Patent ID: 8069006
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented system for determining projected coordinates in a projected coordinate system for at least one node on a wire having a plurality of nodes, wherein the wire is secured to two separated tow lines, wherein each tow line has a diverter, and wherein the two separated tow lines are secured to a floating vessel, the computer implemented system comprising: a. at least a pair of first in-water sensors deployed to determine the projected coordinates for a positioning on the wire, wherein each first in-water sensor is: b. at least a pair of second in-water sensors deployed to provide azimuths tangential to the wire, wherein each second in-water sensor is: c. a processor with a data storage, wherein the processor is in communication with each first in-water sensor and each second in-water sensor; d. a library of nominal values for third, fourth, or fifth order polynomial coefficients stored in the data storage; e. a library of known distances along the wire stored in the data storage comprising: f. a library of preset limits stored in the data storage comprising preset limits; g. computer instructions in the data storage for instructing the processor to receive sensor information from each first in-water sensor and each second in-water sensor, wherein the sensor information comprises: h. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to: i. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to rotate the azimuth tangential to the wire from the second in-water sensors using the bearing and a second rotation algorithm to reorient all azimuths tangential to the wire of all of the second in-water sensors into the local x-y coordinate system; j. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to construct a third, fourth, or fifth order polynomial algorithm of the wire using: k. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to compute an azimuth tangential to the wire at each second in-water sensor using the third, fourth, or fifth order polynomial algorithm; l. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to compute a difference between the computed azimuth tangential to the wire with the reoriented azimuths tangential to the wire from all of the second in-water sensors, thereby forming a residual; m. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to use the residual with a least squares technique to update the library of nominal values for third, fourth, or fifth order polynomial coefficients; n. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to construct an updated third, fourth, or fifth order polynomial algorithm of the wire using: o. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to compute an updated azimuth tangential to the wire at each second in-water sensor; p. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to compute an updated difference between the computed updated azimuth tangential to the wire with the reoriented azimuths tangential to the wire from all of the second in-water sensors until the residual is within one of the preset limits from the library of preset limits; q. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to calculate a pair of local x-y coordinates for at least one of the plurality of nodes on the wire; and r. computer instructions in the data storage to instruct the processor to use the bearing and a third rotation algorithm to rotate the pair of local x-y coordinates for at least one of the plurality of nodes on the wire from the local x-y coordinate system to the projected coordinate system.