Abstract: The present invention provides an improved architecture for integrating an inertial navigation system (INS) into a dynamic positioning (DP) system for a vessel. The architecture includes an INS unit and a DP system having a Kalman filter or other algorithm for combining data supplied by a plurality of position measuring equipment (PME) and the INS unit to derive an estimate of the position or speed of the vessel. A switch array and a switch array controller are also provided. These may optionally form a part of the DP system. The switch array is operable under the control of the switch array controller to supply data supplied by one or more of the plurality of position measuring equipment to the INS unit for the purposes of correcting drift. The selection of which of the one or more PME is/are to be combined with the INS unit is made automatically, in real time, to dynamically optimise the DP system.

Abstract: A positioning system has at least one underwater apparatus, which includes an acoustic receiver and a computer. The system includes a base station placed in the sea environment, the base station transmitting an acoustic signal received by the acoustic receiver, wherein the acoustic receiver includes a hydrophone, the base station includes at least two acoustic transmitters forming an antenna, the distances between the acoustic transmitters of the antenna being known and the transmitters being synchronized therebetween. According to the invention, the computer includes an element for calculating differences in arrival time and differences in phases of acoustic signals coming from the base station transmitters, and an element for calculating the possible geometric loci of the position of the apparatus relative to the base station and to the orientation thereof, and the position of the underwater apparatus is predetermined from these possible geometric loci.

Abstract: A positioning system has at least one underwater apparatus, which includes an acoustic receiver and a computer. The system includes a base station placed in the sea environment, the base station transmitting an acoustic signal received by the acoustic receiver, wherein the acoustic receiver includes a hydrophone, the base station includes at least two acoustic transmitters forming an antenna, the distances between the acoustic transmitters of the antenna being known and the transmitters being synchronized therebetween. According to the invention, the computer includes an element for calculating differences in arrival time and differences in phases of acoustic signals coming from the base station transmitters, and an element for calculating the possible geometric loci of the position of the apparatus relative to the base station and to the orientation thereof, and the position of the underwater apparatus is predetermined from these possible geometric loci.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved architecture for integrating an inertial navigation system (INS) into a dynamic positioning (DP) system for a vessel. The architecture includes an INS unit and a DP system having a Kalman filter or other algorithm for combining data supplied by a plurality of position measuring equipment (PME) and the INS unit to derive an estimate of the position or speed of the vessel. A switch array and a switch array controller are also provided. These may optionally form a part of the DP system. The switch array is operable under the control of the switch array controller to supply data supplied by one or more of the plurality of position measuring equipment to the INS unit for the purposes of correcting drift. The selection of which of the one or more PME is/are to be combined with the INS unit is made automatically, in real time, to dynamically optimise the DP system.