assembly S24 configured to perform power management of the submarine cable locating system S00, a wired or wireless network interface S26 configured to connect the submarine cable locating system S00 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface S28. The submarine cable locating device or system S00 may operate based on an operating system stored in the memory S22, such as Windows Server, Mac OSX, Unix, Linux, FreeBSD, or the like.

[0098] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions is further provided, such as a memory S22 including instructions. The instructions can be executed by a processor of the submarine cable positioning system S00 to perform the above method. The storage medium can be a computer-readable storage medium, such as a ROM, a random access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, an optical data storage device, or the like.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is further provided. The computer program product includes instructions, and the instructions can be executed by a processor of the submarine cable positioning system S00 to implement the above method.

[0100] In one embodiment, a computer device is provided. The computer device may be a server, and its internal structure diagram may be as follows: Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a computer device in one embodiment of the present disclosure. The computer device includes a processor, memory, display screen, and network interface connected via a system bus. The processor of the computer device is used to provide computing and control capabilities. The memory of the computer device includes a non-volatile storage medium and an internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system, a computer program, and a database. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer program in the non-volatile storage medium. The database of the computer device is used to store various data involved in submarine cable positioning. The network interface of the computer device is used to communicate with an external terminal via a network connection. When the computer program is executed by the processor, a submarine cable positioning method is implemented.

[0101] The display screen of the computer device can be a liquid crystal display screen or an electronic ink display screen, and the input device of the computer device can be a touch layer covering the display screen, or a button, trackball or touchpad set on the computer device casing, or an external keyboard, touchpad or mouse.

[0102] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 8 The structure shown in the figure is only a block diagram of a part of the structure related to the solution of the present application, and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the solution of the present application is applied. The specific computer device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have a different component arrangement.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The database involved in the various embodiments provided herein may include at least one of a relational database and a non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, distributed databases based on blockchains. The processor involved in the various embodiments provided herein may be, but are not limited to, a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic unit, a data processing logic unit based on quantum computing, and the like.

[0104] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar portions between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other. Each embodiment focuses on the differences between the other embodiments. In particular, the hardware + program embodiments are described briefly because they are generally similar to the method embodiments. For relevant portions, refer to the description of the method embodiments.

[0105] It should be noted that the aforementioned devices, electronic devices, servers, etc., according to the description of the method embodiments, may also include other implementation methods. For specific implementation methods, reference can be made to the description of the relevant method embodiments. At the same time, new embodiments formed by combining the features of various method, device, equipment, and server embodiments still fall within the scope of implementation covered by this disclosure and are not described in detail here.

[0106] Throughout this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "other embodiments," and "desired embodiments" indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. Although these terms are used interchangeably throughout this specification, they do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0107] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0108] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementations of the present invention. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for locating a submarine cable, characterized in that: include: Controlling multiple acoustic wave signal generators to respectively send test signals, and recording the sending time of the test signals to obtain first time data; wherein the test signal is an acoustic wave signal of a preset frequency; Monitoring of sensing optical fibers embedded in submarine cables; Determining a submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable; Recording the time when the waveform of the preset frequency is monitored at the submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data; Determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point according to the first time data, the second time data and the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators; Determining the submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable comprises: When the first waveform of the preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, a distribution curve of the acoustic wave signal along the distance from the submarine cable is recorded; The optical fiber distance point in the distribution curve that meets the preset conditions is determined as the submarine cable positioning point.

2. The submarine cable positioning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point according to the first time data, the second time data, and the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators includes: Calculating, based on the first time data and the second time data, time difference data from when the acoustic wave signal generator sends the test signal to when the waveform of the preset frequency is monitored on the sensing optical fiber; Calculating distance data of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators according to the propagation speed of the test signal and the time difference data; The position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point are determined according to the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators and the distance data.

3. The submarine cable positioning method according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least three of the acoustic wave signal generators are controlled to send test signals respectively.

4. The submarine cable positioning method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: After determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data, and the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators, the method further includes: The positions of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators are changed, and the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators are re-controlled to send the test signals respectively, so as to obtain the position coordinates of a plurality of different submarine cable positioning points and locate the path of the submarine cable.

5. A submarine cable positioning device, characterized in that: include: Multiple sound wave signal generators, used to send test signals according to the control signal, and record the sending time of the test signals to obtain first time data; wherein the test signals are sound wave signals of a preset frequency; an optical fiber monitoring host, connected to the sensing optical fiber built into the submarine cable, for monitoring the sensing optical fiber and recording the time when the waveform of the preset frequency is detected at the submarine cable positioning point to obtain second time data; a submarine cable positioning platform, connected to the optical fiber monitoring host and the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators, respectively, for outputting a control signal, and for determining a submarine cable positioning point on the submarine cable, and for determining the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the first time data, the second time data, and the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators; The optical fiber monitoring host comprises: A waveform monitoring unit, used for monitoring the sensing optical fiber; a waveform recording unit connected to the waveform monitoring unit, for recording a distribution curve of the acoustic wave signal along the distance from the submarine cable when the first waveform of the preset frequency appears in the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber; The waveform analysis unit is connected to the waveform recording unit and is used to determine the optical fiber distance point that meets the preset conditions in the distribution curve as the submarine cable positioning point.

6. The submarine cable positioning device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The submarine cable positioning platform comprises: a data acquisition unit, configured to acquire the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber, the first time data, the second time data, and the position coordinates of the plurality of acoustic wave signal generators; A positioning point determination unit, connected to the data acquisition unit, for determining the submarine cable positioning point based on the monitoring waveform of the sensing optical fiber; a data analysis unit connected to the data acquisition unit, and used to calculate the time difference data from the time the test signal is sent by the acoustic signal generator to the time the waveform of the preset frequency is monitored on the sensing optical fiber based on the first time data and the second time data; and to calculate the distance data of the submarine cable positioning point relative to the multiple acoustic signal generators based on the propagation speed of the test signal and the time difference data; and to determine the position coordinates of the submarine cable positioning point based on the position coordinates of the multiple acoustic signal generators and the distance data.

7. A computer device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, wherein: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the submarine cable positioning method according to claims 1 to 4 are implemented.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the submarine cable positioning method according to claims 1 to 4 are implemented.

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