Patent ID: 8867305

Claim:
A method of comprising: assisting a deployment and/or retrieval of linear acoustic antennas towed by a vessel, said linear antennas each having geophysical data sensors and means for measuring the distance of at least one adjacent linear antenna, during which at least one of said linear acoustic antennas has at least longitudinal mobility in relation to said vessel, including: at least one phase of configuring a network of a plurality of cells, each cell comprising the distance-measuring means of a primary one of the linear acoustic antennas and at least two distance-measuring means on at least one of the linear antennas adjacent to said primary linear acoustic antenna, each cell having a predefined dimension defined by a central position corresponding to the distance-measuring means of the primary linear acoustic antenna, and by at least two peripheral positions corresponding to the at least two distance-measuring means of the at least one adjacent linear acoustic antenna in proximity to said central position, wherein said distance measuring means are evenly distributed along said linear acoustic antennas and reference distances between said central positions and said peripheral positions are predetermined; and at least one phase of controlling said central and peripheral positions with respect to said predetermined reference distances, by establishing communication between at least some of said distance-measuring means, wherein during deployment and/or retrieval of said linear acoustic antennas, positioning of said primary linear acoustic antenna relative to said at least one adjacent linear acoustic antenna is carried out by analysis of said central and peripheral positions relative to said predetermined reference distances.