1. A ship motion prediction system comprising:
a plurality of surface platforms, said platforms each comprising:
a propulsion system for movement of said platforms;
a plurality of sensors operable for gathering sensor data relating to an environment proximate said platforms;
a processing device communicatively coupled to said propulsion system and said plurality of sensors; and
a transceiver communicatively coupled to said processing device; and
a central computer comprising a communications interface, said processing device programmed to transmit the sensor data to said central computer via said transceiver and said communications interface, said central computer programmed to transmit commands for operation of said propulsion system to said processing device via said communications interface and said transceiver, said central computer further programmed to predict an effect of environments associated with said plurality of surface platforms on a water vessel operating within a vicinity of said plurality of surface platforms.
2. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein each said surface platform comprises a hull configuration, at least one of said processing device and said central computer programmed with a model associated with said hull configuration such that effects of said hull configuration on the gathered sensor data is taken into account when processing the gathered sensor data to predict the effect of the environments associated with said plurality of surface platforms on the water vessel.
3. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said central computer is located at one of a shore-based facility, the water vessel, a remote water vessel, and one of said plurality of surface platforms.
4. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein to predict the effect of the environments associated with said plurality of surface platforms on the water vessel, said central computer is programmed to utilize the sensor data from all of said plurality of surface platforms.
5. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of surface platforms are controlled from the water vessel.
6. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of surface platforms each comprise:
a source of electrical power; and
at least one device for recharging said source of electrical power.
7. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of surface platforms comprise at least one of remotely operable surface platforms, autonomously operable surface platforms, and manned surface platforms.
8. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of surface platforms are programmed to:
A) move to a first location using said propulsion system;
B) gather and transmit the sensor data associated with the first location; and
C) move to a location different than the first location; and
D) repeat steps B) and C) as programmed or as remotely controlled.
9. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors comprises:
at least one of inclinometers, rate gyroscopes, accelerometers, inertial reference units, and motion sensing devices;
at least one of a global positioning system and an electronic compass;
at least one of a radar, an AIS receiver and antenna, an echo sounder to determine water depth, a scanning sonar, a video camera, and proximity sensors.
10. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said transceiver comprises a wireless transceiver.
11. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said processing device and said central computer are programmed to determine a future motion of a ship based on the gathered sensor data.
12. The ship motion prediction system according to claim 1 wherein said propulsion system is operable for at least one of positioning and station-keeping of said platforms.
13. A method for predicting ship motion comprising:
deploying a plurality of surface platforms in a vicinity of a ship, each surface platform including a plurality of sensors operable for gathering sensor data relating to an environment proximate to at least one of the plurality of surface platforms;
receiving the sensor data from the plurality of surface platforms; and
predicting, based on the sensor data, an effect of environments associated with said plurality of surface platforms on a water vessel operating within a vicinity of said plurality of surface platforms.
14. The method according to claim 13 further comprising using a model associated with a hull configuration for an individual surface platform to adjust a received sensor data associated with the individual surface platform, the model based on an interaction between the hull configuration and the environment.
15. The method according to claim 13 wherein receiving the sensor data comprises receiving wave height, wave direction, wave speed, current, wind, platform orientation, platform position, time and date.
16. The method according to claim 13 wherein receiving the sensor data from at least one of the plurality of surface platforms comprises receiving the sensor data from a plurality of remotely operable surface platforms having one or more of inclinometers, rate gyroscopes, accelerometers, motion sensing devices, a global positioning system, an electronic compass, a radar, an AIS receiver and antenna, an echo sounder, a forward scanning sonar, a video camera, and proximity sensors from the plurality of the surface platforms.
17. The method according to claim 13 wherein deploying the plurality of surface platforms in the vicinity of the ship comprises at least one of:
deploying a plurality of autonomously operable surface platforms each programmed to move to a specific location for the gathering of the sensor data;
deploying a plurality of remotely operable surface platforms and operating those platforms such that each move to the specific location for the gathering of the sensor data; and
deploying a plurality of manned surface platforms and operating those platforms such that each move to the specific location for the gathering of the sensor data.
18. A water environment sensor device comprising:
a platform operable in an aquatic environment;
a propulsion system for movement of said platform within the aquatic environment;
a plurality of sensors operable for gathering sensor data relating to conditions of the aquatic environment proximate said platform;
a wireless transceiver; and
a processing device communicatively coupled to said plurality of sensors and said wireless transceiver, said processing device programmed to receive the sensor data from said plurality of sensors and transmit the sensor data to an external device via said wireless transceiver.
19. The water environment sensor device according to claim 18 wherein said plurality of sensors comprises:
at least one of inclinometers, rate gyroscopes, accelerometers, inertial reference units, and motion sensing devices;
at least one of a global positioning system and an electronic compass; and
at least one of a radar, an AIS receiver and antenna, an echo sounder to determine water depth, a scanning sonar, a video camera, and proximity sensors.
20. The water environment sensor device according to claim 18 wherein said processing device is programmed with a model associated with said platform such that said processing device is programmed to remove effects associated with said platform from the sensor data received from said plurality of sensors.
21. The water environment sensor device according to claim 18 wherein said propulsion system is at least one of:
remotely operable via said wireless transceiver and said processing device, said processing device communicatively coupled to said propulsion device;
autonomously operable via program associated with said processing device, said processing device communicatively coupled to said propulsion device; and
manually operable with one or more persons deployed on said water environment sensor device.
22. The water environment sensor device according to claim 18 wherein said propulsion system is operable for at least one of positioning and station-keeping for said platform.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
in a receiver:
generating, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search;
each of the values in the first set comprises a value in a first modulation symbol constellation associated with the information symbols;
for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination;
each of the values in the second set comprises a value in a second modulation symbol constellation not associated with the information symbols; and
receiving the one or more pilot symbols at a pilot rate and a forward error correction (FEC) rate that adapts in presence of phase noise and AWGN according to a specified overall rate budget for the pilot rate and the FEC rate.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more values comprises one or more symbol values predetermined as corresponding to the one or more pilot symbols.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more pilot symbols comprises a pseudo random pattern.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more values are values of a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbol constellation, and the second set of one or more values are values of a lower order phase shift keying (PSK) symbol constellation.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein power of each of the one or more pilot symbols is zero power.
6. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving the information symbols and the one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
the received information symbols were transmitted at a first power when the received one or more pilot symbols were transmitted at a second power; and
the received information symbols were transmitted at a third power when the received one or more pilot symbols were transmitted at a fourth power.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first power, the second power, the third power, and the fourth power are based on a tradeoff between phase noise tolerance and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) tolerance.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted symbols comprise K consecutive pilot symbols every N information symbols, where K and N are each a positive integer greater than 1.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted symbols comprise at least one information symbol between pilot symbols.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pilot rate adapts dynamically based on one or more performance indicators.
11. The method according to claim 1, comprising, during the sequence estimation process:
when a first location within a symbol candidate vector contains one of said information symbols, estimating a value of said one of said information symbols at said first location within said symbol candidate vector; and
when said first location within said symbol candidate vector contains one of said pilot symbols, estimating a value of one of said information symbols at a second location within said symbol candidate vector, said second location being before or after said first location.
12. A system comprising:
a receiver, the receiver being operable to:
generate, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search;
each of the values in the first set comprises a value in a first modulation symbol constellation associated with the information symbols;
for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination; and
each of the values in the second set comprises a value in a second modulation symbol constellation not associated with the information symbols, wherein power of each of the one or more pilot symbols is zero power.
13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second set of one or more values comprises one or more symbol values predetermined as corresponding to the one or more pilot symbols.
14. The system according to claim 12, wherein:
the receiver is operable to receive the information symbols and the one or more pilot symbols;
the received information symbols were transmitted at a first power when the received one or more pilot symbols were transmitted at a second power; and
the received information symbols were transmitted at a third power when the received one or more pilot symbols were transmitted at a fourth power.
15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first power, the second power, the third power, and the fourth power are based on a tradeoff between phase noise tolerance and additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) tolerance.
16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the receiver is operable, during the sequence estimation process to:
when a first location within a symbol candidate vector contains one of said information symbols, estimate a value of said one of said information symbols at said first location within said symbol candidate vector; and
when said first location within said symbol candidate vector contains one of said pilot symbols, estimate a value of one of said information symbols at a second location within said symbol candidate vector, said second location being before or after said first location.
17. A method comprising:
in a receiver:
generating, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search;
each of the values in the first set comprises a value in a first modulation symbol constellation associated with the information symbols;
for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination;
each of the values in the second set comprises a value in a second modulation symbol constellation not associated with the information symbols;
the sequence estimation process comprises:
estimating a value of said one of said information symbols at a first location within said symbol candidate vector when said first location within a symbol candidate vector contains one of said information symbols; and
estimating a value of one of said information symbols at a second location within said symbol candidate vector when said first location within said symbol candidate vector contains one of said pilot symbols;
said second location is before or after said first location; and
said first location within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to a first symbol more-recently received than a second symbol and said second location within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to said second symbol less-recently received than said first symbol.
18. A system comprising:
a receiver, the receiver being operable to:
generate, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search;
each of the values in the first set comprises a value in a first modulation symbol constellation associated with the information symbols;
for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination;
each of the values in the second set comprises a value in a second modulation symbol constellation not associated with the information symbols;
as part of the sequence estimation process, the receiver is operable to:
estimate a value of said one of said information symbols at a first location within said symbol candidate vector when said first location within a symbol candidate vector contains one of said information symbols; and
estimate a value of one of said information symbols at a second location within said symbol candidate vector when said first location within said symbol candidate vector contains one of said pilot symbols;
said second location being before or after said first location; and
a first position within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to a first symbol more-recently received than a second symbol, and a second position within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to said second symbol less-recently received than said first symbol.
19. A method, comprising:
in a receiver:
generating, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search;
for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination;
estimating, during the sequence estimation process when a first location within a symbol candidate vector contains one of said information symbols, a value of said one of said information symbols at said first location within said symbol candidate vector;
estimating, during the sequence estimation process when said first location within said symbol candidate vector contains one of said pilot symbols, a value of one of said information symbols at a second location within said symbol candidate vector, said second location being before or after said first location; and
wherein a first position within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to a first symbol more-recently received than a second symbol and a second position within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to said second symbol less-recently received than said first symbol.
20. A system, comprising:
a receiver, the receiver being operable to:
generate, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein:
for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search; and
for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination;
estimate, during the sequence estimation process when a first location within a symbol candidate vector contains one of said information symbols, a value of said one of said information symbols at said first location within said symbol candidate vector; and
estimate, during the sequence estimation process when said first location within said symbol candidate vector contains one of said pilot symbols, a value of one of said information symbols at a second location within said symbol candidate vector, said second location being before or after said first location;
wherein a first position within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to a first symbol more-recently received than a second symbol, and a second position within said symbol candidate vector corresponds to said second symbol less-recently received than said first symbol.
21. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first set of one or more values are values of a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbol constellation, and the second set of one or more values are values of a lower order phase shift keying (PSK) symbol constellation.