JP6977440B2 - Underwater mobile control system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control system that controls the navigation of an underwater moving body.

Underwater mobiles may be used for exploration of resources by navigating underwater, and for searching and investigating certain targets on the seabed or underwater.

When conducting such exploration, search, or investigation, a navigation route is usually set for an underwater moving object.

The underwater moving body detects the current position of its own aircraft by an inertial navigation system and a position detection device that combines it with a Doppler type ultrasonic speedometer (DVL), and the detected current position of its own aircraft is on the navigation path. As you can see, it controls the direction and speed of the aircraft.

By the way, when the underwater moving body is navigated in an environment where a tidal current exists, the tidal current acts as a disturbance to control the navigation of the underwater moving body.

Therefore, as for the navigation control of the underwater moving body in the tidal current environment, the underwater moving body measures the ground speed and the water speed of the own aircraft, and the direction of the tidal current acting on the own aircraft is based on the difference between the two. And, a method of estimating the speed of the tidal current and correcting the traveling direction and the traveling speed so as to compensate for the influence of the estimated tidal current has been conventionally proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-127983

However, in the past, the direction and velocity of the tidal current were estimated from the difference between the ground speed and the water velocity, so the information on the direction and velocity of the tidal current can be obtained from the underwater mobile body in the past. Only information about the area you have run.

Therefore, it is difficult for the conventional method to respond promptly when there is a sudden change in the disturbance acting on the underwater moving body on the navigation route where the underwater moving body is scheduled to sail. be.

That is, in the conventional method, for example, when the underwater moving body passes through a disturbance sudden change point where the tidal current direction changes and the speed of the tidal current suddenly increases, even if the underwater moving body passes through the disturbance sudden change point. , The previous navigation control will be continued until the ground speed and the water velocity of the underwater moving body are measured and the direction and velocity of the changed tidal current can be estimated from the difference between the two. ..

Therefore, in the conventional method, when the underwater moving body passes through a place where the direction or speed of the tidal current changes suddenly, the change of the navigation control is delayed, and the followability to the navigation route is lowered. The reality is that it is easy.

In addition, when the underwater moving body passes through a place where the water density changes due to changes in salinity or water temperature, the buoyancy acting on the underwater moving body changes, so that the underwater moving body travels. It affects the controllability of depth over time. However, conventionally, no measures have been proposed for disturbances that affect the controllability of the depth of the underwater moving body.

Therefore, according to the present invention, when the underwater moving body is navigated along the set navigation route, the navigation of the underwater moving body such as the direction and speed of the ocean current, the salinity, the water temperature, and the water density on the navigation route. It is possible to quickly respond to changes in disturbances that affect the controllability of the running direction, speed, and depth, and to perform navigation control, thereby improving the followability of the underwater moving object to the navigation path. It is intended to provide a control system for an underwater moving body capable of achieving the above.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes an underwater moving body and an information providing unit outside the underwater moving body, and the underwater moving body is a state amount detecting unit that detects a state amount of its own machine. A route storage unit that stores the navigation route, a communication unit that has a function of receiving disturbance information transmitted from the information providing unit, a mobile device, and a calculation unit that gives a control amount command to the mobile device. When the information providing unit receives a signal transmitted by the underwater moving body at a certain point on the navigation path, the underwater moving body moves to the navigation path with a delay time associated with acoustic communication. An underwater moving object having a function of transmitting information on disturbance at a point ahead of the point to move from the certain point along the point or a distance set beyond the point to the underwater moving body. Control system.

The disturbance information transmitted by the information providing unit to the underwater mobile body includes information on the velocity vector of the tidal current.

The disturbance information is intended to include information related to changes in water density.

The information providing unit is configured as a ground station or a water mobile body.

The information providing unit is configured as a marine observation point or another underwater mobile body.

According to the control system of the underwater moving body of the present invention, when the underwater moving body is navigated along a set navigation route, the change of the disturbance that affects the navigation controllability of the underwater moving body is dealt with. It is possible to quickly respond to the navigation control and improve the followability of the underwater moving body to the navigation path.

It is a figure which shows the embodiment of the control system of the underwater moving body. It is a figure which shows the example of the information providing part which gives the information of the disturbance to the underwater moving body. It is a figure for demonstrating the communication performed between an underwater mobile body and an information providing part.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a control system for an underwater mobile body. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an information providing unit that gives information on disturbance to an underwater moving body. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of communication performed between a moving underwater mobile body and an information providing unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control system for the underwater mobile body of the present embodiment has a configuration including an underwater mobile body 1 and an external information providing unit 2 that gives information A of disturbance to the underwater mobile body 1. Has been done.

The underwater moving body 1 is configured to include a state quantity detecting unit 3, a route storage unit 4, a moving device 5, a communication unit 6, a disturbance information storage unit 7, and a calculation unit 8.

The state amount detection unit 3 has a function of detecting the position B1 of the own machine, for example, the cruising direction B2, the cruising speed B3, and the cruising depth B4 of the own machine as the state amount B of the own machine of the underwater moving body 1. It is equipped with.

As the state quantity detection unit 3, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an inertial navigation system, or the like may be appropriately selected and used in combination as necessary.

The route storage unit 4 stores the navigation route C set for navigating the underwater mobile body 1.

For the storage of the navigation route C in the route storage unit 4, for example, when controlling the navigation of the underwater moving body 1 as a waypoint, the coordinates and the passing time are set for the waypoint set on the navigation route C. It should be stored in the format of the created waypoint file.

The route storage unit 4 has a function of giving the stored information of the navigation route C to the calculation unit 8 in response to a request from the calculation unit 8.

The moving device 5 is an actuator such as a thruster or a rudder. The operation and operation of the mobile device 5 are controlled by the command of the control amount D from the calculation unit 8, so that the underwater mobile body 1 is navigated.

The communication unit 6 includes an acoustic communication device (not shown), and transmits / receives information by acoustic communication to the acoustic communication device (not shown) of the information providing unit 2. As a result, the underwater mobile body 1 has a function of transmitting the information of the state quantity B of the own machine to the information providing unit 2 by acoustic communication via the communication unit 6, and the disturbance information A transmitted from the information providing unit 2. Can be realized with the function of receiving.

The disturbance information storage unit 7 has a function of temporarily storing the disturbance information A transmitted from the information providing unit 2 and received by the communication unit 6, and calculates the stored disturbance information A in response to a request from the calculation unit 8. It has a function to give to the part 8.

When the calculation unit 8 receives the detection result of the state quantity B of the own machine from the state quantity detection unit 3, at least the information of the position B1 of the own machine of the underwater moving body 1 is transmitted from the information of the state quantity B to the communication unit 6. It has a function of sending to the information providing unit 2 via. If there is a margin in the amount of data to be transmitted to the information providing unit 2 by acoustic communication, the calculation unit 8 adds the information on the position B1 of the own machine of the underwater mobile body 1 to the cruising direction B2 of the own machine. Any one of the cruising speed B3 and the cruising depth B4, or all the information may be sent to the information providing unit 2.

Further, the calculation unit 8 receives the detection result of the state quantity B of the own machine received from the state quantity detection unit 3, the information of the navigation route C received from the route storage unit 4, and the disturbance information A received from the disturbance information storage unit 7. Based on the above, it has a function of obtaining a control amount D to be given to the mobile device 5 and a function of giving a command of the obtained control amount D to the mobile device 5. The specific method of obtaining the controlled variable D by the calculation unit 8 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the information providing unit 2 is, for example, a ground station 2a, a water mobile body 2b such as the mother ship of the underwater mobile body 1, a marine observation point 2c such as a buoy, or a navigation of the underwater mobile body 1. It is another underwater mobile body 2d that sails ahead of the region where the travel path C is arranged.

When the information providing unit 2 is a water moving body 2b, a sea observation point 2c, or another underwater moving body 2d, acoustic communication may be directly performed with the underwater moving body 1.

When the information providing unit 2 is the ground station 2a, if the area in which the underwater mobile body 1 is navigated is far from the ground station 2a, the acoustic communication device (not shown) attached to the ground station 2a is underwater. It becomes difficult to directly perform acoustic communication with the mobile body 1. In this case, the ground station 2a may communicate with the underwater mobile body 1 by using the water mobile body 2b capable of acoustic communication with the underwater mobile body 1 and equipped with a wireless communication device as a repeater.

Further, when the information providing unit 2 receives the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own machine of the underwater moving body 1 from the underwater moving body 1, the information providing unit 2 has a function of sending the disturbance information A to the underwater moving body 1. I have. The specific function of the information providing unit 2 will be described later.

The disturbance information A sent by the information providing unit 2 to the underwater moving body 1 is, for example, a tidal current indicating the direction and velocity of the tidal current existing in the region where the navigation path C of the underwater moving body 1 is set. Velocity vector information.

Here, first, an example in which the information providing unit 2 is the ground station 2a will be described.

In this case, the marine observation point 2c has a function of sending the observed tidal current data to the water moving body 2b. Further, the other underwater moving body 2d has a function of sending navigation data such as the ground speed and the water speed of the own aircraft or the tidal current data estimated from the navigation data of the own aircraft to the water moving body 2b. There is.

Further, the water moving body 2b is a ground station that collects tidal current data received from the marine observation point 2c and other underwater moving bodies 2d and data related to the tidal current collected from artificial satellites 9 such as meteorological satellites and ocean observation satellites. It has a function to send to 2a by wireless communication. Further, the water mobile body 2b has a relay function of receiving disturbance information A based on the tidal current data analyzed and estimated by the ground station 2a from the ground station 2a by wireless communication and transmitting it to the underwater mobile body 1 by acoustic communication. And, when the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own machine of the underwater mobile body 1 is received from the underwater mobile body 1 by acoustic communication, it has a relay function of transmitting it to the ground station 2a by wireless communication.

Of course, the data on the tidal current from the artificial satellite 9 may be collected by the ground station 2a instead of the water mobile body 2b.

The ground station 2a is based on the data collected from the water mobile body 2b, the sea observation point 2c, the other underwater mobile body 2d, and the artificial satellite 9, and the data collected in the past, and the navigation path C of the underwater mobile body 1. It has a function to analyze and estimate the velocity vector of the current current current in various places in the area where is set, for example, by using a statistical method. Here, the data collected in the past refers to seasons, dates, tidal current data for each weather, tidal current prediction model, topographical data, and the like.

By the way, the speed of sound in water is about 1500 m / s. Therefore, in the acoustic communication performed between the underwater mobile body 1 and the water mobile body 2b, from the time when the underwater mobile body 1 transmits the information of the state quantity B of its own machine until the water mobile body 2b receives it, and , There is a time delay according to the distance between the underwater mobile body 1 and the water mobile body 2b from the transmission of the disturbance information A by the water mobile body 2b to the reception by the underwater mobile body 1.

Further, the acoustic signal that can be used for acoustic communication underwater has a limited frequency band. Therefore, in the underwater mobile body 1 and the water mobile body 2b, a time-based transmission / reception plan is set in order to prevent mutual acoustic interference between the transmission and reception acoustic signals.

In this transmission / reception plan, the reception processing time and the transmission processing time are alternately set so that the processing for receiving the acoustic signal and the processing for transmitting the acoustic signal are performed so as not to overlap in time. The reception processing time and the transmission processing time are set to a length calculated by dividing the amount of data to be transmitted and received between the underwater mobile body 1 and the water mobile body 2b by the communication speed, plus a margin. To. Therefore, in the acoustic communication performed between the underwater mobile body 1 and the water mobile body 2b, the communication cycle of transmission and reception is determined.

In the wireless communication between the water mobile body 2b and the ground station 2a, there is almost no time delay.

As a result, when the underwater moving body 1 transmits the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own machine, the information of the state quantity B is relayed by the water moving body 2b and received by the ground station 2a. At this time, the distance between the underwater moving body 1 and the water moving body 2b from the time when the underwater moving body 1 starts transmitting the information of the state quantity B to the time when the information of the state quantity B is received by the ground station 2a. A time delay (T1) corresponding to the above and a time delay (T2) depending on the communication cycle occur.

Further, when the ground station 2a transmits the disturbance information A, the disturbance information A is relayed by the water moving body 2b and received by the underwater moving body 1. At this time, from the time when the ground station 2a starts transmitting the disturbance information A to the time when the disturbance information A is received by the underwater mobile body 1, it depends on the distance between the water mobile body 2b and the underwater mobile body 1. A time delay (T3) and a time delay (T4) depending on the communication cycle occur.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the underwater mobile body 1 transmits the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own aircraft at a certain point X on the navigation route C, the ground station 2a Even if the disturbance information A is transmitted immediately after receiving the information of the state quantity B, the underwater moving body 1 receives the disturbance information A at each time from the time when the state quantity B is transmitted. This is the time when the delay time Tx associated with the acoustic communication, which is the sum of the delays (T1, T2, T3, T4), has elapsed. Therefore, at the time when the underwater mobile body 1 receives the disturbance information A, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 3, the underwater mobile body 1 is along the navigation path C from a certain point X and has a navigation speed v at a delay time Tx. It is moving to the point Y by traveling the distance multiplied by.

In view of the above points, the ground station 2a as the information providing unit 2 has a function of storing a navigation plan including information on the navigation path C and the navigation speed v of the underwater mobile body 1, and further, underwater movement. When the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own machine of the underwater mobile body 1 transmitted from the body 1 is received, the underwater mobile body 1 moves along the navigation route C during the delay time Tx. It has a function of estimating the point Y and a function of transmitting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current at the point Y as the information A of the disturbance at the estimated point Y.

As a result, when the underwater moving body 1 transmits the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of its own machine at a certain point X on the navigation route C, it then reaches the point Y along the navigation route C. At the time of movement, the information of the velocity vector of the tidal current at the point Y can be received via the communication unit 6 as the information A of the disturbance at the point Y. The received disturbance information A is stored in the disturbance information storage unit 7.

As described above, when the underwater moving body 1 is located at the point Y where the information of the velocity vector of the tidal current as the disturbance information A is located, the calculation unit 8 first receives the state quantity of its own machine from the state quantity detection unit 3. Based on the detection result of B and the information of the navigation route C received from the route storage unit 4, the speed vector for moving the own machine along the navigation route C is set as the target value of the navigation control. The velocity vector set as this target value is hereinafter referred to as a target velocity vector.

Next, the calculation unit 8 reads out the velocity vector of the tidal current as the disturbance information A at the point Y from the disturbance information storage unit 7, and calculates the difference between the target velocity vector and the velocity vector of the tidal current at the point Y. , Calculate the correction target velocity vector.

Next, the calculation unit 8 calculates the control amount D of the moving device 5 required to move the underwater moving body 1 with the corrected target speed vector based on the calculated correction target speed vector.

After that, the calculation unit 8 gives the calculated control amount D to the mobile device 5 as a command. Therefore, the moving device 5 operates and operates according to the control amount D.

As a result, in the underwater moving body 1, the sum of the corrected target velocity vector output by the moving device 5 and the velocity vector of the tidal current at the point Y becomes the actual moving direction and velocity. Therefore, the underwater mobile body 1 can sail in a state in which deviation from the navigation path C is suppressed according to the target speed vector.

As described above, according to the control system of the underwater mobile body of the present embodiment, when the underwater mobile body 1 is made to navigate along the set navigation path C, the controllability of the navigation of the underwater mobile body 1 is affected. It is possible to swiftly respond to changes in the tidal current as a disturbance that affects navigation.

Therefore, according to the control system of the underwater mobile body of the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the followability of the underwater mobile body 1 to the navigation path C.

[First application example]
In the above embodiment, when the ground station 2a as the information providing unit 2 receives the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own machine of the underwater moving body 1, the point is set as the information A of the disturbance at the point Y. It is provided with a function of transmitting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current in Y.

On the other hand, when the ground station 2a as the information providing unit 2 receives the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of its own machine of the underwater moving body 1, it receives the information of the state quantity B on the navigation path C of the underwater moving body 1. It may be provided with a function of transmitting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current as the disturbance information A at the point ahead of the point Y by a set distance.

In this case, since the received disturbance information A is stored in the disturbance information storage unit 7 in the underwater mobile body 1, the calculation unit 8 has the underwater mobile body 1 currently located on the navigation path C. By reading out the disturbance information A corresponding to a certain point, it is possible to perform the same navigation control as in the above embodiment.

Therefore, the same effect can be obtained by using the control system of the underwater mobile body of this application example in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

[Second application example]
In the above embodiment, the underwater mobile body 1 transmits the information of the state quantity B including the information of the position B1 of the own machine to the ground station 2a as the information providing unit 2 at a certain point X on the navigation path C. I explained the case of doing.

On the other hand, when the underwater moving body 1 is at a certain point X on the cruising path C, the calculation unit 8 considers the delay time Tx and the cruising speed v of the own machine, and the point Y Also, it has a function to transmit a signal requesting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current as the disturbance information A to the ground station 2a as the information providing unit 2 at the point set ahead of the point Y. You may do so.

In this case, the ground station 2a may be provided with a function of transmitting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current as the information A of the disturbance about the requested point.

In this case, the information providing unit 2 side does not have to have the information of the navigation route C of the underwater mobile body 1.

The underwater mobile body control system of this application example can also be used in the same manner as in the above embodiment to obtain the same effect.

Needless to say, this application example may be applied to the first application example.

[Third application example]
In the above embodiment, an example in which the information providing unit 2 is a ground station 2a has been described, but the information providing unit 2 may be a water mobile body 2b.

The water mobile body 2b as the information providing unit 2 may have a function other than the communication function with the water mobile body 2b among the functions of the ground station 2a described above.

The underwater mobile body control system of this application example can also be used in the same manner as in the above embodiment to obtain the same effect.

Of course, this application example may be applied to the first application example and the second application example.

[Fourth application example]
In the above embodiment, an example in which the information providing unit 2 is a ground station 2a has been described, but the information providing unit 2 may be a marine observation point 2c.

In this case, as in the second application example, when the underwater moving body 1 is at a certain point X on the navigation path C, the calculation unit 8 has the delay time Tx and the navigation of the own machine described above. Considering the velocity v, the tidal current as the disturbance information A with respect to the point Y, the point set ahead of the point Y, the point ahead, or the maritime observation point 2c located near them. It suffices to have a function to request the transmission of velocity vector information.

The marine observation point 2c may be provided with a function of transmitting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current as the information A of the disturbance about the requested point.

The same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained by the control system of the underwater mobile body of this application example.

[Fifth application example]
In the above embodiment, an example in which the information providing unit 2 is the ground station 2a has been described, but the information providing unit 2 may be another underwater mobile body 2d.

In this case, as in the second application example, when the underwater mobile body 1 is at a certain point X on the navigation path C, the calculation unit 8 has the delay time Tx and the navigation of the own machine described above. Disturbance information for point Y, points ahead of point Y, or other underwater mobiles 2d that have previously sailed in the vicinity of them, taking speed v into account. It suffices to have a function of requesting the transmission of the information of the velocity vector of the tidal current as A.

The other underwater mobile body 2d may be provided with a function of transmitting information on the velocity vector of the tidal current as the information A of the disturbance about the requested point.

The same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained by the control system of the underwater mobile body of this application example.

[6th application example]
In the above-described embodiment, the velocity vector of the tidal current is exemplified as the disturbance information A.

On the other hand, the disturbance information A may include information related to the change in water density, which affects the controllability of the depth of the underwater moving body 1 during navigation.

Information related to this change in water density is, for example, information on salinity of seawater, information on water temperature, information on weather, and the like.

From the increase / decrease in the salinity of seawater and the change in water density due to the change in water temperature, the change in buoyancy acting on the underwater mobile body 1 can be estimated. Further, since the change in the salt concentration of the seawater can be calculated from the rainfall information from the weather information, the change in the buoyancy acting on the underwater moving body 1 can be estimated in the same manner as described above.

Therefore, when the calculation unit 8 of the underwater mobile body 1 receives information related to the change in water density as the disturbance information A, the underwater mobile body 1 passes through the place where the water density changes. Occasionally, it may be provided with a function of adjusting the buoyancy of the underwater moving body 1 so as to cancel the floating and sinking motion due to the estimated change in the buoyancy of the underwater moving body 1.

According to the control system of the underwater moving body of this application example, it is possible to suppress the change in the depth of the underwater moving body 1 even when the underwater moving body 1 passes through a place where the water density is changing. Therefore, it is possible to improve the followability to the depth set in the navigation path C of the underwater moving body 1.

Of course, this application example may be applied to the first application example to the fifth application example.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and each application example, and the underwater mobile body 1, the ground station 2a, the water mobile body 2b, the sea observation point 2c, and other underwater mobile bodies shown in FIG. The shape and size ratios of 2d are for convenience of illustration and do not reflect the actual shape and size ratios.

The control system for the underwater mobile body of the present invention is applied to the underwater mobile body 1 used for any purpose as long as the underwater mobile body 1 is designed to navigate along the set navigation path C. It's okay. Further, the method for setting the navigation route C may be any method other than the waypoint.

In the case of the second application example, the underwater mobile body 1 may have a function of setting the navigation route C by itself during the operation instead of the navigation route C preset before the operation.

Of course, various other changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 Underwater mobile body, 2 Information provider, 2a Ground station, 2b Water mobile body, 2c Maritime observation point, 2d Other underwater mobile body, 3 State quantity detection unit, 4 Path storage unit, 5 Mobile device, 6 Communication unit, 8 Calculation unit, A disturbance information, B state quantity, C navigation route, D control quantity, Tx delay time, X certain point, Y point

Claims (5)

Underwater mobiles and
It is equipped with an information providing unit outside the underwater mobile body.
The underwater mobile body is
A state quantity detector that detects the state quantity of your own machine,
A route storage unit that stores the navigation route and
A communication unit having a function of receiving disturbance information transmitted from the information providing unit, and a communication unit.
With mobile devices
A calculation unit that gives a control amount command to the mobile device is provided.
The information providing unit
When the underwater mobile body receives a signal transmitted at a certain point on the navigation path, the point where the underwater mobile body moves from the certain point along the navigation path with a delay time due to acoustic communication. or the control system of the underwater vehicle, characterized in that the destination distance component which is set than point, the further disturbance information at the point of the previous, with the function of transmitting to the underwater vehicle. The control system for an underwater moving body according to claim 1, wherein the information of the disturbance transmitted by the information providing unit to the underwater moving body includes information on a velocity vector of a tidal current. The control system for an underwater mobile body according to claim 2, wherein the disturbance information includes information related to a change in water density. The control system for an underwater mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information providing unit is a ground station or a water mobile body. The control system for an underwater mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information providing unit is a marine observation point or another underwater mobile body.

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