Spatial self-calibration underwater acoustic beacon and self-calibration method thereof
By designing a space-self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon, and utilizing satellite positioning and inertial navigation combined with buoyancy adjustment and attitude control, the problem of cumulative error in the navigation system of underwater unmanned vehicles was solved, achieving the effects of reducing the number of times to surface for calibration and improving stealth.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YICHANG TESTING TECHNIQUE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-05
AI Technical Summary
When underwater unmanned vehicles operate underwater for extended periods, their navigation systems accumulate errors. Existing acoustic beacons have large absolute position calibration errors, leading to an increase in the number of calibrations required upon surfacing, which affects stealth capabilities.
It employs a space-self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon, which includes a satellite positioning antenna, an inertial measurement module, and a buoyancy adjustment module. It performs self-calibration through the processes of surfacing, satellite positioning, and diving, and reduces absolute position error by combining inertial navigation and attitude control.
This reduces the number of times underwater unmanned vehicles need to surface for calibration, improving stealth capabilities. It also reduces the absolute position error of acoustic beacons through a self-calibration method, ensuring navigation accuracy.
Smart Images
Figure CN121978613A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to an underwater acoustic beacon and its calibration method, specifically to a spatial self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon and its self-calibration method, belonging to the field of underwater navigation technology. Background Technology
[0002] Underwater unmanned vehicles (UAVs) possess excellent stealth capabilities, but when operating underwater for extended periods, their navigation systems inevitably accumulate errors, necessitating surface calibration. To reduce the frequency of surface calibration, acoustic beacons can be deployed underwater. The UAV calibrates its position using the absolute position of the beacons and its relative position to them, thereby reducing or even eliminating the need for surface calibration and further enhancing its stealth capabilities.
[0003] Currently, the absolute position of acoustic beacons is mainly determined by the carrier that deploys them. The spatial positional error of the carrier and the lateral offset generated during the descent of the acoustic beacon will lead to errors in the absolute position of the acoustic beacon, which will increase the error when underwater unmanned vehicles perform position calibration using acoustic beacons. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the problem of absolute positional deviation caused during the deployment of acoustic beacons, this invention provides a spatially self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon.
[0005] The technical solution of this invention is: a space self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon; including an acoustic array, an acoustic processing module, and a battery power module; it also includes: a satellite positioning antenna, a satellite positioning calculation module, an inertial measurement module, and a buoyancy adjustment module; The satellite positioning antenna is used to receive navigation satellite signals after the acoustic beacon floats to the surface of the water; The satellite positioning calculation module is used to process satellite signals, calculate satellite positioning data, and obtain the spatial location of the acoustic beacon. The inertial measurement module is used to complete the inertial alignment process based on the spatial position information of satellite positioning; and to perform inertial navigation position calculation during the descent of the acoustic beacon; The buoyancy adjustment module is used to adjust the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to complete the buoyancy's ascent and descent.
[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes: an integrated control rudder mechanism; the integrated control rudder mechanism is used to control the attitude of the acoustic beacon during its ascent and descent.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buoyancy adjustment module adjusts the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon by means of water injection and drainage.
[0008] Furthermore, this invention provides a spatial self-calibration method for the underwater acoustic beacon, the self-calibration process of which includes three steps: surfacing, satellite positioning, and diving. Ascent: The buoyancy adjustment module adjusts the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to positive buoyancy, and the acoustic beacon begins to rise; Satellite positioning: After the acoustic beacon floats to the surface of the water, its accurate spatial position is obtained through the satellite positioning antenna and the satellite positioning calculation module; at the same time, the inertial measurement module completes the inertial alignment process based on the spatial position of the satellite positioning. Descent: After the inertial measurement module completes the alignment process, the buoyancy adjustment module adjusts the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to negative buoyancy, and the acoustic beacon begins to descend; during the descent, the inertial measurement module performs inertial navigation position calculation based on the spatial position of satellite navigation positioning; after detecting that the acoustic beacon has reached the seabed, the inertial measurement module stops the inertial navigation position calculation and records the calculated spatial position result.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the acoustic beacon has an integrated control rudder mechanism, attitude control based on joint feedback of angle of attack / sideslip angle and attitude angle is adopted during its ascent and descent; the control algorithm is as follows:
[0010]
[0011] in, For horizontal rudder control, For vertical rudder control, and These are the angle of attack and sideslip angle during the motion of the acoustic beacon. and These are the pitch and heading angles during the movement of the acoustic beacon. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the angle-of-attack feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the pitch angle feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the sideslip angle feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the heading angle feedback channel, respectively. The pitch angle threshold for switching the horizontal rudder control channel. The heading angle threshold for switching vertical rudder control channels.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the acoustic beacon automatically enters a self-calibration process after being deployed for a set time.
[0013] Beneficial effects: (1) The spatial self-calibrating acoustic beacon provided by the present invention can reduce the error of the absolute position of the acoustic beacon through a self-calibration method based on satellite positioning and inertial navigation.
[0014] (2) The space self-calibrating acoustic beacon of the present invention is provided with an integrated control rudder mechanism, which can control the attitude of the acoustic beacon during the ascent and descent process, so that it can ascend and descend in a controlled manner.
[0015] (3) In the spatial self-calibrating acoustic beacon of the present invention, the acoustic beacon motion process (ascent and descent process) adopts attitude control based on the joint feedback of angle of attack / sideslip angle and attitude angle to ensure that the acoustic beacon has the lowest resistance and the optimal time during the ascent and descent process. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the spatial self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon composition of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the attitude control principle based on the joint feedback of angle of attack and attitude angle; Figure 3 This invention describes the self-calibration process of a spatial self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon.
[0017] The components are: 1-Satellite positioning antenna, 2-Acoustic array, 3-Acoustic processing module, 4-Satellite positioning calculation module, 5-Inertial measurement module, 6-Buoyancy adjustment module, 7-Battery power module, and 8-Integrated control rudder mechanism. Detailed Implementation
[0018] To make the objectives and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be specifically described below with reference to embodiments. It should be understood that the following text is merely used to describe one or more specific embodiments of the invention and does not strictly limit the scope of protection specifically claimed by the invention.
[0019] Example 1: This embodiment provides a spatial self-calibrating acoustic beacon that can reduce the error of the beacon's absolute position through self-calibration. This acoustic beacon is used for navigation, positioning, and timing of underwater unmanned vehicles (UAVs), primarily targeting scenarios involving long-term underwater operations.
[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the space self-calibrating acoustic beacon includes: a satellite positioning antenna 1, an acoustic array 2, an acoustic processing module 3, a satellite positioning calculation module 4, an inertial measurement module 5, a buoyancy adjustment module 6, a battery power module 7, and an integrated control rudder mechanism 8.
[0021] The system comprises the following components: satellite positioning antenna 1 for receiving navigation satellite signals after the acoustic beacon surfaces; acoustic array 2 for receiving and transmitting piezoelectric conversion of acoustic signals; acoustic processing module 3 for conditioning, acquiring, and amplifying acoustic signals, as well as performing acoustic communication; satellite positioning calculation module 4 for processing satellite signals and calculating satellite positioning data to obtain the spatial position of the acoustic beacon; inertial measurement module 5 for completing the inertial alignment process based on the spatial position information from satellite positioning, and for acquiring inertial sensing data during the descent of the acoustic beacon for inertial navigation calculation; buoyancy adjustment module 6 for adjusting the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to complete its ascent and descent movements; battery power module 7 for providing a long-term power supply to the acoustic beacon; and integrated control rudder mechanism 8 for generating control force to control the attitude of the acoustic beacon during ascent and descent.
[0022] The self-calibration process of this acoustic beacon mainly consists of three stages: surfacing, satellite positioning, and descent. During surfacing and descent, the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon is altered by the buoyancy adjustment module 6, generating the driving force for its movement. When self-calibration is required, the acoustic beacon surfaces for satellite positioning, obtaining its accurate spatial position through the satellite positioning antenna 1 and the satellite positioning calculation module 4. Simultaneously, the inertial measurement module 5 completes the inertial alignment process based on the satellite positioning spatial position information. Then, a controlled descent occurs. During descent, the inertial measurement module 5 begins inertial navigation position calculation based on the satellite navigation positioning spatial position. Thus, through autonomous surfacing calibration and inertial calculation during the controlled descent, the spatial position error of the deployment carrier and the error in the absolute position of the acoustic beacon caused by the lateral offset during the descent process are effectively reduced.
[0023] Example 2: Based on the above embodiment 1, a self-calibration method for this spatial self-calibrating acoustic beacon is given, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the working process of this space self-calibrating acoustic beacon is divided into five processes: deployment, ascent, satellite positioning, descent calculation, and calibration positioning; among them, the ascent, satellite positioning, and descent calculation processes are used to achieve self-calibration.
[0024] ① Deployment: The acoustic beacon is deployed using a deployment carrier. To ensure concealment, the acoustic beacon enters a space self-calibration process after the control time is set. ② Controlled Ascent: The buoyancy adjustment module 6 performs a drainage action to increase the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon. Under the action of positive buoyancy, the acoustic beacon begins to rise. The attitude of the acoustic beacon is adjusted by the integrated control rudder mechanism 7 to make it rise quickly. ③ Satellite Positioning: After the acoustic beacon floats to the surface, its accurate spatial position is obtained through satellite positioning antenna 1 and satellite positioning calculation module 4. Simultaneously, inertial measurement module 5 completes the inertial alignment process based on the satellite positioning spatial position information. ④ Controlled Descending: After the inertial measurement module 5 completes the alignment process, the buoyancy adjustment module 6 performs a water injection operation, adjusting the acoustic beacon's buoyancy to negative buoyancy, and the descent begins. During the descent, the integrated control rudder mechanism 7 adjusts the acoustic beacon's attitude to enable rapid descent; simultaneously, the inertial measurement module 5 begins inertial navigation position calculation based on the spatial position determined by satellite navigation positioning. Once the inertial measurement module 5 detects that the acoustic beacon has reached the seabed, it stops the inertial navigation position calculation and records the calculated spatial position result.
[0025] ⑤ Calibration and Positioning: After the underwater calculation process is completed, the acoustic beacon completes its own position calibration. When the underwater vehicle navigates to the vicinity of the acoustic beacon, the beacon receives a wake-up signal sent by the underwater vehicle and enters the working state. The underwater vehicle obtains the absolute position information of the acoustic beacon through underwater acoustic communication and calculates the relative position information based on the signal transmission and reception delay between the underwater vehicle and the acoustic beacon, thereby achieving the position calibration of the underwater vehicle.
[0026] Example 3: Based on the above embodiments 1 and 2, in order to enable the acoustic beacon to ascend at the fastest speed during controlled ascent and descend at the fastest speed during controlled descent, in this example, a method based on joint feedback of angle of attack and attitude angle is adopted to control the ascending attitude of the acoustic beacon during ascent and descent, so as to ensure the lowest resistance and optimal time during ascent and descent.
[0027] The acoustic beacon's movement (ascent and descent) employs attitude control based on joint feedback of angle of attack / sideslip angle and attitude angle, the principle of which is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the integrated control rudder mechanism 8 has horizontal and vertical rudders, which are controlled by two sets of control algorithms: feedback control based on angle of attack / sideslip angle and feedback control based on attitude angle. During the acoustic beacon's movement, the amplitude of the attitude angle is judged. When the acoustic beacon's attitude angle is within the set range, feedback control based on angle of attack / sideslip angle is used to ensure the lowest possible motion drag. When the acoustic beacon's attitude angle exceeds the set range, feedback control based on attitude angle is used to ensure attitude stability. The aforementioned acoustic beacon attitude angle includes pitch angle and yaw angle.
[0028] The control algorithms for the integrated control rudder mechanism 8 for the horizontal and vertical rudders are shown in equations (1) and (2): (1) (2) In equations (1) and (2), For horizontal rudder control, For vertical rudder control, and These are the angle of attack and sideslip angle during the motion of the acoustic beacon. and These are the pitch and heading angles during the movement of the acoustic beacon. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the angle-of-attack feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the pitch angle feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the sideslip angle feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the heading angle feedback channel, respectively. The pitch angle threshold for switching the horizontal rudder control channel. The heading angle threshold for switching vertical rudder control channels.
[0029] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Structures, devices, and operating methods not specifically described or explained in this invention are implemented according to conventional methods in the art unless otherwise specified or limited.
Claims
1. A spatially self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon, comprising an acoustic array (2), an acoustic processing module (3), and a battery power module (7); characterized in that: Also includes: Satellite positioning antenna (1), satellite positioning calculation module (4), inertial measurement module (5) and buoyancy adjustment module (6); The satellite positioning antenna (1) is used to receive navigation satellite signals after the acoustic beacon floats to the surface of the water; The satellite positioning calculation module (4) is used to process satellite signals, calculate satellite positioning data, and obtain the spatial location of the acoustic beacon; The inertial measurement module (5) is used to complete the inertial alignment process based on the spatial position information of satellite positioning; and to perform inertial navigation position calculation during the descent of the acoustic beacon; The buoyancy adjustment module (6) is used to adjust the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to complete the buoyancy rising and falling actions.
2. The self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Integrated control rudder mechanism (8); the integrated control rudder mechanism (8) is used to control the attitude of the acoustic beacon during its ascent and descent.
3. The spatial self-calibrating underwater acoustic beacon according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The buoyancy adjustment module (6) adjusts the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon by water injection and drainage.
4. A spatial self-calibration method for underwater acoustic beacons, characterized in that: The underwater acoustic beacon is the underwater acoustic beacon described in claim 1, 2, or 3 above; Its self-calibration process includes three stages: surfacing, satellite positioning, and descent. Ascent: The buoyancy adjustment module (6) adjusts the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to positive buoyancy, and the acoustic beacon begins to rise; Satellite positioning: After the acoustic beacon floats to the surface of the water, the accurate spatial position of the acoustic beacon is obtained through the satellite positioning antenna (1) and the satellite positioning calculation module (4); at the same time, the inertial measurement module (5) completes the inertial alignment process according to the spatial position of the satellite positioning. Descent: After the inertial measurement module (5) completes the alignment process, the buoyancy adjustment module (6) adjusts the buoyancy of the acoustic beacon to negative buoyancy, and the acoustic beacon begins to descend; during the descent, the inertial measurement module (5) performs inertial navigation position calculation based on the spatial position of satellite navigation positioning; after detecting that the acoustic beacon has reached the seabed, the inertial measurement module (5) stops the inertial navigation position calculation and records the calculated spatial position result.
5. The underwater acoustic beacon spatial self-calibration method according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the acoustic beacon has an integrated control rudder mechanism (8), attitude control based on joint feedback of angle of attack / sideslip angle and attitude angle is adopted during its ascent and descent; the control algorithm is as follows: in, For horizontal rudder control, For vertical rudder control, and These are the angle of attack and sideslip angle during the motion of the acoustic beacon. and These are the pitch and heading angles during the movement of the acoustic beacon. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the angle-of-attack feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the pitch angle feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the sideslip angle feedback channel, respectively. and These are the gain and differential gain coefficients of the heading angle feedback channel, respectively. The pitch angle threshold for switching the horizontal rudder control channel. The heading angle threshold for switching vertical rudder control channels.
6. The underwater acoustic beacon spatial self-calibration method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: After the acoustic beacon has been deployed for a set time, it will automatically enter the self-calibration process.