Sea bottom slope measuring apparatus

Claim 2

In a sea bottom slope measuring apparatus comprising: means for projecting acoustic energy toward the sea bottom with reference to a local vertical; and means responsive to sea bottom acoustic echoes for deriving a first signal varying as the arrival angle between the incident echoes and the local vertical; wherein the improvement comprises: means for deriving from the incident echoes a second signal varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio thereof; and means responsive to the first and second signal magnitudes for generating an output signal proportional to the sea bottom slope corrected with respect to signal-to-noise variations.

Claim 3

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus comprising: means for projecting an acoustic beam with reference to a local vertical; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers separated by a predetermined distance for each orthogonal component of sea bottOm slope being measured; means for generating a first signal which varies as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; means for generating a second signal which varies as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; and a utilization circuit responsive to the first and second signal magnitudes for generating an output signal proportional to sea bottom slope corrected with respect to signal-to-noise variations.

Claim 4

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus comprising: means for projecting an acoustic beam with reference to a local vertical; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers separated by a predetermined distance for each orthogonal component of sea bottOm slope being measured; means for generating a first signal which varies as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; means for generating a second signal which varies as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; and a utilization circuit responsive to the first and second signal magnitudes for generating an output signal proportional to sea bottom slope corrected with respect to signal-to-noise variations.

Claim 5

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the utilization circuit further comprises means for displaying the second signal magnitude.

Claim 6

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus comprising; means for projecting an acoustic beam upon the sea bottom with reference to a local vertical; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers seParated by a predetermined distance for each orthogonal component of sea bottom slope being measured; first correlation means for generating a first signal varying as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; second correlation means for generating a second signal varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; means for summing the absolute first signal magnitude to the second signal magnitude; and a variable gain amplifier responsive to the first signal magnitude and whose gain varies inversely as the sum signal varies.

Claim 7

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus comprising; means for projecting an acoustic beam upon the sea bottom with reference to a local vertical; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers seParated by a predetermined distance for each orthogonal component of sea bottom slope being measured; first correlation means for generating a first signal varying as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; second correlation means for generating a second signal varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; means for summing the absolute first signal magnitude to the second signal magnitude; and a variable gain amplifier responsive to the first signal magnitude and whose gain varies inversely as the sum signal varies.

Claim 8

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first correlation means comprises: means for shifting the phase a predetermined amount between the first and second receiving beams; a cross-correlator terminating the phase shifting means; and an integrator coupling the cross-correlator output.

Claim 9

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the second correlation means comprises: a cross-correlator terminating the first and second input receiving beams; and an integrator coupling the cross-correlator output.

Claim 10

A sea bottom slope measuring apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the means for forming a first and second receiving beam comprises: a receiving transducing array; a plurality of amplifiers individually coupling corresponding elements of the transducing array; and a beam forming and stabilization network terminating the amplifiers.

Claim 11

In a sea bottom slope measuring apparatus having means for projecting an acoustic energy beam toward the sea bottom with reference to a local vertical, and further including means responsive to sea bottom acoustic echoes for deriving a first signal varying as the arrival angle between the incident echoes and the local vertical, the improvement comprising: means for deriving a second signal from the incident acoustic echoes varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio thereof; means for summing the absolute first signal magnitude with the second signal magnitude; and means for generating an output signal responsive to the first signal magnitude and having a gain characteristic varying inversely as the sum signal varies.

Claim 12

In a sea bottom slope measuring apparatus having means for projecting an acoustic energy beam toward the sea bottom with reference to a local vertical, and further including means responsive to sea bottom acoustic echoes for deriving a first signal varying as the arrival angle between the incident echoes and the local vertical, the improvement comprising: means for deriving a second signal from the incident acoustic echoes varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio thereof; means for summing the absolute first signal magnitude with the second signal magnitude; and means for generating an output signal responsive to the first signal magnitude and having a gain characteristic varying inversely as the sum signal varies.

Claim 13

In combination: means for radiating a beam in a predetermined direction; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers separated by a predetermined distance for orthogonal components of a target orientation with respect to said direction; means for generating a first signal which varies as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; means for generating a second signal which varies as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; and a utilization circuit responsive to the first and second signal magnitudes for generating an output signal which varies as a function of the orientation of said target corrected with respect to signal-to-noise variations.

Claim 14

In combination: means for radiating a beam in a predetermined direction; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers separated by a predetermined distance for orthogonal components of a target orientation with respect to said direction; means for generating a first signal which varies as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; means for generating a second signal which varies as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; and a utilization circuit responsive to the first and second signal magnitudes for generating an output signal which varies as a function of the orientation of said target corrected with respect to signal-to-noise variations.

Claim 15

The combination according to claim 9, wherein the utilization circuit further comprises means for displaying said output signal.

Claim 16

In combination: means for projecting a radiated beam in a predetermined direction toward a target; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers separated by a predetermined distance for each orthogonal component of the orientation of said target with respect to said predetermined direction; first correlation means for generating a first signal varying as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; second correlation means for generating a second signal varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; and means for summing the absolute first signal magnitude to the second signal magnitude.

Claim 17

In combination: means for projecting a radiated beam in a predetermined direction toward a target; means for forming a first and a second receiving beam having a pair of phase centers separated by a predetermined distance for each orthogonal component of the orientation of said target with respect to said predetermined direction; first correlation means for generating a first signal varying as the phase angle between coherent first and second receiving beams; second correlation means for generating a second signal varying as the average signal-to-noise ratio of the coherent first and second receiving beams; and means for summing the absolute first signal magnitude to the second signal magnitude.

Claim 18

The combination in accordance with claim 11, whereIn a signal derived from the output of said summing means is amplified by a variable gain amplifier responsive to said first signal magnitude and whose gain varies inversely with said sum signal.

Claim 19

The combination in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first correlation means comprises: means for shifting the phase a predetermined amount between the first and second receiving beams; a cross-correlator fed by the phase shifting means; and an integrator fed by said correlator.