Abstract: An acoustic tracking system designed to allow scientists and fishermen to follow dolphins and whales without harming or harassing them. The system utilizes six flow shielded hydrophones mounted on the bottom of a vessel in two arrays of three hydrophones in each array. Acoustic signals of interest (dolphin calls) which strike the hydrophone piezo-electric elements are transmitted to a receiver-display device which determines and displays both the bearing to the signal of interest and the relative range from the vessel to that signal. The receiver-display device utilizes digital microprocessors to determine the difference in signal arrival time of an incoming signal at pairs of hydrophones. The resulting computed bearing to the dolphin call is displayed as a lighted indicator on an electronic heading display.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 19, 1995
Date of Patent:
October 8, 1996
Assignee:
Coastal & Offshore Pacific Corporation
Inventors:
John D. Hall, Bruce Gordon, Clarence E. Miller, Kenneth D. Brewer
Abstract: An acoustic tracking system designed to allow scientists and fishermen to follow dolphins and whales without harming or harassing them. The system utilizes six flow shielded hydrophones mounted on the bottom of a vessel in two arrays of three hydrophones in each array. Acoustic signals of interest (dolphin calls) which strike the hydrophone piezo-electric elements are transmitted to a receiver-display device which determines and displays both the bearing to the signal of interest and the relative range from the vessel to that signal. The receiver-display device utilizes digital microprocessors to determine the difference in signal arrival time of an incoming signal at pairs of hydrophones. The resulting computed bearing to the dolphin call is displayed as a lighted indicator on an electronic heading display.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 19, 1993
Date of Patent:
April 25, 1995
Assignee:
Coastal & Offshore Pacific Corporation
Inventors:
John D. Hall, Bruce Gordon, Clarence E. Miller