Electronic range measuring method and apparatus

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 including a marine vessel carrying said interrogator means; and, means for positioning said vessel, said positioning means being responsive to a comparison between the geographical coordinates of said interrogator means and the geographical coordinates of a predetermined desired position.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 including: a marine vessel carrying said interrogator means; and, means for plotting the geographical coordinates of said interrogator means in real time relative to a preplotted desired route to thereby provide a record of actual vessel route relative to said desired route.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 including: means on said vessel for laying elongate flexible means on the sea bed; wherein said preplotted desired route represents the desired route of said elongate flexible means along the sea bed; and wherein said record comprises chart means for indicating the actual route of said elongaTe flexible means along the sea bed relative to said desired route thereof.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said vessel comprises a pipelaying barge and wherein said elongate flexible means is a pipeline.

Claim 7

Apparatus for determining the distance between two spaced locations comprising: means for dynamically establishing a first time interval related in duration to the total trip transmission time of a signal between two locations, said first time interval including an equipment introduced signal delay; means for dynamically establishing a second time interval related in duration to said equipment introduced signal delay; and, means responsive to said first and said second time intervals for manifesting the distance between said two locations.

Claim 8

Apparatus for determining the distance between two spaced locations comprising: means for dynamically establishing a first time interval related in duration to the total trip transmission time of a signal between two locations, said first time interval including an equipment introduced signal delay; means for dynamically establishing a second time interval related in duration to said equipment introduced signal delay; and, means responsive to said first and said second time intervals for manifesting the distance between said two locations.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said signal comprises a total delay time reference mark, and wherein said first time interval establishing means comprises: means at one of said locations for transmitting said total delay time reference mark toward the other of said locations; means at said other of said locations for returning time reference marks toward said one of said locations; means at said one of said locations for receiving time reference marks; and, means for measuring the time interval between the transmission and reception of said total delay time reference mark at said one of said locations to thereby establish said first time interval.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein second time interval establishing means comprises: means at said other of said locations for returning a first equipment delay time reference mark toward said one of said locations responsively to said total delay time reference mark, said first equipment delay time reference mark being related in time to said total delay time reference mark according to the amount of equipment introduced signal delay at said other of said locations.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said second time interval establishing means further includes: means at said one of said locations for generating a second equipment delay time reference mark responsively to the reception by said receiving means of said first equipment delay time reference mark, said second equipment delay time reference mark being related in time to said first equipment delay time reference mark according to the amount of equipment introduced signal delay at said one of said locations.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first time interval establishing means comprises: first transmitting means at one of said locations for transmitting a first carrier signal toward the other of the locations; second transmitting means at the other of said locations for transmitting a second carrier signal toward said one of the locations; means at said one of said locations for marking said first carrier signal with a first time reference mark; first receiving means at said other of said locations for receiving said first carrier signal from said one of said locations and for detecting time reference marks; means at said other of said locations for marking said second carrier signal with a second time reference mark in response to the detection of said first time reference mark by said first receiving means; second receiving means at said one of said locations for receiving said second carrier signal from said other of said locations and for detecting time reference marks; and, means responsive to said first and second time reference marks for establishing said first time interval.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said first time interval establishing means includes first detecting means at said one of said locations for detecting the transmission of said first time reference mark by said first transmitting means.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first time interval establishing means includes computer means for determining the elapsed time between the detection of said first timE reference mark by said first detecting means and the detection of said second time reference mark by said second receiving means.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said marking means at said one of said locations includes means for applying a pulse having a predetermined amplitude and duration to said first transmitter means to thereby rapidly effect a discrete change in the frequency of said first carrier signal for the duration of said pulse.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said marking means at said other of said locations includes means responsive to said first receiving means for applying a pulse having a predetermined amplitude and duration to said second transmitter means to thereby rapidly effect a discrete change in the frequency of said second carrier signal for the duration of said pulse.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said first receiving means includes a first FM receiver means operable to generate an output signal related to said discrete change in the frequency of said first carrier signal; and, wherein said second receiving means includes a second FM receiver means operable to generate an output signal related to a said discrete change in the frequency of said second carrier signal.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said means for applying a pulse to said first transmitter means includes pulse generator means for generating at a predetermined repetition rate a series of pulses each having a predetermined duration; and, wherein said means for applying a pulse to said second transmitting means includes pulse processing means responsive to the detection of said first time reference mark by said first receiving means.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said second time interval establishing means comprises: means for marking second carrier signal with a first equipment delay time reference mark in response to the transmission of said second time reference mark by said second transmitting means, said first equipment delay time reference mark being spaced in time relative to said first time reference mark by an amount related to the signal delay introduced by equipment a said other of said locations; and, means for generating a second equipment delay time reference mark in response to the detection of said first equipment delay time reference mark by said second receiving means, said second equipment delay time reference mark being spacd in time relative to said first equipment delay time reference mark by an amount related to the signal delay introduced by equipment at said one of said locations.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said means for marking said second carrier signal with said first equipment delay time reference mark comprises: discriminator means for detecting the transmission of said first time reference mark on said second carrier signal; means for establishing a predetermined intermediate frequency of said first receiving means; and, means responsive to said discriminator means for changing the intermediate frequency of said first receiving means to thereby generate said first equipment delay time reference mark, said first equipment delay time reference mark being applied to said second transmitting means to modulate said second carrier signal by said first equipment delay time reference mark.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said means for generating a second equipment delay time reference mark comprises: means for establishing a predetermined intermediate frequency of said second receiving means; and, means responsive to the detection by said second receiving means of said first equipment delay time reference mark on said second carrier signal for changing said intermediate frequency to thereby generate said second equipment delay time reference mark.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said second time interval establishing means includes computing means for measuring said second time interval in response to the detection bY said second receiving means of said second time reference mark on said second carrier signal and to said second equipment delay time reference mark.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 wherein said second time interval establishing means includes: computer means for determining a first equipment delay time interval responsively to the detection by said second receiving means of said second time reference mark on said second carrier signal and to the detection by said second receiving means of said first equipment delay time reference mark, for determining a second equipment delay time interval responsively to the detection by said second receiving means of said first equipment delay time reference mark and to said second equipment delay time reference mark and for summing said first and second equipment delay time intervals.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first time interval establishing means comprises: first closed loop means defining a first oscillator having a natural frequency, said first closed loop means including an atmospheric transmission path between the two locations and equipment at the two locations, the natural frequency of said first oscillator being related to the length of said atmospheric transmission path and said equipment introduced signal delay times, the wavelength of said first oscillator being related to said first time interval.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said second time interval establishing means comprises: second closed loop means defining a second oscillator having a natural frequency, said second closed loop means including said equipment at one of the locations, the wavelength of said second oscillator being related to the signal delay time introduced by said equipment at said one of the locations; third closed loop means defining a third oscillator having a natural frequency; said third closed loop means including said equipment at the other of the locations, the natural frequency of said third oscillator being related to the signal delay time introduced by said equipment at said other of the locations, the sum of the wavelengths of said second and third oscillators being related to said second time interval.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said first closed loop means comprises: first FM transmitter means at one of the locations for generating a first carrier signal; second FM transmitter means at the other of the locations for generating a second carrier signal; first FM receiver means at said one of the locations for detecting frequency modulation of said second carrier signal; second FM receiver means at said other of the locations for detecting frequency modulation of said first carrier signal; first and second antenna means at said one of the locations and at said other of the locations, respectively, for receiving and radiating electromagnetic wave energy; said first FM transmitter means and said first FM receiver means being operatively connected to said first antenna means, said second FM transmitter means and said second FM receiver means being operatively connected to said second antenna means, said first FM receiver means being operatively connected to said first FM transmitter means, said second FM receiver means being operatively connected to said second FM transmitter means, said atmospheric transmission path being equal in length to twice the distance between said first and second antenna means.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said second closed loop means includes: said first FM transmitter means; said first FM receiver means; discriminator means for detecting frequency modulation of said first carrier signal; local oscillator means for establishing a predetermined intermediate frequency of said first receiver means; and, means for selectively applying the detected frequency modulation of said first carrier signAl to said local oscillator means to thereby change said intermediate frequency of said first receiver means in accordance with detected frequency modulation of said first carrier signal.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said third closed loop means includes: said second FM transmitter means; said second FM receiver means; discriminator means for detecting frequency modulation of said second carrier signal; local oscillator means for establishing a predetermined intermediate frequency of said second receiver means; and means for selectively applying the detected frequency modulation of said second carrier signal to said local oscillator means to thereby change said intermediate frequency of said second receiver means in accordance with the detected frequency modulation of said second carrier signal.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said distance manifesting means comprises: computing means for determining the wavelengths of the signals from said first, second and third oscillators in response to the natural frequencies thereof and for subtracting the sum of the wavelengths of said second and third oscillator signals from the wavelength of said first oscillator signal.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said distance manifesting means comprising: computing means for determining the wavelengths of the signals from said first, second and third oscillators in response to the natural frequencies thereof and for subtracting the sum of the wavelengths of said second and third oscillator signals from the wavelength of said first oscillator signal.

Claim 33

The method of claim 29: wherein said first and second responder means are interrogated from a marine vessel; and wherein the vessel is positioned responsively to a comparison between the manifested geographical coordinates and desired geographical coordinates.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29 wherein said first and second responder means are interrogated from a marine vessel including the further step of plotting the manifested geographical coordinates in real time relative to a preplotted desired route to thereby provide a record of actual vessel route relative to the desired route.

Claim 35

The method of claim 31 including the further step of laying elongate flexible means on the sea bed from the marive vessel whereby the record indicates the actual route of the elongate flexible means relative to the desired route thereof.

Claim 36

The method of claim 29 wherein said first and second responder means are interrogated from a pipelaying barge and including the further steps of: laying a pipeline on the sea bed from the barge; providing a chart having a preplotted desired pipeline route thereon; and, plotting the manifested geographical coordinates on said chart to thereby provide a record of actual pipeline route relative to the desired pipeline route.

Claim 37

The method of claim 33 including the further steps of: comparing the geographical coordinates of the desired pipeline route with the manifested geographical coordinates; and, positioning the barge responsively to the comparison.

Claim 40

The method of claim 35 wherein the first time interval is established by the steps of: transmitting a total delay time reference mark from one of the locations to the other of the locations; returning the total delay time reference mark from said other of the locations to said one of the locations; detecting the total delay time reference mark returned from said other of the locations at said one of the locations; and, measuring the time interval between the transmission and detection of the total delay time reference mark at said one of the locations to thereby establish the first time interval.

Claim 41

The method of claim 36 wherein the second time interval is established by the steps of: returning a first equipment delay time reference mark to said one of the locations from said other of the locations responsively to the total delay time reference mark; detecting the first equipment delay time reference mark at said one of the locations; generating a second equipment delay time reference mark responsively to the detection of the first equipment delay time reference mark at said one of the locations; detecting the second delay time reference mark at said one of the locations; and, measuring the time interval between the detection of the total delay time reference mark and the detection of the second equipment delay time reference mark at said one of the locations to thereby establish the second time interval.

Claim 42

The method of claim 36 wherein said total delay time reference is transmitted by: transmitting a substantially continuous wave carrier signal at a predetermined frequency; and, rapidly effecting a discrete change in the frequency of said carrier signal for a predetermined period of time.

Claim 43

The method of claim 35 wherein the first time interval is established by the steps of: generating a first substantially sinusoidal signal having a first natural frequency related to both the total round trip transmission time of said signal between the two locations and the equipment induced signal delays; and, determining the wavelength of the sinusoidal signal to thereby determine the duration of the first time interval.

Claim 44

The method of claim 39 wherein the second time interval is established by the steps of: generating a second substantially sinusoidal signal at a second natural frequency related to the signal delay introduced by equipment at one of the locations; generating a third substantially sinusoidal signal at a third natural frequency related to the signal delay introduced by equipment at the other of the locations; determining the wavelengths of thE second and third sinusoidal signals; and, summing the determined wavelengths of the second and third sinusoidal signals to determine the duration of the second time interval.

Claim 45

In a method of laying a pipeline offshore including providing vessel means operable to lay a submerged pipeline in an offshore location, providing position plotting means carried by the vessel means and containing a preplotted course related to a desired position of the pipeline, determining, on the vessel means, an actual offshore position of the vessel means during the laying of the pipeline on a submerged surface, indicating on the vessel means the actual offshore position of the vessel means relative to the preplotted course and in accordance with the indicating on the vessel means, causing the vessel means to manipulate the pipeline so as to tend to cause the actual position of the vessel means to tend to bear a desired coincidence with the preplotted course, the improvement residing in: providing a first responder means at first known geographical coordinates for responding when interrogated; providing a second responder means at second known geographical coordinates for responding when interrogated; and, determining, on said vessel means, an actual offshore position of said vessel means during the laying of said pipeline on a submerged surface by: interrogating said first responder means and receiving the responsive signals therefrom; dynamically establishing a first time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of the interrogating signal and the reception of a responsive signal, said first time interval including atmospheric and equipment delays, dynamically establishing a second time interval related in duration to said equipment delays, generating a first distance signal related to the difference between said first and second time interval, interrogating said second responder means and receiving the responsive signals therefrom, establishing a third time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of an interrogating signal and the reception of a responsive signal, said third time interval including atmospheric and equipment delays, dynamically establishing a fourth time interval related in duration to said last mentioned equipment delays, generating a second distance signal related to the difference between said third and fourth time intervals, and manifesting geographical coordinates responsively to said first and second distance signals and the known geographical coordinates of said first and second responder means.

Claim 46

In a method of laying a pipeline offshore including providing vessel means operable to lay a submerged pipeline in an offshore location, providing position plotting means carried by the vessel means and containing a preplotted course related to a desired position of the pipeline, determining, on the vessel means, an actual offshore position of the vessel means during the laying of the pipeline on a submerged surface, indicating on the vessel means the actual offshore position of the vessel means relative to the preplotted course and in accordance with the indicating on the vessel means, causing the vessel means to manipulate the pipeline so as to tend to cause the actual position of the vessel means to tend to bear a desired coincidence with the preplotted course, the improvement residing in: providing a first responder means at first known geographical coordinates for responding when interrogated; providing a second responder means at second known geographical coordinates for responding when interrogated; and, determining, on said vessel means, an actual offshore position of said vessel means during the laying of said pipeline on a submerged surface by: interrogating said first responder means and receiving the responsive signals therefrom; dynamically establishing a first time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of the interrogating signal and the reception of a responsive signal, said first time interval including atmospheric and equipment delays, dynamically establishing a second time interval related in duration to said equipment delays, generating a first distance signal related to the difference between said first and second time interval, interrogating said second responder means and receiving the responsive signals therefrom, establishing a third time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of an interrogating signal and the reception of a responsive signal, said third time interval including atmospheric and equipment delays, dynamically establishing a fourth time interval related in duration to said last mentioned equipment delays, generating a second distance signal related to the difference between said third and fourth time intervals, and manifesting geographical coordinates responsively to said first and second distance signals and the known geographical coordinates of said first and second responder means.

Claim 47

In a system for laying a pipeline offshore including vessel means operable to lay a submerged pipeline at an offshore location, position plotting means carried by said vessel means and containing a preplotted course related to a desired position of said pipeline, actual position determining means carried by said vessel means and operable to determine an actual offshore position of said vessel means during the laying of said pipeline on a submerged surface, and indicating means on said vessel means operable to indicate said offshore position of said vessel means relative to said preplotted course, said vessel means being operable, in accordance with operation of said indicating means, to manipulate said pipeline so as to tend to cause said actual position of said vessel means to bear a desired coincidence with said preplotted course, the improvement residing in: first reponder means at first known geographical coordinates for transmitting a first responder signal when interrogated; second responder means at second known geographical coordinates for transmitting a second responder signal when interrogated; actual position determining means carried by said vessel means and including : interrogator means for interrogating said first and second responder means and for receiving said responder signals; means for dynamically esTablishing a first time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of an interrogating signal by said interrogator means and the reception of said responder signal, said first time interval including equipment delays introduced by said first responder means and said interrogator means; means for dynamically establishing a second time interval related in duration to the equipment delays introduced by said first responder means and said interrogator means; means responsive to said first and second dynamic time interval establishing means for generating a first distance signal related to the distance between said interrogator means and said first responder means; means for establishing a third time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of an interrogating signal by said interrogator means and the reception of said second responder signal, said third time interval including equipment delays introduced by said interrogator means and said second responder means; means for dynamically establishing a fourth time interval related in duration to the equipment delays introduced by said second responder means and said interrogator means; means responsive to said third and fourth dynamic time interval establishing means for generating a second distance signal related to the distance between said interrogator means and said second responder means; and, means responsive to said first and second distance signals and said first and second known geographical coordinates for manifesting the geographical coordinates of said interrogator means to thereby determine an actual offshore position of said vessel means.

Claim 48

In a system for laying a pipeline offshore including vessel means operable to lay a submerged pipeline at an offshore location, position plotting means carried by said vessel means and containing a preplotted course related to a desired position of said pipeline, actual position determining means carried by said vessel means and operable to determine an actual offshore position of said vessel means during the laying of said pipeline on a submerged surface, and indicating means on said vessel means operable to indicate said offshore position of said vessel means relative to said preplotted course, said vessel means being operable, in accordance with operation of said indicating means, to manipulate said pipeline so as to tend to cause said actual position of said vessel means to bear a desired coincidence with said preplotted course, the improvement residing in: first reponder means at first known geographical coordinates for transmitting a first responder signal when interrogated; second responder means at second known geographical coordinates for transmitting a second responder signal when interrogated; actual position determining means carried by said vessel means and including : interrogator means for interrogating said first and second responder means and for receiving said responder signals; means for dynamically esTablishing a first time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of an interrogating signal by said interrogator means and the reception of said responder signal, said first time interval including equipment delays introduced by said first responder means and said interrogator means; means for dynamically establishing a second time interval related in duration to the equipment delays introduced by said first responder means and said interrogator means; means responsive to said first and second dynamic time interval establishing means for generating a first distance signal related to the distance between said interrogator means and said first responder means; means for establishing a third time interval related in duration to the time between the transmission of an interrogating signal by said interrogator means and the reception of said second responder signal, said third time interval including equipment delays introduced by said interrogator means and said second responder means; means for dynamically establishing a fourth time interval related in duration to the equipment delays introduced by said second responder means and said interrogator means; means responsive to said third and fourth dynamic time interval establishing means for generating a second distance signal related to the distance between said interrogator means and said second responder means; and, means responsive to said first and second distance signals and said first and second known geographical coordinates for manifesting the geographical coordinates of said interrogator means to thereby determine an actual offshore position of said vessel means.