Abstract: A method for the time-serial transmission of received signals of electroacoustic transducers (11), which are placed at different transducer locations (13) of a spatially spread receive arrangement (10), to a signal processing unit (12), in which at each transducer location (13) the received signals are digitized by an electronic module (20), and the digitized received signals are switched onto a data line (14, 15, 16) leading to the signal processing unit (12) in the timing pattern of a synchronization clock. To obtain a high data rate with undisturbed data transmission, the intrinsic switching-time errors of the electronic modules (20) are measured with respect to the switching times defined by the timing pattern, and compensated for at the transducer locations (13) by individual time delay of the signals to be switched.

Abstract: A submarine antenna, in particular for assembly on the hull of a submarine, comprising a number of adjacently arranged electroacoustic converters each with a number of hydrophones arranged one below the other and a reflector arranged behind the converters in the direction of incidence of the sound. According to the invention, hull noise decoupling of the converter can be achieved at the connection to the reflector wherein the hydrophones arranged one beneath the other of each converter are moulded into a converter bar by an acoustically transparent moulded mass and the converter bars are provided with sprung retainer elements at the bar ends which are held by retainer devices made on the reflector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for passive determination of target data (R, K, V) associated with a target from measured and estimated bearing angles. The measured bearing angles (4) are determined by a sonar receiving installation (2) by directionally selective reception of sound waves which are emitted or sent from a target, and the estimated bearing angles are determined from estimated positions of the target. The bearing angle differences from estimated and measured bearing angles are minimized iteratively over a plurality of processing cycles, and a position of the target, on which the minimum is based, is determined as the optimized solution (12). Furthermore, limit values (10) are defined for the target data (R, K, V) to be determined, in order to exclude unrealistic target data as solutions.

Abstract: Unmanned underwater vehicles (1) which can be controlled from a carrier platform (2) by an optical waveguide cable (3) can be used for widely differing missions. For mine countermeasures, the loss of the underwater vehicle (1) is often accepted, with the optical waveguide cable (3) also being destroyed by the explosion. To reduce the costs of a mission of the underwater vehicle, the invention provides for the optical waveguide cable (3) to be connected to the underwater vehicle (1) via a connecting device (4). The connecting device (4) comprises a connecting cable (8) and connecting elements (11, 12) at the ends (9, 10) of the connecting cable (8) for an optical waveguide cable (3) at one end and for an unmanned underwater vehicle (1) at the other end.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for passive determination of target parameters by directionally selective reception of sound waves emitted or transmitted from a target, by an arrangement (24) of underwater sound sensors of a sonar receiving installation from estimated bearing angles determined from estimated positions of the target, and bearing angles measured at the measurement point by the arrangement (24). A bearing angle difference between measured and estimated bearing angles is iteratively minimized and, when the minimum is reached, the target parameters are used for an optimized solution for outputting target position, course, range and/or velocity and they are updated during each processing cycle in a series of successive processing cycles.

Abstract: An appliance for lowering and tracking an underwater vessel includes a carrier arranged on an end of a holding cable; a holding device on the carrier used to receive/release the underwater vessel with a controllable holding element; and a tracking device arranged on the carrier and used for acoustically determining the position of the underwater vessel lowered into the water. As a result, a light, compact lowering appliance is provided that is suitable for handling vessels on small platforms and ensures acoustically undisturbed operation of the tracking device, which is arranged on one end of the carrier, the carrier being mounted such that it can be pivoted on the holding cable in an articulated manner in a central longitudinal region thereof. Following release of the underwater vessel from the holding element, a pivoting device pivots the carrier including the tracking device out of a lowering position, into a tracking position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a submarine antenna to be attached to the hull of a submarine, said antenna comprising a planar converter arrangement (15) which extends along the hull (11) when attached and which has a reflector (21) and a plurality of electroacoustic converter elements (20). Said converter elements are arranged next to and interspaced from each other and are arranged in front of the reflector (21) in the sound incidence direction. The aim of the invention is to optimize said lateral antenna for attachment to the submarine in terms of its weight and volume and signal-to-disturbance ratio.

Abstract: A direction-finding method and apparatus for detection and tracking of successive bearing angles of sound-emitting targets, wherein intensity plots of successive clock cycles in a waterfall plot show bearing traces of successive bearing angles, and preferred bearing traces are marked by a tracker. In order to automate the setting and deletion of trackers, starting from trace state vectors, which are determined at the time t=k?1, are each associated with one bearing trace and each have a bearing angle as well as its time derivative, which is referred to as the bearing rate, and possibly an intensity and its time derivative, which is referred to as the intensity rate, and trace errors associated with the trace state vectors for the time t=k, predicted state vectors are predicted together with predicted estimation errors.

Abstract: In the case of an electroacoustic underwater antenna, which has a reflector (11) and spring elements which fix the reflector (11) on an antenna mount (10), in particular on the hull of a submarine, in order to produce an underwater antenna which can be produced at low cost from only a small number of components, and in which the reflector (11) to which electroacoustic transducers are fitted is at an adequate distance from the antenna mount (10), is acoustically well decoupled from the antenna mount (10) and is largely resistant to shock loading, the spring elements have an upper and a lower resilient rocker (19, 20), wherein each rocker (19, 20) extends over the horizontal extent of the reflector (11) in the fitted position. Each rocker (19, 20) has a rear contact limb (192, 202), for making contact with and fixing on the antenna mount (10), and a front contact limb (191, 201), for making contact with and fixing on the reflector (11).

Abstract: An electroacoustic underwater antenna, particularly a lateral antenna which can be fixed to the outer hull of an underwater craft, comprising a series of hydrophones (13) successively arranged in at least one elongate, closed, oil-filled cavity at a distance from each other. The aim of the invention is to achieve a high degree of reception sensitivity in the low frequency range with a sufficiently small, vertical aperture angle. The inventive device is easy to produce and mount and is characterized by several cavities (14) which are fitted with hydrophones (13) at a parallel distance from each other, arranged in front of a rigid plate (12) at a distance therefrom. The plate (12) and the cavities (14) are formed in a panel-type, acoustically transparent plastic element (11). Several of said plastic elements (11) are arranged close to each other or behind each other.

Abstract: In a method for navigating an undersea vehicle (12), navigation data about position, orientation, and absolute vehicle speed of the undersea vehicle (12) are determined from measurement data delivered by navigation sensors (17) via a navigation filter (18) which incorporates the measurement values of a Doppler log (14). To achieve a highly accurate tracking of the course taken by the undersea vehicle (12), particularly during submerging and surfacing phases, the stretch of water (10) traversed by the undersea vehicle (12) is divided into regions (13) which at least in the vertically oriented z-axis have a finite dimension within a Cartesian coordinate system (11).

Abstract: A method for the time-serial transmission of received signals of electroacoustic transducers (11), which are placed at different transducer locations (13) of a spatially spread receive arrangement (10), to a signal processing unit (12), in which at each transducer location (13) the received signals are digitized by an electronic module (20), and the digitized received signals are switched onto a data line (14, 15, 16) leading to the signal processing unit (12) in the timing pattern of a synchronization clock. To obtain a high data rate with undisturbed data transmission, the intrinsic switching-time errors of the electronic modules (20) are measured with respect to the switching times defined by the timing pattern, and compensated for at the transducer locations (13) by individual time delay of the signals to be switched.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for production of an antenna section comprising a hydrophone (12) for a submarine antenna which may be composed of several antenna sections, whereby the hydrophones are arranged in a row one behind the other in a rectangular cavity (20) at a separation from each other on the inner wall of the cavity and the cavity is filled with a liquid gel (19) to fix the hydrophones, which thickens after introduction. According to the invention, the assembly procedure for the introduction and positioning of the hydrophones may be simplified whereby each hydrophone is inserted and fixed in the cavity with the longitudinal axis thereof essentially vertical, at a given separation from the previously inserted hydrophone, by means of a pipette (16). Liquid gel is then introduced into the cavity to such an amount that the liquid gel at least partly encloses the hydrophone held by the pipette.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electroacoustic transducer arrangement for underwater antennas comprising: interspaced transducer elements (11); a reflector (12) that, in a sound incidence direction, is situated behind the transducer elements (11), with the reflector being comprised of a metal plate (13) facing the transducer elements (11) and of a foam material plate (14) located on the side of the metal plate (13) facing away from the transducer elements (11), and; an elastomer hard enclosing cast that encloses the transducer elements (11) and the reflector (12). The aim of the invention is to obtain a lightweight transducer arrangement with unchanged favorable performance data whereby having a broadened field of application.

Abstract: With an unmanned underwater vessel having a pressure hull, drive assembly and at least one ancillary device arranged on the pressure hull, for example a propeller protection apparatus (15), the at least one ancillary device (15) is fixedly connected to a lifting body (16), which has a lower density than the density of the water, in order to make it possible to replace the ancillary devices or to arrange additional ancillary devices on the pressure hull without changing the trim of the underwater vessel as a result. The density and volume of the lifting body (16) are selected such that the lifting force acting in the water on the ancillary device (15) and the lifting body (16) compensates for the force of gravity acting on the ancillary device (15) and the lifting body (16).

Abstract: In a method for detection and neutralization of underwater objects which are present in a sea region, in particular mines, a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of the seabed is created by means of an unmanned first underwater vehicle during a reconnaissance mission in a sea region section by means of optical and/or acoustic sensors, and this image is evaluated for the presence of underwater objects, after completion of the reconnaissance mission. At least one underwater object which is present is marked in the image, and the image which has been provided with the object marking is stored in an unmanned second underwater vehicle, which is equipped with the same sensors and additionally with a neutralization unit. During a neutralization mission by the second underwater vehicle in the same sea region section, image elements of the seabed are created continuously by means of the sensors and are compared with the stored image of the seabed.

Abstract: A test method for a method used for passively obtaining target data regarding a moving target, wherein bearing angles are measured as real target data from the bearing of the target using an on-board bearing system at successive path positions of a vehicle that determines its path positions using a compound navigation system, and distance, speed, course, and/or position of the target are determined therefrom. To verify this method, target and vehicle positions are measured using a GPS at the time the bearings of the target are taken. Target bearing angle and distances are calculated from the respectively associated positions of the vehicle and the target and are allocated to the path positions measured using compound navigation. A reference target path is estimated therefrom, and from associated pairs of values of the bearing angle and the target distance, and reference target data is derived therefrom and directly compared to the real target data.

Abstract: A method for generating a three-dimensional terrain model while using object-oriented vector data that contain supporting points, which describe the terrain, of position values indicating at least the cartographic position, and of elevation values that indicate their height or depth with regard to a reference level. The aim of the invention is to obtain a stable method that automatically ensues without human interaction. To this end, the elevation values of the supporting points are extrapolated within a uniform grid, and all extrapolation values are subjected to a weighted interpolation.

Abstract: In a device and a method for tracking an underwater vehicle (11), a platform (13) having a tracking apparatus (15) for determining instantaneous positions of the underwater vehicle (11) is inserted into the water and its submerged position is spatially stabilized. To this end, the platform (13) has maneuver drives (18, 19) which act horizontally and vertically and are arranged in control loops.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the observation of a number of objects, which move in a space monitored by a number of sensors, are recorded by the sensors and followed with continuous updating of at least the sensor track defining the kinematics of the object, whereby those provided sensor tracks amongst the sensor tracks from various sensors, which correspond to the same object are automatically assigned to a system track. In order to improve the method with regard to an efficient assignment of the sensor tracks, which is reliable, has a reduced error probability and runs essentially automatically, an assignment of a sensor track to at least one system track is always carried out if a decision on the non-correspondence to the system track can not be securely taken. Subsequently, assigned sensor tracks are continuously monitored for the continued assignment thereof to the assigned system track and on determining the non-correspondence thereof, are removed from said system track.