Sea bottom classifier

Claim 1

A material analyzer, comprising in combination: means for timely broadcasting a first signal toward the surface of the material to be analyzed in such manner that the directivity pattern thereof makes a first grazing angle therewith; means for timely broadcasting a second signal toward the surface of the material to be analyzed in such manner that the directivity pattern thereof makes a second grazing angle therewith that is different from the aforesaid first grazing angle; means for receiving the echoes of said first and second signals after they have been reflected from the surface of said material to be analyzed at their respective grazing angles; means connected to said first and second signal broadcasting means for timing the broadcast of one with respect to the broadcast of the other in such manner as to effect the simultaneous reception of the ehcoes of said first and second signals by said receiving means after they have been reflected from the same spot on the surface of the material being analyzed, regardless of the distance and relative velocity between the surface of said material and said broadcasting and receiving means, and regardless of the respective degrees of said first and second grazing angles; and means effectively connected to the output of said receiving means for reading out the difference of the intensities of the echoes of said first and second signals in terms of predetermined parameters.

Claim 16

A system for analyzing the hardness and composition of a sea floor, comprising in combination: a carrier vehicle for supporting said sea floor analyzing system; an astable multivibrator; a first transmitter connected to the output of said astable multivibrator; a first transmit-receive switch connected to the output of said first transmitter; a first electroacoustical transducer connected to said transmit-receive switch; a first receiver connected to the output of said first transmit-receive switch; a ramp generator connected to the output of said astable multivibrator; a comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said ramp generator; a second transmitter connected to the output of said comparator; a second transmit-receive switch connected to the output of said second transmitter; a second electroacoustical transducer connected to transmit-receive switch; a second receiver connected to the output of said transmit-receive switch; a subtractor circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said first receiver, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said second receiver; a voltage averaging circuit connected to the output of said subtractor circuit; a readout connected to the output of said voltage averaging circuit; a first signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a first analog signal representing the altitude of said carrier vehicle above said sea floor; a second signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a second analog signal representing the sine of the angle between the longitudinal axis of said carrier vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid first electroacoustical transducer; a third signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a third analog signal representing the tangent of the angle between the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid first electroacoustical transducer; a fourth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a fourth analog signal representing the sine of the angle between the longitudinal axis of said carrier vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid second electroacoustical transducer; a fifth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a fifth analog signal representing the velocity of sound in sea water; a sixth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a sixth positive analog signal that represents, in magnitude, the distance between the aforesaid first and second electroacoustical transducers; a seventh signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a seventh negative analog signal that represents, in magnitude, the distance between said first and second electroacoustical transducers; an eighth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing an eighth analog signal that represents the velocity thereof at any given instant; a ninth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a ninth analog signal representing the tangent of the angle between the horizontal axis of said carrier vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid second electroacoustical transducer; a first inverter connected to the output of said second signal generator; a second inverter connected to the output of said fourth signal generator; a second subtract circuit connected to the outputs of said first and second inverters for subtracting the output signal of said second inverter from the output signal of said first inverter; a first multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said second subtract circuit, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid first signal generator; a third inverter connected to the output of said fifth signal generator; a second multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said third inverter, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said first multiplier; a third multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid first signal generator; a thresholder connected to the output of said first signal generator; a first switch having a pair of data signal inputs, a control input, and an output, with the control input thereof connected to the output of said thresholder, and with the output thereof connected to the other input of the aforesaid third multiplier; a fourth inverter connected to the output of the aforesaid third signal generator; a fifth inverter connected to the output of the aforesaid ninth signal generator; a third subtract circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said fourth inverter, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said fifth inverter, for subtracting the output signal of said fourth inverter from the output signal of said fifth inverter, and with the output thereof connected to one of the data signal inputs of the aforesaid first switch; a fourth subtract circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said fourth inverter, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said fifth inverter, for subtracting the output signal from said fifth inverter from the output signal from said fourth inverter, and with the output thereof connected to the other data signal input of said first switch; a second switch having a pair of data signal inputs, a control input, and an output, with one of the data signal inputs thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid sixth signal generator, with the other data signal input thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid seventh signal generator, and with the control input thereof connected to the output of said thresholder; synchronization means connected between said first and second switches for effecting the simultaneous passing of the output signals from said sixth signal generator and said third subtract circuit therethrough, respectively, and for effecting the simultaneous passing of the output signals from said seventh signal generator and said fourth subtract circuit therethrough, respectively; an algebraic adder circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid third multiplier, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said second switch; a fourth multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said algebraic adder; a sixth inverter connected between the output of the aforesaid eighth signal generator and the other input of said fourth multiplier; and a second adder having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said second multiplier, with the other input thereof connected to the output of said fourth multiplier, and with the output thereof connected to the other input of the aforesaid comparator.

Claim 17

A system for analyzing the hardness and composition of a sea floor, comprising in combination: a carrier vehicle for supporting said sea floor analyzing system; an astable multivibrator; a first transmitter connected to the output of said astable multivibrator; a first transmit-receive switch connected to the output of said first transmitter; a first electroacoustical transducer connected to said transmit-receive switch; a first receiver connected to the output of said first transmit-receive switch; a ramp generator connected to the output of said astable multivibrator; a comparator having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said ramp generator; a second transmitter connected to the output of said comparator; a second transmit-receive switch connected to the output of said second transmitter; a second electroacoustical transducer connected to transmit-receive switch; a second receiver connected to the output of said transmit-receive switch; a subtractor circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said first receiver, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said second receiver; a voltage averaging circuit connected to the output of said subtractor circuit; a readout connected to the output of said voltage averaging circuit; a first signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a first analog signal representing the altitude of said carrier vehicle above said sea floor; a second signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a second analog signal representing the sine of the angle between the longitudinal axis of said carrier vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid first electroacoustical transducer; a third signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a third analog signal representing the tangent of the angle between the longitudinal axis of said vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid first electroacoustical transducer; a fourth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a fourth analog signal representing the sine of the angle between the longitudinal axis of said carrier vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid second electroacoustical transducer; a fifth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a fifth analog signal representing the velocity of sound in sea water; a sixth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a sixth positive analog signal that represents, in magnitude, the distance between the aforesaid first and second electroacoustical transducers; a seventh signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a seventh negative analog signal that represents, in magnitude, the distance between said first and second electroacoustical transducers; an eighth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing an eighth analog signal that represents the velocity thereof at any given instant; a ninth signal generator mounted on said carrier vehicle for producing a ninth analog signal representing the tangent of the angle between the horizontal axis of said carrier vehicle and the directivity pattern of the aforesaid second electroacoustical transducer; a first inverter connected to the output of said second signal generator; a second inverter connected to the output of said fourth signal generator; a second subtract circuit connected to the outputs of said first and second inverters for subtracting the output signal of said second inverter from the output signal of said first inverter; a first multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said second subtract circuit, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid first signal generator; a third inverter connected to the output of said fifth signal generator; a second multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said third inverter, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said first multiplier; a third multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid first signal generator; a thresholder connected to the output of said first signal generator; a first switch having a pair of data signal inputs, a control input, and an output, with the control input thereof connected to the output of said thresholder, and with the output thereof connected to the other input of the aforesaid third multiplier; a fourth inverter connected to the output of the aforesaid third signal generator; a fifth inverter connected to the output of the aforesaid ninth signal generator; a third subtract circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said fourth inverter, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said fifth inverter, for subtracting the output signal of said fourth inverter from the output signal of said fifth inverter, and with the output thereof connected to one of the data signal inputs of the aforesaid first switch; a fourth subtract circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said fourth inverter, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said fifth inverter, for subtracting the output signal from said fifth inverter from the output signal from said fourth inverter, and with the output thereof connected to the other data signal input of said first switch; a second switch having a pair of data signal inputs, a control input, and an output, with one of the data signal inputs thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid sixth signal generator, with the other data signal input thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid seventh signal generator, and with the control input thereof connected to the output of said thresholder; synchronization means connected between said first and second switches for effecting the simultaneous passing of the output signals from said sixth signal generator and said third subtract circuit therethrough, respectively, and for effecting the simultaneous passing of the output signals from said seventh signal generator and said fourth subtract circuit therethrough, respectively; an algebraic adder circuit having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of the aforesaid third multiplier, and with the other input thereof connected to the output of said second switch; a fourth multiplier having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said algebraic adder; a sixth inverter connected between the output of the aforesaid eighth signal generator and the other input of said fourth multiplier; and a second adder having a pair of inputs and an output, with one of the inputs thereof connected to the output of said second multiplier, with the other input thereof connected to the output of said fourth multiplier, and with the output thereof connected to the other input of the aforesaid comparator.