Abstract: A method for measuring a contour of the ground by means of a transmitting arrangement for the directed emission of sound signals and by means of a receiving arrangement including at least two transducers for receiving the sound signals reflected from the contour of the ground. Sound signals are emitted consecutively using a plurality of N soundings from predetermined positions P1, P2, P3, P4, . . . , PN having different aspect angles ?N in relation to and distances rN from the contour of the ground. A phase difference, the path differences resulting therefrom, the corresponding angles of incidence, and the coordinates of incidence are ascertained from the receive signals of the transducers for a plurality of sampling times and for the N soundings. Afterwards, the data density is ascertained within a predefined range containing the coordinate of incidence.

Abstract: A towed array sonar system 10 with a towed array 14, a deployment device 32 for respectively deploying and retrieving the towed array 14 into and from a body of water, a signal processing device 28 for processing the signals of the towed array 14 and at least one control console 30 for controlling the towed array sonar system 10. In order to create a mobile sonar system that can be deployed independently of a ship, the towed array 14, the deployment device 32, the signal processing device 28 and the control console 30 are installed in a container 12 that can be transported independently of a ship. The invention furthermore pertains to a method for carrying out a sonar mission using such a towed array sonar system 10.

Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer, in particular a transmitting transducer for sonar systems, is disclosed, comprising two end caps that are arranged at a fixed distance from each other, multiple bars which are braced between the two end caps and the ends of which are attached to the end caps next to each other in the peripheral direction, and an elastic shell that externally encloses the bars. In order to significantly reduce the weight of the transducer and simplify production, composite modules are attached to the bars so as to excite vibrations. Each composite module has electrode structures that include spaced-apart electrodes and are arranged on at least two film layers made of insulating material, and spaced-apart piezoceramic fibers which are arranged between the film layers and are contacted by the electrodes on opposite longitudinal sides.

Abstract: A coupling head 8, coupled to an autonomous underwater vehicle 4 via a rendezvous head 18 that is connectable to or part of the underwater vehicle 4. The coupling head 8 has an alignment stabilizing arrangement 12 for stabilizing its alignment and position in the water below the water surface. The invention further relates to a coupling device 2 having the coupling head 8 and having a cable 10 which is detachably connectable, mechanically, electrically and in a signal-connecting manner, to the coupling head 8, and to a rendezvous device 16 having the rendezvous head 18. The underwater vehicle 4 has the rendezvous head 18 and/or the rendezvous device 16, and a coupling system 1, which comprises at least the coupling and rendezvous heads. The invention further relates to a coupling method 58 and a deployment method 56 of an autonomous underwater vehicle 4 which includes the coupling method 58.

Abstract: An unmanned underwater vehicle and a method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle. The unmanned underwater vehicle (1) is recovered by releasing a recovery buoy (21), which is connected to the vehicle (1) by a recovery line (22), recovering the recovery buoy (21) from the surface, attaching the recovery line (22) to a recovery system and lifting the vehicle (1) by the recovery system and the recovery line (22). To provide a safe recovery of the unmanned underwater vehicle under most weather condition, the vehicle (1) is submerged after releasing the recovery buoy (21) by reducing the buoyancy of the vehicle (1) and providing negative net-buoyancy (29).

Abstract: A method for detecting anomalies on a submarine object, in particular in the submarine region on a hull of a moored warcraft, which method carries out very reliable sensing of the submarine object by way of an unmanned small submarine vehicle that is equipped with simple sensor equipment, such as an acoustic sensor for measuring distances and a barometric cell for determining depth, and which method obtains a profile of the submarine object by navigating the small submarine vehicle with a constant transversal distance to the submarine object, in which profile an anomaly present on the submarine object becomes is apparent from the profile line.

Abstract: A coder (36) for mapping a digital signal (10) into a transmission signal (12) and a decoder (44) for mapping a reception signal (13) into a digital signal (10) for transmission by and reception from a real channel (42), respectively. The coder (36) allocates code symbols (16) of a code space (40) to data symbols (14) of the digital signal (12) and generates the transmission signal (12) The decoder (44) detects the code symbols (16) on the basis of the reception signal (13) and allocates data symbols (14) of the digital signal (10) to the code symbols (16) of the code space (40). The data symbols (12) each have at least two bits (18) of the digital signal (10), and the code space (40) comprises code symbols (16) of two groups (38, 39).

Abstract: A management and weapon operation system for support to military management processes, which has interfaces to at least one sensor and at least one effector. The system can be controlled via a graphic control interface 2 that can be displayed on at least one display device for mutual communication between a user and the system. For simple configuration of the system and for reuse of individual applications, the graphic control interface 2 is broken down into individual fragments 8. These are integrated in a desktop manager 4, which carries out the process control for the management and weapon operation system. The fragments 8 have a standard desktop interface 10 for integration. The fragments 8 furthermore have a user interface 12 for communication via an intermediate application 22 with the sensors and/or effectors. The invention also relates to a method for configuration of a management and weapon operation system.

Abstract: The invention relates to an unmanned underwater vehicle (1) which can be controlled according to predefinable control information by means of a control device (3). The invention also relates to a method for operating an unmanned underwater vehicle (1). To reduce the outlay for investigations of underwater areas using unmanned underwater vehicles, the invention provides for the underwater vehicle (1) to be able to be controlled either in an autonomous operating mode or in a remotely controlled operating mode, predetermined internal control information from a memory element (13) being able to be predefined to the control device (3) in the autonomous operating mode and external control information being able to be predefined to the control device (3) via a communication device (11) of the underwater vehicle (1) in the remotely controlled operating mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determination of a Doppler frequency shift 30 between a transmitted signal 4 and a received signal 20 resulting from this transmitted signal. A plurality of relative frequency shifts are carried out, in each case by a real frequency shift value, in that either at least one shifted discrete amplitude spectrum 8 of the transmitted signal 4 and at least one shifted discrete amplitude spectrum 22 of the received signal 20, or a plurality of shifted amplitude spectra of the transmitted signal 4 or of the received signal 20 are produced. Quality measures are determined for these frequency shifts, indicating the quality of the match between the shifted signals. That quality measure which corresponds to the highest quality of the match is determined, and the frequency shift value associated with this quality measure is equated to the Doppler frequency shift 30 to be determined.

Abstract: The invention relates to an unmanned underwater vehicle having at least one sensor unit (7) which can be used to acquire sensor information (8) relating to objects in the area surrounding the underwater vehicle (1). The invention also relates to a method for operating the unmanned underwater vehicle (1). In order to sense structures and contours of objects under water as quickly and accurately as possible, the invention provides for the at least one sensor unit (7) to be arranged such that it can be moved in a tangential direction (12) of the underwater vehicle, that is to say tangentially with respect to the longitudinal axis (14) of the underwater vehicle (1) or an axis running parallel to the longitudinal axis, and can be positioned in the circumferential direction (12) by a positioning device (13) to which the sensor information (8) can be specified.

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).